DogAnxiety10
1. Condition Diagnosis Generalized - mild/moderate + Situational [pets_name] has been diagnosed with generalized and situational fear, anxiety, and stress. This means that your pet is worried, fearful or stressed in several situations and potentially between them as well. When your pet experiences fear anxiety and stress, they are entering an involuntary full body-brain physiologic state. As you can imagine, experiencing this neurochemical overload on a regular basis can have serious consequences to your pet’s health. In addition, when your pet is stressed, the way that they learn, and what they learn, is impacted. When a pet is stressed, they are more likely to remember the bad part of that experience. We are so glad that you have taken this initial step toward helping your pet. Our pets develop problems like this due to a combination of inherited factors, environmental factors (food, where they live), physical factors (overall health, illness) and life experiences (trauma, training, socialization). Even the health of your pet’s mother when she was pregnant can influence your pet’s behavior today! As with humans, early life experiences are very important. What a dog experiences from 2-14 weeks (socialization period) can shape their behavior permanently. Even if your dog hasn’t had the best start to life, there are things that you can do to help them live their best life. Pets with more severe fear, anxiety, and stress can still improve, though treatment may take longer, and management may be more intensive. Now that we have identified the problem, we need to implement a medical, behavioral, and environmental treatment plan. 2. Medical Treatment Plan [order.medication] 3.Behavioral Modification Behavioral and Environmental Modification Plan At Dutch, our goal is to deliver long-term happiness to all pet parents and their pets. Medications are a large part of that process to facilitate learning but they are only part of the solution. To create lasting change, optimizing the world around your dog and giving them strategies to cope with inevitable stressful situations will give them, and you, the tools and confidence needed to live their best life. Pay close attention to the foundational recommendations. Those help you build a strong relationship with your dog and can quickly reduce stress. Those should be implemented first. Sometimes it can take up to 2 weeks for a dog to adjust to changes in the environment. For that reason, give each recommendation about 2 weeks and implement no more than 3 recommendations on any given week. This will help to ensure that your dog isn’t overwhelmed. Some of the recommendations below may be familiar to you. Maybe you even tried a couple previously. We encourage you to try each recommendation even if you have tried it previously. This may be the first time that your dog has a complete treatment plan including neurochemical modulation (supplements, medications) along with environmental management and behavioral treatment. Each part of the plan affects the likelihood of success of the other parts of the plan. Things that weren’t effective before may very well be effective now, so give them a try! Here are some initial recommendations to get started on the path to creating lasting change for [pets_name]. Enrich your dog’s environment: Try NoseworkCreate games that teach them to use their nose to find the reward. For example, hide a treat in one hand and let them sniff the hand with the treat and say “Find it.” Reveal the treat and reward them with the treat and verbal praise of “Good find it.” Continue to repeat this process until you can give the command and they sniff both hands and find which hand has the treat. Once this concept is mastered, treats can be hidden under cups, in toys, and other places throughout the house. Leverage Food ToysFeed your dog ½ of his food out of food toys. Make sure to give your dog food toys in a place where he can enjoy them undisturbed especially if he has ever shown aggression around food or toys. Separate your dogs from each other, as well as from cats, when you feed them out of food toys. New TricksFeed your dog ½ of his food out of food toys. Teach your dog one trick each month. This builds communication between you and your dog and are fun things you can ‘ask’ your pet to do when they may otherwise be mildly stressed to make it more fun and predictable. Keep your dog on a solid (non-retractable) 6ft leash when outside except when in a fenced yard. Avoid the triggers that cause your dog’s previously listed behaviors. For example, if your dog barks at people outside, cover the windows with window film or block off that part of the house with a baby gate. If the doorbell triggers these behaviors, disconnect it, or get a doorbell that sends your cell phone a message. If they don't like car rides, avoid those for now. Avoid bringing your dog into environments, or introducing them to people, if this triggers the previously mentioned behaviors. Avoid pushing or pulling your dog. If you need to move them, call them