Scared Dog? Stay Calm

You are your dog’s person, his caretaker and partner in life. When he is scared, he will naturally look to you for comfort. Your job in these situations is to stay calm and be his rock.

Talk to your dog in a slow, soothing tone. High-pitched baby talk can be tempting, but this may just exacerbate a fearful dog’s distress. Channel your inner Morgan Freeman to calm your dog. It doesn’t matter what exactly you say, but some easy options are to talk your dog through what is going on and what you are going to do next or use human panic attack strategies such as listing things in the environment that you and your dog can see, smell, hear, touch, and taste. Grounding yourself will help to ground your dog.

Keep your movements slow and fluid, avoiding jerking motions. Taking a few deep breaths can help you to physically relax, which in turn signals to your dog that he can relax.

Doing a “slow blink” when your dog is looking at you is a calming signal. This says to your dog, “See—I’m comfortable closing my eyes. There is nothing to worry about.”

Safety First

Quickly assess your dog’s safety—is she in a secure location? Does she have a well-fitted collar or harness and leash? Frightened dogs often bolt and are not thinking straight when motivated by fear. You want to prevent your dog from running into the road or disappearing into woods or your neighborhood.

While not a long-term solution, a slip lead is the most secure for these situations. If there is any chance that your dog can get out of her regular collar, you can create a makeshift slip lead by pulling the snap end of the leash through the handle to create a loop. Then place the loop over your dog’s head so that it will slide and become snug if your dog pulls or bolts.

The other plus to a slip lead is that you can make the loop large to carefully put it on a nervous dog without touching her. This is perfect for fearful dogs who may snap or bite if you try to grab their collar.

Offer Physical Comfort

Physical contact is beneficial for many scared dogs. Pet your scared shaking dog with long, slow strokes from head to tail. You can also gently massage her ears to promote relaxation.

If your dog enjoys cuddling, hold her close to your body so she can feel your heartbeat. Take slow, deep breaths to encourage your dog to relax and match your breathing patterns. These slow breaths will also help to slow your heartbeat. If your dog is not keen on being held, holding her may not be helpful.

If you do not know the dog that you are trying to comfort, proceed with caution. A scared dog may snap or bite if she feels cornered. If the dog becomes more agitated as you approach or reach for her, step back a little and break eye contact until she relaxes.

Distractions

You can use a variety of distractions to calm a scared, shaking dog. Treats are an excellent option if you have food available—many dogs love food and the act of eating provides comfort. You can use whatever food you have on hand as long as it is not toxic to dogs (save the chocolate to comfort yourself!).

You can also talk to your dog, engage her in play, or ask her to perform some easy behaviors that she knows well. When using training as a distraction, praise any effort that your dog makes. For example, maybe when she is relaxed she has a really reliable hand touch where she presses her nose to your hand. If she is scared, praise her if she even flicks her head toward your hand when you ask her to touch. Your goal is to make it easy for her to succeed and then tell her how wonderful and smart she is. Gradually she will focus more and more on you and less on whatever scared her.

Identify Triggers and Avoid

Whenever possible, identify what is causing your dog to be scared and get her away from it. Here are some examples:

• If your dog is afraid of the running vacuum, take her outside or to another room where she can’t hear it as loudly.
• If your dog is upset by construction noises outside, play classical music or put the TV on to help drown out the scary sounds.
• If your dog is afraid of a person approaching on the sidewalk, cross the street or make a turn to get away from the person.
• If your dog is scared of a dog running toward her, pick her up or place yourself between the two dogs as a barrier.

Shelter in the Storm

If you can’t avoid whatever is scaring your dog, try to provide him with a hiding place so he can feel a little more secure. This might mean putting a blanket over your lap so he can hide under your legs in his own private fort or moving out of the center of a busy crowd and finding a quiet spot against a wall so your dog doesn’t have to worry about someone sneaking up on him from behind. Crates are an excellent “safe spot” for many dogs.

The post How to Calm a Scared Dog appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

And yet, there is an explanation. Rather, several explanations.

What IS This Sucking Behavior?

We’ve all seen human babies sucking on pacifiers, their thumbs, or even on blankets and child experts tell us that this kind of instinctive sucking calms babies and makes them feel more secure. The same is likely true for puppies, who are born with an innate need to suckle and knead. Even after the mother dog has long since stopped producing milk, some pups will attempt to suckle, perhaps as a way to soothe themselves.

In addition, puppies will often look to something similar to their mother’s soft skin and fur for comfort: something like a supple, velvety stuffed toy or blanket.  Most of the time, a puppy will grow out of this behavior, but what happens if it doesn’t? What happens if your adult dog continues to knead her old threadbare blanket or suck on her ancient stuffed hippopotamus? Should you be worried that you’ve inadvertently created an canine psychoneurotic?

Is Blanket Sucking a Harmless Behavior?

The answer in most cases, there’s nothing inherently wrong with an adult dog who is still mouthing and kneading her blanket or toy.  We’ve all had dogs that choose one particular stuffed toy as their inseparable companion: years ago, my dog Casey claimed a stuffed penguin that he carried around everywhere, even to the construction site of the house I was building where it got run over by a tractor, dropped in a culvert, smeared with concrete, and buried in three feet of dirt . . . yet even then, even when it was totally dilapidated, he refused to give it up.

Gwen Bailey, author of more than a dozen books on dog behavior and member of the U.K.’s Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors, says this kind of “object-sucking” is usually quite harmless, the canine equivalent of a toddler who inexplicably latches onto a favorite “blankie” and carries it everywhere. She explains that while this behavior in adult dogs isn’t terribly common, it’s not deviant by any stretch of the imagination; it’s also not breed-specific, so you’re just as likely to see it in a Great Dane as in a Dachshund.

If, however, your dog’s blanket- or toy-sucking behavior is persistent and unremitting, and you’re unable to distract him from it, the behavior may have become compulsive. If you’re concerned about this possibility, talk with your veterinarian about finding a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB), a board-certified veterinary behaviorist, or a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT) with specialized training in treating compulsive behavior.

There is one other situation where a caretaker needs to be concerned: so-called “flank-sucking,” which is especially prevalent in Doberman Pinschers and Weimaraners.  Flank-sucking—when a dog repetitively sucks or holds in his mouth a piece of its own flank skin–is a type of canine compulsive disorder that can cause physical injury to the dog’s skin, and calls for veterinary intervention.

And Then There’s Chewing

Some dogs don’t suck on their blankets, they chew them. Constantly. Until the blanket is, as the Coroner sings in the Wizard of Oz, not only “merely dead, but really most sincerely dead.”  Again, this isn’t necessarily harmful, unless your dog is actually eating the blanket or toy. In that case, you need to find a way to keep him away from those objects, and provide an alternative like a stuffed Kong, an all-natural edible dog chew, or dental bones. Remember, though, that just because a dog treat may be edible, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safe, making supervision a must. For instance, if your dog breaks off a large chunk of a chew and swallows it, there’s a risk of him either choking or developing an obstruction.

As long as your dog is simply chewing and not devouring, there’s no need to worry, but it’s important to teach her what is and isn’t appropriate to chew on. If she’s a blanket-chewer, restrict her to her own blanket, not the one on your or your child’s bed. The same is true with toys versus things like shoes or clothes. If the chewing turns destructive—you come home to a couch that’s in tatters, or your down pillow looks like a deflated balloon—then you have an entirely different problem on your hands. Adult dogs can engage in destructive chewing for a variety of reasons, including separation anxiety, boredom, anxiety, or as a coping mechanism. Again, you need to speak to a behaviorist to get to the root of the problem and find a solution.

What About Licking?

Some dogs are inveterate lickers. They don’t suck their blankets, they don’t chew their blankets, they simply lick them. Constantly.

It’s important to remember that dogs explore the world with their noses and mouths. Often, they lick objects to simply understand and gather information about them. At the same time, licking blankets, toys, and their beds can be just as comforting and soothing to your dog as sucking. It also releases endorphins—those “feel-good” hormones—that help them relax and feel comfortable.

But like excessive chewing, dogs can also engage in nonstop licking out of pure boredom, which can easily lead to obsession. Any behavior that continues for a length of time should be discussed with your veterinarian, as there could be an underlying medical condition that needs to be addressed.

In the end, whether your dog is sucking her blanket, kneading it, chewing on it, or licking it, chances are there’s nothing wrong—she’s just trying to make herself feel good!

