Hyperarousal / Excitement
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- Good socialisation is the best way to help a dog prone to hyperarousal learn to relax in new and exciting environments.
- Some people and dogs are unable to self-regulate their nervous system; they may need more help. In such cases, your local VET or a qualified Veterinary Behaviourist may be able to prescribe Behaviour medications to reduce stress levels since learning happens best when the animal is in a calm, receptive state. These medications can significantly help speed up the training process and improve the dog's overall well-being.
- Listed below are a few veterinary behaviours that may be helpful.
- Foothills Animal Hospital (Dr Rachel White)
- Morley Vet Center
- Kalm Pets
- Positive Elements
How to help a dog that is hyperaroused
- REMAIN CALM YOURSELF
- Ensure your dog is getting appropriate amounts of rest in an area away from triggers or disturbances. Crate training is a great way to help your dog feel safe and manage arousal at home and in new environments.
- Changing your dog's diet can help stabilise their energy levels.
- Swap out the bowl and instead use enrichment
- Teach your dog calming activities like a "Go Sniff" and scent work
- Swap out high-stress or high-energy walks for a Sniffari or a Backpack walk.
- Create calm breaks and play pauses while playing high-intensity games. This will help your dog learn the skills it needs to calm down when it is in heightened states of arousal.
- Avoid flooding your dog with too much information too fast. Allow your dog to take its time sniffing around, observing from a distance, and properly processing new situations, places, and triggers in the environment before adding more.
- Avoid constantly telling your dog what to do. Keep them at a safe distance on a loose lead and allow them to make the right choices themselves. Then Mark and reward them heavily when they do. (Don’t be a Homer Simpson)
- Incorporate mind games and puzzles into exercise sessions to teach your dog to remain mentally lucid during periods of excitement and stimulation.
- Take your dog to high-trigger areas. Stay at a safe distance and sit and relax in those areas with your dog. Allow your dog to do things that you know help them calm down, and give them tools like Kongs, Appropriate long-lasting chews, and lick mats to help them relax.
- Build good training progressions and Progress slowly, adding layers one at a time to build your dog's confidence and set them up for success.
- Learn from mistakes, avoid getting frustrated, and do not add pressure to get your dog to comply. Understand your dog's limitations. If your dog is constantly making bad choices, think about how you can set it up to succeed rather than waiting for it to fail. Your choice will affect your dog's choice.
- Trust your dog, and show them they can trust you. Often, when there is an incident, our trust and confidence in our dog are broken, and we don’t allow our dogs to earn this trust again. Remember, your dog has to learn to trust you as well. Punishing a dog after an incident is like hitting or grounding a child for falling off their bike. Not only does it destroy their confidence, but they also lose trust in your ability to help them through hard times.
Leash Exitement
Exited greetings
Exitement around food
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