to you or lure them with a treat. Avoid any type of negative reinforcement collar on your dog. Negative reinforcement collars include shock, vibrate, e-stim, ‘tens’, choke, pinch or prong collars. These contribute to fear, anxiety and stress. If your dog has slipped their collar, a well-fitted Martingale collar, without a clip, gives you better security and can be worn all the time like a flat/standard collar. Use positive reinforcement techniques such as treats and toys to reinforce and reward your dog’s positive behavior. Teach your dog to relax on a mat. (See technique below) If your dog is afraid of sounds, try to avoid those sounds. If you’re unable to, use white noise or quiet classical music to drown out those sounds. Avoid the radio, as it is more silence and talk than actual music. If walks are stressful for your dog, exercise them in the backyard or inside the house. If your dog likes tugging games, and does so safely with no jumping on you and without the use of teeth on skin, a flirt pole can be used. This increases the amount of exercise your dog gets during tugging without increasing your effort. If your dog pulls on leash, try a head collar or no-pull harness. If your dog has slipped their collar, a well-fitted Martingale collar (without a clip) gives you better security and can be worn all the time like a flat/standard collar. Teach your dog to relax on a mat. (See technique below). Create a Sanctuary Room (see technique below) Recommendations for Situational fear, anxiety, and stress For fear of visitors: Put a sign on your door instructing people not to knock or ring the doorbell. Put your dog in another room with a delicious food item before people come over. Cover the portion of your windows your dog can see passersby with window film. Go outside with your dog when they are in the yard to keep them from barking. If they bark, shake a treat bag and call him inside. Do not encourage your dog to bark when looking out the windows or outside. Do not let visitors pet your dog right now. Keep your dog on a 6 ft leash with visitors if they are comfortable. Reward them with tiny ¼ inch treats for calm behavior. Give the treats every 1-3 seconds. If you can’t watch your dog or keep them on a leash when there are visitors, put them in their sanctuary space. For fear of children: Do not let your dog interact with children. Avoid areas of high child traffic (bus stops, parks/playgrounds) If people ask if their children can pet your dog, tell them politely ‘no, they are in special training’ as you move away. When there are children visiting, put your dog behind a closed door or in the backyard if it is safe. For fear of storms/fireworks/thunder/sounds: Try to avoid the sounds that scare your dog. If you cannot do so, use white noise or classical music to drown out those sounds. Examples If your cell phone alert sound scares your dog, turn your phone on vibrate or choose a different alert. If the sound of the microwave or food sizzling in the pan causes your dog to get scared, put him in a separate room with a yummy food filled toy before you start cooking. If the phone rings before a visitor comes to your house, ask them to text you instead or change your ringtone. Block off the windows by pulling the blinds or blocking your dog out of rooms with windows. Send your dog to his “sanctuary room”. Stay with him if you can. Turn on the radio, TV, fan or “white noise” machine. Give your dog something fun to do like a food filled toy or play his favorite game with him. Hand your dog 3 toys from the toy box that he hasn’t seen in a while. Act excited and happy to be playing with him during the storm. Consider day boarding at a noise-proof dog daycare facility on storm days. Interact with him by practicing his favorite tricks. Let him sit next to you in his sanctuary room. Bring out his very favorite toy during thunderstorms and put it away immediately afterwards. Ignore all anxious behavior and redirect him to an easy game or an activity. Turn on music. Calming classical music, reggae, or something they typically hear is best. If you do not regularly listen to something like Beethoven’s 1812 overture, choose different music as it is very loud and bombastic (symbols, loud drums). Do not punish (yelling is punishment) your dog for their destructive or annoying behavior during a thunderstorm. Do not confine your dog in a crate. Behavioral Training Technique Countercondition your dog to what scares them This technique helps you to actually change your dog’s reaction toward stimuli that cause them to react. For example, if your dog is afraid to go outside to eliminate, provide as private a space as possible close to the door. If they are already having accidents indoors, temporarily consider an easy to clean up area inside. This exercise should always be done below your dog’s threshold for reactivity. Always end on a happy note. Work in 1 to 2 minute sessions. Start by putting a leash on him/her and stepping outside of your door. Then, reward them every 1 to 2 seconds for sitting calmly next