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But your convenience isn’t the only compelling reason to teach these behaviors to your dog. When dogs learn that the act of remaining calm and still earns them treats and praise – when they learn that you will generously reinforce these behaviors – they will offer them more often.

In addition, when our dogs act calm, they will actually become calmer. Gradually, the physiological state of relaxation will develop as a conditioned response to reinforcement for the outward behavior.

Two Very Useful Calming Behaviors

I teach “Settle” and “Relax” as two separate behaviors:

I use the cue “Settle” to mean the behavior of relaxing while lying down on one hip for an extended period of time – several minutes or longer – on a mat or rug.

“Relax” takes the lying-down behavior one calm step further; I teach Relax to mean “lie flat on your side for an extended period of time.” I know a dog has dependably learned this behavior when she falls asleep shortly after being cued and rewarded for relaxing flat on her side!

How to Teach “Settle”

This exercise teaches your dog to lie quietly at your side while you are otherwise engaged. It’s a great behavior to practice while watching television; you’re just hanging out anyway!

1. Sit in a chair with your dog next to you and invite her to lie down with a cue for this behavior. (Although it’s preferable if she already understands a cue for Down, if she doesn’t, you can lure her into the Down. (See “How to Teach Your Dog to Lie Down on Cue.”)
2. Mark the moment she lies down (click or say “Yes!”) and give her a treat; then, before she has time to get up, quickly mark again and give her another treat. Note: If your marker tends to excite her, you can just feed the treat without marking. Make sure you feed treats directly to her mouth and low to the floor so she doesn’t stand up to reach the treat.
3. If she’s not already lying with her weight shifted onto one hip, encourage her to rock onto one hip by moving the treat to the side in a semi-circle toward her ribs.

Do this in small steps (lure-shaping) until she voluntarily rocks onto her hip; if you try to do too much, you risk making her uncomfortable and having her get up. Even worse, you can give her a negative association with the settle process, and then she won’t want to do it at all. For the same reason, do not ever try to physically push her onto her hip.

Many dogs will settle more easily on one side than the other, so if you’re having trouble getting her to do this, try luring her toward the other side. Repeat numerous times.

4. When your dog will settle onto one hip easily, say “Settle” just before you lure her onto her hip. Fade the lure (gradually stop using the lure) as soon as she’s easily settling onto one hip. Eventually she will settle when you give the cue, without needing the lure.
5. Gradually increase the duration of the relaxed-on-one-hip position by increasing the time between treats so she stays down by her own choice, waiting for the next mark and treat. As you decrease the number of marks, substitute calm praise (with no treats) in between the marks/treats. If your click or verbal marker tends to excite her, switch to praise sooner.
6. When your dog will stay down in the Settle position for 20 seconds or more, start using Settle cue without asking her to Down first.
7. Continue to decrease your rate of reinforcement (marks and treats) until she can lie quietly at your feet for an extended period with very little reinforcement.

How to Teach “Relax”

You can add Relax to your dog’s repertoire when she does Settle easily and with moderate duration, as this is an even more relaxed position than the rocked-on-one-hip pose.

First, ask your dog to Settle. Then with a treat in your hand, encourage her to roll flat onto one side by moving the lure in a “C” shape toward her ribcage, then up toward her spine. Be sure to roll her in the same direction you already started with the Settle. Again, you will likely need to lure-shape. Many dogs get a little stuck at the point when they actually have to tip over. Be sure to stay within her comfort zone to avoid making her uncomfortable, and again, do not ever try to physically push her onto her side. Add your Relax cue when you can easily lure her onto her side, then work on duration as described in Steps 5, 6, and 7 above.

Use a “Place Mat” for Portable Calm

Make sure to generalize your Settle and Relax cues by practicing these behaviors in a wide variety of different locations.

There is also great value in teaching your dog to settle and/or relax on her own personal “place mat” by practicing the behaviors on an easily portable towel, blanket, or mat that you can transport easily. That way, your dog will develop a strong association with being calm and relaxed on her mat for long periods. Then you can take the mat with you anywhere you go, significantly increasing your likelihood of success with your calm cues when bringing your canine pal with you to dine at an outdoor cafe, watch your child’s baseball game, visit friends, or wait in your vet’s lobby.

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Separation Anxiety

When you leave your home, a healthy Velcro/clingy dog quietly waits for his owner to return. If he destroys the home and/or injures himself when you’re not in his sight, it’s a problem. This is called separation anxiety.

A dog with separation anxiety may engage in behavior that destroys household items and even harms himself. This dog may need behavior training and/or medication. Note: An older but often referenced study found that separation anxiety doesn’t develop just because a dog is “spoiled,” but it is more likely to occur in homes with one dog and one human.

Pain or Discomfort

If your dog changes and needs to be by your side every minute, and it is out of character for him to behave like this, then perhaps he’s not feeling well. If a dog is in pain, he may go to his owner for comfort. Bring him to the veterinarian to make sure there’s nothing wrong with him.

Fear

Another reason a dog might suddenly find the need to stick to you like Velcro is fear or an unsettling household change:

• Is there a new member of the household that the dog is uncomfortable with?
• An uncle that’s a little too rough or loud?
• A new baby that makes high pitched noises?
• Are you having workers in the house?
• A toddler who just learned to stomp and throw toys and scream?
• Or maybe the new puppy is just too much for your older dog (or vice versa).

My dogs were clingier while we were having noisy house repairs done, with strange men hammering all day. My dogs never left my side until the workers started bringing them (owner-approved!) treats. Dogs like routine. And any time that routine changes, it can cause him angst, and he will seek protection from you. Or he may think he’s protecting you.

Many rescue dogs or puppy-mill dogs, who have finally found their forever home, get anxious when they are asked to leave your side. They need to be close to you every minute because they are insecure and possibly fearful. Who knows what kind of environment they have experienced in the past?

When you leave, they are not sure if you will be back, so they don’t want to let go. Hopefully, they will learn that you return every time, and they will be able to rest while you’re gone. Often, medications from your vet will help to relieve the anxiety until they feel that you are not deserting them.

For some of these dogs, teaching them you will be back is as simple as practicing. You leave them alone for 20 seconds and return and give them a treat. You gradually increase the time away, over the course of a week or two, until they realize that, “Oh, Mom is leaving! She’ll be back and I will get a treat.”

Many dogs also relax more if they go to their spot or their cozy crate before you leave. It keeps them safe, and it reminds them that this is what they do while you’re away from home and, when you return, you’ll let them out.

Classes can Help a Velcro Dog

Several dogs enrolled in my Basic class each session cling to their handlers out of fear. They just cannot come out from behind their owners. We simply carry on with the class, have fun and play with toys, with dogs getting lots of treats for doing simple exercises. Eventually, the shy dog takes interest in the class and wants to join in. Within six weeks, we have a more confident pet who is a little less clingy.

There was one Chihuahua, however, that I remember from a few years ago, who never came out from behind his owner. The owner came to class each week, her dog hiding behind her. She learned how to teach various exercises, went home and taught Muffin. The result was a very shy, albeit very well-trained dog. And everyone was happy.

I hope that you are lucky enough to have a dog who loves you so much he wants to be by your side, is comfortable with you leaving him at home for a bit, and greets you with barking, spins, and kisses when you arrive back at home. And as the moon rises, it finds you cuddled up together in a chair under a warm blanket.

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It’s understandable that dog owners would be interested in using music to facilitate calmness; it’s a zero-cost intervention that helps their dogs become the well-behaved companions they would like them to be! And there is evidence that some music does indeed help dogs relax. A 2002 study found that dogs appeared significantly less agitated after listening to selections of classical music. Their breathing slowed and they were less likely to pace around or remain standing. Researchers found that reggae and soft rock selections also had a calming effect on dogs.

In contrast, short, quick notes tended to increase a dog’s rapid motor movements. Even worse, heavy metal resulted in tremors and shaking – definitely not calming! Some variety is also important; dogs apparently tune out music that they hear all time, even the calming classical music; it loses its relaxing effect if it is too repetitous.

One important note, however: Not all classical music is soothing! Think of the rousing sounds of the William Tell Overture (which most of us older Americans know as the theme music of the Lone Ranger galloping across the prairie on his trusty white stallion). Be sure to look for calm, meditative music if you want to take advantage of the potential relaxation benefits on your dog’s behavior.

