1 00:00:02,800 --> 00:00:05,960 Speaker 1: Hey, everyone, welcome to The Houndation's podcast. I'm your host, 2 00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:09,399 Speaker 1: Tony Peterson, and today's episode is about stress in dogs, 3 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:12,200 Speaker 1: anxiety and dogs, and you know how to recognize that, 4 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:14,200 Speaker 1: how to deal with the behaviors that come from that. 5 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:20,920 Speaker 1: It's sometimes impossible to believe that some dogs are capable 6 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:24,680 Speaker 1: of ever being even like a little bit remotely stressed out, 7 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:27,479 Speaker 1: but they can be. All of them can be, And 8 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:30,920 Speaker 1: even the most mild mannered, lovable goofball Golden Retriever is 9 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:33,840 Speaker 1: capable of becoming a ball of anxiety in the right situation. 10 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:38,760 Speaker 1: And when that happens, weird behaviors often follow. But it's 11 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:41,640 Speaker 1: sometimes difficult to link to stressful event to current behavior, 12 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:49,960 Speaker 1: which is what this episode is really all about. My 13 00:00:50,080 --> 00:00:52,760 Speaker 1: wife and I have an ongoing fight. Well, we have 14 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 1: a couple of them, but this one in particular involves 15 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 1: our twin twelve year old daughters and the idea that 16 00:00:58,960 --> 00:01:01,480 Speaker 1: if they aren't in it these twenty seven activities at 17 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:05,400 Speaker 1: one time, we are failing miserably as parents. Now. I 18 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:07,440 Speaker 1: don't know what it is, but us gen xers and 19 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:10,520 Speaker 1: those older millennials out there, we just decided that even 20 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:12,959 Speaker 1: though the odds of our children going pro and any 21 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:15,240 Speaker 1: sport are about I don't know, the same as the 22 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:17,720 Speaker 1: odds that one day cow will wake up and suddenly 23 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:21,280 Speaker 1: shave his mustache off. We decided it's best if they 24 00:01:21,319 --> 00:01:24,160 Speaker 1: play some sports all year long, even when they are 25 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:26,959 Speaker 1: in middle school. Plus we tack on a lot of 26 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:30,000 Speaker 1: extra activities and clubs and you name it. This is 27 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:33,160 Speaker 1: in addition, of course, to a full school schedule. So 28 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:35,720 Speaker 1: not only are we asking our kids to sort of 29 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:38,959 Speaker 1: work almost a full time job, we also tell them 30 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:41,040 Speaker 1: they need to put in a lot of overtime and 31 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:44,240 Speaker 1: they will be damn happy to do it. The old 32 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:47,319 Speaker 1: blonde buzzkill who married me thinks this is an amazing 33 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:50,800 Speaker 1: way to raise kids. I, on the other hand, think 34 00:01:50,840 --> 00:01:53,360 Speaker 1: it's kind of dumb and unfair to them. I think 35 00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 1: when you live vicariously through your kids' activities, you rob 36 00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:59,160 Speaker 1: them of afternoons to just go catch some frogs, or 37 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 1: play with the neighborhood kids, or just do kids stuff 38 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:05,880 Speaker 1: that simply isn't organized, you know, at least partially for 39 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:10,440 Speaker 1: the parents' benefit. I'm not against kids playing sports, mind you. 40 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:12,840 Speaker 1: I think it's great. I think they should try a 41 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:15,000 Speaker 