Episode 209 - Weathering the Storm - March 13

[Victoria]

I liked how you delt with the biting issues. However my problem is simular but not the same. I have a 6 month old doxie who bites.I dont know if hes just puppy mouthing or if hes being aggresive. He doesnt bite or snap at my vistors but he does snap at me and my daughter. It doesnt have to be fast hand movements there are times i just sit on the sofa and im under attack.Any advice would be helpfull.

Sounds like it's more of a case of mouthing. From the dog's perspective, he thinks he's just playing, so when he mouths, you need to get up and leave him - mouthing stops play. He should only get attention once he's stopped the behavior.

[Victoria]

My questions are about the body-wrap and thunderstorm cd you used in the episode. What brand or where can you get the wrap? ... Do you think wearing a body wrap in the car might help calm him on those necessary trips while we are still working through the training?

Do you have any more information about the thunderstorm cd? I have tried some sounds I found online but have not found one that is realistic enough for my dog to react the way he does during an actual storm. Could it be that he is reacting more to the other elements of the storm (ie: the static and pressure changes) and not the actual noise? He is very noise sensitive in our situations which we are working on.

Hi Stephanie,

There are several types of anxiety wraps available nowadays: http://www.thundershirt.com is one I've used in the past. I would certainly try using the wrap during the car training - it might help.

The thunderstorm noise is actually from a noise de-sensitization CD that I developed. It was for sale on the old website, but it is currently out of stock. We hope to have more available in the next month or so, because it is an invaluable tool in dealing with dogs who are sensitive to certain noises (babies crying, traffic, fireworks, etc). If you need it immediately, I'm not sure where to find a similar CD - I developed mine because I couldn't find anything similar in some private cases I had.

Best of luck!

[Victoria]

Hi Victoria,

Great show as usual!
I was wondering on the subject of squeeky toys, why are some dogs scared and freaked out by them?

All dogs are different, and some dogs have a much higher sensitivity level to noises than others. It's sort of like us humans - I just read an article about a guy who had a phobia of seeing and hearing other people eat. Just eating regular food! While I don't necessarily enjoy seeing people scarff down a plate of nachos, it doens't really freak me out, either. For this guy, however, it was traumatic. There are so many similarities between our brain chemistry and that of dogs, it never ceases to amaze me.

[maximoo]

My boy (22 mth old shepard/chow x) barks at fireworks only if we are there to listen to him. We went out last 4th of July & when we came back we stood on the porch & there wasn't a peep out of him while the fireworks were going. As soon as we came in he barked at every one. What do you make of this?

[Victoria]

That was a very timely episode for me as the people across the street have just brought home an adult male Chihuahua they allow to run free. He will charge at me from clear across the street acting quite like Sunny in the latest episode. Now that the fear issues in this behavior have been pointed out I can see them. I don't know what I can do to help him (and on this
street sadly I don't expect him to live very long, darting back and forth across the road), but
at least I can understand what he's saying. And I will refrain from stamping my feet and yelling
boogabooga at him as he dives for my ankles <G>

Are there any suggestions for dealing with this guy in the small increments of time in which
we cross paths? I suppose I could bombard him with treats, but I don't feel right feeding someone
elses dog without their permission, and sadly, there is a language barrier in communicating
with these neighbors.

This is a tough situation. I agree that it's not your place to feed someone else's dog, but at the same time I think it is incumbent upon you to inform your neighbors (either through a translator or some other method) that what they're doing is illegal - allowing their dog to run free. Not to mention dangerous for the dog. If that doesn't work, I'd get your local animal control agency involved. If the neighbors give you any grief, try to explain to them that your chief concern is for the well-being of their dog.

It's no fun dealing with people who don't know any better or don't care. Good luck.

[Victoria]

My boy (22 mth old shepard/chow x) barks at fireworks only if we are there to listen to him. We went out last 4th of July & when we came back we stood on the porch & there wasn't a peep out of him while the fireworks were going. As soon as we came in he barked at every one. What do you make of this?

Very interesting. Sounds like he was freaked out by the sound and trying to get your attention to communicate his confusion to you. See what happens next time.

[maximoo]

Do you think you'll be coming to So FL anytime soon?

[Mouse]

I've had a lot of success using The Anxiety Wrap http://www.anxietywrap.com with my thunderphobic dog. I'm pretty sure the Anxiety Wrap is the one that Victoria used in this episode too. It was the first one on the market and was invented by a dog trainer.

[Mattie]

TTouch has been using a body wrap for years, long before someone marketed them, I find them very good but a close fitting t-shirt will work just as well as the body wrap or anxiety wrap.

[Anxiety Wrap]

Hi everyone!!
We were asked to post a reply to address any confusion. We're the manufacturers of The Anxiety Wrap (tm) http://www.anxietywrap.com and yes, it was the product that Victoria Stilwell used on this episode.

Susan Sharpe, CPDT-KA, invented and patented The Anxiety Wrap which uses the techniques of Maintained Pressure (from Dr. Temple Grandin's work with autistic children/adults) and Acupressure. Susan is also a Tellington Touch practitioner and the body wraps and T-shirts used in that method helped sparked the concept, along with Candace Pert's book, "Molecules of Emotion." Susan created 90 prototypes before arriving at this particular design.

The Anxiety Wrap was designed to be the most comfortable and effective product on the market and, unlike a t-shirt or body wrap, can be safely left on a dog without supervision. Dogs can freely move around and can poop/potty without issue. It has a special blend of fabric that applies Maintained Pressure over an extended amount of a dog’s body and activate key acupressure points. Unlike other products, its continuous flexibility allows Maintained Pressure to move in every direction your dog does.

If anyone has any questions, please feel free to send me an email at kimberly@anxietywrap.com.
And thanks for allowing us the opportunity to erase any confusion.
Kimberly Ring
Marketing Manager, The Anxiety Wrap