Stay, Part 1: Foundation

Staying in place, on cue, is a core part of manners training for dogs. It’s the way that we can tell our dog to patiently wait while we tie our shoes during a walk, wait for a light to cross the street, stand aside for other people to walk by, look through products at the pet store, get stuff in and out of the car, hide treats or toys for the dog to find, and of course, to take posed photos!

Before starting stay training

You need to consider these things:

  • Do you care whether your dog holds a sit versus a down? In other words, if you start your dog in a sit, and partway through he lies down to be more comfortable, will that be okay?

    • If you are planning to do advanced training with your dog, like fancy tricks or sports, it will be important to teach your dog to literally stay still.

    • If you just want your dog to remain in one spot, you may not care whether he’s sitting or lying down, as long as he’s not wandering around.

  • Don’t confuse stay versus wait. Stay means “don’t move from that spot” or literally “don’t move at all.” Wait means “don’t go through this door” or “don’t rush ahead.” See example video below.

 

Step One: Can your dog hold still at all?

If you have a wiggly puppy, or a dog who is very excited about food, you may have to introduce the concept of “stillness” before you start real stay training!

Start with practicing the “Slow Treats” Game, for one treat at a time.

Then add staying still for longer:

  1. Hold several small, non-crumbly treats in one hand.

  2. Cue your dog to sit (or lie down).

  3. Immediately feed him several treats rapid fire - so quickly that he doesn’t even have time to get up.

    • If he does get up before you finish the treats, simply start over from the top.

  4. Repeat until he is not wiggling or jumping as you give him the rapid fire treats.


Step Two: Adding start and stop cues

Now that your dog is able to hold still for several seconds, we’ll name the behavior.

  1. Hold several small, non-crumbly treats in one hand.

  2. Cue your dog to sit (or lie down).

  3. Say “stay” and then hold out a hand, palm out, in a “stop” signal.

  4. Feed your dog several treats, one after the other, until you only have 1 treat left.

  5. Say “free” and then wave your hand in a “come over here” gesture.

  6. Give your dog the last treat in your hand.

    • If your dog doesn’t get up when you say “free” and then wave your hand, then give him more encouragement, like calling his name in a happy voice or making “kissy” noises.

[example video to come!]


Repeat the steps above until your dog is reliably holding still after you say “stay” AND getting up when you say “free.”

  • If your dog is having trouble holding still, spend more time giving treats as he’s not moving.

  • If your dog hesitates to get up, give fewer treats for holding still and emphasize “free.”


Step Three: Adding duration

Now you will teach your dog to wait longer in between treats. You will still be using the same overall format as above:

  1. Hold several small, non-crumbly treats in one hand.

  2. Cue your dog to sit (or lie down).

  3. Say “stay” and then hold out a hand, palm out, in a “stop” signal.

  4. Pause for 1 second, then reward if your dog stayed still.

  5. Pause for 2 seconds, then reward if your dog stayed still.

  6. Reward your dog for staying still for 1-5 seconds - switch it up so he doesn’t know what to expect. (For example, 2 seconds, 3 seconds, 1 second, 4 seconds, 2 seconds, 5 seconds, 2 seconds.)

    • If at any point your dog gets up, simply restart the exercise.

  7. When you’re down to your last treat, say “free,” then wave your hand in a “come over here” gesture.

  8. Give your dog the last treat in your hand.

[example video to come!]

During this training, you should be standing calmly next to your dog - don’t try to walk around until your dog can stay still for at least 5 seconds.

 
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Reducing Jumping: The Slow Treats Game

If your dog gets so excited about treats that he jumps up to grab them, you need the Slow Treats Game!

You can play this with your dog sitting or lying down, or just standing with “four on the floor.”

  1. Slowly lower the treat toward your dog.

  2. If he keeps “four on the floor” the whole time the treat is coming toward him, then you can let him take it from your hand.

  3. If he jumps up at any point, immediately lift the treat farther away. Resume slowly lowering it when he has four paws on the floor.

You can use this game any time you are handing your dog a treat, even while working on something else (like a stay or heel). You can also use it when handing your dog a toy or chew or their food bowl.

 

If your dog does well with this but then snatches the treat too roughly, here are some extra tips:

  • Feed the treats lower down, so that he lowers his head to eat them rather than reaching up. This makes nipping much less likely.

