Relaxation protocol
What is the relaxation protocol anyway?
There are many things that we as pet owners believe are important to teach our dogs. A few key ones that come to mind are:
sit
stay
down
loose leash walking
no jumping up
What about teaching our dogs how to relax? Just because your dog is holding a down-stay, does not mean that she is relaxed!
This has got to be one of the most important things that we can teach our puppies (or adult dogs)! Veterinary behaviourist, Dr. Karen Overall published a training tool in 1997 called The Protocol for Relaxation. We know what you’re thinking - 1997?! Is this even still relevant? We can assure you that absolutely, yes, this is not only still relevant but should be a part of every dog owners training plan!
The Protocol for Relaxation is broken down into a 15 day training program, with different exercises daily. The protocol is something that you will want to repeat with your dog in different scenarios, until they have learned what it means to relax.
Protocol for Relaxation
By Dr. Karen L. Overall
Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Small Animals, 1997
This program is the foundation for all other behavior modification programs. Its purpose is to teach the dog to sit and stay while relaxing in a variety of circumstances. The circumstances change from very reassuring ones with you present to potentially more stressful ones when you are absent. The purpose of the program is not to teach the dog to sit; sitting (or lying down, if the dog is more comfortable) is only a tool. The goals of the program are to teach the dog to relax, to defer to you, to enjoy earning a salary for an appropriate, desirable behavior, and to develop, as a foundation, a pattern of behaviors that allow the dog to cooperate with future behavior modification (generally desensitization and counter conditioning). This protocol acts as a foundation for teaching the dog context-specific appropriate behavior. The focus is to teach the dog to rely on you for all the cues as to the appropriateness of its behavior so that it can then learn not to react inappropriately.
About Food Treats
This program uses food treats. Remember, the treats are used as a salary or reward-not as a bribe. If you bribe a problem dog, you are defeated before you start. It is often difficult to work with a problem dog that has learned to manipulate bribes, but there are creative ways. First, find a food that the dog likes and that it does not usually experience.
Consider the following guidelines in choosing a food reward:
1. Foods that are high in protein may help induce changes in brain chemistry that help the dog relax
2. Dog biscuits generally are not sufficient motivation, but some foods are so desirable that the dog is too stimulated by them to relax - something between these two extremes is preferred
3. Treats should be tiny (less than half the size of a thumbnail) so that the dog does not get full, fat, or bored
4. If the dog stops responding for one kind of treat, try another
Remember the following guidelines:
• Use the dog's name to get the dog to orient toward you and to pay attention. If this does not work, use a whistle or a sound to which the dog is not accustomed.
• Once the dog is attending to you (paying attention) say "sit" and give the dog 3 to 5 seconds to respond. If the dog does sit, reward it instantly; if not, repeat the "sit" command in the same calm, cheerful voice. You may want to experiment with voices to see the tonal qualities to which your dog best responds.
• Do not worry about using the dog's name frequently or about repeating the commands if the dog responds. This is not obedience class, but if you later wish to take the dog to obedience class, the dog will do well if it did well on these programs. Making the adjustment will not be a problem.
• Do not chase the dog around the room to try to get it to comply with you. If necessary, choose a small room with minimal distractions and use a leash.
Note that you talk nonstop to the dog during these programs.
This type of talking is not allowed in obedience classes but is desperately needed with inexperienced puppies and problem dogs. These dogs need all the cues that they can get. They need the constant guidance and reassurance of hearing your voice with clear instructions. These instructions and reassurances should occur in the context of shaping or gradually guiding their behavior toward more appropriate behaviors. You will have to learn to read subtle cues that your dog is giving and use these to your advantage. You will find it easier than you believe.
The one thing that you absolutely cannot do is to talk a continuous stream to the dog without receiving the context-appropriate responses to your requests. If you rush through everything, you will only stress the dog and teach it to ignore everything you say. This is not good.
Do not push or pull on your dog or tug on its collar to get the dog to sit/down.
These types of behaviors can be viewed as challenges by some dogs and may make them potentially dangerous.
Do not wave your hands or the treat around in front of the dog.
This acts as a distraction and confuses the dog. Part of the point of this program is to make the dog calmer and less confused. Excitable behavior on your part or unclear signals can make your dog more anxious. This does not help. It is important to be calm. Your dog will make mistakes. This does not reflect on you. Problem dogs and new puppies require a lot of patience. The people who have had the most success with these protocols have been those who work the hardest and most consistently.
Do not let your dog be a jack-in-the-box.
You must control the situation, and you must achieve that control by convincing the dog to defer to you. If the dog gets up to get the treat every time it is offered, the dog just controlled the situation. If the dog does this, consider whether you were too far away from the dog when you offered the treat. If so, move closer. Ideally, the dog should be able to get the treat just by stretching its neck. The dog should not need to get up. If you have a small dog, this may mean that you need to squat down to offer the reward. Be careful if the dog is aggressive because your face is now close to the dog. If you are close enough for the dog to do the exercise properly and the dog still gets up, close your hand over the treat and say no. One advantage of holding the treat in this manner is that you can safely deny the dog the treat as the last second if the dog acts inappropriately.
If you accidentally drop a food treat and the dog gets up to get it, do not correct the dog (the dog did not make the mistake and you did not deliberately drop the treat). Just start at the last point.
If you’ve made it this far, you’re ready to check out Dr. Karen Overall’s Protocol for Relaxation! If you have any questions at all, please reach out to your trainer for advice.