tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60988938931808482482024-03-04T20:13:21.979-08:00Canine PTSD: Its Causes, Symptoms & TreatmentAn online resource from author and trainer Lee Charles Kelley.Lee Charles Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15859112874574974226noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098893893180848248.post-18636305255199299182018-09-20T15:13:00.001-07:002018-09-20T16:23:32.558-07:00Ghosts of the Past - The Dogs of 9/11<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="line-height: 150%;">Ghosts of the Past - The Dogs of 9/11</span></b></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="line-height: 150%;">“We Need a Dog Over Here!”</span></i></b></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">I remember it very clearly. It was a mild, sunny
Tuesday in early September. I was in my studio apartment on Second Avenue, near
70<sup>th</sup> Street, eating breakfast and watching the morning news. My Dalmatian,
Freddie, was in the bedroom, asleep in his crate, with the door open. Mike
Sheehan—a former New York City cop, who’d since become a reporter for <i>Fox 5 </i>news— was stationed downtown outside
City Hall covering the mayoral election. </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Suddenly a loud explosion came from behind
him. The cameraman panned over to one of the towers at the World Trade Center,
partially visible in the background. After a few tense moments, and some shaky
camera work, Sheehan, who didn’t know what had happened, but was clearly shaken,
threw it back to the newsroom.</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">The time was 8:46.</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">After a break, the <i>Fox 5</i> anchors
reported an unconfirmed rumor that a private commuter jet had apparently “lost
its bearing” and accidentally crashed into one of the towers at the World Trade
Center. My first thought was that it hadn’t been an accident, that the same
crew of terrorists who’d tried to blow up one of the towers with a truck bomb
in 1992 were back with what I felt had been their “Three Stooges act.”</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">I took Freddie out to meet Roarke (a boxer)
and Cassie (a miniature schnauzer) for our morning play session. When I got to Cassie’s
building on 57<sup>th</sup> Street I learned that both towers had been hit, not
by commuter jets, but by big airliners. There was also an unconfirmed rumor
that another jet had crashed into the Pentagon and that the attacks had definitely
been committed by Osama Bin Laden’s crew.</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Still, I thought, the most damage they could
have done was on a couple of floors. Yes, some unfortunate souls would have
died. But everything would get back to normal soon, I thought.</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">The dogs and I played for a while in the
red-dirt softball field under the 59<sup>th</sup> Street Bridge (there were far
fewer dog runs in 2002 then there are today). I took Cassie home, then Roark
and Freddie and I headed back up Second Avenue. </span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">By this time the traffic had jammed to a
standstill. Police sirens were useless at getting the cars and taxis moving, so
the cops were actually driving up on the sidewalks. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">After we walked a few blocks, I saw a group
of people gathering around the front window of a nail salon. So I stopped to
see what was going on. There was a TV mounted on the back wall. The images on
the screen showed the slow-motion collapse of one of the towers. I felt like
I’d just had the wind knocked out me, my knees buckled, and I finally came to
grips with the seriousness of what had happened. </span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Like everybody else in New York (and much of
the rest of the world), I was glued to the TV for the rest of the day. Finally,
at about 6 in the evening, I took Freddie out for his evening walk. We saw two
long, <i>very </i>long lines of people as far as the eye could see in both
directions—many covered in a coating of gray dust—walking single file,
plodding along, zombie-like, headed uptown. The subways and buses were out of
service; so were the taxis. These poor souls had to walk all the way from
the lowest reaches of Manhattan to the Upper East Side, Spanish Harlem, and
beyond. They seemed to be in shock, dead tired, or both.</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Those are some of my personal recollection of
9/11/2001.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Then came the rescue efforts, the media
coverage, endless footage of the dust clouds, slow-motion plane crashes, the
constant news reports, conjectures, and a lingering feeling of chaos. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="line-height: 150%;">What Do Search-and-Rescue Dogs Do When
There’s No One to Rescue?</span></i></b></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">It wasn’t long before dozens of
search-and-rescue crews showed up at Ground Zero, eager yet serious teams of
dogs and handlers from all over the country. Unfortunately, there was almost no
one to rescue. There were, for the most part, only bodies or body parts to be
found. So after three weeks or so of steadfast commitment, yielding little or
no results, most of the 350+ search-and-rescue teams packed up their hopes and
their equipment, and went home. </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">As one press release put it: “The mettle shown
by these dogs and their human halves has affected the world in a way that
should not be underestimated.” No kidding.</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Here are some heartfelt comments from people
who worked with those amazing animals.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">“The site is very difficult for the dogs.