1: lot of different sports and activities to see what suits 42 00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:17,760 Speaker 1: them best, if that's at all possible. I also think 43 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:20,120 Speaker 1: we should look at the rosters of high school varsity 44 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:23,360 Speaker 1: teams across the country and pay attention to the reality 45 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 1: that a lot of them are full of younger kids 46 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:27,920 Speaker 1: that needed to be pulled up to fill the gap 47 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 1: from the older kids who mostly belong on those teams 48 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:34,280 Speaker 1: but have bailed. No. Sure, there are some I don't know, 49 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:37,120 Speaker 1: superstar eighth graders who should play varsity to hone their 50 00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:41,280 Speaker 1: skills and allow them to really develop. Most aren't there, though, 51 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:43,400 Speaker 1: and never will be. And a lot of those kids 52 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 1: who are pushed to play year round basketball or hockey 53 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:49,440 Speaker 1: or volleyball, they drop off the team when they hit 54 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:51,960 Speaker 1: high school, which means we got to bring up younger 55 00:02:52,000 --> 00:02:54,960 Speaker 1: kids to fill those spots. Now. I know this isn't 56 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:58,000 Speaker 1: a guarantee, but it seems to be happening a lot lately, 57 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:01,520 Speaker 1: and I doubt it's a coincidence. I work out at 58 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:04,080 Speaker 1: the local YMCA a lot, and from some of the 59 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:06,120 Speaker 1: stations in the weight room you can see the hockey 60 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:09,799 Speaker 1: rink where a lot of the local teams practice. When 61 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:12,680 Speaker 1: you see eight year olds lugging hockey bags, in there 62 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:15,359 Speaker 1: in June or July. You have to wonder how many 63 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:18,679 Speaker 1: of them are already feeling the pressure of having to perform. 64 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 1: You know, the answer probably isn't zero. Now, some kids 65 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:23,920 Speaker 1: stick to it because they love the game and the 66 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:26,560 Speaker 1: camaraderie and the competition and the self improvement and all 67 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:30,440 Speaker 1: that stuff. But a lot of kids, especially lately, are 68 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:33,520 Speaker 1: checking out when they get old enough to finally have 69 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:36,640 Speaker 1: some autonomy over their lives and say no, there's too 70 00:03:36,680 --> 00:03:40,360 Speaker 1: much pressure, too much stress for too long, and something 71 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:45,280 Speaker 1: gives the worst part about this is that we as 72 00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:48,680 Speaker 1: parents often cause this, and we have no idea it's 73 00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:52,560 Speaker 1: even happening until it manifests itself in bad behavior or 74 00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:55,839 Speaker 1: behavior we view as bad anyway. You know what other 75 00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 1: situation this very closely mirrors that can result in unacts, 76 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:05,120 Speaker 1: affected and often negative behaviors out of something we love dearly. Yeah, 77 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 1: you guessed it. Are dogs? I know you think, Well, 78 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:12,240 Speaker 1: not my dog. My little fluffy butt is spoiled, rotten 79 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 1: and doesn't want for a thing. I'm the best dog 80 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:18,760 Speaker 1: paring out there. Well, it doesn't work that way. To 81 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:21,239 Speaker 