Tellington Touch is a technique created by Linda Tellington-Jones. It has shown to help improve behavior, enhance performance and health, and teach a dog to learn willingly. The idea behind TTouch is that it helps you connect with your pet even deeper and who wouldn’t want to do that.
Here’s a video of how TTouch is done.
Why you should try TTouch on your dog (more…)
Rewards
One of the biggest keys to success with positive reinforcement training is rewarding your dog properly. This means giving him something he loves at exactly the right moment. Your first task is to figure out what kind of reward will best motivate your dog.
How To Train Dogs & Food Treats
All dogs are unique individuals. Most dogs are motivated by food that tastes and smells good to them. Food treats can be very small, which is handy for keeping them in your pocket or a pouch to use during training—and important to maintaining your dog’s caloric intake to healthy levels. So that’s the form of reward we’ll be using throughout this training.
Be sure what you’re giving your dog is good for him. But don’t rely on the packing of store-bought treats to tell you “Your dog will love it!” Strong-smelling meat and cheese treats are usually winners, but many store-bought treats are made primarily of other ingredients. Your dog may not appreciate artificial colors, tastes or smells. Small morsels of cooked chicken are a popular home-made treat. But keep in mind that what motivates other dogs may not motivate yours. Experiment and find out what he loves to eat.
Silent-but-deadly... Oh no!
It’s a Friday night, you’re all curled up with your sweetheart on the couch, engrossed in the latest DVD new release, sharing a glass of wine, when out of nowhere… OH. MY. GOD. A certain SMELL hits your nostrils, blowing you off the couch, nearly spilling your wine, and thoroughly ruining the mood. You look down, where your four legged friend is obliviously snoring (and farting) away.
Sound familiar?
While some amount of gas is normal and a natural by-product of, well, being a carbon based organism that takes in food and converts it into usable energy, for some dogs, flatulence is more than a source of occasional comedic annoyance around the living room but more like a horrible room clearing, frequent problem.
A common problem for big, barrel-chested breeds like Boxers and Bulldogs, flatulence can afflict any breed and stem from a variety of problems.
Most commonly, post-dinner gas results from wolfing down food too quickly and swallowing significant amounts of air in the process. If you feel that the flatulence is getting too excessive, it’s best to check with your vet to ensure that an infection or illness isn’t at the root of your dog’s odoriferous emissions. Diarrhea, vomiting, and loss of appetite are usual accompaniments if there’s a serious problem.
If serious health problems have been ruled out, the gas is most likely due to a dietary issue including a potential allergy or sensitivity to an ingredient. Now it’s just a matter of trial and error: a good place to start is to change your dog’s food to a higher quality dog food that contains whole foods and no poor quality fillers like corn, split grains, or wheat. It’s also important to slow down your dog’s eating speed. Eating too fast can lead not only to bloating and intestinal gas, but also choking, obesity (since feelings of fullness aren’t triggered until too much food has already been eaten), and even the dangerous and even potentially fatal condition of gastric torsion.
Improve your dog’s mealtimes (and your indoor air quality) by:
We all take out stress one way or another... read on to prevent THIS from happening to you!
In a recent post, we wrote about the most commonly observed symptoms of stress in dogs, to which you might rightly be thinking: “Yeah… thanks for leaving me hanging. So now that I’ve identified that my dog is a bona fide stress-case, what do I do about it?!”
And right on cue, we’ve got a follow-up post to answer this very question, in order to address the more important issue here: how you can help soothe the anxiety in your little furry worrywart!
One thing that should help put your mind at ease when you consider your dog’s general mental state: Dogs are masters of living in the moment, so any scary or otherwise negative past experiences can be quickly forgotten, as long as you use consistent and calm training methods going forward.
Of course, if the stress is manifesting in fear-based aggression or other uncontrollable and scary behaviors, and/or there is a history of prior abuse or lack of socialization, it’s best to consult a veterinarian as well as a professional dog behaviorist to help with these more serious and deep rooted problems.
Problem: General, nonspecific anxiety and separation anxiety:
Solution: Ensuring that your dog gets regular exercise and mental stimulation can help with many different types of anxiety and fears. Try to stick to a consistent daily exercise routine, where your dog can expect one or two daily walks or runs at about the same time each day. Dogs are creatures of habit and also masters of time, so they’ll quickly come to anticipate their daily outing with you, which will help take their mind off of any separation anxiety or other concerns that may be on their mind. A great time to go for a walk is before you leave for work, as the exercise will help tire out your dog, both mentally and physically, and settle her down for a nice nap in your absence. Similarly, rewarding your return home with a walk, run, or play time is also something the dog will learn to associate with your absence, rather than a general, nonspecific sadness, loneliness, and anxiety in being separated from you. We’ve also learned through neuroscience research that exercise is a natural mood-booster, through raising serotonin levels in the brain: thus, a 30-60 minute daily or twice-daily walk will help to relieve stress levels for both of you!
