YOUR TURN #2 - Door Manners - Your Dogs

You're aware of yourself and what you want, you've given yourself time at the door with the sign, and you're showing your dogs that the door is yours by blocking their access to it. You've said what you don't want, now, the next step is to clearly direct your dogs to do what you Do want.

If your dogs hear the doorbell or a knock or see someone's car pull into your driveway and run toward the door and start barking, you probably want them to stop barking and move away from the door. I am assuming this, but I want you to think for a minute or two what you may have liked about your dogs' behavior. I have learned from a few clients that "in the beginning" they liked the protectiveness of their dogs' behavior. They liked the idea and practice that people were afraid of their dogs and they liked the image that their dogs were attached to them and wanted to keep them safe. What they learned over time is that their dogs were really just out of control and not respecting them. There are training techniques specific to home defense, and I advise families that if a guard dog is what they truly want, they need to invest in a training program specifically designed for that. An untrained dog, whose aggression you consciously or subconsciously reward, is irresponsible dog ownership...in my opinion.

If what you want is for your dogs to stop barking, move away from the door and follow your directions, there are a few things you can do. You and your dogs will be more successful if you have taught your dogs to follow the commands of Sit, Stay, Down or Lay or whatever you use for those actions. I have taught my dogs hand commands so that I don't have to say "Sit" or "Stay" or "Down." My dogs know what to do, but when they need reminding, I don't even have to speak, and I definitely don't have to repeat the commands over and over which often teaches your dogs that they don't have to respond until the third or fourth or fifth time you say the command.

1. Designate a location that is a comfortable distance from the door. Ideally, your dogs can still see the door and you from this location, but not impede anyone's entry.

2. Designate the area with a dog bed and/or a word or label like "your spot" or "the spot" or "your pillow" or something like that.

3. Have treats ready for this designated area.

4. Put yourself between your dogs and the door and block their access. Move forward, continuing to block the door. You may have to move side to side, widen your stance, and use your arms, but claim the space and move forward.

5. You can point and say something like "Go to your pillow." After you've practiced a bit, you will be able to simply point.

6. Once your dogs sit, lay, stay, or whatever you want them to do, give them a treat. I like to use a hand signal like "Stop" for Stay so I no longer have to say Stay. My hand is the command. Give them a treat when they are in their spot and stay.

7. If your dogs move from their spot, put them back to the EXACT same spot. I do not recommend allowing them to scooch closer even though they're still lying down. I do not recommend you allowing them to move closer and then stop and follow your command. Decide the spot, direct them to it, direct them to stay, and put them back to the exact same spot no matter how many times they try to move. Giving them a treat in this spot only will reinforce the benefits of remaining in that spot. Remaining calm, and not getting mad that you have to teach them this limit, will create respect between you and your dogs. Getting angry or agitated makes you appear weak to them. Your sign gives you the time to attend to them.

8. Open the door and greet your visitor. If your dogs "break their stay," put them back. They get a treat when they are in their spot. If it's a delivery, complete your business and give your dogs a treat. Release them when they are CALM. If you release them when they're itching to bolt to the door or window, you'll need to start over. You can also put leashes on your dogs before this exercise, and when you feel they are calm, you can direct them to follow you to the door or window to see outside. Follow you, not drag you. A calm walk to look out the window reinforces that calm is what's rewarded and gets you there to see what's happening outside.

9. If you are welcoming a guest, remind your guest to Ignore your dogs, and speak in calm, quiet tones. No high-pitched "Ooooohhhhhhh, it's been soooooo long since I've seen you!!!!!!" Your guest should be able to remove his or her coat and hug you hello and walk into your home to where you will visit. If your dogs "break their stay," ask your guest to remain where he or she is and ignore your dogs, and allow you to direct them back to their spot. Giving them a treat when they are looking to you and in their spot will reward their focus being on you and them being in their spot instead of obsessing about your guest.

10. Release your dogs when they are calm. If your guest would like to say hello, it is usually less hectic if your guest is seated, and you can block your dogs from your guest, by placing yourself in between, if their behavior is not what you want.

