Supplements for Anxiety in Dogs

October 30, 2014 by Fanna Easter

Anxiety Medication for Dogs

Ways to Reduce Your Dog's Anxiety — Supplements can decrease anxiety.

Could supplements decrease anxiety in canines? Research is catching up and, so far, there’s mixed results. Is it still worth a try? Most certainly! I’m not a veterinarian, but I’m a dog trainer who has worked with many dogs dealing with anxiety. Personally, I’ve seen significant decreases in anxiety with certain supplements in both dogs and myself. Read on for my product recommendations!

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a feeling of worry, uneasiness and sometimes panic when anticipating an event or outcome. Usually, anxiety develops after exposure to a fearful event. It could be a single or multi-event exposure that triggers anxiety. Let’s break this down even further with examples.

Dog A meets Dog B for the first time.
Dog B attacks and causes harm to Dog A.
Dog A learns that dogs can be unpredictable (can happen in a single event).
Dog A becomes anxious when he sees other dogs. He thinks all dogs will attack/cause him harm.

Personally, I’m afraid of clowns. As a small child, a clown picked me up at a parade, and to this day I become very anxious around clowns. I don’t want them to touch me! 🙂

Supplements for Anxiety

Can supplements cure anxiety? A supplement will not cure anxiety. It can minimize it so a dog can learn how to cope with anxiety, but it will not stop anxiety in its tracks. When dealing with anxiety, it’s important to use a holistic approach, which means looking at the whole dog. It’s best to pair supplements with additional modalities, such as soft music, Thundershirt, aromatherapy, DAP Calming Spray and massage for maximum benefits.

There are thousands of supplements to choose from, however, I’ll narrow down by discussing supplements I’ve recommended and used to reduce anxiety.

Before beginning any type of supplement, always discuss with your veterinarian first.

L-theanine

An essential amino acid that promotes concentration and calmness, and does not cause drowsiness. While this supplement promotes calmness, it can cause hyperactivity in excessive amounts so always partner with your vet before beginning any supplementation. Dosage depends on size of dog and anxiety level, and usually takes 1-4 weeks to notice a difference. Personally, I’ve used this supplement and noticed an immediate decrease in stress and anxiety.

Sources: Anxitane by Virbac, Composure by VetriScience. I’ve used both brands with great results!

Melatonin

A hormone that promotes sleep and relaxation. I’ve successfully used melatonin to prevent anxious reactions to thunderstorms, fireworks and when traveling with dogs. Before a storm or fireworks, I recommend hiding a melatonin pill in a glob of peanut butter before giving to your dog. Then, immediately pair with soft music, Thundershirt and/or massage. In the beginning, it’s probably best to use a combination approach, and once your dog learns positive calming associations with soft music, Thundershirt and massage, they will learn to calm themselves quickly.

Dosage:

1 mg for dogs under 30 pounds
3 mgs for dogs between 3-100 pounds

A few cautious words worth repeating:

Keep your dog away from the trigger that causes his anxiety (this is vital). Read why here and here.
Partner with your vet for dosage recommendations.
Give supplements daily for best results.
Pair with other calming modalities.
Watch for side effects (everything has side effects). Note anything unusual when it happens and what caused it to happen and discuss with your vet.
Purchase supplements from a reputable source.
More is not better. Follow dosage for your dog.
If no improvement within 2 months or anxiety worsens, seek help from a professional dog trainer and/or a qualified Animal Behaviorist (inform your vet too!).

VIDEO: Anxious Dog Supplements

What are your results with supplements targeted to reduce anxiety in dogs? Let’s share so we are better informed.

Dealing With Learned Helplessness In Dogs

October 29, 2014 by Fanna Easter

Learned Helplessness

Learned helplessness is the condition where a dog has been repeatedly exposed to a scary stimulus and has learned he no longer has control over the adverse situation. The dog shuts down and becomes helpless, knowing he can’t change the outcome.

Dogs can shut down during group dog training classes, private lessons and even puppy playtime. As your dog’s voice, you should learn what causes dogs to shut down and how to prevent it.

What is Learned Helplessness?

Dogs either fight or flight when they encounter a scary trigger. However, there’s a new response I’m seeing more and more of during my dog training sessions. It’s freeze or shut down. Dogs that have learned to become helpless basically giving up, flop over, and hope the scary trigger goes away and doesn’t hurt them.

[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]People see the dog giving up and mistakenly assume the dog has learned to stay still or behave. Oh, but it’s far from it.[/perfectpullquote]

Can you imagine being so scared, your entire body shuts down, you go limp, you roll over and you wish with everything you have that the scary thing would leave you alone? Wow. That’s terrible right!?

Well, I’m seeing an increasing amount of learned helplessness in dogs introduced to scary triggers. Many times, dogs shut down at the vet’s office, on a groomer’s table, or during class because they’re so confused or scared that they simply give up. People see the dog giving up and mistakenly assume the dog has learned to stay still or behave. Oh, but it’s far from it. The dog was pushed way too far.