1: understand this, it's best to think about what is probably 82 00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 1: the most universal type of stress on our dogs, which 83 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:27,440 Speaker 1: is separation anxiety. Now, there are two ways to kind 84 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 1: of look at separation anxiety. You might have one of 85 00:04:30,680 --> 00:04:33,800 Speaker 1: the roughly fifteen percent of dogs out there that can 86 00:04:33,880 --> 00:04:37,560 Speaker 1: claim separation anxiety is just sort of a fundamental condition 87 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 1: of their existence. These are the dogs that can't handle 88 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:43,039 Speaker 1: it when you go to work or when you leave 89 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 1: them home for a few hours to go to Target 90 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:49,719 Speaker 1: to get some groceries. Now, these are extreme cases, but 91 00:04:49,839 --> 00:04:51,960 Speaker 1: not always belonged to dogs that had a rough go 92 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:54,599 Speaker 1: of it as puppies, but not always the case. I 93 00:04:54,640 --> 00:04:56,919 Speaker 1: owned a Golden Retriever once who was like this, and 94 00:04:56,960 --> 00:05:00,520 Speaker 1: she was treated pretty well as a puppy. Then you 95 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:04,560 Speaker 1: have the less obvious separation anxiety, which is kind of 96 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:09,160 Speaker 1: entirely situational and maybe tied more to fear than anything, 97 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:11,560 Speaker 1: which is something I'll get to in a second. But 98 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:15,359 Speaker 1: either way, both of my dogs, for example, particularly to 99 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:19,479 Speaker 1: my older dog, can get separation anxiety in a horrible way. 100 00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:21,440 Speaker 1: But she doesn't get freaked out if I leave the 101 00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:24,560 Speaker 1: house for a couple hours. It happens when she sees 102 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:27,159 Speaker 1: me stuffing clothes into a duffel bag or some sort 103 00:05:27,200 --> 00:05:31,120 Speaker 1: of carry on luggage. You see, dogs are pack animals, 104 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:34,400 Speaker 1: and when the leader goes missing, it seems to send 105 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:37,960 Speaker 1: bad vibes into their world. With my older dog, Luna, 106 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:40,960 Speaker 1: she views me packing up as an activity that will 107 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:43,919 Speaker 1: separate us. She'll lay at the top of the stairs 108 00:05:43,920 --> 00:05:46,200 Speaker 1: with her paws crossed and her head down on them 109 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:49,919 Speaker 1: and just mope adorably. If I'm headed out on a 110 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:53,000 Speaker 1: trip where she doesn't get to go along, it's almost 111 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:56,920 Speaker 1: a guarantee that she'll get physically sick. Sometimes that's a 112 00:05:56,960 --> 00:05:59,440 Speaker 1: situation where she'll urgently let my wife her daughters know 113 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:02,560 Speaker 1: she needs to get to the yard fast, and sometimes 114 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:04,000 Speaker 1: she has no way to get to the yard, and 115 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:06,680 Speaker 1: breakfast will come out one under the other, often in 116 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:10,000 Speaker 1: the corner of a basement. I think there are a 117 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:13,400 Speaker 1: couple of reasons why Luna acts this way. For starters, 118 00:06:13,839 --> 00:06:16,800 Speaker 1: we got her as a pup when we had two babies. 