Relaxation Work
Relaxation work is really important for all dogs who may struggle with the 'art of doing nothing', or are otherwise perpetually stressed by daily life. We can pre-emptively avoid frustration or other unpleasant emotional states by teaching them a baseline of ‘doing nothing’ as a great strategy to get reinforcement (i.e., it’s a good choice to make).
We can do this in a variety of ways - more active training exercises, such as relaxation protocols, and more 'passive' exercises, such as acclimation work. I've included these here for you to start incorporating this work into your routines with your dog.
Overview
Brief written description, video on the right
Video 1.5: Relaxation protocol 1 inside without distraction
Video 1.5: Relaxation protocol 1 inside without distraction
If your dog is doing well, you can choose to increase distraction inside. For dogs who find this challenging, you can work on protocol 2+ without distractions before going back to protocol 1 without distraction.
Videos 2-7: Relaxation protocols inside without distraction
Potentially make videos including 3 protocols at a time to reduce to 5 videos for all 15
Video 8: Relaxation protocol 1 on the property outside with minimal distraction.
Use front yard for video. Work up to protocol 15 - potentially make 1 video for all, doing protocol 1, 5, 10, & 15. Add information about adjusting the protocols to suit the environment and your dogs needs.
Video 9: Off property in familiar low-stimulation environments
Use back yard/bush area and front yard for video to demonstrate different familiar environmetns. Work up to protocol 15 - potentially make 1 video for all, doing protocol 1, 5, 10, & 15. Add information about adjusting the protocols to suit the environment and your dogs needs. Use a long line.
Video 10: More stimulating environments
Use pound park area, potentially the beach during a suitable time.
Troubleshooting Video
What do we do when things don't go exactly to plan?