Summer Time Fun
I hope you are all enjoying the June Training Challenge!
I am loving seeing what you are all getting up to.
Summer is often a hard time for people to stick with training classes as the pull to get outside and enjoy the world pushes training down the priority list. So each year to keep things fun I offer the Hiker Pup Academy Photo Scavenger Hunt. Capture photos of your dog from things on the list and post them to the FB group, or your IG account and tag #thehikerpupacademy @thehikerpup so I get to see your photos.
The rules are simple, be kind and encouraging to your dog, so no unhappy dogs just so you can get the shot. Be respectful to the environment and wildlife, tread lightly as you take those photos. You have all summer to work on the list.
There is a list for reactive dogs to give you some ideas of things you could pursue adventuring with them, you do not have to get photos of everything on the reactive dog hunt, just check off that box as things happen.
Traveling with your dog? Did you see the blog post on the main Hiker Pup Blog with tips and suggestions? Check it out . The Hiker Pup Blog
This week’s zoom class is tomorrow morning (Tuesday 8am pacific time)
The subject is pattern games. We will work on a series of pattern games that can help you get better focus with your dogs. The class will be offered again later in the month on the weekend if you cannot make tomorrow morning 🙂
4th of July: have you prepared your dog’s for the possibility of firework sounds yet?
If you have a puppy and this will be their first 4th of July in the US have you been working the sound desensitizing playlists? If not, start NOW. Prevention is so much easier than fixing it when it becomes a problem.
4th of July to do list:
work a sound desensitizing program (see tips below)
talk to your vet NOW about having some meds at home incase they are struggling- (make sure they give you anxiety meds not just a sedative ) Even if you think your dog will be ok, you don’t want to find yourself with a completely panicked dog with no way to help them at 10pm on a holiday.
do NOT leave your dogs home alone, especially their first 4th. If you have to leave them: put them in a safe secure room without windows to the outside (I have assisted suturing dogs up that have jumped through glass windows during a panic) with white noise on. If you know your dog is afraid of loud noises, just don’t leave them alone, they need you.
if your dog is very sensitive consider renting a cabin or going camping where perhaps fireworks are not allowed if that is an option for you.
load up your freezer with stuffed Kongs, get a snuffle mat and/or stock up on chews.
make time in the early part of the day to get your dog some good exercise!
Sound desensitizing:
The key to desensitizing is that the volume of the noise needs to be so low at the start you are not even sure if the dog hears it. If your dog is hearing the sound and responding with stress, then continuing can actually sensitize them instead of desensitize them. Playing noises at loud volumes for a long time is flooding, not desensitizing. And we do not want to approach treating sound anxiety like that as you can make things worse rather than better. A prevention program can move a lot faster than a program for a dog that is already exhibiting anxiety to noises. So the steps will be the same, but with a prevention program with a puppy with no previous issues you can often work a program in just a couple weeks. With an already anxious dog it can take many months.
STEP 1
go to the sound playlist I’ve collected and find the fireworks recordings (or any other sound you might be needing to work on)
play the recording on the lowest volume setting on your: phone, tv, computer, stereo, etc. (if using your phone or computer, set them up on a shelf or counter so it is not right in the dog’s view)
do something fun with your dog: play with them, train fun stuff, give them snuffle mats, chews, etc.
timing matters: start the sounds and then do the fun stuff, not the other way around
if your dog responds at all- even if they do not look worried, see if you can move the sound further away (or move the dog) so the sound is further away and see if they stop responding at all.
if the dog is not responding to the noises, continue your fun stuff for 5-10 minutes, then you’re done.
If your dog showed NO response to the noise, then move to step 2, if they did respond repeat step 1 with your sound source on lowest setting further away from the dog.
STEP 2
as above, but click up the volume on click, and repeat the fun stuff for 5-10 minutes
To continue keep at each session clicking the volume up only 1 click as long as the dog showed NO responses during the previous session. Keep sessions 5-10 minutes long. The idea is the sound is back ground noise, so faint to begin the dog doesn’t notice it, and then we slowly bring the noise more into the scene, but with keeping the dog engaged in something and not noticing.
Move the source of the sound around: sometimes on your phone, sometimes on the computer, the tv, etc. Move where you set the phone or computer so the sound is not always originating from the same spot.
**If at any point the dog shows a response to the noise as you are working, lower the volume back down, if they noticed but were not stressed you can continue, if they go stressed stop that session.
If you are doing this right, the first 2-3 sessions you might feel like you are not actually doing anything and might think the dog doesn’t hear the sound. That is perfect! Just keep going.
With a puppy or new dog with no known sound sensitivity you should be able to just keep clicking your volume up to real life levels in successive sessions with no issue. If they do start responding then you need to slow down. If you cruise through the volume levels with no issues keep doing the sessions 2-3 times a week until the 4th, that way the noises on the 4th are a normal thing for them.
For an already sound sensitive dog this is a very low slow game, do not rush it! Events will push you back, and so when they have a scary event when you work again, set the volume low again.
COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS:
My dog knows the difference between the TV and real life- it’s true, they can work on that, so mix it up between your phone, computer and TV. The TV is usually the sounds your dog has already desensitized themselves to since we play it so often. So often using a phone, computer to portable speakers can help. Don’t work holding the phone in your hand, put it up high enough the dog is not seeing the phone. And even if they work out the difference, it still helps! It is more positive experiences with that type of noise.
How do I know if my dog hears it? Don’t worry about it, just keep working, with the gradually increasing volume you will know they hear it.
Can I use food if my dog won’t play? Yes, just make sure you get that timing, food happens AFTER the noise, and use the food to DO SOMETHING, reward a trick, etc- we want to move the dog’s mind into a state where they are engaged.
If your dog is already anxious and has many sounds you need to work on, work one sound at a time!
Pick the sound that most impacts their daily life. Once you get that sound up to a normal level, then add a new sound, and keep working them like that, one at a time.
After you get going on this I will give you more pointers on what to do when your dog is scared and how to address that. But for now let’s focus on our prevention!!!
