When Emotions Affect a Dog’s Behavior

Some behaviors are the result of anxiety, fear, or excitement. As I have mentioned before, if a learner is too stressed, learning cannot occur. If the anxiety or fear is mild, you can help your dog with some homeopathic therapies. Some of these therapies can also help if you have a high-energy puppy or dog because they calm them down enough so they can learn the behaviors you are trying to teach.

Homeopathic Therapies for Dogs

• • ThunderShirt: This is a dog shirt that fits tightly on the dog’s body. It comes from the same reasoning that we use when we swaddle a baby. The tightness can help calm the nervous system and allow  the dog to be present when learning. The ThunderShirt can also be used during fireworks and thunderstorms.

• • Adaptil Pheromones: These pheromones come in collars, diffusers, and sprays. In some cases, these pheromones help reduce fear and anxiety so the dog can learn with less stress.

• • Through A Dog’s Ear (and other classical music created to calm dogs): This music was specifically created to calm dogs. You can use this when training; however, it is more beneficial to use when the dogs are relaxing on their own.

• Supplements (Zylkene, Anxitane): Daily supplements were created to help mildly anxious or stressed dogs. For some dogs, this daily supplement can help reduce stress and allow them to learn more easily. You should ask your veterinarian if these supplements may help your dog.

Other Options

If the anxiety persists, contact your veterinarian or a behaviorist to get an anti-anxiety prescription written for your dog.

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