They’re crawling on their bellies and squeezing through things. It’s incredible
to watch.” <i>—Sharon Gattas, Riverside Urban Search and Rescue</i></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"> “They will search endlessly for that scent [of
a living person] until they are called off.”<i> —Lori Mohr, National Disaster
Search Dog Foundation</i></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">“All they really want to do is work hard and
love you. How can that not raise the human spirit?”<i>—Gerald Lauber,
Suffolk County SPCA</i></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">“Some rescue workers couldn’t take it. They asked if they could play fetch with Thunder. But then they’d
sneak off in a corner to just be with Thunder, or maybe to talk with him.”<i>—Bob
Sessions, FEMA</i></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">“They may not cry to their fellow firemen or
police, but somehow they open up to their dogs.”<i>—Laura LoPresti, Monroe, MO</i> </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">“These dogs have [also] been trained to pick
up on people they perceive as being in a state of trauma. So they’ve been
visiting a lot of firemen, police, and cleanup detail.”—<i>Anonymous</i></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">“He kind of withdrew from everything,” said
Mike Owens, of Southwestern Ohio K-9 Search and Rescue, speaking about his
partner Whorf. “There was so much death there, it was emotional for the
dogs.” Whorf located the dead bodies of two missing firefighters on the
first day; then, overwhelmed, he lay down and curled up on the spot. He began
shedding profusely, quit eating and refused to play with the other dogs.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">“Morale is important... So we set up a
scenario that the dog can win at. We used a New York firefighter. He hid
amongst the rubble, and we sent her on a search. She finds him. He plays with her real good. She’s real happy, and ready to
go to work again.”—<i>Mark Bogush</i> </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">“The dog seeks a live person in hopes the
survivor will play with him. If he’s not finding a live person, there is no one
to play with. So when I get home at night, I send my 12-year-old son to hide in
the woods. Then Jax finds him and they play tug of war with a towel.”<i>—Tom
Fahy</i> </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">“He was a great, big guy, and he was just
bawling. He was crying like a baby. He couldn’t talk, but he mouthed the words:
‘Thank you,’ and ‘thank the dog.’“<i>—Louis Wardoup, volunteer, describing how
his dog Insee unearthed a firefighter
buried under the rubble.</i> </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">“One of the things, the handler told us, that
really yanked on his emotions was the gift he and his dog Ranger received from
a child: a small ziplock bag with two dog biscuits and two Hershey
kisses inside, with a note printed by the child: ‘Lassie would be so
proud of you.’”<i>—Terri Crisp, Director, Emergency Animal Rescue Service</i></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">***</span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">New Yorkers felt an emotional bond with one
another after the attacks. In fact, all Americans, and even people from other
countries, all around the world, felt that connection. <i>“We are all New
Yorkers now”</i> was a phrase often heard.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 12.0pt;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">It wasn’t just the search-and-rescue dogs who
were traumatized. Many people were also deeply affected by these events. Some sought counseling, others turned to
drugs and alcohol or began overindulging in “comfort foods.” And speaking of
comfort, as Laura LoPresti, one of the people quoted above says, “Just petting
a dog provides comfort to those who need it.”</span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Not surprisingly, dog ownership began to
increase in the years following 9/11, so much so that some in the industry
called it an “explosion.” That’s because dogs may not know much about
international politics or man’s inhumanity to man, but they do know how to
guard us, protect us, make us smile, and comfort us with their presence and
their wagging tails.<b><i> </i></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="line-height: 150%;">“We need a dog over here!”</span></i></b><i><span style="line-height: 150%;">—call often heard at the WTC site.</span></i><span style="line-height: 150%;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">All these years later, some of us <i>still</i>
need a dog over here.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="line-height: 150%;">The Presence of the Past</span></i></b></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Now, I’m not interested in re-awakening the
ghosts of 9/11 without good reason. And the reason I think this is important is
that global events have micro-effects. The devastation at the World Trade
Center affected most of the dogs tasked to find living victims there. If a
healthy dog like Whorf starts shedding profusely and refuses to eat, something
has gone terribly wrong. And the culprit is deep inner stress. But it wasn’t
just Whorf. Most of the 9/11 dogs left their tasks unfinished. They were trained
to find the living, not the dead. </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">In fact, when dogs are trained for
search-and-rescue, human volunteers hide in make-believe disaster sites. Then,
when the dog finds one, the victim acts happy and joyful and plays with the
dog. That’s the dog’s “reward” for searching, that’s his emotional release. And
that’s the feeling the dogs of 9/11 were searching for but weren’t getting
because there were so few survivors. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">So why did dogs like Whorf seem to develop
symptoms of PTSD while others didn’t? </span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">There are a number of reasons. But before
going into them, it should be noted that with most working dogs there’s a very
narrow parameter of breed types used for each particular job or set of jobs that
the dogs are suited for. The German shepherd and Belgian Malinois are often used
for police and military work. Beagles are good at finding drugs or other
contraband at airports or border crossings. Dobermans and Rottweilers are
favored for protection work. Bloodhounds, of course, are insanely good at
tracking criminals through all sorts of terrain. And golden retrievers and Labs
excel as seeing-eye dogs and therapy dogs because of their easy-going,
good-natured temperaments. </span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Yet the multiplicity of different breeds
found at a disaster site is a different story. You might easily find most if
not all of the breeds mentioned above but you might also find Airedales, Jack
Russell terriers, Australian blue heelers, elkhounds, Hungarian Viszlas,
English setters, Dalmatians, dachshunds, schnauzers, poodles, even mutts.
