Author: Rachael

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Fireworks Fright and Dogs 4 – Using Tellington TTouch to Calm Your Dog

What is TTouch and how does it work?

Tellington TTouch is an easily learnt technique that can have a dramatic effect on your animal’s wellbeing.  Tension within your dog’s body can cause them to react in a fearful or anxious way to situations (such as loud noises or trips to the vet); removing this tension using light circular TTouches and reconnecting their brains with their bodies allows them to think and cope better in potentially frightening situations.

The premise is that tension within the body (physical) creates an imbalance that manifests in behaviour, confidence, and/or health. This implies that by resolving the bodily tension, other issues can be relieved. Tension, or tightness, can be held within the body long after the cause has stopped, whether it’s from injury, anxiety/stress, or just the day-to-day rough and tumble that our dogs get up to from the day they are born.

Using TTouch for Firework Fears in Dogs

Tension associated with sound sensitivity may be found around the ears, back of the neck and top of the head, and it’s wonderful to watch a dog relax into TTouch Ear-Work. The following video demonstrates how to do it:-

I advise practicing this every day, whenever you can. Relaxation has a cumulative effect, and the more we do it (plural) the more it sticks and becomes the new habit to hold within the body.

Checklist for Tellington TTouch

  • Make contact with both hands
  • Mindful strokes over the dog’s body
  • Imagine a clock face, where 6 is towards the ground, and 12 is towards the sky
  • Create tiny one and a quarter clockwise circles using just enough pressure to move the skin. If you find your fingers slipping over the fur, you are either using too little pressure, or doing too large circles (aim for 1/4” to start)
  • Focus on keeping the circle round and even
  • Take between 1 and 3 seconds per circle
  • Move your fingers along and create another circle and a quarter
  • Observe your dog’s responses. You are aiming for them to be calm, relaxed and relatively still. Any movement and return to an area where they were still for you. Return to the spot which elicited a movement and see if they move again. If they do, make a mental note that there may be tension there and work your way back gradually.
  • Try different speeds and pressures to find if your dog has a preference.
  • Support the ear with one hand, and work the circles or slides with the other.
  • Remember to breathe and be mindful. Place your focus on what you are feeling in your hands, with light attention on the dog’s response.
  • Did I say breathe?
  • If you are able to do circular movements on the gums, you may need a dish of water to moisten your fingers if the gums are dry.
  • Try a soft brush (like a blusher brush) on the face, or a soft cloth to make the circles with if your dog is particularly sensitive.
  • Finish the session with more mindful strokes.

If you are unsure about what you are doing, which is completely natural when you start, watch the video again, then practice the circles on your arm; play around with the pressure, and the speed to experience how they feel. Work on your own ears and face.

If you are still unsure and would like to know more, go to http://ttouchtteam.co.uk/Prac_search.shtml to find a local practitioner. Many run workshops to help with firework fright too.

When to do it and frequency –

Now, it’s time to call your dog to you, to get them comfortable and to give it a go. Start with a couple of circles, then give them a short break to process them. Do a couple more with a short break and just see where you end up. I recommend starting to use Ear Work as soon as you can, do it at least daily, and then, during fireworks season, get yourselves comfortable around dusk and have a session before the noises start. If anything goes “bang” while you are working on them, just exhale, look away, and soften your shoulders. If your dog is happy to stay with you, carry on with the TTouches, if not, just let them go to their dens.

Rachael

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Firework Fright and Dogs 3 – Building a Den

If your dogs are anything like mine, and many others, as soon as there is a bang, they will head off for somewhere dark, enclosed, and small! Meg used to go under my chest of drawers until I made her a cosy den with a crate, a duvet and lots of padding.

The following video shows how to create a safe haven during fireworks season.

