[nagdu] stress and nervousness

[Sheila Leigland]

Hi, great suggestions in stress management. Tres got confused the other day and started to fuss so I think some of this could help him and me regain some confidence in our teamwork. Thanks so much.

-----Original Message-----
From: Tamara Smith-Kinney <tamara.8024 at comcast.net>
Sent: Friday, May 06, 2011 12:12 PM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,	the National Association of Guide Dog Users' <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [nagdu] stress and nervousness

Marsha,

Yikes!  Poor Emma!  Poor you!

Okay, here is what I have learned from my poodle and my partner's hound
about stress management with dogs.

1.  An herbal anti-anxiety formula like Rescue Remedy or Happy Traveler is
your best friend.  Or, if you prefer to work with your vet on a prescription
medication, an equivalent to Xanax for humans is a good first step.  The
thing you're doing with that is cutting down or even eliminate the
neurochemical flight/fight reactions behind the behavioral problems they
create.  Blocking that chemical reaction allows the dog (or human in the
case of PTSD and/or an anxiety disorder) to face the trigger rationally and
physically relaxed.  So it's a good place to start when dealing with the
kind of anxiety you're describing in Emma.

2.  Lots of physical love.  Cuddles, snuggles, happy warm loving talk,
calming strokes, praise, play, all the good happy things a dog needs to feel
comforted and reassured.  Any play and exercise you can give your dog,
especially if you work in interactions from you and that provide an
opportunity to praise and laugh and smile and ooh and aah over every little
thing...  Giving your dog all the comfort and reassurance and joy and
playful exercise you can fit into your busy schedule will go a long, long
way.  Again, you're working on a neurochemical response in the dog's brain
to counteract the unhealthy chemicals from the stress.  You're giving your
dog endorphins.  Also, you're rebuilding the trust between both of you and
reaffirming your teamwork and interactions through play.

3.  When you're at rest your dog, work in calming touch and a calming voice
through grooming and stroking.  Simple things to do would include light
massage at the base of the ears, stroking of the ears, running two fingers
lightly from the brow back along the spine to the tail, stuff like that.
This will also give you a chance to learn what calms your dog and what her
body and energy feel like when she is calm.  Putting your hand over her ribs
to get a feel for her resting heart rate is good, too, so that you can tell
when the heart speeds up at the onset of an anxiety attack.  When you pick
up the changes in body stress while Emma is in harness, you can stop and
praise and use your calming voice and touch while leaning over her to feel
her heart rate while you work to slow it down by the techniques you've been
using by being lovey and all that.  /smile/  With a dog, your leaning over
her in a gentle but firm way also communicates that you are in charge, the
pack leader, the dog doesn't have to worry because you have it under
control, etc.  You're not trying to dominate the dog in an aggressive way,
just being gently firm enough to communicate that you have it under control
and that you are in charge in the teamwork.  While feeling the heart rate to
better understand how to help your dog return to calm confidence.

4.  Pull back as much as you can from the work stress.  Praise your dog like
the wind for little successes you would normally take for granted.  Low cal
tasty treats as a reward, especially in conjunction with a clicker if you
have one and are comfortable with that style of positive reinforcement can
go a long, long way.  You're creating a more positive psychology to overcome
the strees trigger while also giving your dog a nice shot of endorphins to
overcome the stress chemicals.  So you're moving things along in the right
direction on several levels without having to put in a lot of energy or
creating a lot of fuss in your working environments.  To everyone else
around you, it just looks like you're taking a pause to be nice to your dog