Nearly all breeds are welcome.</span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="line-height: 150%;">Why is
that? Why would so many different breeds be so good at search-and-rescue work?</span></i></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">A dog’s desire to search for things—whether
he’s searching a disaster site or playing a game of “find-the-toy”—is another
ghost from the past, a behavioral tendency “inherited” from wolves. It’s part of
what biologists called the predatory sequence, a specific set of hunting
behaviors that play out when a pack of wolves goes on a hunting expedition, and
does so in an exact, progressive pattern from one step to the next until the
sequence is finished. </span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Here’s how it works. First the wolves leave
their den to go out and <b>search</b> for prey
animals like bison or elk. Then, when they find their prey, they stand still
and stare at the animals in a posture similar to the way herding dogs, like
border collies, stare at a flock of sheep. This is called the <b>eye-stalk</b>. Then the wolves try to
isolate or <b>cull</b> the weakest member
of the herd. To do this they have to get the herd moving, then they <b>chase</b> that weakest member, eventually
confusing it and wearing it out. Then, once the prey animal is too tired or too
confused to keep trying to escape, the members of the pack who are close
enough, use what’s called the <b>grab-bite</b>
to get a grip on the hide of the animal. This is followed by the <b>kill-bite</b>, where one or more wolves rip
open the animal’s hide. The final step
is <b>evisceration</b>, where the wolves
continue to pull back at the prey animal’s hide until its internal organs are
on display.</span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">One very interesting thing about this
sequence is that once it’s set in motion the pack doesn’t stop. They don’t
pause along the way to hunt rabbits or snack on road kill. They continue
through the entire sequence until they’ve either eviscerated their prey or the
prey escapes, in which case they go back to the den hungry and rest up for the
next day’s expedition.</span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">While this set of behaviors seems to be
hard-wired—that is the wolves seem to be following a kind of stock script—these
are <i>drive</i> behaviors, and are, thus,
not related to<i> instincts </i>or r<i>eflexes</i>. </span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="line-height: 150%;">What’s
the difference?</span></i></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Drives are more fluid and flexible; they
allow for improvisation, they’re not purely mechanical and invariable as
instincts and reflexes are. Plus, instincts are often about avoiding present or
potential danger while drives are, for the most part, about putting oneself <i>in</i> danger or into a vulnerable position so
as to attain a specific goal such as hunting or mating. Drives also tend to
play out over longer, unspecified periods of time. And finally, drives have an
almost magnetic kind of quality. Dogs in a state of drive feel magnetically
attracted to the potential prey or potential mate while instinctive behaviors
have more of an electric quality. This is a very important distinction to make
so I’ll repeat it here: drives can be sustained for much longer periods of time
than instinctive behaviors, they’re more variable and improvisational in
nature, and they have a magnetic rather than electric quality. Instinctive
behaviors aren’t generally sustainable over long periods of time, and there’s
no room for spontaneity. </span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">This brings us back to the search-and-rescue
dogs of 9/11. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">The “search” aspect of how search-and-rescue dogs are trained is
an analogue of the first step in the wolf’s predatory sequence. But dogs aren’t
wolves. In fact, domesticated dogs don’t have the full predatory sequence that
wolves do. Even dogs who’ve become feralized, and form groups in the wild or in
cities like Detroit and Moscow, are incapable of hunting large prey together.
