Can Hemp CBD Oil Reduce Anxiety In Dogs?

February 15, 2017 by Fanna Easter

Hemp CBD Oil for Dogs

As a dog trainer who works closely with reactive dogs, I’m often asked if hemp oil reduces dog anxiety. Before jumping into the benefits of hemp CBD oil for dogs, let’s first discuss reactivity in dogs.

Anxiety in Dogs

Dogs react in the form of growling, barking, lunging, snapping or biting because they’re fearful. Anxiety emerges when dogs constantly predict something scary will happen, as it has in the past. When a dog’s anxious, he’s likely to overreact to a situation because he’s already highly aroused. When anxiety is reduced, reactivity is usually reduced as well, but can fire back up within seconds. Dog anxiety is a vicious cycle, and it’s exhausting.

Differences Between Hemp, Marijuana and CBD Oil

With the recent popularity of legalized marijuana, the differences between hemp, marijuana and CBD (cannabidiol) is stirring up some consumer confusion. Hemp oil and cannabis oil both contain CBD, yet they have differing amounts of THC—the psychoactive property of marijuana (Hemp CBD vs Cannabis CBD: What’s The Difference, ND). It’s important to note that cannabis CBD is illegal in most states. However, hemp CBD oil can be easily found online.

Hemp CBD Oil for Dogs With Anxiety

As for reducing anxiety, hemp CBD oil for dogs is showing some promise. Research is slow, but personal testimonials find hemp CBD oil beneficial for dogs. When clients contact me about their reactive dogs, I recommend a thorough veterinary exam to rule out any health issues first. I also recommend them to ask their veterinarians about hemp CBD oil for dogs. In the past, hemp CBD oil has reduced dog anxiety, but it’s not a cure-all. It works well with additional pharmaceuticals taken for dog anxiety.

Does Your Dog Need Hemp Oil?

Hemp oil for dogs provides numerous health benefits while reducing seizures, anxiety and pain. While some pet owners incorrectly assume hemp CBD oil for dogs is a behavioral crutch, it’s a natural product that provides dogs relief from anxiety. In most cases, clients have noticed minor positive changes in their dogs’ behavior. When changing dog behavior, any positive changes are considered progress—even slight ones.

What To Do If You See A Tethered Dog

February 6, 2017 by Fanna Easter

Helping Tethered Dogs

I’m visiting my family in rural south Louisiana for a few weeks. My family lives in a very affluent neighborhood, but I noticed something odd quickly upon arrival. A close neighbor had a tethered dog in her front yard. Before I could mutter a single word, my mother said, “I’ve called Animal Control and the police. There’s nothing I can do for this poor dog.” Hum, let’s see about that.

It goes without saying: Tethering dogs is cruel. Please never chain a dog. If you notice a dog tethered outside, please say something to the owner. Dogs don’t have a voice, but we do.

Check County Ordinances

With easy access to the Internet today, it’s super simple to find city (or parish in Louisiana) ordinances online. Once you’ve found your county’s ordinances and laws, browse for the chained or tethering dog section. This can usually be found within ordinances pertaining to dogs, animals or animal cruelty.

Is Tethering Dogs Legal?

Every county is different when it comes to tethering dog laws, but most counties require tethered dogs to have access to food, fresh water and shelter. Additionally, pet owners may not deny dogs access from food, water or shelter for more than 24 hours. (24 hours is a long time in Louisiana heat.) You may also find strict dog chain length requirements for your county.

My Experience

In the beginning, my family called Animal Control because this dog didn’t have shelter from Louisiana’s sweltering summer temperatures. About 24 hours after Animal Control spoke with the owner, a huge Igloo dog house was provided and the dog was tethered to a longer chain per specific county recommendations. However, this poor dog would run around in circles, shortening her chain, which restricted access to shade and water.

Well, I started taking videos and pictures every time the dog was restricted from shade and water as documentation. Apparently, the owner noticed me standing in the road taking pictures and recording her dog. Shortly after documenting, I noticed the owner started walking outdoors to unwind her dog’s chain and pour fresh water in the bowl. She knew I was watching.

Talking to the Dog’s Owner

By far, this was the hardest part. Somehow, I pulled together every bit of patience possible, walked over and knocked on the door while smiling. A middle-aged woman opened the door smiling back. After a few polite pleasantries, I expressed my concern about her dog tethered up in her yard. She explained that her German Shepherd Dog didn’t get along with her other dogs, so it was chained up. Being the dog trainer that I am, I offered her a few tips on keeping dogs separated indoors using dog crates. The owner thanked me for my advice sincerely.