  • Hold your hand open flat, with the treat on your palm, so that your fingers are out of the way, OR

  • Hold the treat firmly between your thumb and other fingers. If you feel your dog’s teeth, don’t let the treat go! Hold your hand still and wait for him to soften up, using his lips or tongue. Praise and release the treat then, to reward your dog for being gentle.

 
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Guide to Harnesses

Harnesses are considered to be safer for walking dogs who pull on the leash, as they reduce the pressure on the throat. This is particularly important for smaller dogs (who are more fragile), puppies, and dogs who pull hard enough to cough and wheeze. There are many styles of harnesses on the market - here is a guide with lots of examples.

TIP: Make sure to measure your dog before purchasing a harness, so that you know which size to get. Measure the circumference around your dog’s rib cage with a tape measure, or with string that you then compare to a ruler.

 

Traditional or “back clip” harnesses

With these, you attach the leash over the dog’s back, and they spread the pressure from a tight leash across the dog’s chest. This reduces potential injury and makes it more comfortable for the dog when he pulls. For this reason, you may hear that harnesses “encourage” pulling. That’s not actually true - you can still implement leash walking training to teach your dog to walk nicely.

You can divide “back clip” harnesses into three types, depending on how they are placed onto the dog’s body.

 

Front clip or “no pull” harnesses

With these harnesses, you attach the leash in front of the dog’s sternum*, which turns the dog toward the side when he pulls. This gives the walker a mechanical advantage when slowing the dog down or turning to the side. Therefore, it is easier to keep control over the dog and implement leash walking training.

*Some people like to use a double-ended leash and attach it both the back and the front of a no pull harness, as they feel that this gives them even more control.

I do not recommend the following “no pull” harnesses:

 

Consider your needs (does your dog pull enough to require a front clip harness, or will a back clip be fine?) and your dog’s preferences (does he mind something going over his head or having his legs lifted up?), and don’t forget to measure your dog before you purchase.

If you find that your dog is still reluctant to put on a harness, read here about training him to be comfortable and cooperative. [Link to come!]

 
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Relaxation Exercises

Some dogs have trouble inhibiting their excitement and have to literally be taught how to relax. Here are three techniques to help achieve this goal. However, keep in mind that none of these will work unless you address your dog’s baseline needs before training. Also, some dogs that experience extreme anxiety or arousal may need behavioral medication to be able to truly relax.

 

Karen Overall’s Protocol for Relaxation

This is the most well known relaxation exercise. It was published by Dr Overall in Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Small Animals, in 1997. It is a highly structured program, with the dog staying still as you perform various actions - starting with easy things like counting to 3 or taking one step backwards, and progressing toward going to the front door, knocking, and pretending to invite someone in. In the original the dog is in a sitting position, however I almost always teach it with the dog lying down, usually on a bed or mat.

The Protocol is divided into "days" but it is not expected that you will progress day by day as listed. Some dogs have trouble with a particular task and need to repeat it many times before they are able to relax while you do it. Other parts may come easily to him and you will be able to perform it once and move on. Each "day" is structured to include easier "warm up" and "cool down" tasks at the beginning and end. If you want to shorten the day's work, remove some of the tasks from the middle.

You want your dog to not just stay while you perform each task, but to be able to relax while you do increasingly exciting things. Watch your dog's body language. If he is calm, you will see his tail lowered and still or moving slowly. His ears may be perked and he will be watching you but his face should not be tense. He may choose to put his head down on the floor or roll his hips sideways or lie on his side -- these are all signs of relaxation. You may praise, pet, and/or treat him and move on to the next item. If you see your dog becoming less relaxed -- tense face, head lifting up high, tail straight up and stiff or wagging quickly, tensing his body as if he might get up -- either repeat the item you're on until your dog relaxes again, or even back up to a previous item he did well on. You may use your dog's name and the word "stay" to remind him of his task. You may praise him as he stays if he needs the encouragement.

You can read through the full protocol description by Dr Overall and the 15 Days of tasks here. (Days start on page 7.)

There are free downloadable audio files (as mp3s) of the protocol here.

Here is a playlist of the audio version as videos on YouTube.

