stress

Posts Tagged stress

Safety Zone: Why Safety Is So Important to Dogs

You make sure that your dogs have a roof over their heads, food to eat and have appropriate vet care as needed. So you assume that they are safe. In comparison to a stray dog, they are indeed safe. But there is a lot more to safety than the basics that I mentioned.

Is any one dog in your home regularly annoying to another dog without consistent human intervention? Do any of your dogs bark constantly at other dogs/humans outside of your home while viewing them from inside? Do any of your dogs bark at other dogs/humans while on a walk? Do you have an invisible fence and allow your dogs unsupervised access to your yard, when it’s on a street with others passing by? Then your dogs might have an emotional safety problem.

There are different degrees of safety. What a dog with one personality may consider a minor worry, another with a higher strung temperament may consider worthy of a meltdown. Learning what your own dogs require in order to feel safe is crucial to having a smoothly running household.

This is what dogs who feel safe look like while relaxing.

Think about your own emotional state when you don’t feel safe. Do you feel anxious? Worried? Stressed? All of the above? It’s the same for dogs. Safety means something different for everyone. It’s a very individual but very important component of one’s life. How can you determine what safety is lacking in your household? Learning to be very observant about what worry in your own crew looks like and what creates that worry. Learn body language and signals and what questions to the humans of the household look like.

Let’s address some of my examples individually:

Barking more than a little at strangers, from both inside and outside is frequently (but not always) due to anxiety on the dog’s part. Anxiety boils down to a lack of feeling emotionally safe. While this article cannot fix this problem in your dogs, it can give you an idea when you need professional help in order to better create safety in this area. If your dogs are reactive in these types of scenarios, quality professional behavioral help can effect change for the better. Feel free to contact us for a referral to a qualified behavior professional in your area.

I am sure that I will get some flack for my opinions of invisible type fencing, but it has to be said. Unsupervised dogs in most invisible fencing type situations are a recipe for a lack of safety on the part of the dogs, both inside that ‘fence’ and dogs passing by that ‘fenced’ yard. The dogs inside know that anything and anyone can enter their space but they are trapped and cannot get away from an intruder. There is no visible barrier so that passersby are generally seen as a credible threat. This can create and/or increase aggression substantially.

Regarding the subject of one dog annoying another housemate on a regular basis, I have written numerous articles, one on parenting available here and another on dogs who bully other dogs, available here. Knowing that the human(s) in the household will provide safety from being pushed around can allow a dog to truly relax.

This brings me additional clues that your dog doesn’t feel safe. An inability to relax easily around the house is a glaring symptom. Pacing frequently and being easily startled are clues as well. Being hyper-vigilant towards certain criteria such as doorways to the outside world and windows that look out onto potentially active areas of the neighborhood are yet others. A caveat about the interest in the outdoor activity; this can also simply be a habit that has been inadvertently reinforced. When that is the case, you will rarely see the other symptoms.

One of the easiest things that can be done to remedy a lack of emotional safety is to truly see your dogs. Their questions, that is. Dogs ask a lot of questions of their humans. The problems arise when the humans don’t see the questions. The dogs then are forced to deal with their fears in the best way that they know. Pro-active barking is at the top of their list. This rarely works out in a manner that is satisfactory to the humans, or the dogs for that matter!

Feeling safe isn’t limited to the examples that I gave. Other areas of safety include not exposing your dogs to scenarios where they could get into trouble that can be avoided. This can include using a leash when walking outdoors, having your dogs greet visitors away from the initial entry into your home as well as not allowing strangers to touch your dogs without your dog’s explicit permission. See more on that here.

As for the initial examples that were presented, such as meals, vet care and housing, there is lot to be gained from the expectation that basic routines happen predictably enough as expected. Another safety stressor is vast unpredictability on the part of the humans. Behavior wise, that is. If the humans do not behave in a predictable manner most of the time, it can cause instability on the part of the dog’s mental state. Anxious and mentally unstable humans can create or contribute to mentally unstable dogs. This is not always the case, of course. But dogs learn how to walk on eggshells, just like humans. That is not good for either species.

Dogs with rock solid temperaments can certainly safely be emotional or psychiatric service dogs for humans that have emotional problems or mental illness quite successfully. But these are dogs who are hand picked for such tasks, not your average shelter or rescue dog that has baggage of his or her own. However, such dogs will need to have regular breaks in order to remain successful at their task and stable.