They’ve lost the knack for it, primarily because dogs have been bred for
thousands of years to only exhibit specific bits and pieces of the wolf’s prey
drive. For instance, sight hounds and scent hounds tend to have more of the <b>search</b> behavior than other breeds,
while pointers, setters, and herding breeds have more of the <b>eye-stalk</b>, though they also have a bit
of the <b>search</b> as well. Retrievers
are supposed to have a soft <b>grab-bite</b>
so that they don’t bite down hard on quail, ducks, and other game birds. But,
again, they also have a bit of the <b>search</b>
built-in to their behavioral repertoire as well. Terriers, on the other hand,
have a hard <b>kill-bite</b>, enabling them
to successfully bite down hard on small vermin, dispatching them quickly. But
again, most terriers also have a strong <b>search</b>
component built into their behavioral patterns as well. In fact, searching
seems to be hard-wired in <i>most</i> dog
breeds, with few exceptions. </span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Another way of looking at this is that
whenever you activate any aspect of a dog’s prey drive (even the eye-stalk)
you’re energizing the dog. That’s what drives do. And when a dog feels
energized or “magnetized,” she wants to move<i>
toward</i> something, in fact I would say that she actually feels <i>pulled </i>toward that something, whether
it’s a squirrel in the park , a Frisbee in flight, the sound of her owner’s key
in the front door, or her dinner bowl. Thus the dog’s motive—which is a desire
to connect physically with an object of attraction—and the dog’s movement <i>toward</i> that attractor—which is the
kinetic and emotional process of completing that physical connection—are always
synonymous in the dog’s mind. In other words, motivation and physical movement
are inextricably linked. So drives are what motivate a dog to move toward a
potential end-point, which is a mixture of a desire to make contact with an
object of attraction and a subsequent (and sudden) release of that pent-up
drive energy. So, in effect, the dog isn’t chasing the prey or potential mate
as much as he’s trying to rid himself of a complex set of feelings and
sensations churning around inside his body.</span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="line-height: 150%;">Teamwork in Dogs and Wolves </span></i></b></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">There’s another part of the search-and-rescue
process, which, also, in a way reflects the way wolves hunt, and that’s the
fact that wolves work together as a cohesive group. It takes a pack of wolves
(or at least two or three) to tire and confuse a large prey animal. It’s rare
for one wolf to be able to do that on his own. And, fittingly,
search-and-rescue dogs, military dogs, police dogs, drug-enforcement dogs, and
the like, don’t operate alone either. The dogs and their handlers work together
as a team. And don’t forget the make-believe survivor, hiding in the rubble!
She’s also part of the social dynamic, in fact, the most important part
because, as I said earlier, finding the victim provides the feeling of release
the dog is working for. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">That’s why dogs act happy when they find a
survivor in the rubble, or catch a Frisbee in mid-air. In some cases, it’s why
dogs get wiggly when you come home. And it’s why some of the search-and-rescue
dogs of 9/11 became stressed, despondent and depressed, and why some of them
seemed to develop symptoms of PTSD as a result. Why? Because there was no one
to connect to, no survivor acting happy and excited, and thus no emotional
resolution for the dog. So when the dogs went back home to Connecticut or
Indiana or Georgia or Ohio or Alabama, or wherever they were from, many of
these dogs, perhaps most of them, weren’t the same happy campers who had been
sent on what seemed like a wonderful adventure. They were left feeling like
they hadn’t completed their task or finished their mission.</span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Not<i> all</i>
of the dogs were anxious or troubled, at least not for long. Being back in
familiar surroundings can be a tonic for dogs: the familiar bed, the water
bowl, the well-worn chewie toys, that wonderful back yard with all those games
to play. Plus, by the time they got home the weather had changed. The warmth of
summer had given in to the first bite of autumn, another tonic for dogs. So, in
all likelihood, most of them shook off the disappointment and stress they’d
brought home with them and let it go, with tails a-waggin.’ </span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">But some didn’t. They couldn’t. They couldn’t
shake the feeling that something had been left undone. And those feelings
impacted the lives of their owners and handlers, perhaps in small ways, yes,
but small things add up, especially when you’re dealing with wounded emotions.
