Clean Run - June 2019 - 38

Face the Fear!

How to Address a Dog's Fear,
Anxiety, and Stress in the Ring | Part 2
By Bobbie Bhambree, photos by Clean Run except where noted
© MATT ALLISON PHOTOGRAPHY

The agility environment is a challenging
place for any dog, but if a dog is anxious, fearful, or stressed, the challenge
can increase tenfold. In the context of
agility, there is often more than one trigger (other dogs, people, sounds, crowds,
etc.), which can make addressing behavior problem problems diﬃcult. When I
work on an anxiety problem with a pet
client living in the suburbs, the trigger
is usually specific so I can target it in the
dog's behavior modification program.
But there is so much going on in the
agility environment that it's impossible
to address a specific trigger. This is a
similar experience for my pet clients
who live in urban areas; there is also
much more going on. Through working
with my dog Marvel, as well as clients
who live in urban areas, I learned that
you have to get creative when addressing a dog's fears and anxiety in the agility environment.
Last month, we looked at some of the science you need to understand before you
can begin addressing your dog's fear, anxiety, and stress. We also covered some key
components of behavior modification that
I implement with my clients. Now that
you have this understanding, let's focus
on the games I use with my dogs and with
clients' dogs to put these concepts into
practice. I call them "core games."
Your dog may already be well-versed in
one or more of these games. If that's the
case, you can use the game as a refresher
and also increase the challenge of the
game by playing it in different environments, such as outside at a park or even
at a trial (but in a quiet area of the trial).
Just be sure to stick to environments
without triggers at this point.
38

Chill Out
I combined an exercise that I have been
teaching my clients for years with longtime dog trainer and behavior expert
Suzanne Clothier's Really Real Relaxation
Protocol. The resulting Chill Out game
can help reduce your dog's anxiety and
stress in a variety of ways and settings.
The goal is to teach your dog to chill out
and find emotional and mental relaxation through his own choices. You will
also learn to relax, which over time, will
signal to your dog to relax.
Your dog will learn how to self-modulate
through volunteered behaviors. He will
also learn how to manage his arousal,
using this game as an "off button." He
will be able to go from active or intense
to relaxed and quiet. But this takes time.
You will have to practice this game
regularly in quiet environments, such
as your home. Once you see signals that
your dog is genuinely relaxing-such as
taking a deep breath, putting his head
down, blinking slowly, or decreasing facial tension-you can practice the game
in more stimulating environments.
How does Chill Out support agility
training?
* Teaches your dog how to settle while
ringside.
* Teaches your dog how to turn on
and turn off.
Teaching the game
Sit in a chair and step on your dog's
leash. Give him enough slack so that he
can sit, stand, or lie down comfortably,
but he cannot jump up on you or leave.
We want to encourage your dog to lie

down, so put out something soft for him
to lie on, such as a towel or blanket.
Wait for your dog to lie down. Do not verbally cue the behavior because this game
isn't about training a down-stay at your
feet-it's about relaxation, which addresses
your dog's mental state. If he is unable to
offer a down within a couple of minutes,
you can lure him into a down, but don't do
this more than a couple times.
As soon as he lies down, reward him by
placing a treat on the floor between his
front paws. It is important to place the
treat on the floor because if you hand
it to him while he is learning this new
game, he is more likely to stand up. Get
Clean Run | June 19

Clean Run - June 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run - June 2019