In conclusion, with appropriate accommodations made for emotional and physical safety, what you will see is dogs who can roll with life’s challenges and changes. Your crew will trust that you are handling all of the scary things including the handling of scenarios that may worry them. They will trust that they can look to you with questions and get answers that they understand. They will trust that you will intervene when necessary. This allows them to truly relax and be themselves. Creating such an existence among your crew will provide long term peace of mind, not only among your crew but with the humans. Please take the spaces below to describe how you create a safety zone among your crew.

Tags: anxious, bark, behavior, body language, dog, fear, household, how, invisible fence, many, multiple, pacing, positive, relax, safe, shelter, stress, symptom, worry

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Tales From The Stark Side: Do Dogs Need Toys?

Do you need toys? No, not the toys you played with when you were a child. But grown up ‘toys’. There are so many examples and each person views different things as entertainment and enjoyment aids. Things such as sports equipment, books, music, TV, video games, exercise equipment, etc. I could name hundreds of items that different humans view as their version of toys. Most people have both active and passive ‘toys’. Some ‘toys’ physically tire us out. Some ‘toys’ mentally tire us out. Both have their place and both are necessities.

Everyone unwinds in different ways. Dogs are like that too. One dog may enjoy a good chew on an antler to unwind after dinner. Another dog may enjoy racing around the house after a ball. Yet another may view stuffed toys as calming and self-soothing.

Where it gets complicated in some multiple dog households is when there is some resource guarding that has gone unchecked. I have been to homes where things have progressed to the point that all of the toys were removed. Ponder the significance of that statement and apply it to your own life. Wow, powerful thought, isn’t it? How would do you deal with that? Would your sanity be in danger with no recreational outlet? I know mine would. Now why would it be any different for your dogs? Everyone needs environmental enrichment. This is crucial for mental stability.

One English Setter chews on a toy as another looks on.

All dogs like toys of one type or another.

It’s even worse for dogs who have never had toys or have had them taken away early in life. The reasons often vary. They range from pulling all of the stuffing out of stuffed toys to eating a Kong and needing surgery. These are remedied in different ways but are not a reason to eliminate toys on a permanent basis.

Stuffed toys: it’s fun for a dog to pull out the stuffing. As long as they are not ingesting said stuffing, simply buy very inexpensive dollar store stuffed toys and supervise. Let them have a blast. Get over the clean up factor. It’s not the end of the world to pick up toy stuffing. If they are pulling out the stuffing in order to get to the squeaker, there is a line of stuffed toys called Egg Babies that have stuffed eggs in the pocket of a stuffed toy that allows the dog to pull the squeaker out without damaging the toy. It usually takes only a moment for a dog to understand this concept once shown. My own beloved Merlin adored his Platypus Egg Baby. It was the only toy he did not disembowel!

Sucky toys: my Kenzo loves to suck on his tuggy toys. This relaxes him. Some dogs like to knead and suck on pillow type toys or even throw pillows. Any Doberman that I have ever shared my life with has done this. Again, thrift stores/low cost options are your friends here. And supervise.

Antlers: some dogs love them, some can take them or leave them. Dogs that like harder chew things like deer antlers, dogs that like softer things often prefer elk antlers. There also now are hollow horns available that are yet even softer than antlers. Know your dog’s chewing style. If their goal is to break the antlers, then these are not the right chew things for them.

Nylabones and the like: again, some dogs love them, some dogs can’t be bothered. Most dogs like the Nylabone Galileo and Benebones of some sort. Just don’t step on them in the middle of the night or drop them on your foot. Ouch! Size these toys appropriately for your dog.

Kongs and other food dispensing toys: choose the hardiness appropriate for your dog. If he can’t have a Kong goodie bone because he may break it in half, then get the larger Kong products. There are so many to choose from that there is bound to be one appropriate for your dogs.

Sturdy toys for destroyer dogs: I get so many people saying their dogs destroy everything and no toy is safe so they stop buying toys. Nonsense. I have found Cane Corso proofed toys. If they can’t destroy these toys, neither can your dog. Try them. Your dog will thank you. There are several among the tried and tested options. Jolly Balls, Orbee balls, Kong Wubba, the aforementioned Nylabone Galileo and now Bully Make products. Again, size appropriately.

Now for the more challenging equation. Multiple dog households with a resource guarder or two. Number one, get in-home professional behavior assistance. Run, don’t walk, to your search engine and find a qualified one in your area. Email me and I will find you one. Your dog’s sanity depends on it. They need toys. In the meantime, set up sturdy tethers with the guarders in question, out of reach of one another and give them something to help them relax. Or crate them for this activity on a regular basis. I prefer tethers as they learn to do this in proximity to one another without making poor choices. You can also spend separate time with each playing with active toys. It’s THAT important.