And believe me, there is a deep reservoir of emotion inside each and every dog,
whether he’s a working dog or just a family pet. And those feelings, if not
given an outlet, are like all the potential living victims that the dogs of 9/11/
couldn’t find. They stay stuck like phantoms in the dog’s mind and body as
unresolved emotion and its byproduct, deep inner stress. </span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">And so it is that acts of war—the terrible
friction that develops between peoples and nations which take place on a grand
stage—can have a trickle-down effect on our dogs. even though they’re not the
main actors in the drama, they’re just standing in the wings. </span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Yet without question 9/11 changed the world
for some dogs. Puppies who were being bred and raised in certain kennels were
now being bred to be war dogs. Not all puppies of course. But the ones who’d
been issued “draft cards” had far different lives in store for them than they
would have had otherwise. Some would have been trained to sniff out bad guys in
cities and towns, or chase perps at night across otherwise quiet lawns, or down
dark, deserted alleyways. Some would have become guide dogs or therapy dogs.
Some would have been raised as family pets. And some would have become
search-and-rescue dogs. </span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">Instead, many of these dogs, these young
puppies, were destined to live in barracks, to learn how to sniff out land
mines and I.E.D.s, and search for and find wounded and dying soldiers. And no
matter how brave they were, and no matter how well they were trained, some of
them couldn’t shake off their war time experiences as easily as they and their
handlers would have liked. The noise and the chaos, the explosions, the
persistent rocket fire, the human casualties all took their toll. The emotions
of these brave dogs got “stuck,” left unresolved, and so they developed PTSD,
which for these brave, dedicated animals was a double whammy: they couldn’t
function, which meant they couldn’t do their jobs.</span></span></span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">And these dogs love their
jobs.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">For the dogs of 9/11 that was the real
tragedy</span><span style="line-height: 150%;">, </span><span style="line-height: 150%;">just as it</span><span style="line-height: 150%;">’</span><span style="line-height: 150%;">s a
kind of crime that so many years later so many dogs are still being born and
bred to be war dogs. These wonderful, amazing dogs may be perfectly trained but
not all of them make it through our human war zones alive or unscathed. In
fact, it</span><span style="line-height: 150%;">’</span><span style="line-height: 150%;">s a problem that goes far beyond the
military. </span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Dr. Rachel Yehuda of The Mount Sinai
School of Medicine, says that PTSD affects up to 10% of all men and up to 14%
of all women. And just as men and women—whether soldiers, rape victims, or those who’ve experienced other forms of terror, brutality, or trauma—can develop PTSD, so can dogs.<span style="line-height: 150%;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 150%;">In fact, many dogs</span><span style="line-height: 150%;">—</span><span style="line-height: 150%;">including
those who</span><span style="line-height: 150%;">’</span><span style="line-height: 150%;">ve been treated severely by their owners or
trainers, or those who</span><span style="line-height: 150%;">’</span><span style="line-height: 150%;">ve been abandoned in
shelters, or those who</span><span style="line-height: 150%;">’</span><span style="line-height: 150%;">ve been traumatized by
dog-on-dog aggression</span><span style="line-height: 150%;">—</span><span style="line-height: 150%;">can all develop PTSD. And
they need our help.</span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><style><span style="color: rgb(76, 17, 48);"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><font size="5">
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</font></span></span></style>Lee Charles Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15859112874574974226noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098893893180848248.post-13001310222465211592016-05-12T10:18:00.001-07:002016-05-12T14:07:58.505-07:00Does PTSD Cause Brain Damage in Dogs?<style>
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</style>How to Restore Brain
Plasticity in Dogs With PTSD<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="submitted"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 10.0pt;">Originally published at PsychologyToday.com on
July 10, 2012. </span></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQb9qeuF_Jt79Um8yyshPJgR0TgD2TjUjsY1dYrQK1JkvSjxqna-QGAMMKfZ7phVaCha-_T-2cuXoUbDh7MS73Gk366xytOiYNEUELd64uteP051US9Jz3UEaerc7LCZb2ky75_cxcxjA/s1600/another+PTSD+dog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQb9qeuF_Jt79Um8yyshPJgR0TgD2TjUjsY1dYrQK1JkvSjxqna-QGAMMKfZ7phVaCha-_T-2cuXoUbDh7MS73Gk366xytOiYNEUELd64uteP051US9Jz3UEaerc7LCZb2ky75_cxcxjA/s320/another+PTSD+dog.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.75in 0.0001pt 1in;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-size: large;">“PTSD, depression, and other
psychiatric disorders cause what is called ‘negative neuroplasticity,’
including activation of abnormal circuitry in the brain, and strengthening of
those circuits over time. They also cause shrinkage … and decreased
connectivity between parts of the brain.”</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i> —<a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/experts/david-hellerstein-md"><span style="text-decoration: none;">David J.
