Does your dog have an off-switch?
It is very common that dogs don’t naturally know how to rest and relax. This may be because they are extremely physically stimulated or lacking mental stimulation. If your dog is never taught how to be calm or relax without needing attention, they can develop separation anxiety and stress. If a person wakes up and continuously moves for 10 hours straight every day, they will eventually hit a burn out period where all activity becomes unsustainable. For us, this period would look like mental, emotional and physical detachment, extreme behavior, or the development of negative coping mechanisms to deal with the stress. Dogs are no different! This is why we empower dog owners to teach their dogs how to be calm and develop healthy coping mechanisms. Otherwise, dogs can potentially burn out and begin shutting down, acting out, or developing their own unhealthy coping mechanisms. Introducing your dog to a calm state of being to avoid these issues involves an “off-switch”.
Steps to teaching an off-switch:
Physically stop your dog from undesired behavior
Guide your dog to their bed (place) and ask them to perform a place command - sit, lay, rest, stay.
Reward your dog for successfully completing the place command
Imagine this scenario to understand how an off-switch is introduced to your dog and how it can be beneficial:
Your dog is pacing around the living room. They are not sniffing, playing with any toys, or looking for something to get into. At this moment your dog is experiencing anxiety because they simply do not know what to do with themselves. The first step in teaching an off -switch is to physically stop your dog when they cannot stop themselves. This would be the perfect time to guide your dog to their bed and ask them for a place command. In doing this you have just demonstrated to your dog that when they don’t know what to do, they can lounge on their bed (place). At the same time, you’ve also reinforced their bed as a safe area where they can relax.
As you practice this more you begin to teach your dog to self - soothe when they begin to experience stress and anxiety. To further enforce this off-switch it’s encouraged to create a “ritual” or routine into your daily schedule that designates time for your dog to practice this. With this technique we are teaching our dogs that they do not have to constantly be busy or occupy their minds at all times. It is acceptable to simply just be sometimes.