Dogs who have anxiety, are fearful, or fear reactive can be helped with proper training and help from their patient owners. Training and consistency go a long way when it comes to helping your dog calm down, but it doesn’t always work on its own. This is where hemp can help.
What Does it Mean to be a Reactive Dog?
When dogs are met with an uncomfortable situation or a fear trigger, they can become uneasy, nervous, and even aggressive. Reactive behavior can show up in many ways, such as barking, growling, lunging, or pulling on their leash. Most commonly, this behavior is fear based. You can help your dog through their reactivity with training and creating a sense of calm and safety for them.
Keeping Calm While Training
The number one way to help change the behaviors of a reactive dog is with training. However, training can be enhanced when used in conjunction with a calming aid.
You have options between using a traditional pharmaceutical or a more holistic option like hemp supplements. The benefit of pharmaceuticals would be that your vet could prescribe them, but they tend to be a bit harsher on the body and cost more. Traditional pharmaceuticals may also calm your dog but at the price of a decreased ability to focus.
A hemp supplement costs less, is gentler on your dog and can help them get into the right state of mind for training. By incorporating hemp into your reactivity training, you can provide your dog with an extra sense of calm while they learn how to respond when faced with their fears without a cloudy head.
“I’ve seen a huge difference in using holistic, hemp calming options rather than anxiety meds - I highly recommend my clients switch from anxiety meds to hemp options before training for severe reactive/anxiety cases! Doing that same switch also personally helped MY dog who used to have reactivity issues!”
– Emmy Robinson, Dog Behaviorist & Owner of Casper & Friends Training, Phoenix
Preparing for Leash Reactivity Being on leash while experiencing a trigger can an add an extra layer of anxiety for your pup as it can often times make them feel trapped. This can be difficult for many dog owners as it is a requirement in most places to keep your dog on leash, and keeping your dog on leash can help you, your dog, and other safe.
To help lessen this extra anxiety for your dog, you can give a hemp supplement 30 minutes before putting them on leash. With the extra sense of calm and safety, you can practice your reactivity training with confidence knowing that your pup can feel comfortable while learning how to behave around their fears.
“Hemp supplements are the only way I can get my dog to focus during training! Otherwise, my girl is too anxious to focus on the lesson.”
–Anna Walters, San Diego
Best Reactivity Training Tips to Remember When it comes to reactivity training, it is important to remember that the safety of you, your dog, and those around you always comes first. Work up to stressful situations slowly, and remember to stay calm and practice your training tools.
If you are using hemp to help ease your dogs reactivity, remember that it always works best when used in conjunction with training. With a calmer mind, you give your pup the best opportunity to take advantage of the reactivity training you provide them. Be patient and consistent with your dog for best results.
“The added benefit of hemp supplements in reactivity training, for me, is the peace of mind I get. My dog picks up on my anxiety and I can go into our sessions feeling more relaxed knowing she is feeling her best.”
– Cassidy Kinson, Orlando
Comments