Hellerstein, M.D.</span></a></i></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>How Common Is PTSD in Pet Dogs?<br />
</i></b>Post traumatic stress disorder is probably much more common in dogs
than most people realize. We tend to think that it’s only found in military
service personnel, including canine members of the armed services. But deeply
stressful events have a lasting negative effect on brain plasticity and
learning even in pet dogs. This is often clear in dogs who’ve suffered physical
abuse by their owners (or trainers), but can also be seen in some dogs who’ve
suffered a serious illness during their fear or social developmental phases and
had to be kept in a kennel at the vet’s office for an extended period, or dogs
who’ve been traumatized by attacks from other dogs, etc. Stress is the common
denominator, not necessarily exposure to violence or physical trauma. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-size: large;">Of course, just as in humans, not all dogs experience stress in the same way.
Some are more sensitive than others. But those that are more sensitive are
deeply affected by stressful events, and can develop some symptoms that are
quite similar to those found in human beings who suffer from PTSD, including
neurological damage and memory loss. </span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-size: large;">One of the characteristics of PTSD is that the original
trauma is continually re-experienced by the victim. And each time the stress
response is triggered, or re-triggered, a cascade of hormones and
neurochemicals are released into the bloodstream, causing oxidative stress
resulting in brain damage. This damage to neural circuitry makes PTSD one of
the most difficult psychological illnesses to treat.<br />
<br />
<b><i>Stress
and Neuronal Toxicity<br />
</i></b>Neuroscientist J. Douglas Bremmer writes: “Stress in animals is
associated with damage to neurons in the CA3 region of the hippocampus … and
inhibition of neurogenesis [new cell growth].” Bremmer also says that high
levels of glucocorticoids (via the body’s stress response) are also associated
with deficits in new learning. [1]<br />
<br />
Glucocorticoids—released during stress-related experiences—in turn cause an increase
in glutamate, an amino acid that plays a key role in facilitating long-term
connections between neurons, connections that are vital to learning and memory.
This suggests that the more stress a dog experiences during a traumatic
experience, the stronger his memory of a stressful event becomes and the more
difficult it is to restore normal working memory, not to mention normal
emotional and behavioral function. This is why it’s not only difficult to keep
the dog who suffers from PTSD from over-reacting to certain triggers, it can
also be difficult to teach him new behaviors as well.<br />
<br />
Mind you, I’m paraphrasing and condensing some very complicated research into
what I hope are easily understood bytes of information. But what essentially
happens is that the fear circuits (connecting the amygdala, hypothalamus, and
hippocampus), which are normally capable of being inhibited to some degree by
the impulse control centers in the prefrontal cortex, create a kind of
semi-permanent loop, blocking the higher parts of the brain from exerting
impulse control while decreasing the ability of the hippocampus to provide
normal working memory.<br />
<br />
The dog’s ability to control his behavior is reduced dramatically. He’s
classified as a “reactive” dog, or out-of-control, or hyper-vigilant. <br />
<br />
<b><i>Exposure
Therapy or Play Therapy?<br />
</i></b>It may seem strange but some human victims of PTSD—specifically
military personnel—have had their symptoms moderated a great deal, and in some
cases apparently cured, by playing violent, virtual reality video games like
Halo.<br />
<br />
Some in the field believe that these games act as a form of “exposure therapy,”
where the patient confronts a feared thought, image or memory associated with a
past traumatic event. I’m not convinced that that’s true. I think what’s needed
is research on whether these games can also facilitate healing in cases of PTSD
that <i>don’t</i> involve combat, such as
victims of sexual abuse, or witnesses of a major tragedy, etc.<br />
<br />
Another possible way of determining if it's the content of the game or the act
of playing that has a moderating effect on PTSD symptoms would be to have
military or ex-military personnel play violent virtual reality games set in a
make-believe world of sword and sorcery, as in the Warcraft series.<br />
<br />
Play of any kind, and in any species, always has an
element of aggression built into it. This is as true of a game of chase at the
dog run as it is of working the controls of a violent video game. What
differentiates play from actual aggression is the lack of real danger to the
players: the moment fear enters the equation, the fun stops.<br />
<br />
Another aspect of play is the mostly unconscious process of pattern
recognition, a process that also tends to release dopamine, one of the brain’s
“feel-good” chemicals. The more complicated the game (up to a point), the more