 

The things to remember are:

  • set the den up in a quiet corner, in the main room if that is where they like to be;
  • if you are using a crate, cover as much of it as you can with a duvet or blankets, to ensure most of the light is blocked out, and any sounds are well muffled;
  • consider using old pillows to create bumpers around the inside which will give your dog something to push their backs into;
  • pad the bottom well, and use enough bedding that they will be comfortable, without getting too hot or too chilly;
  • give them something to chew whilst in there (like a stuffed Kong, knuckle bone, etc.);
  • keep the entrance accessible, but easy to cover over when the dog is in;
  • if there are lights near the den, switch them off when the dog is in residence;
  • Rules one, two and three are – WHEN YOUR DOG IS IN THEIR DEN – DO NOT DISTURB. No peeking, no poking, no nuffink! Leave them alone! It’s THEIR space. If they want your company, they will find you.
  • Breathe.

If you have no access to a crate or handy chest of drawers as in the video, use your imagination. You can drape a duvet over the back of a sofa and create a tube/tunnel with the bed tucked inside, of kit out a large cardboard box. Go and have fun with it.

Encourage your dog inside their new safe place with treats, or by tossing a toy in. Don’t worry if they show little interest in it to start with -it’s just to let them know it’s there.

Enjoy the process…

Meg in her den

Meg in her den

 

Rachael

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Firework Fright and Dogs 2 – Body Language

Who’s watching who?

Eye contact is a very human thing; we seek it out to help us “read” the other person, they are, after all, the windows of the soul. Are they happy, sad, telling the truth, needing reassurance? The animals in our home become pseudo-humans and eye-contact becomes the norm. Dogs get used to it.

Or do they?

Most of the time, yes, they do, and the majority are completely comfortable with it. However, and this is a major point, there are times when eye-contact is just plain inappropriate. Instead of reassuring them, we will add to their anxiety and help to confirm that there is something to be scared about.

How does this work?

Every day our dogs check in on us to see what response from them is called for. If they see us carry on on with our daily business (I.e paying no heed to the stimulus) and also paying the dog no heed, then the dog assumes there’s no big deal and they carry on with whatever they were doing (sleeping, looking out of the window, chewing the table-leg, etc.).

Some dog trainers and behaviourists have interpreted this process and drawn the conclusion that the dog needs to be ignored. I completely and utterly disagree with this conclusion. Have you ever been ignored, and felt frustration and rejection? Its unpleasant. Why be unpleasant to your dog, especially at this time of year when anxiety levels are potentially rising?

The process of using eye-contact applied to firework fears is this –

  • **BANG**
  • Dog looks to the person and seeks eye-contact (the question being asked is, that big noise there, sounded scary. How are you reacting? Are you scared too?)

The choice for the person now is :

Either – look at the dog (this gives the dog the message – that big noise there, sounded scary. How are you reacting? Are you scared too? I.e what are YOU going to do about that big scary noise out there?

= PRESSURE ON THE DOG TO MAKE A DECISION

Or – look away from the dog (giving the message, nope, didn’t hear anything that bothered me. Everything is completely right with the world)

= DECISION MADE. NO STRESS. STAND DOWN.

When my Meg was a tiny pup (I think she was about 9 or 10 weeks old), I was asleep on the sofa with her one night and there was a huge thunderstorm. Having had a dog who was terrified of thunder and fireworks, I was determined to avoid this from a very early age, so when I felt her head lift up I knew what I had to do.

I looked away from her.

That’s all I did. I just looked away.

I could feel her looking at my face for a moment longer, then her head returned to my chest and she was snoring gently moments later.

**BANG**. Problem? No problem.

If this is your dog or puppy’s firework’s season, it’s a great foundation to build for them.

Just look away. Avoid eye contact.

If you know you have a sound sensitive dog, throughout the fireworks season, each time your dog seeks your eyes, just look away. Turn your eyes, and your head away. If they continue to look at your face, then turn your eyes and head in the opposite direction.

Instruct anyone in house (whether resident or visiting) to avoid eye contact with your animals. It’s far better phrased as something to do (after all, if I ask to not to think about Elvis up a tree in a Superman outfit strumming a purple cat, what are you thinking about?) as opposed to not do.

NOTE – many of our dogs seek eye contact for other reasons too, often to say “I love you” or “where’s my dinner?”. It needs to be in context. If there’s stuff going on “out there” that could be perceived as a cause for anxiety, then look away. If it’s feeding time, or your hound is feeling like sharing the lurv, then you choose. My advice to anyone with a particularly anxious dog is to just go for no eye-contact until the season is over – just in case.