Some of you may be thinking that your dog doesn’t like any toys. Again, nonsense. You just haven’t found the kind they like yet. Even if the only thing they end up liking is gnawing on a marrow bone, that is better than no toys at all. And toys don’t have to be actual toys. Plenty of dogs like to simply carry something around and not actually play with it. Some dogs like to play with empty plastic soda bottles and nothing else. Some dogs just want to run around the house. This is still play. And sometimes you have to teach a dog that it can be fun to play with toys. That usually starts with food but it’s not always necessary.

A word about exceptions to the playing requirement. Often when dogs get older, they grow less interested in play. That is normal but they still typically view something as relaxation. My Siri is twelve now (when this was written many years ago) and she occasionally still ‘beats up on’ Kenzo for fun but she always carries her huge furry ball around in her mouth. Mela carried on the stuffed ball tradition on after Siri. Other exceptions are dogs that are simply finding their own peace sniffing on their walks. That is great.

The stressed dogs I am talking about have little in the way in mental stimulation. If you walk your dogs daily and they have toys available to them but don’t play with them much, then don’t worry. But if they get neither walks (that are calming because reactive dog walks are NOT calming!) or toys, then you very likely have a problem. So allow your dogs toys. Teach them if you have to. I guarantee you that once you engage your dog(s) with toys, you will have a much happier and more mentally stable dog than you had before. Try it. There is joy in play and relaxation time. Allow your dogs that joy.

Tags: behavior, chew, dog, dogs, household, impulse control, kong, manners, many, mental, multiple, positive, relaxation, resource guarding, shelter, squeaker, stress, stuffed, toys, train, training, tug toys, unwind

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Better Living Through Chemistry: Why You Shouldn’t Rule Out Meds

There is no doubt that there are many people benefiting from behavior modification medication. Lives have been saved. People are now leading productive lives when they were previously devoid of hope. Sadly, there are also probably nearly as many people misusing said meds. That is unfortunate but that doesn’t take away from the successes. Medication can get a bad rap. It’s overused but it’s equally underused. For as many people who are misusing it, I would venture to say that there are nearly an equal number who could benefit from it in their life.

Dogs are no different in this area. They can benefit as well. I can’t count how many times I run into resistance with some pet parents whose dogs are so stressed, they are not truly functioning. We expect so much of our dogs with what they “should” deal with yet we don’t see their pleas for help. If everyone had the ability to effectively communicate with their dogs, I have no doubt that the need for behavioral medication would drastically decrease. But the two way communication is lacking too much at this time to close that gap from education alone. Medication can be a real savior.

Dover (white dog) finds peace in the crew with his meds.

This is not to say that medication fixes everything. Not at all. The works still needs to be done. That’s where people like me come in. We teach the pet parents to read their dogs better, provide them safety and help them overcome or learn how to handle their fears and function better in their world. The medication, however, makes that path far easier in many cases. And in some instances, can mean the difference between retaining a loving home and losing it because of issues that are too hard to overcome.

My biggest frustration with this issue is when someone says that they want to try medication as a last resort. It shouldn’t be a last resort. If your dog has a physical ailment and needed medication for that ailment, would you withhold it to see if he could overcome it naturally? Of course not! Not if you are a responsible pet parent, that is! You wouldn’t give that a second thought, yet so many people are willing to let their dog suffer mental anguish when there is relief so easily accessed.

On the other side of this coin, just as in humans, are the pet parents who want everything fixed with a pill, without the modification part? There are no magic wands. Both have their roles to play. In most cases, medication is meant to be used to pave the way to better mental health. It’s not meant as a permanent solution. However, there are exceptions to this. Just as with people, there are dogs who simply have some crossed wires and are missing some vital chemicals in their brain. The medications supply those missing links and all is much better with their world because of them. These are the dogs needing seen by veterinary behaviorists who can give them the best of both worlds. My job is to determine which situation I am dealing with. In my own experience thus far, the issues have been environmental and adjustable.

The difference that medication can make in lives should be respected, not dismissed. There is a place for it. Balance is important. Natural remedies are crucial to many behavior modification plans but the use of one does not preclude the use of the other. I recommend both in conjunction with one another. I urge you to consider medication if your dog’s situation calls for it. It’s not a cop-out. It’s you respecting that your dog needs help. Feel free to comment about your own experiences with this subject in the spaces below. No judgments, only admiration for being open minded.

Tags: behavior, chemical, dogs, emotional, fear function, force, household, issues, many, medication, meds, modification, multiple, natural, overcome, pill, positive, remedies, safety, shelter, social, stress, train, training

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