High energy breeds of dog might find it hard to settle down at home. Sometimes it feels like they’re always waiting for something fun to happen, never fully relaxing.
Relaxation Protocol
- Help your dog to practice calm behaviour at home
- Reduce overexcited behaviour
- Can progress to teaching them to be calm even in exciting places like parks or training classes
This is a great training plan devised by Dr. Karen Overall, called the Relaxation Protocol. You can teach your dog to chill out on a mat in short, easy sessions, and the steps take the guesswork out of when to increase the challenge for your dog.
I recommend the free audio version, which you can listen to like a podcast, so that you can easily follow the steps without the faff of having to check a paper plan and use a timer. Basically, you have your dog lie or sit on a mat, and reward them after short durations or small distractions. You progress through the steps until your dog is chilling even when you leave the room and knock on a door.
What You Will Need
- A comfy mat for your dog to lie on (eg. a nonslip bathmat)
- Something to listen to the training sessions on (phone)
- Small, medium-value treats
You can do this training once per day, progressing through the steps. The protocol asks for a sit, but you can ask your dog to lie down instead.
The amazing thing about this training plan is that it progresses to you leaving the room, knocking on doors, and moving around – which are usually big triggers for excitement!
Note: if this training doesn’t help your dog to relax, it may mean there is an underlying issue that needs investigating!