Find Your Dog’s Calming Music

So where can you find this magic calming music? Here are a few sources for relaxing dog music are:

• iCalmPet claims that its calming music downloads are “psychoacoustically designed to support your dog’s nervous system function.” We know, at the very least, they are relaxing for us to listen to!
• Spotify has a tool that allows you to create a pet playlist for your dog.
• Youtube has several sites that provide long hours of calming music. Here is a link to a 12-hour playlist from Relax My Dog.

Does Dog Calming Music Work

If you are a skeptic like me, you might be asking if calming music really works for dogs. The evidence from several studies certainly seems to support that conclusion. In one study, shelter dogs barked significantly less in their kennels when calming music was played. And I can tell you this personal story:

I had a client whose dog was anxiety-stressed to the max. This poor dog paced and panted nonstop for 90 minutes of our two-hour consult as we discussed and practiced protocols to reduce her anxiety. Then I turned on the iCalmDog player, and in less than a minute the dog laid down under the table with her head on her paws and her eyes closed, and stayed there for our remaining 30 minutes.

Will it help all dogs? Maybe not. But as I tell my clients all the time… can’t hurt, might help – and it’s well worth a try. Yours might well be one that it does help!

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What is sound masking?

Acoustic masking is a technique whereby we add sound to the environment to reduce the intensity and intelligibility of unwanted sound. Adding a masking sound makes it harder to detect and discriminate between other sounds in the environment. It raises the amount of ambient noise in an environment, and can help sudden noises be perceived as less sudden. Sometimes the problem sounds become completely undetectable; more often, with thunder and fireworks, they are toned down and become less startling to the dog.

Masking happens in real life all the time. And the masking sound need not be extremely high volume. Masking is happening when we find it hard to follow what a friend is saying when we are together in a crowd of people who are conversing, even if the people are not speaking loudly. But of course, some loud noises are very effective masks, as you will know if you have ever tried to talk over the sound of a vacuum or a circular saw.

Best candidates for sound masking for dogs

The following types of sounds are the gold standard – good for masking any problem sound:

• Generated random or other broadband noise. The term “random noise” refers to artificially created noise that is generated according to an algorithm. It contains an ever-changing mix of many frequencies. Brown noise has the most low frequencies and is the most versatile mask. Pink noise has a moderate number of low frequencies, and white noise has the least. But if all you have available is white noise, use it!

Recordings of the ocean, waterfalls, generators, plane travel, and winter snowstorms are usually broadband and have many of the properties of random noise. Some of these can be more pleasant for humans. Just don’t choose things like trickling streams or spring rain if you are masking storms or fireworks. Go for the massive, broadband sounds with low frequencies, after making sure they don’t scare your dog.

Note: It’s more acoustically effective to play audio recordings from YouTube or another source over a home sound system than employing a standalone noise machine. Use a high-quality speaker for good low-frequency coverage. Many noise machines lack the ability to put out the essential low frequencies.

• A fan. The bigger the better, the more powerful (higher air flow velocity) the better. But any fan helps. Even the battery-operated fan I tested put out lower frequencies than my sound system.

You have a number of effective random-noise generators that can be used for sound masking in your home, including:

• Washing machines and dishwashers. You can plan your normal usage for the thunderstorm or heaviest fireworks period so you don’t waste water.
• Clothes dryers. If your dog can tolerate it, you can put a pair of sports shoes into a dryer on “air dry” for a very effective mask for booming noises (like those in fireworks shows).
• Anything with a motor. Even robot vacuums can help if your dog isn’t afraid of them.

The gold-standard sounds listed above are versatile and powerful. But here are some other options that can work in specific situations or when you don’t have access to the best noises.

• Some kinds of music. Just remember the principles: You want the inclusion of plenty of low frequencies, near constant volume, and no long breaks between pieces. The volume issue rules out a lot of Western classical music (e.g., symphonies and operas from the Romantic period) and some jazz. Many forms of pop music are good, with heavy metal and taiko drumming creating effective sound masks. But use these types of music only if your dog is already accustomed to them and blasé about them. You may have heard about studies where heavy metal music stressed out shelter dogs (Kogan et al., 2012). You will know if your dog is OK with this type of music. Note: I don’t recommend music because of any claimed relaxing effects. The research on dogs and music is in its infancy, and recent review articles have indicated that specially altered dog music has no positive effects (Lindig et al., 2020). Our goal is to choose music that can mask other sounds. Masking is evidence-based.
• The human voice. Human voices, especially low-pitched ones, are good at masking other human voices. A recorded audiobook performed by someone with a deep voice can be a good sound mask if, for instance, you have electricians in your house and your fearful dog objects. Most dogs are habituated to voices out of speakers and don’t mistake them for actual humans, so playing an audiobook to mask the voices of people working in another room can work well. If you don’t regularly listen to audiobooks, you can use a recording from a free audiobook site. The website LibriVox is a great source for free audiobooks. I choose books in a foreign language so I don’t get distracted by the content.
• Making noise yourself. If you know that a one-off sound your dog dreads is coming, especially if they don’t know it, you can kick up a little noise yourself to mask it. For many years, I clapped my hands and marched around when I saw the mail carrier approach my house because my dog Summer, who didn’t like thunder, was also scared of the sounds of the mail carrier stomping up the steps and rattling the brass mailbox lid. My dogs were accustomed to my doing weird things, and my stomping (I started quietly, not suddenly) and clapping saved Summer from that daily trigger. I also sometimes turned on the garbage disposal briefly. Note: If you try this and your dog still hears the scary noise, then the noises you make can become predictors, and you are on your way to adding more scary sounds to your dog’s list. Watch carefully to make sure your mask is effective and that your dog doesn’t hear the trigger noise.

Which random noise source is best for your dog?

The two sound sources that mask the best are fans and noises we play out of speakers. Which is better? Each noise source has its advantages. The most important characteristic is that your dog is not scared of it. But here is a comparison.

Advantages of Fans

• Your dog is probably habituated to fans.
• Fans generate lower frequencies than most speakers (unless your system includes sub-woofers).
• Generated random noise, especially brown noise, can scare some dogs.

Advantages of Random Noise

• Your dog may be habituated to many sounds coming out of speakers.
• Generated noise is more random, which makes for good masking. Fan noise is cyclical and doesn’t cover as many frequencies.
• You have control over the volume and type of noise.

Contrary to some advice circulating in the dog training world, there is no acoustic advantage to fans related to the purported interaction of airflow with sound waves in rooms. This is a myth. Air movement inside rooms does not interfere with sound waves. Sound waves themselves reflect off surfaces and create a complex sound field within a room within milliseconds of the sound source being turned on.

If your dog is fine with various interventions, you can double and triple up. There is no reason not to have a fan, some random noise, and some music (for you!) going simultaneously.

Why these acoustic masks work: Characteristics of a good masking sound

Frequency is one of the important ways we categorize sound and can guide our approach to protecting our dogs from noises. Frequency means how many times the sound wave performs a full oscillation per second. The unit for cycles per second is known as the Hertz. Low-pitched notes have fewer oscillations per second and high-pitched notes have more. The rumble of thunder may be in the 5–220 Hertz range. Many digital beeps are around 3,000–5,000 Hertz.

Physics tells us that the optimal masking sound is in the same frequency range as the problem sound (Gelfand, 2010, p. 187). However, it’s advisable to choose something with lower frequency sounds than are present in the problem sound. That’s because masking effects spread upward in frequency. Lower frequency sounds can mask higher frequency sounds, but it doesn’t work the other way around.

There are several other characteristics of a good mask. The sound should be constant and of a constant volume. We don’t want it to drop out or get quiet right at the moment of the loudest thunderclap.

Also, we need the sound to be broadband. This means it contains many frequencies rather than just one or two. Imagine a flute playing. That’s the opposite of broadband. There is only a fundamental frequency and a few overtones. Now imagine a large fan or a waterfall. Those are broadband sounds, with a mix of many frequencies. We want this kind of whoosh or roar when possible.

The final characteristic is the most important. Your dog needs to be OK with it. This is tricky, since the ideal masking sound is in the same frequency range as the problem sound, or lower. But there are many other qualities that make sounds differ from each other. You can shop around for a sound your dog doesn’t react to. My thunder-phobic dog Summer didn’t care for the rumble of brown noise, but she was fine with the booms of taiko drumming.