The next post will describe your guests' responsibilities, and until then, work on "catching" your dog being calm and quiet. When you notice your dog is quiet and relaxed, or especially if she is lying in the designated spot and is quiet and relaxed, give her a treat. Treats can be in food form or with a non-verbal conversation in which you use your body language and energy to communicate how much you LOVE her behavior.

YOUR TURN #2 - Door Manners - The Door

Ok, you have your sign at the door and you're aware of yourself and working to be calm and clear and confident about what you want. Because you've made a list about what you want from your dogs, it is going to be so much easier to address the next step: The Door. I will address more specifics of what and where and how for your dogs in the next post, but some elements will be highlighted here. This post is about The Door.

Now the doors in your home are yours. They are not your dogs'. Some people make jokes about how the doors are theirs because they paid for them, and as soon as their dogs can pay for them the dogs can own them. I'm not completely humorless; I get the joke, but of course, I look at the situation in my serious, feel responsible way. My owning The Door is a primal conversation with my dogs. My not just opening the door, but controlling their passage through it, makes me the provider of sunshine and mud puddles and sticks and fresh air. I open up the world to my dogs and guide them through it. I keep them safe, as well as everyone outside our door.

My neighbors are very sweet and told me not to worry about it when Foster was learning the boundaries of his yard and wandered into their backyards and driveways. While rude and unsafe for Foster, I also felt the responsibility to protect my neighbors who would be devastated to have hit Foster when simply pulling into their own driveways. I am responsible for Foster and that responsibility ripples.

Two things I find people do at the door - Yell and Pull Their Dogs Away. Two things to do instead - Say Nothing and Put Yourself Between Your Dogs and The Door and Face Them.

Saying nothing prevents you from adding to the tense noise created by their barking, and though dogs do use sound to communicate, they more often use body language to have entire conversations. Instead of using human words, try to communicate with your dogs using only body language.

Placing yourself between your dogs and the door, and facing your dogs, communicates ownership. When you pull them away, they are the ones in power. By placing yourself between your dogs and the door, facing your dogs, and then moving forward, you are "claiming" the space, and your dogs will learn to respond by backing away. They may try to maneuver around you at first, but since you have that sign at the door, you don't have to rush, and you have time to claim the door and get your dogs under control.

This is a good time to include your children too. Keeping your infants and toddlers out from underfoot is important during hectic or chaotic times like guests at the door. If you have nappers, hopefully, your children are so used to the barking, visitors do not ruin nap time. I always vacuumed and put dishes away during nap time so the kids in my life would be able to sleep through various noises as they grew up and went to college. If your children are awake, and if jumping up isn't one of the issues with your dogs, holding your young ones, and teaching them a hand command to use such as "Stop" involves them in the space claiming and empowers them in the eyes of your dogs.

If you have concerns for your children's safety, choose a location away from the door in which to leave them so that you can be focused on your silent conversation with your dogs. Again, since you have the sign on the door, visitors know you need a minute. You can be calm, and attend to your family, before attending to your visitor.

Recap:

1. You have a sign on the door. You have the time to get yourself together and your kids to a safe location.

2. Try to say nothing.

3. Place yourself between your dogs and the door, face your dogs, and "claim" The Door as yours.

4. Your dogs may attempt to maneuver around you. Take your time. Block your dogs, and move forward. This usually causes dogs to back up.

YOUR TURN #2 - Door Manners - You and A Sign

Ok, your dogs go crazy when someone pulls into your driveway or arrives at the door, and you want that to change. You want to be able to have someone over without having to yell louder than your dogs are barking, and without having to apologize seventeen times for your dog jumping up on, or knocking over, your guests. You are not wanting too much to want peace at the front door.