Environmental enrichment is also important to keeping your dogs calm and happy. You might think your dog is perfectly content to lay around all day on your couch, but the truth is that dogs weren’t meant to be couch potatoes, and this sloth-like activity will end up creating anxiety and boredom in your dog, manifesting in behaviors you’d probably rather not witness. Feeding your dog through puzzle toys will amuse him, challenge his mental skills, and will also help with weight control by slowing their rate of eating. Water fountains are entertaining for both cats and dogs, especially those that turn their nose up at “stale” water in bowls! Finally fresh air and sunshine are good for everyone’s mood, cats, dogs, and humans alike. Make sure your dog gets enough “outside time” each day, and can also look out the window so it can observe the world going by.
Problem: Loud noises
Solution: Desensitization: Noise phobia can be traced to a specific initial bad experience of a startling noise or event, but more likely than not, the origination of the noise phobia is unknown. Where one dog cowers at every thunderclap, another dog might be able to sleep through an entire fireworks show. But gradual desensitization to the noise can help extinguish a stress response over time. For instance, dogs that get stressed by thunder storms can benefit from listening to recordings of thunder. In order to effectively desensitize the dog to the noise, first play the recording at a very low volume for brief periods while distracting the animal with a chew toy, puzzle game, or game of fetch while playing the recording. Watch for signs of stress and turn off the recording when you see any anxiety manifesting. Keep this up until the animal displays little to no response to the recording, and then gradually increase the volume, rewarding the dog with games and treats all while the recording is playing, until the dog no longer pays attention to the noise. With lots of practice, eventually the fear will disappear thanks to this well-documented behavior modification technique.
In addition, keep in mind that your own anxiety levels can influence your dog’s anxiety levels. If your dog senses that you’re upset by a novel noise or stimulus, he will think there is something to really be afraid of. Likewise, if he senses calm from you, he’ll be reassured that there’s nothing to fear.
Similarly, lots of owners try to comfort their fearful dogs by holding them, cooing to them and generally encouraging the behavior, even unwittingly. The dog interprets this kind of response as confirmation that there really is something to be afraid of, and also sees it as a positive reinforcement for their reaction.
Non-prescription calming products including natural herbal formulas that contain valerian and chamomile (Ultra-Calm® Bites) and the homeopathic Bach’s Flowers Rescue Remedy also work very well in some dogs. A new product on the market, Pheromone Plug-Ins, claims to release “Dog Appeasing Pheromones” into the air that reduces and prevents stress-related behaviors such as barking, whining, chewing, and soiling through “mimicking a new mother’s natural pheromones.” We haven’t tested it out, so can’t claim its effectiveness, but it’s on the market in case you want to try it!
Problem: New people, visitors, and children terrify my dog.
Solution: Consistent socialization and “desensitization to children practice”. Most dogs view any new people in their territory as intruders: unwelcome and possibly threatening, until proven otherwise. By the very nature of being children, with a boundless store of energy, rapid, unpredictable movement, loud noises, and small dog-like stature, children are typically the most threatening “people” to many dogs. Dogs that aren’t used to children or visitors may either act shy, go into hiding, bark incessantly, or even growl and become aggressive. The best way to deal with this is to socialize your dog to children and strangers. But don’t expect an overnight miracle. This takes consistent and persistent effort over a period of several weeks or even months.
Consider trying the following:
First, have one person come over that your dog knows and likes. Have this person come to your door, ring the doorbell, and give your dog a treat and quietly pet the dog. Then have several people the dog knows all come over at once, so he’ll get used to a group. (Consider throwing a party for your dog; i.e. only invite people over that your dog knows and likes, but may not necessarily have greeted all at one time in your home). If this works well, next time you throw your “get to know my dog” party, add one person that your dog doesn’t know, all the while praising him and giving him treats when he shows good behavior with guests. A third time, add a child to the mix, and eventually: more children until the dog is familiar and calm around any group, whether they are made up of adults and/or children.
Always supervise children with dogs. They can be unpredictable, which can unleash unpredictable behavior in your otherwise predictable dog.
