Pied Piper Adventures
Happy Dog, Happy Days
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Step 3. Providing peaceful Adventures
Step 3.
Cultivating Peace
Anxiety/Stress is a fearful state triggered by an "anticipated" threat. Therefore, by offering our pets a peaceful adventure of the mind and body they are free to be present, escaping all mental worry and naturally utilising any built-up stressful energy.
A peaceful adventure can be anything that guides an animals mind and body into the present moment and offers an opportunity to express their natural behaviours in a safe and enjoyable way. Some potent peaceful adventures for dogs include those which stimulate thier natural seeking, play and learning behaviours. Consistent direction and encouragement of peaceful behaviours is also a highly effective way of helping your dog learn to feel safe, present and peaceful (far away from fear and worry).
Peaceful Adventures
1. Seeking/sniffing
2. Nature walks/runs
3. Learning & direction
4. Sweet talk & love pats
5. Companionship
6. Playing
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How to do it?
Treats, treats, treats & more treats
Treats, treats and more treats!
By delightfully stimulating our senses, we can easily escape from our anxious minds into the present moment. Incorporate treats into the peaceful adventures listed below and you will double the potency of their effect (quickly teaching your dog that it really does pay to be peaceful).
Offer treats only to your dog when they are being calm, and watch how quickly they evolve. If you are offering treats from your hand, first make your dog sit and offer it to them in a closed fist with the verbal command "gentle". Once your dog is sniffing gently at your hand open it "slowly" (one finger at a time) allowing them to gently sniff and lick the treat out. Every moment that your dog is resting in peaceful presence their stress level is winding down, making for a happy and responsive dog.
Seeking/Sniffing
Make them work for their food (just like in nature).
Scatter meals and treats all over the home and garden and let them seek.
Get a snuffle rug, or treat dispenser.
Nature Walks/Runs
By offering your dog a peaceful nature adventure (open sky, no walls), with the freedom to move and express their natural behaviours, you are indeed serving up a potent medicine for anxiety/stress.
Physical exercise is an easy and safe way to burn off that excess anxious energy. If your dog is prone to separation anxiety/stress, it would be extremely helpful to offer them an adventure before you leave the house.
Learning & Direction
Dogs are highly intelligent, capable and willing to learn. Offer your dog an adventure of the mind by teaching them new peaceful, polite and playful behaviours. By regularly guiding and encouraging our dogs in this way, we are helping them build confidence and independence (both certain to help manage anxiety).
Some valuable words for peaceful guidance:
Gentle, Rest - bed, mat, here - stay, wait - sit, touch, paw - okay, let's go, go play - stop, leave it - no thank you, nope, out.
Sweet Talk & Love Pats
A few moments of peaceful physical connection and sweet talk is another easy way to bring your anxious dog into a peaceful state (helping them escape their worries). Try doing this for 1 minute a day and watch your dog rapidly become more peaceful and responsive. Given enough practice, you will soon be able to use your "sweet talk" and "love pats" as a potent way of preventing and or diffusing your pup's anxiety when they are feeling triggered
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Some sweet words you can share with your dog:
"you are safe, you are free" - "thank you, for always trying your best" - "thank you for loving me unconditionally" - "you are my hero" - "together we can do anything"
Don't forget to try to use your sweetest, softest voice when communicating with your anxious dog. This is proven to reduce anxiety in dogs, while lower or higher tones can be very triggering.
Companionship
Offer your dog a peaceful companion to help keep them present and out of their anxious mind when you're not around to help them. A cat can be a great example of peace and independence for your anxious dog.
Playing
Toys! Toys! Toys!
Your dog's toy needs to be an adventure of the senses. An easy way to do this is by getting a bunch of different toys, keeping the majority in a toy box (out of reach) and offering only one or two toys a day, rotating them daily.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you