Here are demonstration videos of dogs doing the Protocol for Relaxation:

 

Suzanne Clothier’s Really Real Relaxation

This technique is newer and the full protocol is only available after purchase of the DVD, streaming video, or course. In deference to this, I will not put out the full information here. Like Dr Overall’s Protocol for Relaxation, the RRR teaches the dog to hold a position (specifically down, in this case), but now the owner is also still and relaxing, as a cue to the dog. At first it’s very short, and builds duration over time.

Here are demonstration videos of dogs doing Really Real Relaxation:

 

Emily Larlham’s Calm Settle/Capturing Calmness

This is the least structured (and easiest!) approach to reinforcing relaxation. You simply reward your dog as you see that he’s settling on his own, and go about your day. The more you reinforce this behavior, the more your dog will do it.

Simply walk up to your dog when you see him relaxing, and calmly place a treat on the floor right between his front paws. Or sit nearby, wait for your dog to lie down or show other signs of relaxation, and place a treat between his front paws.

Usually we talk about using high value treats during training, but this time you want something that won’t get your dog super excited. If your dog gets excited anyway, that’s okay. Simply go about your day, ignoring your dog, until he learns that getting up and following you won’t lead to anything good - but continuing to relax will!

This is easiest to do if you have treats stashed around your house, in places that you can easily (and quietly) reach but your dog can’t.

Here is a full video explanation:

Here is an older video from Emily with more footage of dogs just learning to settle:

 
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Leash Walking: Circle Walking

Circle walking is a way to redirect your dog’s focus and movement when they get to the end of the leash, while avoiding the annoyance of coming to a full stop. I generally recommend this for:

  • Dogs who ramp up in frustration and arousal when they want to get somewhere and are stopped.

  • Dogs who are not interested in treats.

  • Dogs who move too quickly, and are constantly “ping-ponging” between heel position and the end of the leash.

  • Dogs who need to move their bodies to calm down when excited.

  • Owners who get frustrated by having all the starting and stopping of some other techniques.

 

Video tutorials

 

Main takeaways

  • Just as with other techniques, you must not walk forward while the leash is tight, which would reinforce the pulling.

  • You are not yanking or dragging your dog to turn, but rather using just enough steady pressure to the side that he does so.

  • Don’t stand in one spot and pivot; walk in a small circle with your dog.

  • Let your dog have a longer leash so that he moves his body more. Don’t pull him in close and slingshot him around your body - that’s not calming!

  • If you do a full circle but your dog still speeds up to rush ahead, simply continue doing your circles until he calms and slows down and moves with you.

  • If your dog is interested in treats, combine circle walking with rewarding relaxed heeling at your side.

 
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Heel, Part 2: Adding Difficulty

After working through Part 1, your dog understands how to line up at your side, take a step forward with you, and stop when you stop. Now that you have this foundation in place, you can add more steps, and teach him to stay with you around distractions.

 

Increasing steps/Decreasing rewards

This should still be done in your home or back yard, so that it is easy for your dog to focus.

  1. Get your dog into heel position with your hand signal and/or verbal cue.

  2. Take 2-3 steps forward instead of just 1. (Encourage your dog to keep going forward if needed, with a kissy noise or by wiggling your fingers.)

  3. Reward your dog as he’s moving with you or catching up with you.

  4. Take another 2-3 steps forward, and reward.

  5. Start changing things up. Sometimes you take a few steps forward, and sometimes you stop and reward your dog for staying at your side and waiting.

  6. Over time, increase the number of steps you take, but keep it unpredictable. (For example, 3 steps, 4 steps, stop for 5 seconds, 3 steps, stop for 2 seconds, 5 steps, 6 steps, 2 steps, stop for 5 seconds.)

 

Adding distractions

Your dog will learn best if you practice around controlled distractions in your home or back yard before you try heeling in public. Controlled distractions are ones that you purposefully create for your dog’s training session, and you can make them easier or harder as needed.

Examples of controlled distractions are:

  • Toys, treats, chews, or other interesting objects set out on the ground.

  • Another person walking around, either calmly (easier) or doing interesting things like tossing a ball and catching it (harder).

  • Another person running around or being silly. The more exciting or unexpected their movement, the harder it is for your dog to focus on you.

  • Another pet walking around the area (easier) or playing or getting treats from a family member (harder).

  • A remote controlled car or robot toy moving or making noises. (Note: You shouldn’t use anything that your dog is nervous/afraid of as a distraction - only things that are interesting or exciting. If your dog is nervous, use desensitization and counter-conditioning to help him feel calm and confident around that object.)