Problem: Separation anxiety
Solution: Unfortunately, the solution for separation anxiety varies depending on the severity of the anxiety. A dog with separation anxiety becomes abnormally anxious when separated from his owner. Separation anxiety can manifest in behaviors that range from initial whining, pacing, salivation, barking, and howling, to the more destructive scratching, chewing, digging, or even urinating and defecating, to destroying personal items or household objects. For milder cases, try:
Problem: Vet-related anxiety or travel
Solution: Treats, a vet your dog likes, and Bach Flowers. Unfortunately, since going to the vet is such a rare occurrence (hopefully), it doesn’t really make sense to employ desensitizing techniques for the vet’s office. The best you can do is to try to find a veterinary office that is calm, quick, and gets you and your dog in and out with a minimum of waiting, and a maximum of kindness, calmness, and love. Many people do administer homeopathic stress-reduction extracts to their dog’s water or a few drops just under their tongue prior to a visit to the vet or a long journey that could be stressful for the dog. For truly stressful experiences, like a plane ride, consult with your vet on the best type of calming supplements and potentially anxiety-reducing medications to use.casino aussie
This little Frenchie looks totally anxiety-stricken about... something (can't get up on the table?)!
If your dogs are stressed out, at best, you’ll notice some behavioral clues that they’re feeling anxious and/or fearful, ranging from panting and excessive yawning, to its worst, acute diarrhea, vomiting, or even aggressive acts like lunging at other dogs or people. Because every dog is different, and every dog reacts differently to different kinds of stressors, it’s important to know your dog and what his “trigger-stressors” are, in order to help minimize or even prevent the stress from occurring. But the initial stress signals dogs give off are actually difficult for most people to recognize as indicators of anxiety.
Unfortunately, pet stressors lurk around every corner and what totally freaks out one dog doesn’t even cause another to raise an eyebrow. Pets can get stressed by things as small as unfamiliar noises and weather changes to larger stressors like absences, a disruption in routine, or a stranger in the home. Typically, though, these stresses can be soothed by a calm manner from you, a regular routine, and the assurance that all is well (or will be soon). But if not calmed, and if the stressor remains, or gets worse, the dog just gets more and more anxious, which can result in illness, sensitization to the stressor (meaning that the next time it’s encountered, it will take less of it or a lower threshold of it to cause upset), or fear-based aggression.
The following behaviors – exhibited through almost every visible body part, are obvious signs that your dog is feeling anxious. The more signals you observe occurring together, the more stressed your dog is. In addition, there is an escalating scale of behaviors that correspond to escalating anxiety/fear. We’ve grouped the most common stress responses by body part, and in escalating order of severity.
Eyes:
Blinking and squinting: Unlike cats, for whom deliberate eye blinking is a way of communicating their extreme pleasure with you, to you, dogs who deliberately blink and/or squint are signaling that they’re mildly stressed.
Turning away and avoiding eye contact: The dog is communicating: “I’m stressed out by this person/this dog/this environment and I would like to remove myself from the situation.” I see this in my dog whenever there’s a stranger in the house: he alternates between barking at the person, then immediately turning away, whenever the person tries to come closer or extend a hand in peaceful friendship. My dog wants none of it!
Staring: The universal sign of aggression in the animal kingdom, the pointed, unblinking stare is an invitation to fight, or for the other animal to back down and flee. If you observe two dogs staring each other down, an aggressive encounter is likely to occur.
Ears:
Low ear carriage: Most people don’t really pay attention to their dogs’ ears. But, with the exception of floppy-eared dogs, which are always carried low, if your dogs are carrying their ears at a lower level than normal, they are feeling some mild stress from something in their environment. You can have fun testing this one out the next time you notice your dogs’ ears lowering: scan the environment and remove the perceived stressor, or remove the dog from the environment and take note of the response: if you see ears raise, then you’ve protected your dog from stress and this will increase the trust and bond with your dog.
Mouth/Tongue:
Yawning: Yawning doesn’t often mean boredom or sleepiness, but is really the first level response to a mild stressor. The act of yawning itself is stress relieving and helps a dog release some of the anxiety that’s building up internally. When comparing different kinds of yawns, a yawn in an inappropriate environment or context (in public, at the vet’s office, around people, etc.) is likely due to stress as opposed to a relaxed and languorous yawn after just waking up. Stress-yawns also come with facial muscle tension, and also look exaggerated.
Lip-licking and Panting: If you see your dog’s tongue darting in and out of his mouth quickly (like a little lizard), and/or panting, this is a sign that your dog is experiencing stronger stress.
Drooling: Newfoundlands, Basset Hounds, and Saint Bernards aside, drooling can be an extreme sign of stress, for dogs that don’t typically drool. One of my dogs has ropes of drool streaming out behind him any time we take him to a new dog park. It’s clear that he’s conflicted: he is stressed out with the unfamiliar environment, but at the same time loves the opportunity to run off leash and potentially make new friends.
