Previously, I wrote about the importance of decompression, what stress looks like, and the first training steps for your new dog. In addition to all that, there are a few more things you can do to help your new dog succeed.
A Sense of Control - let your dog make decisions
Try to give your dog a sense of control, as much as you can, in a safe way. The more you can give your dog choices in what THEY want to do, the less stressed they will be. Options can be simple like where they want to lay, who they want (and when they want) to interact with, etc... Small choices can go a long way in giving your dog a sense of control. Provide them with choices, but don't overwhelm them with options.
Dogs Want to do Dog things - no surprise there...
Dogs want to do dog things. It's really that simple.
Sniffing, chewing, shredding, and licking... have all been shown to lower dogs stress levels. Puzzle toys, kongs, and short quiet sniff walks are great early options to let them "do dog things". Of course, like I mentioned in my post about decompression, there is such a thing as too much of this. Excessive licking and destructive behavior can be signs of stress as well (after all, they are doing it to lower stress). Provide opportunities, but keep an eye out for anything too excessive or out of context.
Supplemental Aids - additional tools to help your dog succeed
There are now lots of additional tools available to help your dog succeed. The most common ones I've seen are DAP (dog appeasing pheromone), Rescue Remedy, and Thunder Shirts. There's a lot of other options out there too. Note that these can vary wildly in their effectiveness. Depending on the dog, they may be an absolute game changer, or do nothing at all.
If nothing seems to be working and your dog is struggling, you can chat with your vet as well. There are lots of behavioral medications on the market IF they're warranted. Ideally, you should speak with a veterinary behaviorist first if possible, and make sure to talk to a professional trainer to rule other other possible options.
Be Flexible - Know when to try a different approach
Sometimes the best laid plans aren't going to work. Sometimes, your dog is going to have really strong feelings about something you thought for sure was a good plan. You should go into any problem with a plan in mind, but have a plan B (and maybe even plans C,D,E...) for if it doesn't work out.
Every dog is an individual, and training plans are as diverse as their are dogs in the world. Don't take it personally if something isn't going like you had imagined. Flexibility is important in all aspects of like, but ESSPECIALLY when it comes to working with animals.
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