A good place to start is with a written or mental list of all that you truly want. You being clear about what you want will help you be clear in your communication with your dog. Dogs need jobs, and your dog being crazy about visitors has become his job. You've made it his job. Even if he decided it was his job first, your allowing him to keep the job, or not giving him another, solidified The Door as His Job, and he is ON it! Especially for hounds, hunters and herders, their genetics make them very sensitive to sights and sounds. Door guarding and "prey" or intruder identification are their strengths and ideal jobs. You can give any dog the satisfaction of performing these jobs without creating chaos and safety issues. Start with what you want.

I don't mind that Luna and Foster bark to let me know someone is arriving or even when someone is in the cul de sac. What I do mind is continual barking. Therefore, once they've barked to alert me, I signal to them Enough, and they need to stop. That is what I want. You may want something different or more. Most people want less barking, so that is what I will highlight this week, but still, you need to know what you want before you start to work with your dogs.

What I think is the next most important thing is to be aware of your attitude. You can call it mood, energy, emotional state, etc., but what I mean is that you need to be aware of yourself. Are you excited about someone coming over? Agitated about someone coming over? When your dogs begin barking do you become angry and feel rushed, irritable or embarrassed? Your dogs feel all of this too. They are aware of you, often before you are aware of yourself, so make an effort to be what you want your dogs to be - calm and well-behaved. If you have a plan of how you will act, and how you will direct your dogs, you may help yourself feel more calm about the door, and be much more likely to make your vision appear in reality!

The next step is to make a sign. Initially, this is hard for some people to do. I hear often, "A sign? Oh gosh. Now everyone will think I have a horrible dog..." I say, "Anyone who has come to, or passed by, your home has experienced your dogs barking. They're probably already judging you." It's true! People already know your dogs bark hysterically. When you put a sign on your door, you are showing you are aware and working to improve your dogs' behavior.

The message should inform visitors that you are working with your dogs, it might take you a minute to get to the door, and once you do, you want your visitors to ignore your dogs.

I recommend something like:

"Please be patient. Dogs in training. Please ignore them."

Cesar Millan recommends:

"No talk. No touch. No eye contact."

Compose your sign to say whatever you'd like, and make it visible to visitors at your front door. Prepare yourself and a sign and meet back here for the next post on the next steps. Your One Week To A Calm Door is happening.

YOUR TURN #2 - Door Manners

I often hear from dog owners that everything is great in their lives with dogs until someone rings the doorbell. When someone comes to the door, their lives fall away from the calm they are experiencing, and everything gets tense and loud and out of control and then people feel like failures. They feel embarrassed. They feel angry. They feel helpless. You are not helpless.

I usually wonder if everything is as peaceful as reported before the door debacle. When I predict that dogs are allowed on furniture without permission, aren't walked everyday because the family feels too busy, and when they are walked they pull, people think I'm a genius. I'm not a genius, and these are just a few of the things I can predict. There are a million small things we do everyday that show our dogs we're a bit soft. There are several things people do every day that show their dogs they're too hard, which isn't any better. Wanting people to enter your home without chaos is not demanding too much. This week, I will suggest a process of welcoming people that will keep everyone safe, and return your home to that peaceful, calm place you keep wishing for.

The elements involved are You, The Door, The Person, Your Dogs and A Sign.

Because many families and homes include spouses and teenagers and toddlers and cats and more than one door and everything in between and around, I will attempt to include all of these elements as well. If I miss one, or haven't included one that is important to you and your Door Manners experience, please tell me!

Your One Week To A Calmer Door starts tomorrow! Get ready!

YOUR TURN #1 - Storm Anxiety - More Options

There are a few more options for you to utilize to help your dog manage his anxiety about stormy weather. I covered your influence through energy, attitude, distraction and sheltering first as I see them as the most powerful, but sometimes we are just not enough and our dogs need us to find additional supports.

Some options to consider are:

Behavior Modification

Supplements

Wraps

Human and Prescription Medications

In describing redirection and distraction in the last post, I mentioned providing treats may be considered Behavior Modification. I realized this could be confusing in at least two ways. First, many behavior modification techniques begin with the recreation of a stimulus, instead of treatment occurring during the actual experience, in order to stop and intervene at key moments. That is not what I was describing in the last post, and why I stated more details would follow.