Your goal is that your dog is able to notice the distraction, then refocus on you and continue heeling.

  1. Initially you can reward your dog as soon as he notices the distraction. Make a connection between “something is happening in the environment” and “my person gives me yummy treats.” Repeat several times.

  2. Then let your dog notice the distraction, and wait for him to look back at you on his own, because he is expecting a treat. Reward when he refocuses. This is the Engage-Disengage Game in action. Repeat until your dog is quick to look back at you after glancing at the distraction.

  3. At this point, you can stop rewarding your dog for glancing at the distraction, and only reward him if he stays focused on you.

 

Troubleshooting

  • If your dog leaves your side to investigate the distraction, immediately call him back, and reward him for returning to you. Then make the distraction easier, until he’s mastered it (step 3 above).

  • If at any point your dog is unable to refocus on you, that means that your distraction is too hard. Make it easier.

  • You can make the distractions easier by:

    • Increasing your distance from them

    • Having them move less

    • Having them make less noise

The more you practice with a variety of controlled distractions, letting your dog master each one, the better prepared he will be to heel with you out in public.

Graphic that describes the three steps for adding distractions and troubleshooting.
 
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Dog Body Language

Dogs primarily communicate through body language, and vocalization is secondary. Learning how to “read” your dog’s body language will greatly improve your understanding of his emotions, and therefore allow you to be a better caretaker and better trainer. I have consolidated many resources on this topic below.

 
 
 

Articles

Can dogs really look 'guilty'?

Dog owners have often claimed they can read the expressions of their pets - particularly that tell-tale look when they have done something wrong. But researchers at a New York college tricked owners into thinking innocent pets had misbehaved - with the owners still claiming to see this guilty look. The study found that the expression had no relation to the dogs' behaviour. And researchers found that pet owners' belief that they could read their dogs' "body language" was often entirely unfounded.

Docked Tails Play a Role in Dog Communication

It appears that the longer tails were most effective at conveying emotional information, and since short tails are hard to read, they might not be read at all. For Herman, the implications are obvious. “When you dock tails, it takes away part of their communication signal — essentially the dog version of botox. Ear cropping falls in the same category. Dobermans with cropped ears ostensibly look alert to other dogs. They can’t be read [accurately] because they can’t change.” It’s difficult to derive cues and information from cropped ears. If anything, their constantly alert position could mislead other dogs.

E’Lise Christensen, a board-certified veterinary behaviorist in New York City, agrees, “I think cosmetic alteration could affect communication with other dogs. It certainly [has an impact on] assessments by owners, because they forget to look at the stump of the tail for movement and tension. Ears that are too cropped mean owners have to look for muscular movement at the skull level rather than the pinna, the outer part of the ear, where we customarily look. Flat faces make it more difficult to read small muscular movements.”

Herman suggests that taking note of a dog’s morphology can give pet parents a better appreciation for their dog. “It’s hard for other dogs to see that a Chow is really stiff, simply because they are [engulfed] in a ball of hair. It can be helpful for dog parents to recognize that what dogs have or do not have at their disposal could add confusion to dog-dog communication. This appreciation could help people empathize with their dog, instead of blaming their dog or feeling angry for the dog’s behavior.”

 
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Leash Walking: The Basics

Everyone wants their dog to walk nicely on leash - not pulling, staying by your side, and stopping when you stop. They may not realize that this is one of the hardest things we expect our dogs to do. It’s completely unnatural for dogs to:

  • Walk much more slowly than their natural pace when exploring - a quick trot.

  • Come to a sudden and inexplicable stop at seemingly random times - curbs/street crossings are not obvious to dogs.

  • Ignore most of the awesome smells around them - the main way dogs take in information.

  • Primarily walk in straight, boring lines - going right past interesting bushes and puddles and holes in the ground.

  • Not chase after small animals like squirrels, chipmunks, cats, and birds - most dogs have this predatory instinct, or at least curiosity.

  • Accept the idea that they are not allowed to greet their own kind naturally - as the leash restricts their movements, even when they are allowed to say hello.

It’s really a lot to ask of them! This is why it’s normal to spend a long time teaching your dog to walk well on leash.