Accidental sound masking

I recently had the rare experience of a loud environmental noise helping my youngest dog, Lewis, with whom I walk in my neighborhood every day. Over the almost two years Lewis has been in my family, I have learned his likes and dislikes, what he wants to investigate, and what worries him. He is bothered by moderately sudden noises, like someone starting a car or shutting a door nearby. He is magnetized by people getting out of cars and doing things in their front yards. If a car drives up (or leaves a house) he wants to wait and watch until things settle down again. But he is not worried by ongoing loud noises, such as air conditioners, lawnmowers, or leaf blowers.

Recently on a walk, we were approaching a yard where two men were using leaf blowers. The blowers were very loud, even from down the street. We were three houses away when someone came out of the house immediately in front of us, got into his pickup truck, and turned on the engine. This always worries Lewis, and I waited to help him through the moment. But although the engine starting was audible, it blended with the backdrop of constant loud equipment sounds, and wasn’t sudden. Lewis took a brief look and kept walking.

I realized accidental masking in the environment had protected him. It was a good lesson for me about the mechanisms of masking. I could definitely hear the truck start, and I’m sure he could, too. But with the blowers as a loud background, there was no contrast of quiet vs. a sudden engine noise, so his usual worry didn’t kick in.

It’s pretty rare for the universe to arrange for the right loud sound to help us. But with deliberate planning and careful observation of our dogs, we can learn to add sounds to the environment ourselves to help them through noises that frighten them.

References

Kogan, L. R., Schoenfeld-Tacher, R., & Simon, A. A. (2012). Behavioral effects of auditory stimulation on kenneled dogs. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 7(5), 268-275.

Lindig, A. M., McGreevy, P. D., & Crean, A. J. (2020). Musical dogs: A review of the influence of auditory enrichment on canine health and behavior. Animals, 10(1), 127.

Gelfand, S. A. (2010). Gelfand SA. Hearing: An Introduction to Psychological and Physiological Acoustics. Informa Healthcare.

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Over-the Counter Options

If you want to see if it makes any difference, it’s not a bad thing to reach for a calming treat. Calming chews and treats for dogs available in pet stores can help produce a short-term “Zen” for the average dog. Ingredients known to help are L-tryptophan and chamomile (yes, like in turkey or chamomile tea). Interestingly, probiotics have also been shown to help mellow out a dog. L-theanine, valerian root, and hemp (CBD) all have fans who say they help calm a dog.

Solliquin, Pawfy, Purina Calming Care, and Zesty Paws Calming Bites all have their fans, as well as the homeopathic supplement Rescue Remedy. As with any supplement, discuss these with your veterinarian to be sure you don’t interfere with anything your dog is already taking, such as medications or supplements. It is also important to look for products made in the United States and have a National Animal Supplement Council (NASC) seal of approval if possible.

Dog Calming Treats Proof

Most of these products and their ingredients do not have evidence-based medicine behind them. Also, while some ingredients may work for many dogs, other dogs may not respond. That’s also why we recommend you discuss this with your veterinarian.

You should always do a test run on any product before you need it, as in before a known stressful events, just in case your dog does not respond at all or responds in the wrong way. In addition, don’t mix and match supplements without veterinary guidance.

For some dogs, a large and safe chew item such as a treat-filled Kong given while in a crate in a quiet room, works as well or better than any supplement. Even social dogs will benefit from a quiet break from “the action” at times.

Finally, we would be remiss not to recommend behavior training to overcome some anxieties, preferably with the guidance of a force-free/fear-free professional trainer.

The post Treats And Medications that Calm Your Dog appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

The increase in clients seeking help could be because more people are realizing that it might be possible to modify their dogs’ fearful behaviors.

However, it might also be because more shelters and rescue groups are rehoming fearful dogs who, in the past, would have been euthanized as “not adoptable.”

Many of us trainers also have been called upon to help owners with extremely undersocialized and fearful dogs imported from elsewhere, such as the Chinese and Korean meat-market dogs and “street dogs” brought here from Puerto Rico, Mexico, and elsewhere.

Whatever the reason for the seeming increase in the population of fearful dogs, good behavior professionals will do their best to help these dogs (and their humans) have a better quality of life – and there definitely are things that can help.

Differentiating Between Fear, Phobia, and Anxiety

In order to successfully modify fear-related behaviors, it’s important to understand the difference among the closely related behaviors of fear, phobia, and anxiety.

Fear is defined as an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. Most of us who have had dogs with fear issues (or are fearful ourselves) can agree, especially with the “unpleasant emotion” part. We tend to think of fear as a bad thing, but fear is also a life-preserving response to physical and emotional danger. If we didn’t feel fear, we would likely fail to protect ourselves from certain threats.

Phobia is an exaggerated, persistent, excessive fear of a particular object, class of objects, or situation. Common canine phobias include loud noises (thunder, gunshots, fireworks, household sounds), intense fear of humans, and riding in cars.

Anxiety is the anticipation of future dangers from unknown or imagined origins that result in normal body reactions (known as physiologic reactions) associated with fear. Fears and phobias occur in the presence of the emotion-causing stimuli, but dogs who are anxious present emotional and physiological fear responses even in the absence of the stimulus.

Of the three “shades” of fearful behaviors, the best prognosis is for dogs dealing with fear. At least we’re working with something real and present, rather than something exaggerated or imagined! A fearful dog may have significant behavioral responses, including a lowered body posture, trembling, salivating, hiding, fleeing, growling, snapping, biting, shutting down, and more.

Phobias and anxieties can also manifest in these behaviors, but also may include more extreme panicked responses such as jumping through windows, chewing through walls, urinating, defecating, and worse. Dogs with true phobias and anxieties often require pharmaceutical intervention before any modification efforts can even begin to be successful. (See “What About Drugs?” below.)

If you think your dog’s emotional responses go beyond fear into phobia or anxiety territory, please seek the help of a qualified behavior professional and a behavior-savvy veterinarian.

Preventing Fear in Dogs

My students have all heard me say this before: “We’re always better off preventing unwanted behaviors than we are trying to fix them.” Here’s another of my favorites: “Behavior is always a combination of genetics and environment.” A good fear-prevention program recognizes both – hence the importance of breeding behaviorally solid dogs as well as proper puppy socialization. Of course, you will also need to diligently protect your dog from traumatic events throughout her life.

If you raise two puppies – one genetically confident, one genetically fearful – in the exact same environment, giving them equal socialization, the odds are very good that the genetically solid pup will turn out just fine, while the one that came from a line of fearful dogs will likely be fearful.

Since many puppies come from shelters and rescue groups with little or no information about their genetic background, and because even good breeders sometimes receive unexpected rolls of the genetic dice, the best approach is to socialize every puppy properly, extensively, and thoroughly. Poorly socialized fearful dogs can be helped and their behavior improved upon, but will probably never be the dogs they could have been if they’d had a better start in life.

The puppy’s environment – even in utero – has as large an influence on him as his genetics. We now know that puppies born to mothers who were significantly stressed during pregnancy are likely to suffer from fear and stress-related behaviors throughout their lives, due to the flood of cortisol they were subjected to while still in the womb. Note to shelters and rescue groups: This means you need to work very hard to place your pregnant dogs in appropriate foster homes, rather than subjecting them to the stress of a shelter or kennel, to give those pups the best chance for a long and happy fear-free life.

Puppies observe and learn from their mothers, so if their mother is fearful, they learn this from her as well. It’s no wonder that recent studies suggest that puppy-mill puppies have significantly more and greater behavioral issues throughout their lives than dogs born in more suitable environments.

Significant life events can create fear in an otherwise confident adult dog, even one who is genetically sound and well-socialized. These events may have the biggest impact during puppyhood and adolescence, but can also cause fear later in life. A car accident can cause a previously car-loving dog to become fearful of cars. A single significant attack by another dog can turn a canine-loving hound into one who is fearful and defensively aggressive toward other dogs. And inappropriate actions by other humans toward your dog can convince her that people should be feared.

So the better you are at protecting your dog throughout her life from events that cause her to become significantly afraid, the less likely you will need to manage and/or modify her fear behaviors at some point. And, with a “get back on the horse” recommendation, science suggests that the sooner you work to modify a negative association (fear) due to a traumatic event, the more successful the modification efforts are likely to be.

Managing Your Dog’s Fear

I’m sorry if this sounds daunting, but in order to successfully modify fear-based behavior, you must painstakingly manage your dog’s exposure to the fear-causing stimulus.