Within a day or two, I noticed this young German Shepherd Dog was brought inside at night. By morning, she was chained up outside again, but at least it was a start. I will continue to educate and document for this poor dog’s sake. If you see a tethered dog, I advise you to read these tips before confronting the dog’s owner.

Be a dog’s voice because she doesn’t have one. Please.

How To Bring An Aggressive Dog To The Vet

February 1, 2017 by Fanna Easter

Bringing an Aggressive Dog to the Vet

Living with a reactive dog certainly brings everyday challenges. One particular challenge is bringing an aggressive dog to the vet. All dogs need regular veterinary care, so it’s important to take a few precautions when scheduling, arriving, waiting and leaving a vet’s office with your aggressive dog.

Why Dogs Get Aggressive at the Vet

Before diving into tips on bringing your aggressive dog to the vet, let me explain why a reactive dog (i.e. a dog that reacts to a situation) acts aggressively at a veterinary clinic. Dog aggression is a symptom of fear. Dogs will stare, growl, lunge, bark, snap and bite to stop something scary from walking toward or touching them. When scared, dogs will flee, fight or freeze similar to humans. If a dog is unable to flee, she will fight or freeze. When a dog freezes, she’s not coping with the situation; she’s shutting down. Plus, freezing will eventually turn into a fight, which we want to prevent.

How to Bring an Aggressive Dog to the Vet

Pet owners can reduce aggressive dog behavior by preparing for a vet visit that includes an exit strategy. At least four weeks before your dog’s vet visit, teach your dog that body handling and wearing a muzzle makes hot dogs rain from the sky.

Schedule for the First or Last Appointment

When scheduling a vet visit, ask for the first or last appointment of the day. Since these time slots usually fill up, you should call two to four weeks in advance. Choosing these specific appointment times will prevent a reactive dog from encountering other dogs and people in a waiting room and busy parking lot. Plus, it’s usually the quietest time in a veterinary clinic.

The first appointment of the day is usually better because there aren’t any wait times. Some clinics complete surgeries in the morning though, so ask for the first appointment after surgeries or schedule your aggressive dog first thing on a non-surgery day.

Wait in Your Car

Park your car far away from the front entrance of the clinic. This way your dog can’t see anyone moving around. Bring two sets of keys, so you can leave your dog with the AC running and securely lock your doors. Check in with the receptionist and tell him you’ll wait in your car until it’s time to be seen by the vet. While it’s tempting to sit in the exam room waiting, this can send a reactive dog over the edge. Veterinary clinics are full of scary sounds and smells. When people and dogs walk quickly past an exam room door, this can cause an aggressive dog to panic. Most veterinary clinics will easily comply—just make sure to politely explain your dog’s needs during check-in.

Exit in the Back

Once your aggressive dog’s vet visit is complete, poke your head out the door to ensure the coast is clear. If it’s difficult to see, ask the vet tech if you can both slip out a back door or ask him to clear a path for you. Bring your dog back to your car, turn on the engine and AC, and lock up the car. Now, head back in and pay your bill. Don’t forget to take a deep breath. You did it!

Be your dog’s voice, and take charge of the situation. Trust me, veterinary clinics will easily comply with your dog’s needs. Their goal is a quiet veterinary clinic as well. 🙂

What You Need To Know About HOA Pet Restrictions

January 30, 2017 by Fanna Easter

Homeowners’ Association Rules and Regulations

HOA Pet Restrictions

Recently, we were house hunting in a state saturated with homeowner associations (HOA). It seemed every neighborhood had some type of strict HOA rule. This was our first HOA experience, and we were a bit nervous because we share our home with a Rottweiler and Bull Terrier.

As many pet owners are aware, these dog breeds are usually restricted by insurance companies, HOAs, hotels and so forth. When searching for a home, we were very leery and cautious of HOA pet restrictions. Thankfully, we finally found a great home with no dog breed restrictions listed in their HOA laws. However, not all homeowners’ association rules and regulations are alike. Before locking in your new home, follow these tips to ensure your dog is allowed.

A Savvy Realtor is Your Best Friend

By far, this was our ace in the hole! We found an amazing realtor who showed Rottweilers, so she was fully aware of breed-specific regulations. When narrowing down our home search, and before we even stepped into a home, our realtor contacted each home’s homeowners’ association.

Most realtors are well versed in homeowners’ association laws, so they can quickly detect an issue for you. Ask your realtor to contact each HOA to verify breed restriction laws beforehand. Trust me, it’s not worth falling in love with a home when your dog isn’t allowed. When searching for a dog savvy realtor, ask the local kennel club or dog trainers for recommendations.