It’s also normal for your dog’s skills to regress if:

  • you don’t walk him regularly

  • he’s extra full of energy that day

  • there are more distractions than usual

  • you take him to a new place

  • some family members let the dog pull on the leash instead of participating in training

 

How you can help your dog succeed with polite leash walking

Here are tips to improve your walks, before you even get to training:

  • Give your dog exercise at home before the walk, such as playing fetch or flirt pole.

  • Drive to a park, but let your dog run off leash or on a long line to tire him out and let him get used to the area. Then put on your leash and practice walking together.

  • Practice in the back yard first, then head out after your dog is warmed up.

  • If you are using treats, make sure to bring a lot, and have them in a treat pouch or other place you can quickly and easily pull them out. Do not bring plastic bags, as they close up and slow you way down.

  • Use high value treats so that you can better compete against the excitement of the environment.

  • Measure your walk by time passed, not distance. When you are implementing training, you may end up stopping a lot or doubling back over areas you’ve already walked. You may not get as far from the house, but your dog will still be getting physical and mental exercise.

  • Don’t multi-task. This isn’t the time to scroll on the phone, have the kids bike alongside you, or let your mind wander. You must be focused so that you can respond quickly and appropriately to your dog.

  • If you have multiple dogs, walk them one at a time. It is extremely difficult to train walking with more than one dog at the same time, since you will need to be changing your speed and direction depending on what the dog is doing moment by moment.

 

The right equipment

This also makes a huge difference in your ability to train your dog safely and effectively.

  • Use a 4-6’ foot leash, not a retractable leash. See here for links to specialty leashes. Retractable leashes do not give you enough control, do not set clear criteria for the dog, and encourage pulling (because the dog gets where he wants to go by pulling, which is the exact opposite of what we want).

  • If your dog pulls hard enough to choke himself on a collar - or proactively to protect his throat - use a harness.

    • Traditional harnesses, with the leash clipping over the dog’s back, are fine for small dogs and large dogs who don’t pull. If your dog does pull, they’re not a good choice, as they allow the dog to dig in and pull you comfortably, like a sled dog!

    • “No pull” or “front clip” harnesses, with the leash clipping in front of the dog’s chest, are a much better choice for medium and larger dogs who pull.

  • If your dog is very large or strong, and you have a difficult time controlling him even with a properly-fitted no pull harness, I recommend using a head halter. Note that most dogs hate head halters if they are introduced to them without desensitization. Do not just put one on and go.

  • I do not recommend the use of prong collars and especially not choke chains or slip leads. These tools are intended to work by intentionally causing pain to your dog. While this may decrease pulling, it can lead to increased fear, reactivity, and aggression. (AVSAB Position Statement on Humane Dog Training, Dog Training Science Resources) Choke chains and slip leads can be especially harmful due to tightening without limit on the dog’s throat.

You may be thinking, “Won’t my dog learn not to pull against his collar because he’s choking himself?” And sadly, the answer is no. For many, many dogs, their excitement and arousal, combined with how unnatural it is to walk slowly at our sides, means that they don’t slow down to prevent themselves from choking. I have seen dogs not just choke and gag, but have their tongues turn blue and vomit due to their insistent pulling on collars. Pressure against the throat can damage the trachea, esophagus, lymph nodes, thyroid glands, veins and arteries, and neck muscles. It is known to increase intraocular pressure, thus can damage your dog’s eyeballs. It is critical to protect our dogs when it comes to collar pressure.

 

Training techniques

Polite leash walking is one of those things that can be taught several different ways. You may need to experiment to find the right combination for you and your dog. The thing that all of these techniques will have in common is:

  • Rewarding your dog when he is walking nicely at your side.

  • Preventing your dog from successfully pulling you on a tight leash.

I switch between specific techniques depending on the training history and temperament of the dog, and the skill level and temperament of the owner. I will send you separate articles on the techniques I recommend for you and your dog.

 
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Heel, Part 1: Foundation

Heeling is the foundation of teaching polite leash walking and extended focus while out in public. It means that your dog is walking right by your side, keeping pace with you, turning and stopping when you do. It is beautiful to watch a fully focused dog moving with their person as if in a dance.

Traditionally, heeling is taught with the dog on the owner's left side, which leaves their right hand (probably the dominant one) to fire a hunting rifle, throw an item for the dog to retrieve, or get on a horse. You are free to choose whether you want your own dog to heel on your left or right side. You can even teach both and use them each as needed.