Second, giving high-value treats when your dog is showing signs of stress seems a lot like rewarding behavior you don't want. The intention behind "treating" your dog at the early sign of storm activity is to redirect and/or distract your dog's attention from the smells, sensations and sounds of a storm to You, your calm energy, and the goodness of highly-valued treats so that a positive association can be created between storms and your dog. Make sense?

Onto more options!

1. Behavior Modification - Providing behavior modification treatment in your home requires some serious effort by the entire family, and it is effective if you can reproduce an authentic enough storm experience that elicits a fear response in your dog. The difficulty with authenticity is the cause for many treatment failures. Even in specially designed sound labs, it is difficult to recreate a realistic thunderstorm. Yes, there are nature CDs that have the sounds of rain and thunder and lightning, and if you notice that your dog shows some stress with these, you can work to desensitize her. But, storms have several elements beyond sound. There is barometric pressure change that humans and many animals feel in their heads due to sinus pressure. This can create a "foggy-headed" feeling as well as balance challenges. There are also scent and electrical sensations in the air, as well as wind, vibration and the visual cues of heat or sky-to-ground lightning strikes. These are all challenging to recreate, and why most families find little or sadly, no, success from behavior modification. But you have more options!

2. Supplements

Melatonin - You should consult with your vet regarding usage and dosage, but melatonin can act as a natural sedative to calm anxious dogs. It is contraindicated for dogs that are pregnant or nursing. Melatonin can be helpful for dogs who may experience storm anxiety when you are not at home because it can remain effective for several hours.

Bach Flower Essences - Dr. Edward Bach was a surgeon, bacteriologist, researcher, casualty medical officer, and author in England in the early 1900's.

He developed herbal treatments for physical and emotional ailments by unblocking his patients' natural healing potential. His combination remedy called "Rescue Remedy" is used worldwide by humans for traumatic situations and common life stressors like job interviews, academic exams, and toddler temper tantrums. They are also labeled as "100% safe for animals," and though many believe these remedies are mostly alcohol, Rescue Remedy is alcohol free. There are several other remedies available for specific animal behaviors, but it seems Rescue Remedy is the most suggested and available.

3. Wraps - Neurobiologists and many animal behaviorists believe the application of constant, neutral pressure, like from a wrap, can quiet stimuli and cause nerve receptors to adapt and modify their response thresholds.

The Anxiety Wrap is a stretchy, vest-type wrap that hugs your dog's torso like a body stocking (yes, it can make your dog hot so using a fan can help keep your dog cool). The Anxiety Wrap's inventors emphasize that your dog should be positively introduced to it before anxiety causing situations are present because you don't want your dog to associate the Wrap with something distressful.

4. Human and Prescription Medications - You MUST see your veterinarian for dosage and drug and supplement interactions.

There are several medications used for storm anxiety. Valium, Xanax, Tranxene-SD, amitriptyline, clomipramine, Prozac, Zoloft, acepromazine, buspirone.

There can be serious side-effects like aggression, separation anxiety and opposite reaction or "paradoxical excitability."

Keep in mind that most drugs do not help a dog recover from the fear, he's just too drugged to pace, run or chew up drywall, but animal behaviorist Lee Livingood says some dogs "...respond to nothing else, and continually subjecting an animal to panic is wrong."

As Dr. Phil would say, "Don't substitute my judgment for your own!" I've learned what works for my family over three decades of building relationships with my dogs. I love Spring like nearly everyone else, but I tend to think of how dirty my dogs get from the rainy, muddy months of Spring Showers. I know many of you are thinking about the months of storms. I hope you feel you have some strategies and I wish your family peace and comfort during the Stormy Season.

