In today's society we are seeing a rising trend of dogs with anxiety for a variety of reasons.
One reason is due to being over-stimulated too much of the time. There is a lot of marketing that is going into various products (food puzzle toys, snuffle mats, frozen kongs, various chews, etc.) for 'enrichment' based activities. This is great fun for your dog, but some are taking it to the extreme and not teaching their dogs to have an off-switch- true relaxation. True relaxation is where your dog can relax without actively 'doing' something. Much like the "Ipad Kid" where many kids are too reliant on some form of technology. It is not healthy for your body to stay in a constant over-aroused state for a long period of time. There should be ample times where your dog is truly relaxing. We see far too often that dogs do not know how to settle when there is any sort of stimulus/distraction around.
People who pay thousands of dollars on a board & train program often state that despite all the fancy skills their dog may have learned, often comment that the skill they appreciate the most on a day to day basis is that their dog is now able to relax while they do chores around the house, take care of the kids, have guests over, or while they work on a computer or watch tv.
Most of our in-home private lessons people pay to have us come out and often the solution to their issues with their dog is to teach their dog how to settle in the house. The point is, do not overlook this skill! It is just as important as sit and down, or I would argue, more important!
Having a dog who knows how to relax is something that you don't know you are missing out on until you have a dog that is good at it. It makes living with our dogs so much easier. When your day was chaotic and you didn't have time to do as much as you'd like with your dog, it is still enjoyable to be with them at home. It makes being sick or having family emergencies where you can't do things with the dog, not a big deal. It creates a healthy mind in your dog, a life with less anxiety, less over-arousal, and less nuisance behaviors.
Many people start with teaching their dog to relax on a "place" bed. The dog has to stay on the bed for an extended period of time and isn't allowed to get off the dog bed until released. This (as well as crate training) have an added benefit of reducing the likelihood or expression of separation anxiety. It is easier to start with a "place" bed as it is a visual cue to the dog that you want them to relax.
Learn how to create a relaxed dog by:
Joining a Group Class
Or checking out our online class: The Art of Relaxation
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