Every time your dog has an over-threshold (fear-causing) exposure it can sensitize her further, making it even harder to convince her that she doesn’t need to be afraid. Barking, lunging, hiding, running away: whatever her avoidance strategies may be, each time she employs them she will become even more convinced that the strategies are effective, because she didn’t get injured or killed. Those behaviors are negatively reinforced (her behavior made a bad thing go away), and behaviors that are reinforced persist and increase.

If you want her to get more confident and less fearful, you must control your dog’s environment to protect her from the things that frighten her. Be your dog’s invincible advocate. If your dog is afraid of strangers, you must vehemently prohibit strangers from approaching her, even the sweet little lady who insists, “It’s okay, dogs love me!”

If your dog is fearful of visitors, put her in a safe place before anyone arrives – shut in a back bedroom, or even at a friend or family member’s house so she’s far away from the action, not trapped in a crate in the corner of the living room where guests can frighten her even more. Avoid taking her places where fear-causing sights or sounds might occur, and use appropriate medications to help her deal with scary situations that you cannot avoid, like trips to the veterinary clinic.

Modifying Your Dog’s Fear

So, how do you help your fearful dog get brave? My favorite approach is tried-and-true counter-conditioning and desensitization (CC&D): giving your dog a new, happier association with the scary stimulus. CC&D is simple and straightforward, and after a training/coaching session, my clients are usually able to practice successfully on their own, without me holding their hand every step of the way. (For a sample CC&D protocol for desensitizing your dog, see here.)

There are even more simple exercises you can use to help your dog maintain her equilibrium while you are working with your preferred behavior modification protocol. Many of these involve “priming” – putting your dog’s brain in a happy place by asking her to do something she loves so she can more easily cope with the stress of the fear-causing stimulus. Here are some examples:

Targeting

It may sound like a marketing technique, but it simply means teaching your dog to touch a designated body part to a designated target. That description doesn’t do it justice – targeting is tons of fun! Nose-targeting draws your dog’s eye-contact and attention from a worrisome stimulus to a pleasant one and can be very useful for timid dogs.

To teach it, hold your open palm in front of your dog, nose level or below. When she sniffs it (because she’s curious!), click your clicker and feed a treat (or use a verbal marker – a mouth click, or a word). Remove your hand, then offer it again.

Each time she sniffs, click and treat. If she stops sniffing (“Boring! I’ve already sniffed that!) rub a little tasty treat smell on the palm of your hand and try again. When she deliberately bumps her nose into your hand, add the “Touch!” cue as you offer your hand. Encourage her with praise and high-value treats. Make it a game, so her eyes light up when you say “Touch.”

When she loves the targeting game, try playing when your dog is a little nervous about something. Scary man passing by on the sidewalk? Hold out your hand and say “Touch!” Your dog takes her eyes – and brain – away from the scary thing and happily bonks her nose into your hand. Click and treat!

She can’t be afraid of the man and happy about touching your hand at the same time. And she can’t look at your target hand and stare at the scary man at the same time. By changing your dog’s behavior – having her do something she loves – you can manage a scary encounter and eventually change her association with something previously scary to her.

Find It

Like targeting, “Find it” is a behavior many dogs love and another game you can play to change behavior in the presence of a fear-causing stimulus.

With your dog in front of you, say “Find it!” in a cheerful tone of voice and toss a treat at your feet. When your dog finds the treat, click just before she eats it. Then say “Find it!” again and toss another at your feet. Click – and she eats the treat. Do this until your dog’s eyes light up and she looks toward your feet as soon as she hears the “Find it” cue.

Now when a scary skateboarder appears, say “Find It!” and toss treats at your feet. Your dog will take her eyes off the scary thing and switch into happy-treat mode. You’ve changed her emotion by changing her behavior.

These games can also work to walk your timid dog past a scary, stationary object, like a manhole cover, or a noisy air conditioning unit. Touch-and-treat as you walk past, or toss Find It treats on the ground ahead of you and slightly away from the scary thing, to keep her moving happily forward.

Play

You can use any behavior your dog already loves – a trick, toy, or game – to convince her that good things happen in the presence of something scary. If she loves to roll over, ask her to do that. If she delights in snagging tossed treats out of the air, do that. High five? Crawl? Spin and twirl? Do those.

The key to making any of these games work is to be sure you stay far enough away from the scary thing that your dog’s brain is able to click into “play” mode. You’ll be more successful if you start the games when you see low levels of stress, rather than waiting until she’s in full meltdown. If she’s too fearful, she won’t be able to play. If she’ll play games with you while the scary thing is at a distance, you’ll be able to move closer. If she stops playing and shuts down, you’ve come too close.

Be Patient and Kind to Fearful Dogs

Whatever protocol you use, always err on the side of caution, and remember that your canine pal is not being a “bad dog” – she is truly terrified. It should go without saying that any application of force, coercion, or punishment will only make things worse in the long run, even if it succeeds in shutting down behavior in the short term. With empathy, patience, and appropriate management and modification, you can help make your dog’s world a happier, safer place.

The post Are Dogs More Fearful Than They Used to Be? appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

Dr. Becker is in the process of developing The Fear-Free Initiative, an innovative movement that will, in his words, “take the pet out of petrified and get pets back into practices.” The Fear-Free Initiative will be expanded by Dr. Becker with leading board-certified veterinary experts in partnership with additional industry sponsors, partners, and an advisory board. Fear Free will educate and certify veterinary professionals in the creation and delivery of Fear Free visits to Fear Free practices. In Fear Free practices, “taking the fear out of visiting the veterinarian will become a priority; veterinarians and technicians will treat the pet’s physical well-being as well as their emotional well-being.” The initiative is for vets, techs, and owners, in an effort to make annual checkups and unplanned veterinary visits less stressful for everyone involved. Some quotes from Dr. Becker:

“My goal is to promote the idea of practices adjusting their methods to create fear-free visits, and also to educate pet owners about how they can help make the experience more tolerable, or even downright enjoyable.”

“We do a great job of vaccinating against disease, but we don’t inoculate against fear and anxiety.”

“In the search to make veterinary visits Fear-Free for pets, one of my favorite tools is a package of deli-sliced lunch meat.”

The post Marty Becker’s Fear-Free Dog Initiative appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

Sometimes something goes wrong in dogs’ heads, and they become afraid of commonplace things. Men with beards. Other dogs. Being alone. Sometimes their fear makes them anxious. Sometimes it makes them aggressive. It always makes their lives more difficult, for themselves and for the people who love them.

Behavior modification is crucial in helping dogs like this become more comfortable in the world. Behavior medication can also be crucial in many cases, because sometimes, it seems, a dog’s brain has gotten out of whack in ways that behavior modification alone can’t fix. Sometimes the dog needs support in the form of medication before he can begin to take in what behavior modification is telling him: that his world is a safe place.

See the different types of behavior medications for dogs.

Stress-related behavior problems in dogs include fear aggression, generalized anxiety, and separation anxiety. In humans, they include major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The medications that help individuals overcome these problems include some that primarily reduce depression (“anti-depressants”), some that primarily reduce anxiety (“anxiolytics”), and some that do both. Many medications used in dogs are referred to as “anti-depressants” because in humans they are primarily used for their anti-depressive action, but their primary use in dogs is for their anxiolytic action. We don’t know exactly what is different in the brains of dogs, or humans who suffer from stress-related behavior problems, and we don’t know exactly how behavior medications work to improve brain function in individuals with these problems. But we’re starting to put some pieces of the puzzle together.

What we know for sure is that while medication can help behavior problems on its own, it does a whole lot better when paired with behavior modification. We also know that most behavior medications take four to six weeks to take effect. So what’s going on with a dog’s brain chemistry during those weeks?

The Serotonin Theory

Broadly speaking, anti-depressants work to change the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that work to pass signals between one neuron and another; the first neuron releases a packet of neurotransmitter molecules, the next neuron receives and acts on the information, and the first neuron sucks the neurotransmitter molecules back up to be reused.

There are a variety of neurotransmitters in the brain, but one, serotonin, is one of the most common targets of anti-depressants. Individuals with low serotonin levels are often anxious and sometimes aggressive. According to the serotonin theory of anti-depressant function, anti-depressants work by increasing the availability of serotonin or similar substances in the brain.

For example, although neurons normally take serotonin back up for reuse after its initial release, a class of anti-depressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) slow down this reuptake process. Serotonin remains in the gap between two neurons for longer, and the end result is more serotonin available for signaling. In theory, this should result in a less anxious emotional state.