119 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:19,599 Speaker 1: She didn't get a quarter of the love and attention 120 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:22,800 Speaker 1: our current pup gets because there just wasn't enough to 121 00:06:22,839 --> 00:06:26,640 Speaker 1: go round. When she did get love and training and 122 00:06:26,760 --> 00:06:30,680 Speaker 1: just attention, it was almost always from me. And when 123 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:32,800 Speaker 1: she got to go hunting, which is her favorite thing 124 00:06:32,800 --> 00:06:35,479 Speaker 1: in the world, to do. It was always from me. 125 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:39,200 Speaker 1: Now I have been the conduit to everything she needs 126 00:06:39,279 --> 00:06:42,200 Speaker 1: in life, her whole life, and so when she sees 127 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:45,320 Speaker 1: the familiar activities of me packing up for another trip, 128 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 1: she spirals because she knows that I might not take 129 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:51,640 Speaker 1: her and we will be separated. This is the kind 130 00:06:51,680 --> 00:06:53,919 Speaker 1: of stuff you don't see coming when you're working with 131 00:06:53,960 --> 00:06:57,320 Speaker 1: a one year old dog, but it happens, and it sucks. 132 00:06:57,839 --> 00:06:59,760 Speaker 1: It's gotten to the point where sometimes my wife will 133 00:06:59,760 --> 00:07:01,840 Speaker 1: take Lunau to the park or something so I can 134 00:07:01,880 --> 00:07:04,320 Speaker 1: pack my truck up and she doesn't have to see it. 135 00:07:05,040 --> 00:07:07,440 Speaker 1: She still gets pissed at me when I leave, but 136 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:10,120 Speaker 1: she doesn't have hours and hours to stress over it. 137 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:14,000 Speaker 1: And that's an important distinction, because stress has a way 138 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:18,000 Speaker 1: of compounding in dogs and to be fair, people too. 139 00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:22,760 Speaker 1: What might not be one single huge event that would 140 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:26,200 Speaker 1: send your dog spiraling might just be a single layer 141 00:07:26,240 --> 00:07:29,960 Speaker 1: of stress. The impact a few days later might be 142 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:32,520 Speaker 1: as minimal as them just not training as well as usual, 143 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:35,600 Speaker 1: just not being so crisp, or maybe not listening as well, 144 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:37,840 Speaker 1: you know, when you take them on their evening walk. 145 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,760 Speaker 1: But if that stressful event happens and then something else 146 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:46,000 Speaker 1: happens that's stressful. Those behaviors, you know, they can come 147 00:07:46,040 --> 00:07:47,600 Speaker 1: out a few days later and they might be a 148 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:50,360 Speaker 1: lot worse. This can be hard to recognize, but you 149 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:53,360 Speaker 1: know when it happens, you know it's easier to spot. 150 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:56,360 Speaker 1: So let's say you have a lovable dog that isn't 151 00:07:56,400 --> 00:07:58,840 Speaker 1: a fighter, but you go to the park or to 152 00:07:58,840 --> 00:08:01,840 Speaker 1: some outside event you bring and she meets another female 153 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:04,040 Speaker 1: dog that makes a lunge for her neck, or maybe 154 00:08:04,080 --> 00:08:06,080 Speaker 1: they just get into a scrap for a few seconds 155 00:08:06,120 --> 00:08:09,600 Speaker 1: before you break them up. You might not connect that 156 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:11,920 Speaker 1: to your dog having an accident in the house or 157 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:14,360 Speaker 1: chewing on a chair leg when it hasn't exhibited that 158 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:17,480 Speaker 1: behavior in three years, but that might be the result 159 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:20,160 Speaker 1: of a one off stressful event earlier in the week, 160 00:08:20,320 --> 00:08:22,520 Speaker 1: or the stressful event that layers on top of some 161 00:08:22,560 --> 00:08:39,120 Speaker 1: other low grade stress and finally manifests itself with bad behavior. Now, 162 00:08:39,160 --> 00:08:42,240 Speaker 1: you can't avoid every situation that might stress your dog out, 163 00:08:42,559 --> 00:08:45,959 Speaker 1: nor should you try. It is important to understand how 164 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:48,800 Speaker 1: stress affects dogs and how to mitigate some of it. 165 00:08:49,480 --> 00:08:53,680 Speaker 1: Take fear related anxiety and stress. For example, our next 166 00:08:53,720 --> 00:08:57,400 Speaker 1: door neighbor, who I say this with only love in 167 00:08:57,400 --> 00:09:00,840 Speaker 1: my heart. Probably shouldn't be allowed