The second, and very important part of this process is –

BREATHE – GODDAMIT, BREATHE!

When our companions are struggling we feel for them, and so desperately want them to cope and feel calm again. In this process WE get tense and forget to breathe, or our breathing gets very shallow. Guess what? Our dogs pick up on this and adds to their anxiety, which makes us more tense and so on.

  • Break the cycle and BREATHE.

HOMEWORK

Practice this – every time your dog looks at you or you look at your dog’s face, look away from their eyes. Really turn your head to one side, then turn to the other, and see how they respond.

While you are turning your head away, exhale through your mouth. Make it so your dog can hear you exhale.

Each time you turn away, exhale.

Simple as that – turn away and exhale. Breathe.

When the fireworks start this evening, and you feel your dog looking to you, you’ll know exactly what to do.

AVOID EYE CONTACT, TURN YOUR EYES AND HEAD AWAY TO ONE SIDE. EXHALE. BREATHE.

You can continue your conversation, you can talk to the dog, you can be singing along to X-Factor, or doing a tango around the living room

Have fun this evening!

Mutley says, have fun this evening!

to Strictly. Life continues. Everyone is safe.

Enjoy yourselves!

Rachael

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Firework Fright and Dogs – Safety First.

The smell of autumn is tickling our senses, as well as those of our dogs. Those who are fearful of the loud bangs know that Fireworks Season has returned. Dogs learn by association, so their anticipation will be rising – autumnal smells, the nights drawing in, the fire being lit or the heating being turned on. Having been through a tough time last year with your dog, your feelings will be rising too; I hear so much anger expressed about the public displays, and the general public having access to explosives (that’s another topic, and I promise to keep off my soapbox), because so many of our companions struggle at this time of year. This anger and frustration will be felt by them too, so if you are able to,

 

  • Keep calm and focus on getting your animals comfortable.

 

As we cannot stop the fireworks, we need to find ways to keep our dogs (and cats) comfortable, calm and safe. There are actually several things we can do to support, calm and protect.

 

I will start with “protect”. Here are 7 things you can be getting on with now:-

 

  • Call your dog(s) to you and check their collar(s). Are there any nicks in the webbing/leather or signs of wear? Is the ring damaged? If yes to either of these questions, consider replacing the collar. Tighten up the collar to ensure it’s harder to slip out of (not too tight – they still need to breathe and be comfortable, but not so loose that it can slide off over their ears).
  • Equipment – check leads and harnesses as you did the collar. Any damage causes a weakness and damaged webbing can snap. Replace if necessary.
  • Contact details. If your dog hasn’t got a ID tag, get one sorted TODAY! You can buy them online, from many pet stores, and key cutters will make one up cheaply too. Check that the attaching ring is strong and hasn’t been caught on anything which may have started to open it up. I have lost several this way (two last year from attaching the lead to it instead of the collar by mistake!).
  • Buy a second, narrow collar for your dog, attach the dog tag to it and place this collar BELOW the one you attach the lead to. This will
    Mutley sporting his double collar.

    Mutley sporting his double collar.

    ensure that if your dog panics and slips out of their main collar they at least will still have a form of ID.

  • Microchip – if your dog has one, contact the company they are registered with and check that your details are up to date. It’s a brilliant system, but you can only be found if your address and telephone number are correct. Make it easy for the wardens, vets and rescue centres. If you are unsure of the number, your vet surgery will be happy to scan your dog and give it to you and tell you the name of the company whose chip it is. Many independent rescue centres have a chip registered to them – it’s always worth checking that the rescue is still operating. If your dog DOESN’T have a microchip, book them in and get one done. Most rehoming centres do them, and all vets.
  • Consider a harness and a double-ended lead; attach one end of the lead to the harness, and the other to the collar. This is double-bubble, and should ensure that if they do bolt and slip out of one, you will be able to hold them with the other. We (obviously) use the Mekuti Balance Harness as it’s been tested on those notorious escapologists – sighthounds – and, when it’s adjusted correctly, is very difficult to reverse out of.
  • Garden – check your fence/perimeter for any holes (either in it or underneath), or places where your dog can climb onto something like a table, bench, or stump, to give them a boost over the top. Move what you can away from the edges (stumps are tricky); dogs can be pretty inventive when they have to be (trying to get the image of a pole-vaulting dog out of my head). My advice is only allow your dog to be loose in the garden in the daytime, and away from dusk. The rest of the time have them on lead, or on a long line if they need space. Whilst checking the garden, look at the latches on your gates to ensure it cannot accidentally be left open. Always latch it behind you and check it’s closed.