In practice, SSRIs do result in mood improvements for many anxious or depressed individuals, particularly if they are undergoing behavior modification at the same time. But although these medications change serotonin levels in the brain within hours, their behavior effects aren’t apparent for weeks. If changing serotonin levels were the entire answer to the question of how anti-depressants work, then these medications’ effects should be almost immediate. And yet there remains this long waiting period, so frustrating to so many owners of fearful dogs, before the behavior effects actually kick in. What else could be going on?

The Hippocampus Theory

The answer might lie in a changing brain structure. One region of the brain, called the hippocampus, is critical in managing associations between stimuli (like the approach of a strange dog) and emotion (fearfulness versus a positive emotion). Individuals with fear-based behavior issues may have trouble making new, positive connections in their hippocampus; their ability to learn may be impaired. In humans with severe stress-related disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, the hippocampus can be actually reduced in size!

Behavior medications affect the hippocampus profoundly, increasing the number of connections between neurons in this brain region and sometimes restoring normal hippocampus size. Importantly, they help individuals make new associations to stimuli, so in the presence of behavior modification work, pains should be taken to ensure that these associations are positive ones.

Finding the Right Behavior Medication for Your Dog

Behavior medication is, as described above, not about sedating a dog. It is about reducing the dog’s anxiety and increasing his ability to make new, positive associations to stimuli that he previously found frightening. However, sometimes these medications do have side effects, which range from gastrointestinal problems (vomiting, diarrhea) to behavior effects (sedation, other unwanted personality changes, even increased anxiety or aggression). There is a large variety of behavior medication available, so remember that if your dog reacts poorly to the first medication that your veterinarian tries, there are other options! Let your veterinarian know that you don’t like how your dog seems to be feeling on the medication and ask if there’s something else you can try.

Finding the right medication or mix of medications for your anxious dog can be tricky. If your veterinarian doesn’t have experience with behavior medication, you might consider visiting a veterinary behaviorist – a vet who has completed a behavior residency and passed a board exam. Veterinary behaviorists can be few and far between, but if there isn’t one in your area, many are willing to consult with your veterinarian remotely to offer advice on the appropriate medication regimen (usually for a fee). Ask your vet if she is willing to explore this option. Or, look for a general-practice veterinarian with a special interest in behavior who is a member of the American Society of Veterinary Animal Behaviorists (AVSAB).

Finally, remember that although we don’t know exactly why many behavior medications take so long to take effect, you must expect to wait a month or two before you can be sure whether or not a particular medication is helping your dog. Be patient! The wait can be frustrating, but the rewards of seeing your fearful dog begin to respond to behavior modification are worth it.

The post Behavior-Modifying Drugs for Dogs: Medications for treating fear, phobias, and anxiety in dogs appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

There are many sticky myths in dog training and behavior that have the potential to be destructive to dogs and their owners. Here are some of the stickiest myths that need to be unstuck, the sooner the better, for dogs’ sake:

The “Alpha Dog” Myth

This myth is also known as the dangerous “dominant dog” myth, and it comes in a seemingly endless variety of forms, all of which are destructive to the canine-human relationship and the believer’s real understanding of behavior and learning. In fact, it’s probably the all-time king of false and destructive sticky dog-behavior myths. Some of its common variations include:

– If your dog jumps on you (gets on the furniture, pulls on the leash, grabs the leash, sits on your foot, walks ahead of you, humps you), he is being alpha/dominant.

– You must eat before you feed your dog to show him you are alpha.

– You must spit in/handle your dog’s food with your hands before you give it to him to show him it’s yours and you are alpha.

– You must go through doorways before your dog does to show him you are alpha.

– If your dog misbehaves in any way he is challenging you and you have to roll him on his back to show him you are alpha.

This myth goes back decades, and is rooted in flawed research on wolf behavior. While “dominance” is a valid construct in behavior, it refers very specifically to the outcome of an interaction involving a resource. It is not a personality trait.

If two dogs meet in a doorway, Dog A may say, “I would like to go through the doorway first,” and Dog B may say, “Sure, you go ahead.” Dog A was dominant in that interaction. The same two dogs may meet over a bone, and Dog B may say, “I really want that bone,” while Dog A may say, “Oh, I wouldn’t mind chewing on it, but you clearly want it more than I do; you go ahead.” Dog B was dominant in that interaction. Neither Dog A nor Dog B is a “dominant dog.”

In reality, your dog isn’t trying to take over the world or even your household; he is just trying to figure out how to make his world work for him. He wants to make good stuff happen, and make bad stuff go away – just like we do. It has nothing to do with being “alpha” – but when you believe that it does, it sets you up to be confrontational in almost every interaction with your dog. Figure out how to make sure your dog gets good stuff for behaviors that you like, and doesn’t get good stuff for behaviors you don’t like, and you’ll find your dog is more than happy to accept his role as your compliant pal. (See “Alpha Schmalpha,” WDJ December 2011.)

The “Dog Looks Guilty” Myth

Humans naturally ascribe ulterior motives to each other, and given the fact that we live so closely with dogs, it makes a certain amount of sense that we also try to explain our dogs’ behavior with ulterior motives, too. But we give them a lot more credit for remorse than they are probably capable of.

To us, a dog’s normal appeasement behavior (avoiding eye contact, lowering body posture, flattening ears) smacks of “Guilty!” when in fact the dog is just reading the body language of his unhappy/angry/aroused human and trying to avoid any unpleasant encounters with said human.

Let’s say you come home to find the contents of your kitchen garbage can strewn across the floor. Your face tightens, your body tenses, and as you say your dog’s name, your voice has an unmistakably emotional tone.

“Ruh-roh,” your dog thinks. “My human is upset about something. I better be at my most appeasing self so nothing bad happens to me.”

You see his appeasement body language and think, “See? Look at him acting guilty – he knows he did wrong!”

Fortunately, studies have shown what ethologists and educated dog trainers have long claimed: that a dog’s “guilty” (appeasement) behavior is dependent on the human’s body language, not on what the dog did – or didn’t do.

The “Destruction Out of Spite” Myth

The spite myth rears its ugly head most often when a normally well housetrained dog either soils the house or does something destructive when left home alone. The misinformed human thinks the dog did to “get even” with the owner for leaving.

In fact, far more often than not, this is a dog’s stress-related behavior, and frequently is a sign of separation or isolation distress or anxiety.

It makes matters worse when an owner punishes the dog for the behavior. The punishment will not only prove useless, as it is too far removed from the behavior itself to have any effect, but also will make the dog more stressed the next time he is left alone, as he learns to anticipate the bad things that happen to him when his owner gets home. (See “Scared to be Home Alone,” July 2008.)

The “His Tail is Wagging So He Must be Friendly!” Myth

Somewhere in our history, it seems the entire human species latched onto the sticky myth that a wagging tail means a happy dog. As a result, humans across the millennia have been bitten as they attempt to pet a dog whose tail was wagging.

In fact, a wagging dog tail is simply an indication of some level of arousal. Certainly, sometimes it’s happy arousal and it’s perfectly safe to pet the wagging dog. On many other occasions, however, it may be tense or angry or fearful or reactive arousal, and you pet the wagging dog at your own risk!

Here’s a general guide to how to tell the difference:

– Low, fast tail wag, often in conjunction with lowered body posture, and possible whale eye, ears back, and submissive urination. This dog is fearful and/or appeasing; pet at your own risk.

– Half-mast gently swishing tail, combined with relaxed body language and soft eyes. This dog is probably safe to pet.

– Tail mid to three-quarters raised, wagging quickly, combined with some animated body language and happy facial expression. This dog is more aroused, but may be safe to pet. Use caution.

– Tail wags in a circle, combined with calm or animated body language. This dog is happy/excited and probably safe to pet.

– Tail vertical, swishing slowly. This dog may be calm and relaxed and just have a natural high tail carriage, such as the Husky, Malamute, Chow, Pomeranian, and others, or he may be becoming aroused. Since a high tail often indicates a higher level of arousal, it’s even more important to be aware of the other body-language cues of these dogs. This dog may or may not be safe to pet; wait for more information to go on!

– Tail vertical, wagging quickly, often accompanied by tall, forward body language. This dog is alert, tense and aroused. It is best to avoid interacting with this dog.

As you can see, it’s critical to evaluate the whole dog when determining whether his wagging tail means he is happy or not. Be advised, then, that this evaluation is too complex for small children to carry out; teach them not to pet strange dogs.

