He is normally very good about settling indoors in our house but if we're outdoors or indoors somewhere else, he is always on the go or restless and pacing and poking his nose into things.
When I was at ClickerExpo, the majority of the dogs were resting on mats for most of the sessions. And this is in a high distraction environment. I resolved to start mat work with Mr. N and bought two bath mats (velvety with memory foam because he is a texture snob). We're working our way through Dr. Karen Overall's Protocol for Relaxation and are on day seven. I've been using Champion of my Heart's audio files so I don't have to count all the seconds.
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| This is totally a staged photo. He's not normally this relaxed! |
Being calm does not come naturally to him. He has all that high-strung energy that terriers have. And the mat work involves me leaving and going through doorways which is hard for him because of his separation anxiety. He is fine with all the steps except for the ones where I'm out of sight. And we haven't even gotten to doorbells (although strictly speaking, we don't have one and I'll probably just knock on the door).
I've been seeing some small improvements in his behavior though and when we're at my friend's store, he'll voluntarily go and hang out on the couch instead of pacing and asking when we're going to go for a walk.
Is your dog good at relaxing? Or do they need some extra help in that department?
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| This is Mr. N's usual mat work face and pose |
Mom says we are all like bumps on logs around the house. Once in a blue moon we get wild inside, but usually we are totally mellow and hanging out on various beds around the place.
ReplyDeleteI always find out interesting things to do with my dogs from your blog. This idea of mat work is very cool. I know three dogs who could really use that kind of training. I'm going to have to try it!
ReplyDelete--Wags (and purrs) from Life with Dogs and Cats.
Walter is a lot like Mr. N in that he has difficulty relaxing if you move in and out of the room. Millie on the other hand will just go to sleep.
ReplyDeleteRelaxing is definitely something I've had to train Barley to do! Mat work was one of the first things our trainer had us do when we started working on Barley's reactivity. It's helped immensely. We didn't go through this exact same protocol (although it sounds like it might be a fun thing to practice all of these steps over the next couple weeks just as a refresher and something new to do), but we were basically training Barley to see her mat as a safe place she could go, so when we're in new environments (where like Mr. N she tends to pace and look for adventure), her mat comes along so she has a zone where she knows she can go relax. Good luck with the going out of sight steps--those types of things are always a challenge for Barley, too!
ReplyDeleteRest up Mr.N! Sleep does wonders for health.
ReplyDeleteHi Y'all!
ReplyDeleteMr. N, you have friends that let you hang out on the couch? Most of my extended family won't even allow their own children's dogs inside the house. Forget the couch!
Y'all come on by,
Hawk aka BrownDog
Oh, I didn't know about Roxanne's audio files, even though I see they are prominently displayed on her blog! This will do Rocco some good too! He does relax on a mat in the kitchen. I started that training when he was a wee puppy and couldn't stand it when I turned my back on him to face the kitchen counter! He would jump up and hang by his puppy teeth on the back of my pants! yow! We need to practice the mat training in different locations. Great post!
ReplyDeleteWhen I read "mat work", I though Mr. N was doing some Pilates! Series of 5 anyone? Star? Teaser?
ReplyDelete-SlimDoggy Steve
Both mine are expert relaxers, but they do have several mad 10 minutes every day, even after a huge walk!
ReplyDeleteWe've never had a door bell ever - so Harvey has never had to react to one - but, if he hears one on the telly, he goes mad and runs to the front door as if someone's there! Really weird, I have no idea where it's come from!
Our pups are pretty good at relaxing, but that part of the equation is always preceded by (backpack) walks & lots of playtime in the yard. We don't use mats, but have dog beds that travel with us everywhere we go when we're staying overnight.
ReplyDeleteThe girls are mostly mellow, but they're so much older. Luke definitely needs some work at relaxing. He'll go to his bed, but staying there is another story. I've been thinking about looking into this Relaxation protocol to see what it's all about.
ReplyDeleteJan, Wag 'n Woof Pets
Haley is pretty good at relaxing unless we're trimming toenails. She could take a lesson from Mr. N! I've actually been wanting to learn more about canine massage which would probably help her a lot when doing nails. Good job, Mr. N, even though it's not always easy for you to relax on the mat.
ReplyDeleteBtw...I'm happy to tell you that I've nominated you for the Liebster Award! My latest post explains the details and I hope you decide to accept the award! I hope you have a wonderful week ahead! :)
If I visit a friend he will pace until I remove my coat or put down my keys. When we're out and about he seems to be fine if we stop at a store or restaurant.
ReplyDeleteAll of our dogs are pretty decent in the house. Sometimes they like to follow and watch me do things and sometimes they just chill. We have found it comes more with age although they still get super excited if someone comes to the door. To be honest we really don't push the relaxation thing too much since they are high drive dogs. I guess if we did competitive obedience we would really need to work on it. :)
ReplyDelete