Breath and Vocalizing:
Coughing and/or Sneezing: Like yawning, blinking, and panting, coughing and sneezing are the body’s way of releasing pent-up stress or confusion in an unfamiliar situation.
Huffing and Puffing: Huffing, puffing, or (in our house) “chuffing” is when the dog rapidly exhales a small amount of air, that sounds like a cross between an exhale and a bark. It’s a form of stress relief, and can also be a precursor to escalating aggressive behaviors.
Holding Breath: It can be hard to notice if a dog is holding his or her breath, but when a dog does, it’s typically a warning sign to beware potential aggression. The dog is gearing up for a fight.
Barking/Growling: The most recognizable form of stress: though there are a wide variety of barks, each with its own specific message to communicate, they all indicate the need to relieve stress. You will probably recognize your dog’s individual barks and growls, each of which is associated with some “stressor” or another:
Learn more about the meaning of dog barks and test your ability to “speak dog” here!
Tail:
Slow tail wag: Contrary to the windshield-wiper like fast wagging tail of a happy dog, a slow tail wag is an indicator of lack of confidence and wariness.
Tail tucked between legs: This is a classic fear-signal, and in a dog, feeling fearful is an extreme form of stress that can lead to potentially dangerous situations like fear-biting.
Digestion/Elimination:
Urination/Marking: Just because a dog is male doesn’t mean he necessarily has to mark everything in sight. Typically, excessive marking is a way that male dogs alleviate their stress (even if the stress is as simple as: “There’s been another dog here! I want to let other dogs know I was the last one here! I own this fire hydrant!”).
Not eating/not taking treats. If your dog is typically food-motivated (and what dog isn’t?), not taking a treat, even if it’s their favorite kind, is a sign that something else in the environment is too distracting and worrisome for them. Think about the fight/flight response: if an animal is concerned about needing to either flee from a predator or defend their territory, eating is the LAST thing on its mind. Eating only happens when an animal is truly relaxed and comfortable in the environment.
Diarrhea: It’s very common for dogs and cats to have acute diarrhea when they are stressed out, typically due to an upset in their routine. Just about every time we go away and have to leave the dogs, they respond by having diarrhea, to the understandable chagrin of our pet-sitter.
Whole-Body:
Shaking Off (like the dog is shaking off water): Similar to yawning, panting, and drooling, shaking off is a dog’s body’s way of physically releasing any tension that’s building up inside. “Shake it off” is completely literal in this case!
Pacing: Do you have a Woody Allen-like dog? If so, he probably paces when he gets worried or anxious. A lot of dogs pace when they are anticipating their owners’ return after a long day home alone.
Shedding: Dogs and cats involuntarily shed much more when they are stressed out: it’s part of the body’s natural defense mechanism. This is why you typically return home from the vet entirely covered in fur!
Trembling: If your dog isn’t cold, trembling is a sign of extreme stress or fear. One of my dog trembles like a leaf if she’s been in the car more than about 30 minutes. I suspect she gets carsick. As soon as we stop the car and let her out for a bit, the trembling stops.
Spacing out or falling asleep: Again, similar to humans, if the anxiety is simply unbearable, some dogs will simply shut down, zone out, and fall asleep to avoid the stress. These dogs are much more comfortable in “flight” mode than “fight” mode. And sleep is typically a great cure for stress! It’s why my other dog goes right to sleep in the car after 30 minutes… I suspect it upsets him too, but he deals with it by zoning out and shutting down!
Not playing. Like eating, playing only happens when the animal feels totally comfortable, happy, and relaxed. The first time I ever took my dogs to a dog park, they acted completely different from the way they act now when they just hear the words “Dog Park!” The first time they were exposed to that new environment, populated with more dogs than they’d ever seen before, they ran in, tucked their tails any time another dog tried to sniff them, ran away from other dogs, panted and drooled profusely, and yawned a lot. All major signs of stress, which were alleviated when we moved into the shy/small dog area as a slow introduction to the bigger dog park world. For more on introducing your dogs to a dog park, see our related post on dog park etiquette!
Stiffness and Raised Hair/Hackles: Typically exhibited as a warning sign to “back off!,” a dog that’s standing stock still and also staring intently, with its hair bristling is a sure sign that the dog is not happy with its situation and wants the offending dog/animal/person to back away and leave him alone!
Lunging: The last “warning sign” that the dog is feeling threatened and stressed out, before true damage is done through an all-out attack or bite. Hopefully, you’ll have identified, and removed, the stressor to your dog long before he gets to this level of upset.casino aussie
