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simple, natural behaviors, teach the dog how to
become calm and find comfort in calmness (much
like human yoga and meditation practices) and
help the dog, through calmness, to see the focus of
its reactivity as something normal, safe and even
good, can really change the dog’s world...and open
up the world to the dog.
A couple of very important things can really
help the reactive dog and its family. First, get over
the idea that the dog needs more “socialization”.
All “socialization” means in most cases is repeatedly
exposing the dog with problems to what it
is already afraid of, aggressive toward or reactive
toward.....in best cases with rewards being offered
that the dog typically is too wound up to be able to
take. Stop, right now, putting the dog in situations
that drive it to exactly the behavior you are
trying to change! Second, recognize that you and
your dog need to learn how to communicate and
change behavior in the easiest situations possible,
not the most difficult. That generally means that
you’ll need to start learning how to teach the dog
new behavior that doesn’t seem to have anything
to do with the problem that is driving you to seek
help to begin with. YOU need to learn how to
teach behavior while the dog is learning from you.
While almost every owner would be more
than happy to never need to learn how to train
their dog, it turns out that doing so can actually be
really fascinating, often fun and lead to an amazing
relationship with your dog AND, in many ways,
take far less effort than you might think. Teaching
the dog simple ideas like: all kinds of things that
happen in the world around it lead to you noticing
what she notices and that can lead to rewards, how
to relax at times that it would normally be excited,
and that being calm can feel good and lead to rewards.....
are you getting a hint, rewards can be REALLY
helpful in changing this type of behavior......
but you also have to learn to set limits for the dog.
Your pet is our priority.
And that’s why, at VSC and VSCR, we’re committed to delivering world-class surgery
and physical rehabilitation to improve quality of life for pets.
Our renowned medical team specializes in:
• Advanced orthopedic surgery
• Soft tissue procedures
• Plastic & reconstructive surgery
• Minimally invasive surgery
• Rehabilitation & pain management
• Conditioning & weight loss
...and much more!
Contact us today or speak with
your veterinarian about a referral.
• Vienna: vienna@VSCVets.com/703-242-6000
• Leesburg: leesburg@VSCVets.com/703-771-2100
• Winchester: winchester@VSCVets.com/540-450-0177
www.VSCVets.com • FB.com/AnimalSurgeons • Instagram @VSC_Vets
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