 

The above may seem like minor things to be doing, but they are aimed at reducing the likelihood of your dog escaping from you, but, if they do, increase the likelihood that they will be returned home. There are too many dogs in rescue who are microchipped but their details are out of date so their distraught owners cannot be traced. Don’t be one of them. A small investment of time can make all the difference. A terrified dog can run a very long way and take themselves out of their usual territory making it hard to find their way back – they cannot think in this state as everything is reaction / adrenalin and the brain is unable to take in the details of where they have travelled.

 

This weekend, sort out ID, microchip details, collars, leads and harnesses, then into your garden for a quick check.

 

My next post will cover what you can do to help your dog to feel more relaxed when the fireworks are actually going off.

Rachael

 

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Firework Fright – Creating a Safe Place to Hide

At times of high anxiety and fear the urge is strong to find somewhere to hide away; for cats it’s somewhere up high, like the tops of wardrobes or kitchen cupboards, but for dogs it’s in small dark places, like behind the sofa, under a table or squeezed into that impossible place under the chest of drawers (how do they make themselves so small?).

Our job is to make this job a little easier for them and this week I’d like you to think about where their safe place or den might be, and to make it a reality for them. The considerations are these –

* Away from the main footfall in the house (avoid corridors, doorways, children’s toyboxes, etc) so a little used corner can be good

* Somewhere easy to cover up – I use a crate, but a table can be utilised, or behind a sofa;

* Away from a window to help minimise the amount of sound and the flashing reaching your dog;

* Away from the temptation of householders to peek into the den and check on the dog (especially children) – eye-contact and the importance of avoiding it at times of stress is covered in a later post.

*Somewhere that your dog is able to snuggle their back into at least two sides; this reduces their sense of vulnerability.

 

Once you have your location identified, it’s time to turn it into their safe and comfortable place.

*Place something soft on the ground (we have an old sofa cushion – the one which survived a naughty lurcher).

*Roll up an old blanket to create a nesting area; some dogs like it partially rolled and partially flat so that they can dig it into the shape they prefer.

*Find an old duvet – larger the better – and cover the whole area; if it’s a crate, ensure that it drapes over all of the sides and over the front too. No gaps, except at the entrance which you can find a way of propping it open, then when they are in residence you can quietly drop it down to give them a safe enclosure, but you also need to ensure that they can breathe. When it’s time for them to come out they will just push the duvet with their nose and come out (remember to prop it open again once they are out so they can return as and when necessary).

The duvet serves a multiple purpose – it muffles any sound; it blocks out the flashes (which is why it’s important to check it’s completely covered); it creates warmth – the body temperature can drop with fear; it prevents any other stimuli which could be disturbing – like eye-contact or visual cues from the handler.

*Some dogs are able to chew when they are coming down from a period of anxiety, and it can help them calm, so consider getting a Kong, smearing something like peanut butter or Primula cheese (any squeezy cheese is good) on the inside, and popping it into the den when the fireworks are due to start. This should be the only visit you make to the den when your dog is in there.

If you are using a crate for their den, it’s important to leave the door open to ensure the dog is able to move around and find another safe place if this one feels unsafe in any way. If they feel trapped it will increase their anxiety levels to unacceptable levels. Let them move around unencumbered and without eye-contact. If they move somewhere else, so long as it’s safe for them to stay there, leave them there (Meg used to disappear behind the TV and was in danger of pulling the set down on her once so we had to encourage her to move somewhere else – a challenging task when she transformed into a snarling mass of teeth and fur).

HOUSE RULES WHEN YOUR DOG IS IN THE DEN

1. DO NOT DISTURB THEM.

 

Happy den hunting.

Rachael