The “All Breeds are Alike” Myth

This myth is most likely to be promoted by people who are trying to sell you something, whether it’s puppies or breed-specific legislation. If someone tries to make you believe that all individuals of a given dog breed will display homogeneous characteristics of that breed, or that certain characteristics are inherent in any and all members of that breed – well, hey, would you by any chance have any interest in buying a bridge?

While dogs of a given breed may exhibit behavioral tendencies that are common to that breed, little, if anything, is universal in all the individuals of any breed. There are Labrador Retrievers who hate the water and won’t fetch a ball, Border Collies who have no interest in sheep, and Huskies who wouldn’t pull a sled if their lives depended on it.

Breed registries maintain descriptions of their ideal, and people who breed purebred dogs are supposed to be trying to produce puppies who will grow into physical and behavioral manifestations of the breed standard. The problem is, not all breeders are good breeders! Some people are just trying to make a buck, and take little or no care to choose complementary parents for their “purebred” puppies. (And why would you, if you were selling puppies that were going to be sold like interchangeable widgets in pet stores to anyone with the money to spend?) And even educated, responsible breeders who take the utmost care to choose mates for their dogs don’t always succeed in producing perfectly conformed, perfect behavioral clones of the breed standard; it’s impossible!

When a truly responsible breeder produces a puppy who has physical or behavioral traits that are atypical of or aberrant for the breed, they will not only decline to use that particular breeding again, but also will work to find the pup an appropriate home with someone who will embrace it as a fully disclosed, atypical individual.

In addition, responsible breeders and adoption counselors should advise prospective owners who are looking for a dog of a certain breed that all individuals of any breed are just that: individuals. If there are certain traits of a certain breed that most appeal to you, make sure you take the time to look for a dog who exhibits those traits, not just the first representative of that breed that you happen to find in your local shelter.

And if you are set on buying a puppy of a certain breed, take the time to talk to a lot of breeders. Make sure that they understand exactly what you are looking for. Give them as much information about your home, family, and dog experience as they need to make sure they match you with a puppy who is most likely to succeed in your family.

If, on the other hand, you don’t have a specific breed in mind, write down the qualities that are most important to you in a dog, and then go out and start looking at individuals of any breed until you find one who best matches your list of desired traits. You should neither assume that any Golden Retriever you find will love your children nor that any Pomeranian you find will be too barky to endure. Be observant and deliberate. (See “Pick a Winner,” April 2009.)

The “The Best Dogs are Eager to Please” Myth

This is one of my pet peeves – the myth that dogs exist to please us. It’s such a commonly used descriptor that dogs who aren’t perceived as “eager to please” are often seen as flawed in character.

Dogs exist to please themselves, not us. It just so happens that for some dogs, the things that please them also please us. The dogs that we label as “eager to please” tend to find it reinforcing to be in our company, happily sitting for petting, fetching toys, and participating with us in whatever activities we’re engaged in.

Dogs who are perceived as “eager to please” are most often those who have been bred to work closely with people, such as the herding, working, and sporting breeds. If these working dogs are typical of their heritage (see previous myth), it will likely please them to engage in activities that involve humans.

We’ve created a number of breeds (including hounds and terriers) to do unsupervised jobs, such as chasing game through the woods, or killing rodents in barns and fields. It used to please us if one of those dogs took the initiative to do one of those jobs well, but today, it’s just as likely that a dog who pursues one of these activities without permission will be accused of being stubborn, willful, dominant, or disobedient.

The “Pack Mentality” Myth

There is enough truth to this myth to make it extra-super sticky. The part of this one that gets dogs into trouble is their humans’ assumption that because dogs are a social species, they should be able to get along with (and play with) every dog they see. I always remind my clients that we humans are a social species, too, and we certainly don’t all get along with each other!

In fact, while wild wolves may live in close family groups we call “packs,” there is a growing body of evidence that where groups of feral dogs exist, they live in loosely knit social groups that don’t even begin to resemble a wolf pack.

Besides, a pack of familiar friends and close relatives isn’t at all the same as a bunch of ill-behaved strangers. Not unlike small children, most reasonably well socialized puppies will happily play with any other behaviorally appropriate puppies all day long. But as your dog matures he is likely to be more comfortable engaging with a limited number of dogs he knows well. This is normal, and a lot like we humans, who may enjoy wild parties as teenagers but as mature adults are more likely to be found enjoying relatively sedate dinner parties. (That said, there are always exceptions, and there are some dogs who continue to behave as the life of the dog park well into their senior years.)

Listen to your dog, not the mythologists; your dog doesn’t have to play with other dogs if he doesn’t enjoy it. If he tells you he’s having a blast at rowdy canine romps, go for it. But if he tells you he’d rather not, heed his wishes!

Resist Dog Myths and Stereotypes

These sticky myths can damage your relationship with your canine family member, and prevent you from having the fulfilling and enjoyable life experience that every dog – and every dog-loving human deserves. Don’t let them.

Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, is WDJ’s Training Editor. She lives in Fairplay, Maryland, site of her Peaceable Paws training center, where she offers dog-training classes and courses for trainers. Pat is also the author of many books on positive training. Her two most recent books are Do Over Dogs: Give Your Dog a Second Chance at a First-Class Life, and How to Foster Dogs; From Homeless to Homeward Bound.

The post Unsticking Myths About Dogs appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

“I’ve seen them go right through windows, and chew through doors, drywall, even chain-link fences, breaking off their teeth and nails,” says holistic veterinarian Stephen Blake of San Diego. “They get into such a level of panic that they just aren’t thinking.”

In some cases, owners are able to trace a dog’s fear to an identifiable trigger. “Some dogs definitely have experienced something bad that makes them afraid of thunder,” says Nancy A. Dreschel, DVM, PhD, who has studied and written about thunderstorm phobia. As part of her research, Dr. Dreschel, an instructor of companion-animal science at Penn State University in University Park, Pennsylvania, met a dog who slept happily in the family room of his house – until a wood stove in the same room got struck by lightning. He was afraid of storms ever since. And can you blame him?

Often, a conditioned response like that can be reversed, Dr. Dreschel says, through counter-conditioning, that is, pairing the negative stimulus with something the dog enjoys, such as food. It’s the more ambiguous cases, where the dog just seems to develop a thunderstorm fear out of the blue, that are more challenging, because no one really understands what elicited the initial reaction, and the dogs aren’t talking.

“Some theories suggest that there is something aversive about the storm itself,” Dr. Dreschel explains, with guesses ranging from increased static electricity to changes in barometric pressure. “Perhaps there are things in the air that are uncomfortable to the dog, so his skin or his fur hurts. Maybe the storm-associated noise is actually painful to dogs; they hear things that we can’t.”

Another theory suggests that some dogs are genetically predisposed to thunderstorm sensitivity, including Golden Retrievers and some herding breeds.

Preventing Thunder Fear in Dogs

It can seem as if the recommendations for preventing these intense reactions to thunderstorms – or at least making them more manageable – are as numerous and varied as the affected dogs themselves. What most everyone can agree on this: There is no sure bet, no tried-and-true cure. What works for one dog might have zero effect on another.

Trial and error, then, is your best bet. Be open-minded and creative in how you approach this problem. Dr. Dreschel recalls that one of the dogs in her study would be terrified of storms while in the house, but, inexplicably, did just fine in the car. While she does not recommend a rain-drenched trip to the minivan for every dog – if it didn’t work, the potential toll on your upholstery could be staggering – she does applaud the spirit behind it.

“It’s a very individual thing,” she says about helping a dog through storm sensitivity. “You just have to keep trying.”

Many veterinarians and behaviorists recommend working to prevent the problem before it begins, by rewarding the dog as a puppy whenever she is exposed to the sights and sounds of a storm. Have lots of extra-special treats on hand; repeated reinforcement teaches the dog that raindrops and thunder claps mean the yummies are on their way.

To desensitize dogs who have exhibited stress behaviors during a storm, Katherine Houpt, DVM, professor emeritus at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in Ithaca, New York, uses a storm-simulation CD, initially played at low volume. As a reward, “the dog gets something he never gets otherwise – for example, only salami when you do desensitization.” When the dog hears the storm sounds, teach him to go to the safe place where he will ride out the storm. (More on that below.)