to you. When one to two minutes has passed, walk back inside. Repeat this session 3 times. When they have three successful sessions consecutively, move forward one step farther outside. Continue like this until you can get all the way to the elevator/get to the end of your driveway... without any scanning or panting when not hot. Over time increase the amount of steps between treats. Behavioral Training Technique “Relax on a Mat” These exercises may look similar to “down/stay” as taught in obedience class, but the goal is very different. In obedience class, lack of physical movement is the sole goal. When training relaxation, your dog’s emotional state is the primary goal, and relaxed movements (rolling over, curling up, or sprawling out) are acceptable and encouraged. Choose a ‘mat’ that does not slip and on which your dog will be comfortable lying for extended periods. The mat should be portable, and large enough to fit your dog’s entire body when sprawled out. Pick up the mat when not working on these exercises. Start in a quiet comfortable room. Once successful, practice in other locations around the home. If you have multiple pets in the household, to begin, your dog should be temporarily separated from them for these exercises. Only once they are successful in isolation in 1 to 2 locations around the home should you consider adding in the distraction of other pets. ONLY do this if there are no concerns about food guarding between animals. Use rewards that are tasty enough for your dog to eat, but not so exciting that they jump up and wiggle for them. (Consider Cheerios or Fruitables instead of Puperoni or deli meat.) Treats should be small - pea to thumb sized. Keeping treats out of sight can decrease your dog’s excitement. Refrain from reaching for or petting your dog during these exercises. This may be too arousing for some dogs and the ultimate goal is for the dog being able to relax outside your reach or touch. Finish all sessions with a release cue (ex. “free” / “all done” / “finished”). As you progress through the steps, reward your dog though only do so for relaxed body language. If they cannot relax for a specific step, step back 2 to 3 steps. Set up: Set the mat down on the floor and review the exercise for the session. Ask your dog to lie down on the mat in front of and facing you. Once your dog’s hip shifts to the side, they sigh, or they relax with their head down, give them a verbal praise “yes” / “good dog” and a small treat. Start with a few minutes (2-3) at a time, then graduate to 5-10 minutes. It is NOT a race to see how many sets you can get through in this time period, this is a marathon of relaxation, not a sprint. Relaxing on the mat: Ask your dog to lie down on the mat in front of and facing you. Once your dog’s hip shifts to the side, they sigh, or they relax with their head down, give them a verbal praise “yes” / “good dog” and a small treat. As long as they stay in a relaxed body position, reward them every 1-3 seconds for the first session. Start with short sessions that are always successful (aka your dog remains relaxed) this may be as short as 30 seconds to begin with. Increase the space between rewards incrementally from every 1-3 seconds, to every 3-5 seconds for three sessions, then every 5-10 seconds for three sessions, etc. until you can reward them every 30-90 seconds. Duration of time your dog is rewarded for relaxing on the mat incrementally (60 seconds, 2minutes, 5 min, 8 minutes, 11 minutes, 15 minutes). Distraction Set 1 Stand in front of him for 3 seconds Stand in front of him for 5 seconds Stand in front of him for 10 seconds Take one step to the right Take one step to the left Take one step back Take two steps to the right Take two steps to the left Take two steps back Clap your hands softly once Clap your hands softly twice Clap your hands softly three times Distraction Set 2 Stand in front of him for 10 seconds Stand in front of him for 15 seconds Clap your hands three times Clap your hands for 5 seconds Clap your hands for 10 seconds Count out loud to 10 Count out loud to 15 Count out loud to 20 Walk ¼ of the way around the dog to the left Walk ¼ of the way around the dog to the right Walk ½ of the way around the dog to the left Walk ½ of the way around the dog to the right Distraction Set 3 Speak animatedly as if holding a conversation (or have one on the phone) Count out loud to 20 Jog quietly in place for three seconds Jog quietly in place for five seconds Jog quietly in place for ten seconds Take ten steps to the left Take ten steps to the right Take ten steps back Take fifteen steps to the left Take fifteen steps to the right Take fifteen steps back Squat down and immediately stand up Distraction Set 4 Walk to the nearest doorway Walk to the nearest doorway and stand for 5 seconds Walk to the nearest doorway and stand for 10 seconds Take three steps to the left, clap your hands once Take three steps to the right, clap your hands once Take three steps back, clap your hands once Take ten steps to the right, clap three times Take