Wellness Crisis
Since we were very limited in exploring new places last year, many explored the world of wellness. Some adjusted habits to improve personal wellness. Some even adopted pets to enhance their own wellness. But what if your own pet is the one in need of a wellness plan?
Let’s start with your dog’s origin story.
Where did your dog come from? Some dogs are transported across many state lines before reaching your home. Some dogs travel internationally to be adopted.
What was your dog’s lifestyle before you adopted her? Was she a backyard dog? Maybe she was a village dog cared for by the locals. Was she crated most of the day or roaming free? How does that compare to her current lifestyle?
The stress spectrum. There’s good stress and bad stress.
Let’s face it, adopting a dog is stressful, but we would consider this a “good stress”. Your new dog is in a new environment with new expectations. Your dog may have been in a home before, but your dog may not understand furniture privileges in your home. I can relate to that!
My husband grew up in Puerto Rico. It’s a great place to visit the in-laws! During a trip back to the island, we drove straight from the airport to visit his great Aunt. She warmly invited us into her home and living room. Some of her living room furniture was covered in clear plastic - 70’s style. I froze. Not from the shock of the time machine I stepped into, from wondering what to do. Sure, I knew how to sit on furniture. But I wondered, “Should I sit on the sofa with the plastic, or the chair without?” I certainly didn’t want to offend this beloved matriarch. Everyone was speaking Spanish (I’ve tried learning, languages are not my forte) and I was trying to casually get my husband’s attention to ask him where I should sit. He nodded to a chair and I took a seat. I imagine this is how a dog feels in a new home.
The stress may move towards the “bad stress” side of the spectrum when your dog is overwhelmed by city sounds and traffic made up of vehicles, aircraft, people, dogs, and children. His new environment may be nothing like where he came from. He doesn’t understand how to navigate his new world.
Behavioral Manifestation of Stress
Some dogs are quite resilient and adapt quickly. After a week or so in their new home, they fold into the family as if they’ve always been there.
Others are less resilient, maladaptive, and show symptoms of their cumulative stress by barking, nipping, never settling, pulling on leash, biting the leash, humping, and seemingly having panic attacks when left home alone. While it’s easy to consider the common advice to “give it more time”, I’m here to tell you that these behaviors are more likely to intensify without intervention. If you’ve given it more time, ask yourself, “Are these behaviors staying the same, getting better, or getting worse?
These behaviors associated with cumulative stress are symptoms of a wellness crisis. This is a localized wellness crisis, unique to your dog, within your home. As lifestyles begin to shift with vaccination rollouts and schedule changes, I believe we’re on the verge of a national wellness crisis for our pets.
Fortune favors the bold. Meet the moment and intervene now. Don’t wait until everything opens back up again to help your dog. Dealing with Covid conscious commutes and work places will take away from time needed for behavior modification. And, if you do wait, you’ll be in the back of the line on a very long waitlist. Book a teletraining appointment now. Have a conversation with your veterinarian and/or a veterinary behaviorist. Start a wellness triage plan now for unraveling the layers of your dog’s stressors. Such a triage plan can help improve your dog’s behavior, confidence, and resilience. It won’t be long before your dog has to whiplash from the stress of sleeping a lot less while everyone is home to being home alone for 10 hours a day.
Whether your pet is experiencing a wellness crisis now or you anticipate a problem later this year, start working with a reward-based professional trainer now. We want to advance your dog’s behavior from merely surviving to thriving.