In subsequent sessions, gradually increase the volume of the CD. If your dog is taking and eating the treats, then chances are he is coping well, since there is an inverse relationship between stress and appetite. If he stops taking the treats, reduce the audio level until he’s comfortable enough to eat again.

Dr. Houpt recommends adding flashing lights to the desensitization process, recalling one ingenious client who used strobe lights. But most people, she admits, aren’t that zealous. “For the lazier ones, I say play the CD whenever you feed the dog.”

The limitations of the CD storm sounds, of course, are that they are just one sliver of the experience. Dr. Dreschel recalls a storm-sensitive dog who sailed through the audio experience, “but during the first storm of the spring, he ate through a door.” That said, if the CD can desensitize the dog to at least the sound part of the thunderstorm experience, it might lower her overall anxiety – a good thing!

Create a Den Environment

Thunder-sensitive dogs benefit from having a sanctuary when storms roll through. “Provide them with a safe spot, in a basement, or in a crate,” Dr. Dreschel advises. Think about places that would offer a sense of sheltering enclosure, such as the back of a closet. Often, your dog will show you where she thinks she will be most comfortable. The feeling of being enclosed and buffered is important, so draping a crate with a heavy blanket can also help.

Not all hidey holes are equal, however. Dr. Dreschel notes that many dogs will seek out tiled rooms such as bathrooms, as well as showers, bathtubs, even that hard-to-reach space behind the toilet. “Some people have wondered if it has to do with being grounded and not statically charged,” she muses. Similarly, other experts report that dogs seem to do better in metal crates rather than plastic ones, perhaps also because of their conductivity.

Since the storm is associated with flashing lights, select a low-light or well-curtained environment, or even, ideally, a room without windows.

A word of caution: Severely phobic dogs often panic during a storm, trying to escape at any cost to themselves or their surroundings. In such cases, a crated dog can inflict great damage on himself. Conversely, whatever “den” environment you provide, situate it so the dog has access to it whenever he likes.

Use a Calming Jacket

Some owners of thunderstorm-sensitive dogs report amazing results from body-wrap products such as the Anxiety Wrap or Thundershirt, which apply gentle, steady, constant pressure, sort of like sartorial acupressure.

“The pressure wraps work for the same reason that swaddling a baby works,” Dr. Houpt explains; they provide a comforting sense of being gently held.

Dr. Houpt draws a parallel to the work of Temple Grandin, whose autism gave her insights into lower-stress livestock handling methods. “She felt that pressure calmed her, just as putting a steer in a pressure sling does.” As a young woman, Grandin designed a self-operated hydraulic “hugging machine” that would dispense therapeutic, stress-relieving pressure that triggered a sense of well-being.

Try Medication in Extreme Cases

Melatonin, an important hormone that creates an overall feeling of well-being, is high on the list of supplements to try for storm-sensitive dogs. Dr. Dreschel uses it on her own thunderstorm-phobic dog, a scruffy black mixed-breed she acquired 12 years ago, in the middle of her research.

But dogs with more severe storm reactions are perfect candidates for anti-anxiety drugs. While many owners are reluctant to medicate their anxious dogs, Dr. Dreschel notes that anti-anxiety pharmaceuticals can be incredibly useful for reducing irrational phobias.

Please note that tranquilizers sedate the dog but do not address her underlying anxiety; they can, in fact, significantly worsen the anxiety, and so are contraindicated for thunder-phobic dogs. In contrast, anti-anxiety medications can help prevent a panicked state in storm-phobic dogs.

“Dogs who are phobic can’t be distracted,” Dr. Dreschel says. “It’s like a person having a panic attack.” Drugs can lower the stress threshold, “so that maybe you can get the dog to think.” Until a dog is in that more stable state, she can’t process information well or learn to manage her stress response.

Dr. Houpt generally recommends a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), such as a generic form of Prozac. These drugs work by blocking a receptor in the brain that absorbs serotonin, a neurotransmitter that is important in maintaining mood balance; this has the net effect of increasing the amount of available serotonin. A dog needs to be maintained on this drug long-term in order for it to be helpful; it’s not a “give as needed” solution.

 In contrast are antidepressants such as Trazodone or alprazolam (the generic form of Xanax). These drugs may be given situationally, as needed, so the dog doesn’t have to be on meds all the time, only when a storm is coming. While many owners are hesitant to fill psychotropic prescriptions for their dogs, most are more accepting of the as-needed approach: “A storm is coming, give the dog her meds.”

This is important, because behavior experts suggest that getting the seriously phobic dog on medication sooner is better. “My pet peeve is that people wait too long” before giving the drugs, Dr. Houpt says. Similar to taking migraine medication before the head-splitting pain begins, “you don’t want to give it once the dog is terrified; if a thunderstorm is forecast, give medication now.”

Holistic Remedies for Fear of Thunder

In addition to a conventional medical approach, there are several holistic remedies that are well worth a try.

When those black clouds start gathering over a thunder-phobic dog, Dr. Blake’s first line of defense are flower essences. Distilled from the blooms of trees, shrubs, and flowering plants, these tinctures are considered very safe and can have an emotionally centering effect.

Dr. Blake uses Rescue Remedy, a combination of five essences that “are good for panic situations,” he says. “If you know there’s a storm coming, you can put four drops in the dog’s drinking water. Or you can put them in a spritz bottle with water, and when the dog starts to get antsy, mist him with it, or mist your hand and rub it on his face.”

Because flower essences are so gentle, “you can do this every few minutes, and it can reinforce the calming effect,” he says. “It takes the edge off.” Other flower essences to consider are mimulus (for dogs who are focused on the storm), aspen (for dogs who seem spooked in general) and rock rose (for panic).

Dr. Blake also has had some luck with gemmotherapy, which uses herbal extracts from the buds and emerging shoots of plants. “Lime is really good for calming and detoxing the nervous system,” he explains. “And walnut is a good one for transition.” As with flower essences, one to five drops of the tinctures can be added to the dog’s drinking water whenever needed.

More Holistic Options

Every major system of healing has an approach for dealing with acute panic and stress. In homeopathy, the remedy Dr. Blake reaches for is usually aconite, “which is very commonly used for panic attacks and fear.” Again, use the same technique for administering the white homeopathic pellets, which can be crushed and added to drinking water or a spray bottle. “You want to get it on their mucous membranes,” he says.

Essential oils are still another option. Lavender is traditionally used for calming, but Dr. Blake also likes an oil blend by Young Living called Peace & Calming that includes tangerine, orange, ylang ylang, patchouli, and blue tansy.

Dilute the oil in a carrier oil such as almond or olive oil (lavender on its own is so gentle it can be used “neat”), put a few drops on your fingers, and rub it into your dog’s ear flaps. “In Chinese medicine, the ears are the conduit to the kidneys, and kidneys are where the fear hangs out,” Dr. Blake explains. “It gets into the bloodstream quickly that way.”

From a holistic point of view, thunderstorm phobia is an indication of a deeper-seated imbalance. While these remedies can help mitigate the symptoms, Dr. Blake recommends working with a holistic or homeopathic vet to get to the source of the imbalance and correct it.

Calming Music

Dr. Blake has used classical music for a variety of behavioral issues in dogs, including separation anxiety and, of course, thunderstorm sensitivity. “Basically, you’re just trying to distract them a little bit,” he explains.

But all music isn’t equal when it comes to eliciting a therapeutic effect. The idea is to calm the dog, not excite her further. So when the Sturm und Drang begins, think Mozart, not Metallica.

For her part, Dr. Houpt recommends the Through a Dog’s Ear CDs and podcasts. The company’s classical-music selections are “psychoacoustically” designed to be easily assimilated by dogs, helping to enhance mood and active listening.

Be There for Your Dog

It sounds so very basic, but literally being there for your dog – if your schedule permits, and if the weather report is accurate enough to allow for advance planning – can go a long way toward helping her weather the emotional storm as much as the meteorological one. Your presence adds to your dog’s sense of security, which is what she needs most at this stressful time.

Dr. Dreschel reminds us that the theory that frightened dogs should not be comforted has been disproven. “When dogs are really phobic like that, you’re not reinforcing the behavior,” she says. “If they’re in that drooling, pacing mode, I’d go ahead and comfort them.” As for puppies or mildly affected dogs, who still are thinking and able to learn in the moment, “I would distract them,” she says. “And then make it positive.”

Denise Flaim of Revodana Ridgebacks in Long Island, New York, shares her home with three Ridgebacks, 11-year-old triplets, and a very patient husband.

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