How to have a chill summer with your dog
Anyone who has worked with me knows how much I emphasize calmness in dogs. It is just so important! And yet so few people train it. When our dogs can find calm, so many problem behaviors just magically disappear!
Why is calm so important?
When I got Buffy as a puppy I had a list of things I was going to do while she slept, and she just didn’t! Unless in her crate she was like the Energizer bunny - constantly on the move. She still struggles to settle outside my home, and even in the house she often needs to be occupied with something. This can be quite exhausting, and really set me on my journey to find how to teach calm. I suspect it is something that I will be continuing to work on with her for a while.
So why is calm so important?
A dog that is calm is not barking at every noise.
A dog that is calm is not jumping up on people.
A dog that is calm is not pulling on leash to chase everything.
A dog that is calm can cope with being at the vet.
A dog that is calm is a good and happy companion at a cafe or brewery.
How can I teach my dog to be calm?
Recently I took Buffy to a nose work trial where there were so many things that she finds exciting! She loves searching, so waiting her turn was hard. Plus there were so many chipmunks and rabbits around it was almost impossible for her to be calm. This prompted me to revisit working with Buffy on this important skill. So what can you do?
Go through the relaxation protocol
Dr. Karen Overall developed the Relaxation Protocol, where over 15 days you progressively increase distractions while your dog stays in a sit or down (they can be on a mat or bed). This protocol builds a strong history of happily being on a bed and being calm, and once you have gone through the protocol in a calm space you can start taking it on the road. This mat training is invaluable as it gives the dog something to do and teaches them that they can be calm even when exciting things happen like a visitor arriving.
Training your dog that it is a good deal to be on a mat is also helpful as it can be taken on the road! Once your dog can be successful in a variety of distracting environments you can take your mat to the veterinarian or the brewery, and your dog will understand the cue to lie down and be calm.
Use a bed or crate as a place for deep rest
It is always worth teaching your dog that there is value in being calm in places such as on their bed or in their crate. Simply giving your dog some kibble when they are on their bed sleeping can have great consequences. Remember, reward your dog for making good choices and they will make more of them! Having a designated area where your dog can sleep without being disturbed is really important, especially in a busy home. Crates are great for this. Dogs need a lot more sleep than us (12-14 hours a day, and more for puppies!), and like us they don’t cope as well with life if they don’t get enough rest.
Provide calming activities
Licking, sniffing, and chewing are wonderfully calming for dogs as they release dopamine in the brain. You should look for opportunities for your dog to do each of these things every day. Giving your dog a lickimat, a filled kong or treat ball (such as a Pupsicle), a bully stick, or another appropriate chew toy is often enough to help them get over some angst and be able to rest again.
Sniffing can be anything from a ‘sniffari’ walk, where you let your dog take you from smell to smell, to scatter feeding kibble or treats. My dog loves searching for her breakfast kibble scattered in the grass. It is a great enrichment activity as she is using her nose to find the food.
If you want to find out more about using your dog’s nose and fun odor detection games you could join me in a class at the Canine Learning Center!
Another trick for teaching a dog that it is OK to be calm is to play the ‘Reward Nothing’ game. This is where you simply put a piece of kibble by their nose every time they are lying down or being still, even if they are only still for a moment. I was surprised by the effect this game had on Buffy. It is amazing how quickly dogs learn that lying down actually pays!
Watch the stress bucket
We all wake up in the morning with a capacity for stress (like a bucket), and then both good and bad things contribute to fill the stress bucket during the day. When the bucket overflows you get a crazed dog who is only reacting, rather than thinking, and this is no fun for anyone. Stressful activities like visitors, an exciting walk, or whatever causes your dog anxiety, can fill it. Calming activities help empty the bucket. If your dog tends to be reactive then it is especially important that you practice a lot of calming activities to help your dog’s stress levels come down, so that you are starting with an emptier bucket.
Join me for a chill summer with your dog as I work through the Karen Overall Relaxation Protocol with Buffy!
For the next month I will be posting calmness tips and videos to my social media daily. You can watch in real time how Buffy goes from fidget machine to finding zen as we work through Karen Overall’s Relaxation Protocol.
Like and follow Brenin Behavior on Facebook or Instagram to watch how we do!
Follow along with your dog and share videos! You will end up with a calmer dog and will notice other positive changes too!
The Relaxation Protocol is available free online. You can find the pdf version here, or I used the audio version which is available for download here (there are lots of ads and popups on the audio version page - it is free so don’t click on any!).
No time to train? Check out my new day training service!
I know how busy life can get, and sometimes even carving out time for short training sessions with your dog can be too much. That is why I am now offering day training!
Day training means that I come to your home and train your dog 3 times a week while you are busy doing other things. So you come home to a happy, calmer, and better trained dog. On a 4th day of the week I show you what we have done and how you can maintain it over the weekend.
This is perfect if you are struggling with simple training issues like calmness, household manners, loose leash walking, or poor recall and yet are too busy this summer to work on it.
Spaces are limited, so book soon!
What else is new?
Afraid that your dog might run into a rattlesnake? Join me for a Rattlesnake Avoidance workshop at the Canine Learning Center, repeating monthly all summer. You can then join weekly private sessions to teach your dog that the sight or smell of a snake means they run to you and give an alert. Find out more on my website.