[s2If current_user_cannot(access_s2member_ccap_course_001_bm)]

To view this lesson, please purchase this course or log in if you have already purchased it.[/s2If]

[s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_ccap_course_001_bm)]

OTHER TIPS TO REDUCE AROUSAL

Here’s a variety of other suggestions to either use now or file away. It’s a lot so don’t expect to be able to do it all right away. Some of this may help your dog, some may not, but all of these suggestions are helpful to SOME dogs.

Aromatherapy may be of more help for *you* to calm down than your dog, but I’ve had success using valerian, lavender, ylang ylang, and other aromas with dogs. Blackwing Farms is a good site with some commercial blends, like Bitch Balm and Calm Balm that I’ve found to be helpful (note, we are not affiliated).

Calming music can be quite helpful for both you and your dog. The Through a Dog’s Ear series by Joshua Leeds and Lisa Spector has a few varieties. Here are some links: Volume 1, Volume 2, music for the driving with your dog, and even a version to comfort senior dogs. We play this sort of music in our puppy camp to help keep the dogs relaxed. This music is already calming, in my experience, but see below for a way to supercharge that by associating this music with a relaxed state of mind.

DAP (Adaptil) and Pet Remedy both have plug-ins that can reduce anxiety if that’s part of what’s happening with your dog. I prefer the spray for Pet Remedy because it is very smelly in the plugin form. My cat adores the spray and always rolls in it when I spray it in a room.

TTouch® (Tellington Touch) has a variety of tools that help dogs learn to calmly be ‘in the moment,’ including touch, body wraps, and ground work I like their proprioception exercises where the dog has a chance to pay attention to different parts of her body. This can be very helpful for reducing arousal, getting dogs used to harnesses or other kinds of touch, physical ailments, and a lot more. I highly recommend the Tawzer DVDs by Lori Stevens on this topic, as she also has a solid background in canine anatomy.

You might find it useful to get a heart monitor for your dog, so you have more data about her arousal level. The Polar equine heart monitor with Bluetooth can be used with dogs. Attach the leads to a harness to help it stay in place.

Karen Overall’s Relaxation Protocol is a step-by-step protocol for dogs who have trouble settling down at all. This is a very detailed protocol that is definitely not for everyone, because of the many steps. The people who have been able to go through it all find it to be quite helpful. Roxanne Hawn has recorded this protocol into daily MP3s, one per day for 15 days. Here’s the link. There is a bit that recommends restraining the dog and I DO NOT suggest doing it that way. Giving your dog the opportunity to relax; don’t try to force it into doing so. You should be able to do all of this without a leash at all if you are in a safe area.

TRAINING: CONDITIONING RELAXATION

I have found this protocol to be quite helpful. It is basically about making an association between a word, odor, or other stimulus with a state of relaxation, using classical conditioning. I first heard of this from Kathy Sdao many years ago and also have seen great explanations and videos by Ute Blaschke-Berthold from Germany. I think the term “Conditioned Relaxation” was coined by Kayce Cover from the US.

I use a very simple version of this, basically what Kathy Sdao taught me many years ago. Associate something (like lavender, a word, calming music, or a particular bed or rug) with relaxation by having that relaxed state follow the introduction of the stimulus. You can do this systematically, but for the verbal cue, you can also do it just by labeling what is happening.

For example, when you see your dog circle to settle down, yawn or calmly say your cue. I use “reeee-lax.”  Then your dog relaxes (which she was going to do anyway). Also say that cue just before you do calm petting or massage. Eventually, the dog can hear that cue and begin to relax.

Alternatively, apply a tiny amount of lavender to the back of your hands for massage time, so that when your dog smells lavender, a calm massage is about to happen. Only do this if your dog will definitely relax with the massage.

Later, you can apply the lavender to the harness or a bandana to use in situations where your dog needs an added relaxation boost.

Here are two ways. Pick a time when your dog is already close to being relaxed.

1. Associate the presence of an essential oil (lavender or some other scent like ylang ylang or vetivir) and massage. Do 1-2 massages per day. Keep one hand in contact with your dog while the other moves around to massage. Stop occasionally to see if the dog is still interested.
2. Associate the verbal Relax cue (or yawn) with something calm, like massage.

If massage is not possible for your dog because he does not like to be touched, work on that instead. Emily Larlham (kikopup) has a great video on teaching dogs to be comfortable being touched.

I would combine that with the 5-second rule and the More Please Signal (where your dog does some behavior to say that this is worth his while). For example, your dog can touch your hand or lean toward you to say that he would like more petting. When you are done, give the All Done signal.

Also start to associate the verbal cue mentioned above at times when your dog is already about to relaxed, but this will be hard to film so don’t worry about submitting that.

TRAINING: SUDDEN ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE AS AN ON SWITCH

It’s helpful to teach your dog that if something suddenly changes in the environment, looking at you is a great option of what to do next (instead of, say, running over to the thing). So the sudden environmental change (SEC) becomes a cue to pay attention to you.

Examples of SECs (sudden environmental changes):

• You are in a training hall and someone opens a door
• You are in a training hall and someone walks through a door
• You are in a training hall and someone walks through a door with a dog
• Same as the first three items above, but in a field with a gate
• Same as the first three items above, but in a house
• In your home and a noise plays (you can do this with your phone, especially if you have a Bluetooth speaker)
• In your home and someone drops something in another room or nearby

Set up a situation where there will be a mild SEC out of the blue. By ‘mild’ I mean that the dog is a little interested and definitely notices it, but is not scared or too startled. If is is a physical trigger that your dog may run to, have your dog on a leash and harness or have a fence/barrier between your dog and whatever is happening.

Ideally you would start this exercise with your dog just being a dog – sniffing the ground, relaxing, etc. However, if the stimulus is too interesting and you can’t reduce the intensity enough just to get a mild response, you may have to start with your dog in working mode before the sound. That gives you a better chance of getting your dog’s attention after the stimulus.

1. When your dog perceives the SEC her ear will flick toward it, her head will turn, or there will be some other small physical change. This tells you she has perceived it. If she barks, the stimulus was too exciting but carry on with the steps below for now.
2. Immediately cue her attention using the signal trained in the first lesson.
3. Just as in that lesson, mark and reinforce attention several times.
4. Release the dog with “All Done” and then allow her to go check out the stimulus (or go together). I’m assuming this is a safe thing to do. If it’s not safe, just have your dog do Find It or move away and go do something else together.
5. Wait enough time so that the SEC is a surprise again. This may be several minutes. The more of a surprise it is, the more likely it is that your dog will respond with reactivity, so take that into account.

Start with a very mild SEC and use that during your training sessions until your dog automatically starts looking at you when the SEC event occurs. Then build up to more and more distracting stimuli, like the sound of dog tags.

If you can’t find an SEC stimulus that is mild enough to avoid barking, or your dog notices something else in your environment as you work, you can click as soon as your dog notices the stimulus instead of cueing the turn and then clicking after. If it is a stimulus that you control, try to make it easier for your dog. Try muffling it if it’s a sound, having it be less of a surprise if it’s visual, by changing the speed or angle of approach, for example.

In the moment, if your dog barks just have the stimulus go away, or move away from the stimulus, and let your dog relax. Mark when she turns to you, as above. Take a break for a bit and figure out how to make things easier for your dog to turn to you next time.

[/s2If]