Many HOAs Restrict By Weight

Several states have finally realized that breed-specific legislation doesn’t decrease dog bites, so they removed breed-specific laws. Arizona recently overturned breed restrictions, but HOAs still found a way to discriminate dog breeds.

Some HOAs enforce pet weight limits (usually under 20 pounds), which keeps large dogs out of the neighborhood. Even though specific dog breeds aren’t listed in the homeowners’ association rules and regulations, read the pet policy carefully for pet weight restrictions.

HOA Bylaws

Once you’ve selected a home, ask your realtor for a copy of the HOA bylaws. Read through each paragraph carefully, focusing on pet restrictions. Many HOAs limit the number of dogs per home and, of course, mandate leash laws (which is a good thing).

When in doubt, contact an HOA representative before making an offer on the home. Note the name of the HOA rep plus the date and time of your conversation.

Read and read again before making an offer on your home. 🙂

Dog Massage Tips For Anxious Dogs

January 27, 2017 by Fanna Easter

How to Massage a Dog With Anxiety

Living with an anxious dog is tough; you literally feel like the world is going to harm you. As a dog trainer, my heart hurts for dogs with anxiety because I completely understand the “tug” of your conscious mind fighting the “pull” of your panicking mind. Massage is a wonderful tool that will calm an anxious dog. When trying to massage a dog with anxiety, it’s important to teach your dog that massage is harmless, and touch is actually relaxing.

Introduce Touch First

Most dogs with anxiety flinch or step away when someone reaches out to touch them. Anxious dogs are scared, and usually move away from fast movement, which includes hands reaching out to pet them. These dogs have learned that people will try to reach out and touch them even if they don’t want to be touched. Think about it this way: If you’re scared of spiders and one tries to reach out and touch you, that’s scary!

It’s important to teach your anxious dog that hands make good things happen. Instead of reaching out to your dog, play a game of “touch.” The “touch” game teaches a dog to walk over and touch your hand. Choices are super rewarding for dogs, and “touch” gives dogs choices. If they want a treat, they can walk over and touch a person’s hand. If not, that’s OK too. Giving dogs with anxiety choices is paramount.

Now, slowly reach toward your dog (but don’t touch her yet). As you extend your hand out 1-2 feet from your body, say “yes” and toss her a treat. Continue to practice, slowly increasing the distance between your hand and her body. Once your dog will stand still and actually walk toward your extended hand, it’s time to touch her.

Start with your fingertips first, and reward her as you’re touching her. Say “yes” and give her super yummy treats. Continue practicing until she’s comfortable with hands touching and petting her.

Start Where She’s Most Comfortable

When sitting down in a chair or on the floor, your dog will likely walk over and present her head or butt for petting. This is the area she’s most comfortable for a massage. Place both hands on the area and slowly move one hand a couple of inches up and slowly slide along her body. Your other hand should remain in the same spot.

If your dog presents her face for petting, then start with slow hand slides along the side of her neck (move over ear, neck, shoulder). For your dog’s behind, place your massage (moving) hand on your dog’s side (where the ribs end, and on the side of the spine). Move your massage hand toward you (move over midsection, hind legs, rump).

Be Conscious of Your Hand Movement

Keep strokes short, slow and gentle. Apply just enough pressure to move your dog’s skin, but not muscle. When your dog is comfortable, take longer strokes. When stroking, place your entire hand on your dog with your palm touching her. Keep your fingers together, and stroke with your entire hand. Be conscious of your hand movement and refrain from pushing inward (you’ll see your dog’s body move the opposite way).

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Allow your dog to decide when the massage is over. [/perfectpullquote]

Take a deep breath in as you stroke her side, and exhale as you lift your massage hand up to continue another stroke. Breathing will create a constant rhythm, which is important for relaxation.

Let Your Dog End the Massage

Allow your dog to decide when the massage is over. In the beginning, your anxious dog will walk away after a few seconds or minutes. Slowly, she’ll learn to enjoy massages and will stick around longer though. Now, if your dog becomes a massage junkie, end the massage once your dog has relaxed. Then, pat yourself on the back for teaching your dog with anxiety that massages are wonderful.

Goal of Massaging a Dog With Anxiety

Massage goals are different when massaging a dog with anxiety. Your main goal is to relax your anxious dog instead of releasing muscle tension or giving your dog an entire body massage. Relaxing massages teach a dog with anxiety that hands make good things happen. Remember to always use slow strokes to promote relaxation and to take deep breaths. It may seem odd, but dogs do respond when pet owners take deep breaths, and they’ll likely take one shortly after you do.

Breathe deep in through the nose, and slowly exhale out through the mouth.