Promoting calm

Those who read this blog will know I always talk about promoting calm in our dogs, especially in multi dog households.

Why?

It avoids potential problems arising because when dogs arousal levels are high, they are more likely to tip over into a disagreement!

Think of arousal levels as a bucket that is repeatedly topped up with water with every excited interaction.  Eventually that bucket will overflow!  If we keep the level in the bucket as low as possible we can avoid that happening.

We promote calming activities, particularly ones that involve scent and seeking.

You may remember we introduced a new dog to the household two years ago. 

We have avoided getting the dogs excited and distract/interrupt any over aroused play in the house by calling them to us.  By taking the time to allow both dogs to learn about each other, be calm around each other they have become comfortable and confident together.

We are only now letting them play chase games in the garden together for short periods.

A calming session of sprinkles afterwards to help them calm and self regulate.

People often ask how long will an unwanted behaviour take to change. My answer is always that it depends on the individual dog. Two years may seem like a very long time but every dog is an individual and it is important to consider their emotional states.

Every dog has individual needs and will adjust at different rates. Freya is a very nervous dog with people but very full on with other dogs, especially outside.  Jack is nervous with other dogs, particularly outside and has experienced a lot of changes and lost three of his best dog friends through illness/old age.

It is much better to set dogs up to succeed and take the time needed rather than have to solve problems later!