Get Your Dog To Calm Down With This Common Sense Protocol For Relaxation #191
Shaped by Dog with Susan Garrett
DogsThat
4.8 • 679 Ratings
🗓️ 25 January 2023
⏱️ 20 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Visit us at shapedbydog.com
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.
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.
ItsYerChoice Summit
Learn how to play ItsYerChoice:
https://recallers.com/iycsummit-join/
Resources
1. Podcast Episode 86: How to Train Unmotivated or Overexcited Dogs - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/86/
2. Podcast Episode 107: Pedicure Please: 3 Steps To Dog Nail Trimming Or Grooming Success At Home! - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/107/
3. Dirty Dog Doormats - https://dgspetproducts.com/products/dirty-dog-doormats
4. Podcast Episode 136: Help Your Excited Dog Calm Down And Stop Barking, Lunging, Spinning, Nipping - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/136/
5. Podcast Episode 189: All The Things That Influence Your Dog’s Behavior And What Behavior Tells You - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/189/
6. Podcast Episode 171: Dog Training With Layered Shaping: Why Classical Conditioning Must Come First - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/171/
7. Podcast Episode 151: How Location Specific Reinforcement Markers Will Improve Your Dog Training! - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/151/
8. Podcast Episode 180: Taking Your Puppy To A Café Or Restaurant: Socialization Success - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/180/
9. Podcast Episode 4: T.E.M.P. (Tail, Eyes/Ears, Mouth, Posture) - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/4/
10. Cardalis App - iOS - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/cardalis/id569166179
11. Cardalis App - Android - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ceva.cardalisv2&hl=en_AU&gl=US&pli=1
12. *PetSafe Treat and Train Remote Reward Dog Trainer - https://geni.us/treat-train
13. *PETGEEK IQ Training Treat Dispenser - https://geni.us/petgeek-dispenser
14. Podcast Episode 190: Using Daily Quickies To Fast Track Your Dog Training And Grow Your Dog's Skills - https://dogsthat.com/podcast/190/
15. Watch this Episode of Shaped by Dog on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRmLd4k5qGk&feature=youtu.be
*Amazon Links Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Susan only recommends products she uses herself, and all opinions expressed here are her own. The link above is an affiliate link that, at no additional cost to you, we may earn a small commission if you decide to buy from it. Thank you!
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Imagine if you had a way to trigger your dog to just relax. |
| 0:05.1 | Can you see that as a benefit for you? |
| 0:07.3 | Can you see applications for that? |
| 0:09.3 | You might think, well, that would be great for dogs who are frantic or crazy or maybe |
| 0:12.8 | dogs are anxious, but I don't see a value for my dog. |
| 0:16.0 | Well, stick with me today because I'm going to share with you how I think you have one personally. So, |
| 0:22.7 | that's why I think your dog should have one too. |
| 0:24.8 | Okay. Hi, I'm Susan Garrett. Welcome to Shape by Dog. And today, it's all about the relaxation |
| 0:40.2 | protocol. It's a protocol that involves conditioning, capturing, and shaping your dog's behavior |
| 0:46.5 | to create the ability to get your dog to relax at key moments. And it's not like we are hypnotizing your dog, but I said |
| 0:56.6 | at the top, you have that ability and let me share with you why I think that is and how I use |
| 1:02.7 | it on myself quite frequently. The problem with trying to teach a dog relaxation is that people |
| 1:09.1 | teach it from the wrong state. They take a dog who's hyper |
| 1:13.9 | and they try to teach it to relax in that hyper state. Saddle, sad, all, sad all. Or they take a dog |
| 1:21.1 | who's anxious and they try to get them to be calmer by, that's okay, calm down. that's okay, you're doing fine. Now, I like to think |
| 1:30.6 | that those of you listening to this podcast are pretty logical and reasonable people. So, |
| 1:35.2 | does it make more sense to you to do what most people try to do? Take a dog who is already |
| 1:42.6 | stressing high or stressing low, already releasing stress hormones |
| 1:46.7 | into their body and try then to teach the dog to learn to be calm. Or does it make more sense |
| 1:54.9 | to teach a dog a calm behavior, a relaxation protocol when they're already pretty relaxed in the comfort of their |
| 2:04.5 | own home, when they're not stressed at all. Because that's exactly how you and I get triggered |
| 2:10.8 | to relax at night in her own bed. And the best approach is to teach relaxation and bomb-proof the relaxation. So, no matter what you're |
... |
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