Imagine having a way to trigger your dog to relax. Consider the benefits and applications in everyday life like vet visits, the groomers or travel. It’s not hypnosis. It’s a protocol involving conditioning, capturing and shaping your dog’s behavior to create calm in key moments. The ability to cue relaxation is valuable for ALL dogs, not just those who are hyper or anxious. In fact, we all have personal relaxation protocols, and in this episode, I’m sharing what I frequently use for myself and my dogs to settle down.
00:00 How to settle a stressed, anxious or hyper dog. 01:04 Mistakes we make when calming frantic dogs. 02:13 When and where to teach my protocol for relaxation. 02:56 Examples of triggers that induce a calm state. 03:47 The benefits of teaching dogs to relax anywhere. 06:08 Body language and breathing tips when helping a dog calm down. 07:56 The 7 things that influence a dog’s behavior. 08:53 Use release words that don’t excite your dog. 09:57 Select relaxation triggers you can use anywhere. 10:52 Teach your dog ItsYerChoice first. 11:52 Step 1: Positively condition the calming trigger object. 13:19 Step 2: Capture the dog relaxing in their “chill zone.” 14:27 Step 3: Shape relaxation intentionally during training. 16:27 When to add a calming cue. 17:24 How to assess a dog’s state of relaxation. 18:14 Add duration to the “chill zone” with a remote feeder.
In the episode you'll hear: • Why every dog should have a protocol for relaxation regardless of temperament. • About common triggers for relaxation and ones I use for my dogs. • How to help anxious or over aroused dogs with intentional calming mannerisms. • My breathing technique for triggering the parasympathetic nervous system to counter stress. • How to induce a calm state for dogs step-by-step. • Why we play ItsYerChoice to help dogs relax. • How to positively condition your dog’s relaxation trigger. • My capturing technique and tips when dogs are in their “chill zones”. • When to begin shaping and adding a calm release word. • How to assess your dog’s emotional state with TEMP and an app. • About using a remote feeder to add duration to the chill zone.
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Dogs That is brought to you by Susan Garrett and the Say Yes Dog Training Team.
Susan Garrett’s interest in animal behaviour started at the University of Guelph where she earned a Bachelor of Science majoring in Animal Science. Since then she has developed into a preeminent dog trainer and canine sports instructor and competitor. Susan is one of the most successful agility competitors of the last three decades. She has won multiple Gold Medals at National or World Championship events with every dog she has ever owned over the past 30 years.
