How to help an anxious dog?
Today I’m going to share with you an overview of the techniques and principles we’ll use to overcome your dog’s anxiety. Unfortunately, there is way too much to share in just one article. This will be an overview to give you an idea of how it will work. Please feel free to reach out if you have any specific questions or want to know more about techniques used. The techniques are in three overall categories.
Owner Education
I know, I talk a lot about this one. But it’s important!! Under this category, some of the specific techniques and principles that owners learn are-
Calm, confident demeanor.
Reading body language.
Proper use of training tools (and when to use which tool!).
Understanding the why of both behaviors and techniques.
Foundational Calm
Foundational calm is all about helping to lower your dog’s overall levels of anxiety, and helping raise their overall levels of relaxation and fun. It’s about creating a harmonious lifestyle for both of you, where you can work together, rather than against each other. Under this category, some of our specific techniques and principles are:
Therapeutic exercises, including “doing nothing” (It’s actually pretty cool!)
Emotional self control through a variety of training exercises
Proper structure and boundaries/rules (set and maintained by you!)
Proper exercise
Relieving unnecessary stressors (temporarily)
Increasing Courage
Increasing courage may be my favorite part. This is all about bringing the fun back into your dog’s life. We want your dog to learn how to approach the things he or she fears (when safe and appropriate of course!)- with the intention of curiosity, exploration, and fun. Under this category are:
Challenging them enough for growth, but not enough for overwhelm
Helping them approach something scary and explore it
Rewarding relaxation and exploration
Helping them make good decisions on their own
Utilizing fun
So there you have it! This list just scratches the surface of the thing's you'll be able to learn in my programs- but it gives you a good idea of the fundamentals!
If you’d like some specific guidance on your dog’s anxiety, feel free to reach out and we’ll have a chat! Just click contact at the top of the website. Talk to you soon!