Sources:

Yankee Golden Retriever Rescue

Susan Sharpe, owner of Animals Plus, LLC, and developer of the Anxiety Wrap

Whole Dog Journal, May 2000

www.melatoninfaq.com

www.bachflower.com/Pets.htm

www.anxietywrap.com

Your Turn #1 - Storm Anxiety - You, Redirecting, Distracting, Sheltering

Many humans see humanity in their dogs. Frequently, I am asked, "Your dogs are your children, right?" and those who ask want me to respond with "Yes" and want me to approve of and agree with their thinking and action, but I don't. My dogs are not my children. My dogs are my family members, equally - and often more - important as any human, but they are my dogs, and dogs often have different needs than humans.

Take storm anxiety for example. While children usually benefit from being snuggled when afraid (I was TERRIFIED of thunder and lightning as a child), a Penn State University study found that having a sympathetic owner who stroked the pet and said, 'It's ok,' "...did not lower the stress reaction of dogs that become anxious or fearful during noisy thunderstorms." Even those dogs that appear to want to crawl inside your skin for comfort show a 207% spike in the production of cortisol, a hormone produced during stress (humans also produce cortisol under stress). The levels of cortisol were measured from the dogs' saliva. Animal behaviorists point out that the stroking, and reassurance through 'It's ok,' is actually reinforcing and encouraging the anxious behavior. With storm anxiety, when you treat your dog like a human, you aren't helping, and you can actually harm.

So what do you do? Well, you don't get mad. Increasing the stress of the situation is not helpful. Your dog is scared. He is not misbehaving or maliciously trying to irritate you, but I understand the pacing, whining, trying to curl up on your head can be irritating. To me, this is a perfect example of when it is supremely important to not just tell your dog what NOT to do, but what To Do Instead. So many times, humans yell, "NO!" to a dog without giving her any guidance toward what behavior you do want. Even your human family members appreciate a To Do List of what makes you happy. A scared dog who only has your tone and body language to go by can't figure out that what you want is a dog who isn't afraid of storms, and you're asking for too much with that anyway. I hope you would be as appalled as I am if you knew how many people drop off their "children" or "family members" at high-kill shelters because they can't stand their behavior during storms and fireworks. It's appalling. So, ok, remember you are your dogs' greatest influence. Getting mad doesn't reduce the stress, but being calm, redirecting, distracting, and sheltering can.

Being Calm

Remain as neutral as you can while interacting with your dog. A high-pitched voice is not helpful. Instead of racing through the house to close all the windows in anticipation of rain, calmly close the windows. If your concerned or beginning-to-pace dog follows you, give her some highly valued treats (redirecting, distracting) like hot dogs or whatever you know she really likes. An overly anxious dog will not accept food so if she is willing to eat, you've started the process at a good time. If she won't eat, stop trying after 2-3 attempts (responding to her cues appropriately builds trust), and try to start earlier if you can before the next storm.

Some of these activities could be considered Behavior Modification, but I will cover that more specifically in the next post. And I know you can't always be home when storms begin, but if you are, you can "catch" the anxiety at the start.

Redirecting and Distracting

If you can, determine what part of the storm causes your dog to react. Is it barometric pressure change? Is it the first rumble of thunder? Is it wind? If you can determine what begins the anxiety, try to distract your dog at this time. If a breeze is beginning, play fetch or go for a walk or play Hide and Seek in the house if these are activities your dog normally enjoys. This is redirecting your dog's focus and helping him let go of at least some of the perceived danger. It is also helping him associate positive experiences with a storm.

More Distraction

Turning the TV on and increasing the volume may cover up some of the noises of a storm. Closing blinds and curtains can prevent your dog from seeing lightning flashes at night. Playing soothing music - there are CDs specifically for dogs called Through a Dog's Ear - can both calm and cover noise. Some people even sing to their dogs. If it works - excellent!

Sheltering

Help your dog find a safe haven. Some dogs are comforted by a crate. Animal behaviorists recommend keeping it open as closing the crate door can create a feeling of entrapment. A bathroom with no windows can be a cozy space, or a bathroom with a tub and shower curtain or a shower with a door - not closed - can be soothing. A bathtub was one of Satchel's cozy spaces at my in-laws'! A closet is another option. Your clothes can be comforting as they smell like you and may dampen outdoor sounds. Yes, they may get some slobber on them.