to own a goldfish 168 00:09:01,120 --> 00:09:04,160 Speaker 1: given her life situation, but she went out and got 169 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:06,560 Speaker 1: a Cane corso puppy. Now, if you don't know what 170 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:10,240 Speaker 1: that is, it's an Italian breed of mastiff. In the 171 00:09:10,360 --> 00:09:14,280 Speaker 1: not two distant past, this dog breed, you know, which 172 00:09:14,679 --> 00:09:17,320 Speaker 1: tends to be pretty good size and pretty much jacked, 173 00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:21,480 Speaker 1: was used to herd cattle or big game hunting and 174 00:09:21,559 --> 00:09:25,720 Speaker 1: for protection. It's a dog that's used to having a job, 175 00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:29,080 Speaker 1: or sometimes several, so when it's put inside a house 176 00:09:29,200 --> 00:09:32,400 Speaker 1: or a fence backyard for all of its existence, it 177 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:37,000 Speaker 1: will exhibit some undesirable behaviors that aren't just related to 178 00:09:37,080 --> 00:09:41,000 Speaker 1: not getting trained enough. You know. For example, that dog 179 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:44,080 Speaker 1: is terrified of my daughter's and eye, and it lets 180 00:09:44,160 --> 00:09:47,800 Speaker 1: us know that by barking at us non stop. When 181 00:09:47,800 --> 00:09:50,480 Speaker 1: we approach the fence and introduce ourselves for the ten 182 00:09:50,559 --> 00:09:53,880 Speaker 1: thousandth time, that dog will growl, bark and charge us 183 00:09:53,880 --> 00:09:57,800 Speaker 1: and fits and starts. It's scared of my daughter's but 184 00:09:58,120 --> 00:10:01,960 Speaker 1: absolutely terrified to me, which the owner says isn't uncommon. 185 00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:05,080 Speaker 1: The dog doesn't like men, which happens, but it's also 186 00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:08,120 Speaker 1: scared of its own shadow. So to win this dog over, 187 00:10:08,520 --> 00:10:10,839 Speaker 1: we started carrying a handful of treats with us when 188 00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:13,360 Speaker 1: we head to the backyard to shoot our bows. If 189 00:10:13,360 --> 00:10:15,920 Speaker 1: the dog is out, she'll eventually take a few treats 190 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:18,480 Speaker 1: from us and settle down for a bit. My hope 191 00:10:18,559 --> 00:10:21,040 Speaker 1: is that over time I can treat train my neighbor's 192 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:23,559 Speaker 1: dog to just shut up when we are outside if 193 00:10:23,600 --> 00:10:26,760 Speaker 1: nothing else. And while there are quite a few reasons 194 00:10:26,800 --> 00:10:30,120 Speaker 1: why that dog might not have the best behavior, I 195 00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:32,280 Speaker 1: think it's pretty safe to assume that it's living a 196 00:10:32,280 --> 00:10:36,480 Speaker 1: stressful lifestyle. Some folks might think lying around all day 197 00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:40,400 Speaker 1: and having your food and basic needs met by someone 198 00:10:40,440 --> 00:10:42,880 Speaker 1: else is the closest thing to dying and going to heaven. 199 00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:46,280 Speaker 1: But a dog with the genetic ingredients to work and 200 00:10:46,360 --> 00:10:49,000 Speaker 1: hunt and be active all of its life is going 201 00:10:49,040 --> 00:10:52,080 Speaker 1: to be stressed out by that lifestyle by not having 202 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:55,360 Speaker 1: a job. So often we think we are giving dogs 203 00:10:55,400 --> 00:10:58,200 Speaker 1: what they need because it's something we want to give them. 204 00:10:58,520 --> 00:11:01,360 Speaker 1: That's not how it works. We have to give them 205 00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:03,880 Speaker 1: the things they actually need to take the physical and 206 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:06,360 Speaker 1: mental edge off. We have to look at their fear 207 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:10,720 Speaker 1: beast behaviors and ask ourselves not only why, but what now? 208 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:13,679 Speaker 1: The why part of that equation is good to try 209 00:11:13,720 --> 00:11:16,400 Speaker 1: to figure out because it helps with the what now part. 210 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:19,440 Speaker 1: Take a conversation I had with a buddy of mine 211 00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:22,760 Speaker 1: recently who has a three year old lab. It's his 212 