dopamine is released and the better it feels to play. Plus, generally speaking,
the more playful a dog is the more resilient and adaptable he is as well.<br />
<br />
When working with dogs who have PTSD I’ve found that play is an essential part
of the healing process. In some cases it can be play with other dogs, but the
most important type involves the owner or trainer playing games like fetch and
tug-of-war, where the dog gets to bite a toy, preferably as hard as he can. The
harder a dog can bite a toy in play, the more pleasurable, and the more
therapeutic it is for him.<br />
<br />
There are caveats, of course. The dog has to “know it’s a game.” If the dog
takes things too seriously, it’s only a matter of time before he flips over
into real aggression. So if your dog doesn’t know it’s just a game, DON’T PLAY
until you can get him to relax. The way to recognize the difference is in how
tense or relaxed the dog’s body seems during play.<br />
<br />
<i>How do you do get a tense dog to relax?<br />
</i><br />
You have to work very slowly, never act in a threatening manner toward the dog
(this includes things like scolding or correcting the dog physically). You also
have to find ways to gently activate the dog’s urge to play without reaching or
even coming near his threshold. This means you work in small increments. Very
small.<br />
<br />
It also means that you can’t take things too seriously yourself. You have to
relax as well. Long, protracted moments of just being with the dog, and deep
tissue massage of a dog’s shoulders and haunches can be very therapeutic. So
can <a href="http://ttouch.com/"><span style="text-decoration: none;">Tellington Touch</span></a> techniques.<br />
<br />
It’s also important to remember that in cases of PTSD, the dog’s “fear
circuits” are capable of overriding his “pleasure circuits” in a heartbeat. But
if you can generate a feeling of trust, and a deep emotional bond with the dog,
he’ll slowly gravitate more and more toward wanting to feel pleasure than to
re-live his old fears.<br />
<br />
There’s another important feature built into play; it requires high levels of
impulse control. And finally, rough-and-tumble outdoor play tends to release
tremendous amounts of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BDNF"><span style="text-decoration: none;">BDNFs</span></a>—brain-derived
neurotrophic factors—associated with brain plasticity. Depending on how much
trauma the dog has experienced, I believe it’s possible that just by getting a
dog with PTSD to play with you outdoors, you can begin to reverse some of the
brain damage and cognitive deficits that might otherwise make the dog’s
recovery seemingly impossible.<br />
<br />
<i>Is that all there is to it?<br />
</i><br />
No, there are a few other tricks I find helpful. <br />
<br />
<b><i>Transitional
Objects, Fear, and Impulse Control<br />
</i></b>Always remember that the dog with PTSD doesn’t have the same capacity
for impulse control, or for learning new behaviors, as a dog who hasn’t been
traumatized. That doesn’t mean he <i>can’t</i>
learn impulse control. It just means you have to take things more slowly.<br />
<br />
When my dog Freddie was having panic attacks I found two strategies that helped
him with his symptoms during the period where I was slowly working on getting
him to play with me, and teaching him impulse control tasks. One was barking on
command (fighting the fear), and the other was carrying a pacifier in his mouth
on our walks.<br />
<br />
Whenever Freddie went into his panic state—which could be triggered by any
number of noises—I would tell him to “Speak!” As soon as he barked he went from
being a terrified pooch—ears back, shoulders down, tail tucked, trying to run
off in any direction—to his usual self.<br />
<br />
This works better in cases of fear than it does with dogs whose PTSD manifests
as aggression. But it still works.<br />
<br />
The other tactic I took was having him carry a toy of some sort in his mouth. I
got the idea from seeing how some dogs I knew tended to seem less anxious when
their owners let them carry a tennis ball or other object around in their
mouths. It worked wonders for Freddie, and many other dogs as well.<br />
<br />
I’ve found that by using these strategies—taking things slowly, earning the
dog’s trust, teaching the dog to play, using transitional objects, and teaching
impulse control—I seem to have been able to reverse symptoms of PTSD in some
dogs completely.<br />
<br />
I hope these ideas can help your dog as well.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.leecharleskelleydogtraining.com/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: none;">LCK</span></a><br />
<i>“Life Is an Adventure—Where Will Your Dog
Take <u>You</u>?”</i></span></span></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #660000;"><br />
1) "Traumatic stress: effects on the brain," J. Douglas Bremmer, MD;
<i>Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience</i>, December, 2006.</span></span></div>