What Does a Shut Down Dog Look Like?

When dogs shut down, they usually become frustrated and display calming and appeasement signals. Dogs will usually begin with subtle versions of calming signals to indicate they’re confused and scared. If the scary stimulus continues, their calming signals become more apparent, such as an increase in panting, salivation and sometimes vocalization. You may also notice their:

Tails tucked between their legs
Ears pinned back against their head
Body weight shrinks backwards
Bodies flop on the floor and become very still

What Causes Learned Helplessness in Dogs?

Any number of triggers can cause a dog to shut down, including:

Loud echo
Sound of a clicker
Other dogs being too close
Strange smell (we may never discover this one)
Chronic anxiety caused from past experiences during dog training
Combination of triggers

Shutting Down vs. Learning a Incompatible Behavior

Let’s be crystal clear here. There’s a major difference between shutting down and learning an incompatible behavior—huge difference. Teaching an incompatible behavior means teaching a dog to sit instead of jump or target your hand instead of pulling on a leash.

The dog has a choice in this situation, and is a willing participant in the learning process. Shutting down means the dog is not a willing participant in the learning process, and is so confused he gives up and flops on the floor wishing you (or whatever the stimulus causing him to shut down) goes away.

How to Prevent Dogs From Shutting Down

Whether you’re a dog trainer or dog owner, it’s so important to become fluent in dog body language and notice the nuances before the dog becomes stressed. The moment you notice your dog is stressed by a trigger, look at your dog’s environment for the trigger. What is causing your dog to stress out? Once you identify it, remove it.

If a dog is stressed with another dog too close, ask the other dog to move away from the stressed dog. If the trigger is a loud sound, move the scared dog further away from the sound or use visual barriers to calm a stressed dog.

While some stress is a good thing and is actually needed during the learning process, we’re talking about beyond normal stress levels that border into anxiety here. When you’re stressed or anxious, you can’t learn. It’s impossible. Think about it: If you’re scared of spiders and I hold a tarantula about 3 feet from you while teaching you how to recite Shakespeare, would you remember a word I said? Bingo, that’s the feeling right before you shut down. 🙂

If Your Dog Doesn’t Recover

If a stressed dog becomes even more frantic when triggers are removed, take your dog outside for a walk or remove him from the situation. Then, try to identify exactly what caused him to shut down.

If you’re a dog trainer, ask the owner to step outside the session with her dog and come back to watch until the session ends. Afterwards, ask the owner to list out any known triggers that cause anxiety and begin a simple desensitization program for each trigger. Begin slowly and remember desensitization always works. If it’s not working, it’s not being done right, so take a deeper look at the process. When in doubt, split a behavior, which means make it even simpler.

If, at anytime, a dog becomes worse or does not improve, I recommend partnering with a qualified animal behaviorist.

How do you prevent a dog from shutting down? I want to hear from you. 🙂

Related Posts: How to Train Fearful Dogs

How to Park Your Dog

October 24, 2014 by Fanna Easter

Train Your Dog to Stay

As a professional dog trainer, if I had to narrow down the top behavior all dogs should know, I would say parking your dog would be the first one! Trust me, “Come When Called” is probably right up there with “Park Your Dog.” However, this behavior will teach your dog to stay with you.

“Park Your Dog” is a great way to bring your dog’s arousal level down. It’s like taking a yoga breath for your dog.

Why Should I “Park My Dog”?

“Park Your Dog” is a great way to bring your dog’s arousal level down. It’s like taking a “yoga breath” for your dog. Use this dog behavior when your dog becomes overwhelmed by visitors or anything, really! When teaching hyperactive dogs to be calm, many folks ask them to sit still. This is tough, as they are learning how to manage their extra energy and excitement. So next time your dog tries to jump on guests, “park your dog.”

Just by teaching your dog this simple behavior, your dog will learn

Self control (teaching your hyper dog to relax)
Polite greetings of people (not to jump on people or you)
Polite leash manners (not pull on the leash)
Ignore other dogs
Stay with you
Prevent excessive barking

How do I teach “Park Your Dog”?

Step on your leash (about half way up to your dog, your dog should have 3 feet of extra leash).
Click and treat your dog the instant the leash becomes loose. Tip: instead of watching your dog, feel when the leash tightens and loosens under your feet. The moment you feel slack in the leash, Click and treat!
That’s it! Bingo, you are rewarding calm and quiet behavior!

Additional Troubleshooting:

Dog still jumps up on you, shorten the leash.
Dog continues to pull on leash, your timing is probably off a bit. Click/treat every time the leash is loose.
My dog is still pulling, then call their name and click/treat five times in a row. Now you have their attention, so keep their attention by rewarding frequently.

VIDEO: How to Teach “Park Your Dog”

When can you park your dog?

While talking to someone at the park
Having guests over
Outdoor dining
Paying at the pet store or vet’s office
During group class lecture, we ask pet parents to “park their dog” while listening to instructions

I want to hear from you! When should you park your dog?

