Just like us, our dogs are facing some mental health issues. To simply jump right into it, things like anxiety, insecurity, lack of confidence, fear, being unsure, lost, confused, impulsive - this is the underlying root for the majority of the behaviour issues we see in dogs. And it’s a mindset issue. People with mental health issues are well aware of healthy habits and techniques to help such as meditation, exercise, and healthy habits, patterns and routines. Good news! That’s how we can help our dogs too - here’s some tips on how to help your dog reset and improve their mindset.
where the body goes the mind will follow
Place = Meditation for Dogs
Meditation is simply resting your body and mind, having thoughts come and then letting them go, tuning in to doing nothing, and finding a calm state. People do this to improve their mental health, so let’s go ahead and apply this to our dogs.
We can train our dogs to practice meditation by training our dogs the behaviour - place. Place is when you ask your dog to go to their bed and lie down and simply do nothing but rest and stay on their place. Just like people face challenging thoughts and distractions during meditation, dogs on
place have distractions and impulses that they have to overcome - the art of meditation! When you’re training place, you want to watch for your dog to relax and enter the calm zone - their body relaxes, their tail stops wagging, they put their head down.
Exercise
If you want a healthy mind, you will need a healthy body. Getting exercise in the form of walking, running, playing, digging, climbing, swimming, whatever your dog loves to do, will be very beneficial to your dog’s body. Movement in any sense will allow your dog to release energy built up inside throughout the day. If they release their energy through exercise, they won’t have as much to release during reactive moments like when the doorbell rings, or when they pass another dog on the walk, or when a motorcycle drives by.
Whole Foods
We all know we should be eating whole foods and skipping all the processed foods - same for our dogs. Now, offering raw natural dog food with all the supplemental toppers is ideal but it can be a bit time consuming and expensive, but if you can’t go that route, simply try your best to offer your dog some whole foods like fruits and veggies, cucumbers, lettuce, carrots, blueberries, meats, yogurt, or cheese.
“If you are what you eat, then I only want to eat the good stuff” - Remy, Ratatouille.
Sunlight & our Circadian Rhythm
Multiple research studies have shown that getting up at sunrise and resting at sunset is very beneficial for your health, your body, and your mind. If you can arrange your daily schedule to match the sun, you will notice your energy levels improve and the day will become easier. AGAIN, same for our dogs. When the sun comes up, it’s important to let your dogs go outside to soak up the sunlight and explore and feel their environment. This will set everyone up well for the day.
Before the sun sets, do some exercise with your dog to release the last of their energy, and as the sun sets begin to settle and rest. Calming down your home as the sun sets will help your dog - so turn off big, bright lights, turn down the volume on music or tv, and try and keep a calming atmosphere. Allowing yourself to rise with the sun and set with the sun will help you and your dog!
Structure and Routine
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Dogs love structure - they love routines - they love patterns and habits and predictability. That’s not to say you do the same thing everyday with your dog - you just pattern your day similarly. For ex. Everyday at 10:00am is walk the dog time, but you go somewhere new everyday. Everyday at 4:30pm is dinner for your dog, but they get a different puzzle feeder everyday. Adding more structure helps you be clear with your dog and they know the expectations. Giving your dog a job to do will help their mental health so much. My most fav dog jobs are heel, down-stays, or place. When you give a dog a job, all they have to do or worry about is doing that job - you’ve got the rest - and that is good for their mindset.
Guidance and Leadership
As we all can do with some healthy guidance in life, be that leader for your dog. Teach them, lead them, guide them. It’s important to note here that while you’re training your dog and working on their mindset, you need to be mindful of your energy and your mindset. Our dogs are our mirrors. If you’re worried or anxious or scared, dogs know and they pick up all of that energy too. If you and your dog practice all of the things listed here, you both will be on a journey to a healthier mindset.
Remember, you can do this - you can do hard things! And I am here to help. If you have questions, if you're looking for coaching, or you need someone to train your dog - contact me today. I offer a variety of options to make sure you and your dog are taken care of.
Aly
Dog Trainer,
Animal behaviourist
Whitby, ON