If you can calmly, and not irritatedly, sit near your dog and read aloud or watch TV, that can help, but remember to fight your urge to smother him. Imagine being afraid of heights and having to walk across a bridge and someone wants to comfort you by hanging on you or sporadically gripping your shoulders to ask you if you're ok. Wouldn't you want to shout out, "Stop touching me!!!!" Your dog would like you to know that is what he is saying.

Please don't give up if you don't see improvement right away. Storms are big events that are unpredictable. Any of these suggestions you use with your dog can help create a better association between him and storms.

Sources:

Patricia McConnell, Ph.D., Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB)

Susan Sharpe, Owner of Animals Plus, LLC and developer of The Anxiety Wrap

"Science Daily," June 2006

Woof, Satchel, Luna and Koko (Four of my dogs who have taught me something every storm season)

YOUR TURN #1 - Storm Anxiety

I was having a hard time deciding on a blog topic and asked for suggestions. My friends came up with so many, we'll have topics for weeks. Thank you so much everyone. I am honored that you spend time with I'm a D.O.G.!, and I am honored that you find support here. This week, I will try to cover the difficult experience of Storm Anxiety.

Storm anxiety, or sometimes it is described as Storm Phobia, is often seen in your dog through the panting, pacing, trembling, drooling, whining, dilated pupils, and wanting to hide during the months of thunderstorm activity. In extreme cases, dogs may react to the sounds, smells, and changes in barometric pressure by ripping apart rooms, scratching and biting at doors, walls and crates until their paws and jaws bleed, peeing and pooping throughout the house, and leaping through closed windows to run into busy streets or be lost for hours or days.

While many dogs will be stressed this storm season, it is likely that if they were stressed last season, and their humans found no calming intervention, they will be more upset this year potentially displaying even more agitated behavior. According to Ilana Reisner of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, "If a dog is showing any discomfort at all, it's time to intervene." Hopefully you'll find some strategies here so you and your dogs will have a more peaceful Spring. "There aren't any magic wands," says Animal Behaviorist Lee Livingood (seriously, that's his name), "but quickly finding an effective antidote is vital."

Whether you call it Storm Anxiety or Storm Phobia, your dog is afraid of thunderstormy weather, right? A fear is classified as a phobia when it is out of proportion to the danger of the real situation. Phobias generally become worse, not better, with repeated exposures and dog owners can become frustrated with their dogs' reactions. I don't see dogs responding with stress to thunderstorms as out of proportion. One of our dogs, Satchel, became very stressed hours before stormy weather arrived. We called him "Doppler Satchel." He paced and panted and usually found refuge under the stairs or in our closet behind my low-hanging clothes. He drooled a lot, often trembled for hours, and sometimes tried to jump on top of the kitchen counters or cooktop. The jumping up on counters reminded me of a sort of "Head for the hills!" mentality and I encouraged him to find his storm shelter instead, but animals are not stupid. There are reports of communities being alerted to tsunamis due to animals moving to higher grounds in packs. Since our dogs are not living in the wild, we can encourage them to find safe havens while not destroying our homes. This is our job as their leaders.

Satchie in a safe haven fort made with a sheet over furniture and a fan to keep him cool.

You may have tried several things over the years, or you may have read several things to try, or you may have been told several things to try. There are several approaches to helping your dog cope with storm anxiety. I believe the most effective tool is you, and I will highlight how you can be a source of both anxiety and calm, but I will also highlight some of your other options. Providing a combination of you and them will hopefully reduce your dogs' anxiety so you can get through this storm season together safely and peacefully.

I'll do my best to explain these treatment options:

You

Behavior Modification

Sheltering and Distraction

Supplements

Wraps

Human Medications

Satchel and Luna hanging out in one crate telling us 4 hours before stormy weather arrived that it was on its way!

Sources:

Special for USA Today, Sharon L. Peters

Yankee Golden Retriever Rescue, Inc.

Victoria Voith, D.V.M., Ph.D. and Peter Borcheidt, Ph.D.