You should do all of this foundation training in your home or yard, rather than trying to get your dog to focus and learn something brand new during walks.

 

Getting into heel position

We'll start by teaching our dog how to get into “heel position” at your side I will assume that the dog is on your left for these explanations - use your right hand and do everything as in a mirror image if you want him on your right.

  1. Start with your dog in front of you. Hold a treat in your left hand.

  2. Entice your dog to follow your left hand as you swing it back, as if you’re reaching for something behind you. (If you have a large dog, you may need to step back with your left leg so your hand can reach far enough.)

  3. When your dog has followed your hand far enough that his butt is by your left leg, move your hand in a “u” shape so that he turns 180 degrees. (Make sure that you are making the “u” counter-clockwise, so your dog is turning toward you to make the turn.) He should end up at your left side, facing the same direction as you.

  4. Let your dog eat the treat in your hand.

  5. Repeat steps 1-4 until you can smoothly and quickly move your dog from in front of you to next to your left side, facing forward.

  6. Now practice steps 1-4 with an empty hand – no treat to lure the dog. Once he is in heel position, you'll get a treat from your pocket/treat pouch and hand it to him with your left hand.

[Example videos to come!]

 

Adding “start” and “stop” cues

Some dogs will easily learn how to line up at your side, but then they wander off after they get their treat. Here we’re teaching them to start heeling when they hear “heel,” and that they’re done when they hear “free.”

  1. Start with your dog in front of you. Have several treats ready in your pocket/treat pouch or your right hand.

  2. Say “heel.”

  3. Use your (empty) left hand to cue him to come into heel position at your left side.

  4. Reward your dog.

  5. Pause for 1 second, then reward again if your dog stayed next to you in heel position.

  6. Pause for 2 seconds, then reward again if your dog stayed next to you in heel position.

  7. Reward your dog for staying next to you for 1-5 seconds - switch it up so he doesn’t know what to expect. (For example, 2 seconds, 3 seconds, 1 second, 4 seconds, 2 seconds, 5 seconds, 2 seconds.)

    1. If at any point your dog wanders off, simply call him back and start again.

  8. When you’re down to your last treat, say “free!”

  9. Then step away from your dog so that you two are no longer lined up, and give him the last treat. Take a break to play or cuddle.

[Example videos to come!]

 

Adding steps

Once your dog is reliably getting into heel position and waiting at your side until you say “free,” it’s time to get moving!

  1. Start with your dog in heel position.

  2. Take one big step forward.

  3. Reward your dog as he steps forward with you. Make sure to hand him the treat with your left hand if he is on your left side, or your right hand if he is on your right side.

  4. If your dog didn't step forward, encourage him to do so by patting your side, wiggling your fingers, or making a “kissy” noise. Your hand should be empty – no luring.

  5. Don’t immediately take another step - instead, go back to rewarding your dog for just staying by your side and waiting patiently for 1-5 seconds at a time.

  6. Repeat steps 1-5 until your dog smoothly steps forward with you every time, and he stays waiting by your side when you are stopped.

What’s the reason for rewarding your dog so much for just standing next to you? It’s easy to get your dog to go forward - most of our dogs need a lot more practice slowing and stopping to keep pace with us slow humans! We want to instill a strong foundation in watching your movement and sticking to your side like glue instead of rushing forward.

[Example videos to come!]

 
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Behavioral Medication

I sometimes work with clients whose dogs are extremely fearful or anxious, and recommend that they discuss anxiolytic meds with their vet. Here are two articles on the topic that already say exactly what I want to convey:

Behavior Medication: First-Line Therapy or Last Resort? by Jen Summerfield, DVM, CPDT-KA

Behavioral Medication In Training by Kate LaSala, CTC, CBCC-KA, PCBC-A, CSAT, FFCP-E

Here is an article (PDF) that describes a case study, and gives information on various medications, dosages, and potential side effects to watch out for. This was written by Ilana Reisner, DVM, PhD, Diplomate ACVB and published in the journal Today’s Veterinary Practice.

 

You may find it beneficial to work with a veterinary behaviorist in conjunction with your primary vet. (This would be like you going to see a specialist because your GP can’t be an expert in every topic.) The UC Davis vet hospital has two certified behaviorists on staff. More information on working with them can be found here.

 
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