ten steps to the left, clap three times Take ten steps back, clap three times Knock on the wall softly Knock on the wall moderately Bend over and touch your toes Distraction Set 5 Walk through the opened door and take 1 step to the left, out of his sight for 5 seconds Walk through the opened door and take 1 step to the right, out of his sight for 5 seconds Walk through the opened door and take 1 step to the left, out of his sight for 15 seconds Walk through the opened door and take 1 step to the right, out of his sight for 15 seconds Walk through the opened door and take 1 step to the left, out of his sight for 30 seconds Walk through the opened door and take 1 step to the right, out of his sight for 30 seconds Leave the room for one minute Stand in front of him for 10 seconds Stand in front of him for 15 seconds Stand in front of him for 20 seconds Jog in place for 10 seconds while humming Jog in place for 15 seconds while humming Jog in place for 20 seconds while humming Create a Sanctuary Room Creating a “sanctuary room” is essential for the management of thunderstorm phobic dogs, as well as a safe space for dogs with other fears or anxieties. It provides them with a space where they feel protected. Elements of a perfect sanctuary room: No, or few, windows. An interior room in the home. A place that your dog already goes when he is frightened that is always accessible. The “sanctuary room” should always look the same. If there are windows, the blinds should always be drawn. If sounds are a primary concern, the room should be as sound proofed as possible. We recommend heavy sound-dampening curtains and sound buffering wall decorations. Management of Sanctuary Room Whenever you see your dog relaxing in the sanctuary room, reward him by tossing in a treat or petting him. Toss treats into the sanctuary room daily so that your dog can find them. Avoid shutting your dog in their sanctuary room alone. Getting Your Dog Accustomed to the Sanctuary Room Prepare a food toy with a mix of delicious treats (e.g. some kibble and some soft food). Go to the sanctuary room with your dog. Place the toy down and sit nearby. If your dog goes to the toy and starts to eat it, don’t say anything. If your dog comes to you for attention, ignore him. Eventually, he will go to the toy and start to enjoy it. Stay with your dog until he is done with the toy or the toy is empty. Do this a couple days in a row. Only when you put the toy down and your dog goes right to it, and starts to eat it, are you ready to leave the room. Depending on how independent your dog is, you may be able to progress very quickly with the next part of the training. Some dogs will have a difficult time accepting their owner’s departure. Please be patient and keep at it. Stand up and then immediately sit back down. If your dog gets up, ignore him and stand, remaining still, until he focuses his attention on his toy again. Once he does, sit back down. Continue as above until you can stand and sit without your dog paying much attention. Next, stand up and take one step away. If your dog stands up, stand still until he is focused on his toy again. When he is, sit back down. In this way, slowly increase the distance that you can walk from your dog without him getting up and following you. Progress slowly and end the session when your dog is successfully able to finish his food toy. Just sit back down and let him finish. Gradually increase the amount of time spent out of the room, by adding 1-2 minutes per day, always returning before your dog is likely finished with the treat. Your goal is to be able to leave your dog in the room for 1 hour. If you need to use multiple food toys to accomplish this goal, please do. Teach your dog to relax on a mat. 4. Further Reading Recommended Resources Online Resources: Cats https://fearfreehappyhomes.com Clickertraining.com SFSPCA Decoding your Cat The Trainable Cat, Bradshaw, Ellis Dogs https://fearfreehappyhomes.com Clickertraining.com SFSPCA From Fearful to Fear Free Decoding your Dog OSU www.flvetbehavior.com Therealdognerds.com SFSPCA Dacvb.org Bluedog.org http://familypaws.com http://www.silentconversations.com/how-do-you-greet-a-dog-politely/ www.k9aggression.com clickertraining.com https://www.maddiesfund.org/feline-communication-how-to-speak-cat.htm https://fearfreehappyhomes.com https://icatcare.org Books From Fearful to Fear Free, by Marty Becker and Lisa Radosta Decoding your Dog, by ACVB Decoding your Cat, by ACVB The Trainable Cat by John Bradshaw and Sarah Ellis Puppy Start Right, by Martin and Martin Don’t shoot the dog, by Karen Pryor A kid's comprehensive guide to speaking dog by Niki Tudge Doggy Do's and Don'ts by Dr. Emily Levine Living with Kids and Dogs…Without Losing Your Mind by Colleen Pelar Fired Up, Freaked Out and Frantic by Laura VanArendonk Baugh The Cautious Canine, by Patricia McConnell Click to Calm, by Emma Parsons Doggie Language by Lili Chin Apps Dog Decoder Application: http://www.dogdecoder.com SniffSpot (Find private Fenced areas for your dog to rent) ASPCA Toxin App