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:25,920 Speaker 1: first dog, and he's done a great job of training it, 213 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:28,760 Speaker 1: he really has. But his dog is quirky in ways 214 00:11:28,800 --> 00:11:31,920 Speaker 1: that I've never seen. And during that recent conversation, he 215 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:33,560 Speaker 1: told me that when he went to take his dog 216 00:11:33,600 --> 00:11:35,920 Speaker 1: for a walk in the woods, the dog sat down 217 00:11:35,960 --> 00:11:38,880 Speaker 1: and wouldn't go. Now, keep in mind, this is a 218 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:41,040 Speaker 1: hunting dog. He's been in the woods and in the 219 00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:44,480 Speaker 1: fields and in the water his whole life, and it 220 00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:48,760 Speaker 1: has without doubt been his happy place. But suddenly he 221 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:50,960 Speaker 1: was scared to go where he has gone so many 222 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:53,680 Speaker 1: times before. My buddy was at a loss, and so 223 00:11:53,840 --> 00:11:56,560 Speaker 1: was I. I think maybe his dog got stung by 224 00:11:56,600 --> 00:11:58,640 Speaker 1: a few bees or something on their last trip, and 225 00:11:58,679 --> 00:12:01,320 Speaker 1: there's sort of a negative associate with that spot, But 226 00:12:01,360 --> 00:12:04,560 Speaker 1: that's just a guess. It was a new fear, and 227 00:12:04,600 --> 00:12:08,080 Speaker 1: they worked through it by going to easy environments like 228 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:10,480 Speaker 1: wooded parks and other spots that are kind of like 229 00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:13,160 Speaker 1: the woods. He's afraid of but kind of not like 230 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:17,040 Speaker 1: soft immersion therapy. It's like he had to recondition his 231 00:12:17,120 --> 00:12:20,040 Speaker 1: dog to being an outdoor loving hunting dog in any 232 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:24,920 Speaker 1: environment where the fear comes from matters, but not as 233 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:29,319 Speaker 1: much as addressing how to get dogs past it. This 234 00:12:29,360 --> 00:12:33,199 Speaker 1: can be frustrating because it seems so irrational, which it is. 235 00:12:33,559 --> 00:12:36,360 Speaker 1: But I've talked about phobia's on here before and how 236 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:38,880 Speaker 1: it's not all that rational for us to be deathly 237 00:12:38,920 --> 00:12:41,160 Speaker 1: afraid of spiders or mice, or in my wife's case, 238 00:12:41,480 --> 00:12:43,439 Speaker 1: fish that are swimming in the same water as her. 239 00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:47,240 Speaker 1: If we don't hold ourselves to the standard of rational fear, 240 00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:51,440 Speaker 1: we probably shouldn't hold our dogs to it. We have 241 00:12:51,520 --> 00:12:54,400 Speaker 1: to help them work through it, which will destress their 242 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:57,680 Speaker 1: lives and make the whole thing better. Dog training guru 243 00:12:57,760 --> 00:12:59,600 Speaker 1: Tom doc And has a way to frame this up 244 00:12:59,640 --> 00:13:02,560 Speaker 1: for us, using an example that just dumbs down the 245 00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:05,720 Speaker 1: whole thing. He often says that if you were wildly 246 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:08,960 Speaker 1: afraid of skateboards, but he needed you to get on 247 00:13:08,960 --> 00:13:11,600 Speaker 1: one for some reason, or at least not be wildly 248 00:13:11,600 --> 00:13:14,400 Speaker 1: afraid of them, I guess he'd put one hundred dollars 249 00:13:14,400 --> 00:13:17,280 Speaker 1: bill on one and roll it in your direction. Since 250 00:13:17,320 --> 00:13:19,200 Speaker 1: one hundred dollars is about what it takes to take 251 00:13:19,240 --> 00:13:22,800 Speaker 1: the wife and kids to mcdonald'sy's days, you might rethink 252 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:27,760 Speaker 1: your aversion to skateboards. If that happened three times a week, 253 00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:30,840 Speaker 1: you might start looking forward to that skateboard rolling in 254 00:13:30,880 --> 00:13:35,760 Speaker 1: your direction. Over time, with dogs, something super positive around 255 00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:40,560 Speaker 1: something that is super stressful can accomplish the same thing. Now, 256 00:13:40,559 --> 00:13:42,480 Speaker 1: I don't want to have to bring treats in my 257 00:13:42,559 --> 00:13:45,640 Speaker 1: pockets every time I'm in my backyard shooting my bows 258 00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:49,679 Speaker 1: or catching frogs with the girls, But I know eventually 259 00:13:49,679 --> 00:13:51,880 Speaker 1: that dog will view me as a supplier of something 260 00:13:52,040 --> 00:13:54,800 Speaker 1: she loves and not a representation of something that she 261 00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:58,360 Speaker 1: fears and that stresses her out. Not everything can be 262 00:13:58,440 --> 00:14:01,840 Speaker 1: remedied with a caloric reward, however, and not all dogs 263 00:14:01,880 --> 00:14:04,360 Speaker 1: are super food driven. But since I own labs, I'm 264 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:06,640 Speaker 1: not really familiar with any of them. But if you 265 00:14:06,679 --> 00:14:10,720 Speaker 1: look at separation anxiety, for example, especially the kind of daily, 266 00:14:10,840 --> 00:14:14,280 Speaker 1: low grade separation anxiety that happens I like when you 267 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:17,400 Speaker 1: go to work, there are ways to mitigate that. Think 268 00:14:17,440 --> 00:14:19,560 Speaker 1: about what happens if you take your dog for a 269 00:14:19,600 --> 00:14:22,480 Speaker 1: walk before you go to work, or you know if 270 00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:24,720 Speaker 1: you have a sporting dog, what happens if you head 271 00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:27,120 Speaker 1: out to toss the dummy for them for twenty minutes 272 00:14:27,120 --> 00:14:29,440 Speaker 1: and run through some retrieving drills before you head to 273 00:14:29,480 --> 00:14:32,840 Speaker 1: the office. That might be all it takes to take 274 00:14:32,880 --> 00:14:35,680 Speaker 1: the edge off, you know, dull the energy level a 275 00:14:35,720 --> 00:14:39,520 Speaker 1: little bit, and keep the stress to an absolute minimum. 276 00:14:39,640 --> 00:14:42,640 Speaker 1: A lot of what causes stress related behaviors in dogs 277 00:14:43,080 --> 00:14:47,400 Speaker 1: can be tied awful closely to pent up energy. In 278 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:51,120 Speaker 1: severe cases, where you know, anxious just seems to be 279 00:14:51,160 --> 00:14:53,720 Speaker 1: the natural state of certain dogs. You know, there are 280 00:14:53,800 --> 00:14:58,000 Speaker 1: medications and natural therapies. The effectiveness of these seems to 281 00:14:58,080 --> 00:15:00,680 Speaker 1: vary quite a bit. And while this is a conversation 282 00:15:00,760 --> 00:15:02,800 Speaker 1: for you to have with your vet and not something 283 00:15:02,800 --> 00:15:05,200 Speaker 1: you should take as gospel from some dude who writes 284 00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:08,680 Speaker 1: squirrel hunting articles for a living, I'll say this. Look 285 00:15:08,720 --> 00:15:11,720 Speaker 1: at this like it's not a magic elixir, but a 286 00:15:11,840 --> 00:15:16,640 Speaker 1: complementary option in addition to managing their anxiety with other methods. 287 00:15:17,360 --> 00:15:21,040 Speaker 1: Putting a dog on some SSRIs or antidepressants or using 288 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:23,880 Speaker 1: CBD oil or whatever can be a valuable piece of 289 00:15:23,880 --> 00:15:27,480 Speaker 1: the puzzle, but it probably won't solve the whole thing. 290 00:15:28,160 --> 00:15:33,680 Speaker 1: Exposure training, desensitization training, and a willingness to examine what 291 00:15:33,720 --> 00:15:37,440 Speaker 1: your dog really needs in physical and mental stimuli and 292 00:15:37,520 --> 00:15:41,320 Speaker 1: then delivering on that is often the best route. Now, 293 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:43,640 Speaker 1: this is different than treating a dog for a likely 294 00:15:43,680 --> 00:15:46,840 Speaker 1: stressful event like I don't know, Fourth of July fireworks, 295 00:15:47,160 --> 00:15:49,040 Speaker 1: which might be something you have to work with for 296 00:15:49,160 --> 00:15:52,000 Speaker 1: just one day a year. If you notice your dog 297 00:15:52,080 --> 00:15:55,840 Speaker 1: has certain bad behaviors like barking or pacing, or obsessing 298 00:15:55,840 --> 00:15:58,760 Speaker 1: over going outside or blowing muddle over your basement, but 299 00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:01,680 Speaker 1: it's not really consistent that might be what you're dealing with, 300 00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:05,040 Speaker 1: try to find the source of the stress. Think about 301 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:07,800 Speaker 1: what might be causing the dog to revert to those 302 00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:13,000 