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Pressure Wraps For Dogs Do They Work

Jun 122010

What are pressure wraps?

Many dogs suffer from behavioral issues and mental conditions that arise from fear and anxiety. The pressure wrap is an approach used to modify the behavior of dogs using a technique called “Controlled Pressure” to help calm the sensory receptors. When used properly it has been shown to end fear of loud noises, thunderstorm fear , dog aggression, shyness, nervousness, releasing stress & tension, end jumping, car sickness, unnecessary barking, , sensitivity to touch, sensitive to sound, aloofness, emotional upset, hyperactivity, grooming issues and other anxieties. It is a non-drug treatment for dog anxiety and just like slipping on a shirt. Dogs that display symptoms of anxiety can now be calmed by wearing these pressure wraps.

Why are dogs afraid of thunderstorms?

Fear of thunderstorms is common in dogs, and tends to get worse as they age. It is partly genetic. Too many dogs are left outdoors during storms, sometimes with no shelter at all. Anyone would be scared with good reason. Thunderstorms and the accompanying electrical energy disturbs dogs on a level most of us do not understand. The loud noise is scary to some dogs, and the dog can hear it at a much greater distance than humans can. The dog has early audio warning of an approaching storm, and most storm-phobic dogs eventually start reacting long before the sounds are loud. The smell of the air changes when a storm approaches, and of course the keen nose of a dog detects this early. The air pressure changes, too, and a dog’s ears are more sensitive to pressure changes than most people. In some cases, it might hurt.

Phobias generally become worse, not better, with repeated exposures. Dogs with mild noise phobia may look anxious during thunderstorms, tremble, hide under the bed or in the bathtub, and be afraid to go out of doors for hours after the storm has passed.

How it works?

The wrap applies slight pressure or maintained pressure across a wide area of the body, stimulating the body’s receptors to help in transmitting different sensations to different parts of the brain. When the animal receives this new information, it’s awareness & focus can change, resulting in the animal “letting go” of the old sensation and modifying its behavior.

The Body wrap does the following for most dogs suffering from noise anxiety:

The physical sensation of wearing the wrap distracts the dog from focusing on her fears, and Being wrapped gives the dog a feeling of safety and comfort.

Soon after putting on the wrap, your dog will likely settle down and relax. Many dogs will lie down and weather the storms with little to no further symptoms of noise anxiety.

From a more scientific perspective, according to neurobiologists, many types of traumas can cause nerve damage, leading to dogs having exaggerated responses to stimuli such as loud noises. Applying constantly maintained pressure with the body wrap provides an unchanging, quieting stimulus that allows the dog to relax.

Temple Grandin and Tellington Touch:

Two resources have researched the issue on how pressure soothes.The first source is TTouch practitioners. TTouch was developed by Linda Tellington-Jones to help train horses and relax the horse’s mind and body. It was eventually adapted for other animals too. It uses a system of specific touches, and stretches to relax the animal, and increase body awareness. Getting in TTouch with Your Dog by Linda Tellington-Jones illustrates many techniques for wrapping an ace bandage around a dog to enhance “your dog’s sense of his own body and makes him more confident in his movements and behavior.” One of the tools used to continue TTouch benefits for a longer time is a body wrap.

The second resource is the famous autism researcher Temple Grandin who was herself an autistic child. Inspired by how cattle calmed down while being gently squeezed in a chute she developed a “hug machine”. As stated by Temple Grandin “after seeing cattle being put into a squeeze chute that held them still so they could get their shots. When I saw how calm the cattle got from the pressure on their bodies, I built my own squeeze machine, and it calmed my anxiety the same way.” The hug machine helped maintain constant pressure and proved to be effective in soothing the anxiety of autistic people. On the same lines a pressure wrap is a way to give the maintained pressure and contact that the dog craves for in times of anxiety.

Michelle V. is an East Coast resident and pet-lover. She has had success with the Thundershirt, a low-cost and easy to use dog anxiety cure.

Dogs and Horses

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Mar 222010

Dogs And Horses

The size difference between dogs and horses is usually that the horse is very much larger than the dog. Nevertheless, most horses are much more frightened of dogs than the reverse. This creates unique problems – for dogs and horses, and for the person who has to control them both.

When introducing dogs and horses, unlike other animal training areas, it helps very little to start the interaction out when both animals are young. Young horses are at least as skittish as older ones, and are often accompanied by a mare. Neither is naturally fond of nor curious about puppies. To a horse, nearly everything but their owners and a few other horses are threats – at least until they’re mature. But when mixing dogs and horses it can be very useful to introduce your young puppy to older horses at a very early age, as this will help to avoid the barking problem.

But there are many circumstances where dogs and horses interact successfully. Whether the dog owner is a regular visitor to stables or riding schools, or whether the dog lives on the premises both can get along well.

In the early stages of dog and horse interaction. always keep puppies and dogs restrained around horses until they’ve learned what to do and what to avoid. A lead, for at least the first several weeks of training, is a must. And ensure that the horse is not in a position to rear or run where the dog can be injured.

Training dog and horses to interact involves a series of separate, but easily learned behaviours.

To start your dogs and horses training, first, the dog has to learn to respect a boundary, a dog can easily slip through a paddock with metal bars, or a series of stalls, or other enclosures. Begin by using a leash and collar and make the boundary training part of a more general walk where you train the dog to follow you. Be sure your dog follows you, not leads you.

When mixing dogs and horses, the dog, will sense of smell the horse and be naturally curious about the horse, as it approaches the boundary. Allow the dog to approach – but not move beyond – the boundary. If it tries to breach the boundary, tug on the leash and give a sharp ‘No!’ or ‘Stop’. (‘Stay’ is a different behaviour, requiring a different – and unique – command.)

When dogs and horses first meet your dog will have a tendency to bark, this needs to be suppressed. Barking frequency varies with breed and individual temperament, but horses aren’t discriminating. When seemingly threatened, they react – and a horse’s reaction to barking is not usually something pleasant.

Dogs and horses are both pack animals and will usually follow the lead of the alpha (leader), unless, they’re trying to be the alpha. This drive for dominance, coupled sometimes with fear or simply the desire to warn of a threat, can lead to barking.

During your dog and horse training you need to reinforce your ‘top dog’ status, by a sharp jerk sideways on the leash, accompanied by a sharp verbal ‘No bark!’. Jerk sideways, not back, in order to get the dog’s attention without risking injury to the throat. Dogs have very strong neck muscles, but throats can still be too easily bruised by excessive force.

If the dog insists on barking, remove him from the area and try again another day. Don’t give up too easily, though. You don’t want to train the dog that every time he barks ‘Danger’, you obey by fleeing.

As with any dog training regiment, patience and consistency are the keys to success. Be firm, but not abusive, and execute the same unique command and physical movement regularly for each associated behaviour taught. Teaching dogs and horses to be comfortable with each others company you need to be sure that your commands to your dog do not frighten your horse.

I have owned dogs for 42 years. Learning to train from my mother who trained to county level. Over the years I have found that the old ways of training are not always the best, that praise is the best form of training, and the younger the dog, the easier it is to train.
http://www.dogtrainingproblems.biz

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