Calming A Hyper Dog With A Thundershirt

October 6, 2014 by Fanna Easter

Thundershirt for Hyper Dogs — I need a Thundershirt!

Thundershirt for Dogs

Does your dog have tons of energy? You know what I mean: he bounces off the walls and sometimes off you too! Well, we recommend a product that can calm your hyper dog. Meet the Thundershirt.

Thundershirts for Excited Dogs, Really?

Yes! While Thundershirts for dogs do a great job at calming dogs afraid of storms, they’re fabulous for easily excited or hyper dogs as well. When wrapped correctly, Thundershirts press on acupressure points, which promotes calmness and soothes excited dogs. Think of a swaddled baby when crying. If you swaddle him correctly, it’s very soothing and he usually stops crying and falls asleep.

Of course, Thundershirts for dogs shouldn’t replace daily walks, food puzzles and family interactions. They’re simply a tool that teaches your dog how to calm himself down. It’s fun when adrenaline is pushing through your body, so it’s pretty important to teach our dogs how to bring themselves down and self-soothe.

WATCH: Thundershirt for Dogs

Teaching Your Dog to Wear a Thundershirt

Give your dog yummy treats as he sniffs the Thundershirt.
As you’re putting on the shirt, give him a finger full of peanut butter, as you know it takes awhile for dogs to remove peanut butter from the roof of their mouths.
Give your dog a yummy food stuffed toy when he’s wearing his Thundershirt, so he learns Thundershirt equals yummy food toy.
Follow the fitting instructions correctly. You don’t want it too loose or too tight.

If You’re New to Thundershirts

There seems to be many opinions about the effectiveness of Thundershirts for dogs. As a professional dog trainer of 22 years, they work. As with anything, they must:

Be introduced to the dog positively, so he enjoys wearing them
Fit properly

Now, nothing works 100% for all dogs, but in my classes, we have an 80% success rate with Thundershirts. Once your dog understands the process, you can keep the Thundershirt around for stressful events, such as traveling, visiting the vet, guests visiting or moving to a new home.

Lastly, I wish they made Thundershirts for people. I’d buy one!

What are your thoughts on Thundershirts for dogs? Comment in the section below!

Best Dog Books for Fearful Dogs

October 1, 2014 by Fanna Easter

Best Books to Help Your Fearful Dog

Fearful Dog Training Book — ArenaCreative/Deposit Photos

Fearful dogs are usually reactive. They bark, lunge, run away from dogs and people, and live in a constant state of anxiety. If your dog is fearful, I recommend:

Enrolling your dog in a Relaxed Rover training class.
Reading dog training books focused on fearful dogs.

Dog training classes like the Relaxed Rover class is generally limited to five enrollees for each class. These dog training classes are focused on decreasing your dog’s fear and anxiety. By building confidence and teaching your dog how to calm himself, you’ll make your dog less fearful.

RELATED: How to Train Fearful Dogs

Every dog in class is reactive, so the dog owners are in the same boat as you. By the end of a five- to six-week course, your dog will learn how to look at other dogs without reacting and be much more relaxed. You’ll also learn how to deal with approaching dogs during walks and so much more.

Below, I’ve recommended a few books that can help your fearful dog. They’re straight to the point, easy to read, very effective and they echo skills learned in the Relaxed Rover class environment. While these books will certainly move you in the right direction, I still recommend a session with a dog trainer. All dogs are different, so these book recommendations may need to be tweaked a bit.

Best Reactive Dog Training Book

“Feisty Fido – Help for the Leash Reactive Dog, 2nd Edition”
by Patricia McConnell and Karen London

This dog training book shows you how to complete an ER U-turn when other dogs approach. It also teaches you skills to move away quickly while keeping your dog calm. This is a booklet so it’s super easy to read, but packed full of great tips.

Best Book for Fearful Dogs

Both books target fearful dogs that are afraid of many things. Usually, these dogs will shrink away, react to loud sounds or live in general anxiety. Now, most fearful dogs will react to other dogs so I do recommend reading “Feisty Fido” by Dr. McConnell listed above as well.

“Cautious Canine – How to Help Dogs Conquer Their Fears, 2nd Edition”
by Patricia McConnell

“Cautious Canine” is a quick read booklet packed with invaluable information on how to manage and deal with your dog’s fear. There are also excellent tips on conquering their fear. A must-read book. 🙂

“Help for Your Fearful Dog – A Step-by-Step Guide to Helping Your Dog Conquer His Fears ”
by Nicole Wilde

“Help for Your Fearful Dog” by Nicole Wilde is a step-by-step guide, as mentioned in the title, for people who need specific steps to complete. Wilde also explains what causes your dog to be fearful in greater detail than “Cautious Canine.”

I want to hear from you. What are your thoughts on these recommended dog training books?

READ ALSO: How to Train Fearful Dogs