Speaker 1: behaviors and how you'll address them. Sure, some things are unavoidable, 303 00:16:13,520 --> 00:16:15,960 Speaker 1: like unfortunately, you might just have to go to work 304 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:18,560 Speaker 1: five days a week, and as much as that sucks 305 00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:21,280 Speaker 1: for your dog and probably for you, it's just the 306 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:23,760 Speaker 1: case you're going to have to work around that. But 307 00:16:23,880 --> 00:16:26,120 Speaker 1: what if it's just I don't know, you not getting 308 00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:28,360 Speaker 1: the dog enough exercise or setting up a few fun 309 00:16:28,480 --> 00:16:31,000 Speaker 1: drills so your dog can problem solve and use its brain. 310 00:16:31,800 --> 00:16:34,120 Speaker 1: Then a little self reflection and a change in your 311 00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:37,200 Speaker 1: behavior can make all the difference or a lot of 312 00:16:37,240 --> 00:16:39,680 Speaker 1: the difference in the stress and anxiety level in your dog. 313 00:16:40,880 --> 00:16:43,520 Speaker 1: This is also I should say before I wrap this 314 00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:47,520 Speaker 1: episode up a moving target. You might have a dog 315 00:16:47,600 --> 00:16:51,040 Speaker 1: develop severe anxiety later in life, which sometimes happens with 316 00:16:51,120 --> 00:16:54,800 Speaker 1: older dogs, like really older dogs, and it's heartbreaking to sea. 317 00:16:55,400 --> 00:16:58,560 Speaker 1: Or there might just be some encounter with something somewhere 318 00:16:58,600 --> 00:17:01,680 Speaker 1: that unlocks a new fear and your dog the bad 319 00:17:01,800 --> 00:17:04,680 Speaker 1: behaviors will let you know that something entered its life 320 00:17:05,160 --> 00:17:08,560 Speaker 1: which is having a negative effect, especially if they are 321 00:17:08,600 --> 00:17:12,879 Speaker 1: even remotely consistent bad behaviors. Because any dog can have 322 00:17:12,920 --> 00:17:14,919 Speaker 1: an accident in the house, and it might be as 323 00:17:14,960 --> 00:17:17,000 Speaker 1: simple as eating a dead mouse they find in the 324 00:17:17,080 --> 00:17:19,119 Speaker 1: yard or something else that doesn't agree with their stomach, 325 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:22,840 Speaker 1: or it might not be so linear, and that accident 326 00:17:22,880 --> 00:17:24,879 Speaker 1: in the house that happens once a week or a 327 00:17:24,920 --> 00:17:28,000 Speaker 1: couple times a month could very well be related to 328 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:31,840 Speaker 1: stress and anxiety. This is stuff to think about and 329 00:17:31,880 --> 00:17:34,400 Speaker 1: be aware of as a dog owner. So do that 330 00:17:34,720 --> 00:17:36,680 Speaker 1: and come back in two weeks because I'm going to 331 00:17:36,760 --> 00:17:39,320 Speaker 1: drop an episode on how dogs have shaped the deer 332 00:17:39,359 --> 00:17:42,600 Speaker 1: hunting culture in this country. For a long time, and 333 00:17:42,720 --> 00:17:46,560 Speaker 1: honestly the big game hunting culture all over the world 334 00:17:46,600 --> 00:17:50,960 Speaker 1: in a story that's pretty cool. That's it for this week. 335 00:17:51,000 --> 00:17:54,919 Speaker 1: I'm Tony Peterson and this has been The Houndation's podcast. 336 00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:57,000 Speaker 1: I want to thank you so much for listening and 337 00:17:57,040 --> 00:17:59,920 Speaker 1: for all your support here for not only this podcast, 338 00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:02,479 Speaker 1: but everything we got going on on Cal's network and 339 00:18:02,520 --> 00:18:06,359 Speaker 1: in the broader meat eater sphere here. We really appreciate 340 00:18:06,440 --> 00:18:09,960 Speaker 1: you checking out the website for articles, you know, how 341 00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:14,120 Speaker 1: to articles, recipes. There's a ton of podcasts on there 342 00:18:14,160 --> 00:18:15,600 Speaker 1: in case you need to kill some time when you're 343 00:18:15,600 --> 00:18:18,320 Speaker 1: taking a road trip out to bird hunt somewhere, and 344 00:18:18,359 --> 00:18:20,360 Speaker 1: a heck of a lot of videos to check out 345 00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:22,000 Speaker 1: if you're bored at work and your boss isn't going 346 00:18:22,040 --> 00:18:23,879 Speaker 1: to walk into your office, so you can head on 347 00:18:23,920 --> 00:18:25,800 Speaker 1: over to the mediater dot com and check those out. 348 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:27,919 Speaker 1: But again, thank you so much for your support.