Lee Charles Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15859112874574974226noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098893893180848248.post-74636692575281153302016-04-27T11:53:00.001-07:002017-10-08T13:56:40.570-07:00Free Workshop on Diagnosing and Treating Canine PTSD<span style="color: #660000;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The next free <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">w<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">orkshop</span></span> on diagnosing and treating Canine PTSD will be held on Sunday, <span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">November</span> 26</span>th, 2017, at Whiskers Holistic Pet Care, 235 East 9th Street, N<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">ew York</span>, NY<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">, from 2 - 5 P.M.</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Lee Charles Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15859112874574974226noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098893893180848248.post-23008336077633490032016-03-01T11:32:00.001-08:002018-08-25T09:57:00.211-07:00Oxytocin & PTSD<style>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">How Oxytocin Has an Adverse Effect on Dogs With PTSD</span></i></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisPFeLfsYAAYuJdQmcOYrXlTLHI6xOXDu9gYG1huJo7tmGdbgA8aFQOx5S1L4IbB14eW9AQuePAdK0n7lt9ezmd8G-fWcIMnJ4j-XWmHCIB-tV8haDTNcCpY5pej1z4wexNiwj2GxnFws/s1600/Sad+Dachshund.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisPFeLfsYAAYuJdQmcOYrXlTLHI6xOXDu9gYG1huJo7tmGdbgA8aFQOx5S1L4IbB14eW9AQuePAdK0n7lt9ezmd8G-fWcIMnJ4j-XWmHCIB-tV8haDTNcCpY5pej1z4wexNiwj2GxnFws/s400/Sad+Dachshund.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">What Is Oxytocin?</span></i></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">You may have
heard about oxytocin, a neuropeptide that facilitates social bonding in
mammals. For instance, some studies show that when we pet our dogs it <a href="http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20320942,00.html" target="_blank">increases blood-serum levels of oxytocin</a> in both the dog and owner. Oxytocin is also
released when dogs and dog owners make <a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/04/16/the-look-of-love-is-in-the-dogs-eyes/?_r=0" target="_blank">eye contact</a>. Other studies show that
reducing levels of oxytocin causes normally monogamous prairie voles, who
usually mate for life, to become promiscuous, while <a href="http://www.nature.com/news/gene-switches-make-prairie-voles-fall-in-love-1.13112" target="_blank">increasing oxytocin levels</a>
cause normally promiscuous prairie voles to become faithful companions.
Oxytocin has also been connected with feelings of trust and generosity. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Oxytocin is a
neuro-chemical, a hormone found in mammals, which is released in both males and
females. But women have a stronger response to its effects because oxytocin is
enhanced by estrogen. The corollary of oxytocin in men is vasopressin. Its primary
functions are water retention and constriction of blood vessels. It also has an
influence on male sexual and social behaviors as well as paternal feelings. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Oxytocin also
facilitates childbirth by causing the uterus to contract and helps shrink the
uterus after delivery. Oxytocin is also released when a newborn suckles at his
mother’s breast. It also promotes the emotional bond that takes place between mother
and child. For instance, female rats generally dislike newly born rat pups. But
after they’ve given birth, they develop <a href="http://www.rmca.org/Articles/oxytocin.htm" target="_blank">strong feelings of attachment</a> for them.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">When a child is
born, the interactions between mommy and baby cause an increase in the infant’s
levels of the hormone, creating a kind of oxytocin glow, ensuring that mother and child will form a deep and lasting bonds. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Oxytocin levels
go up five-fold during sex. In men, however, they drop almost immediately
afterwards while vasopressin levels go up, which explains why men often feel a
sudden sense of separateness from their partners after sex. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">The Dark Side of Oxytocin</span></i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">In the summer of
2013 the owners of a dog I had been working with for several years had a baby. Early
in his life, this dog developed PTSD as a result of serious abuse by his
original owner (a male). Before the birth of their child the dog had been very
careful not to exhibit any aggression toward the husband, but was biting the
wife, his dog walkers, and me. Strangely enough after the baby was born, the dog began acting in a very, though obsessively “loving” manner toward the wife
and baby, but became guarded and aggressive toward the husband, a
complete turnaround.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Before the baby
was born the couple expressed their concerns that the dog might want to bite the
baby. I told them I didn’t think that would happen because, as far as I knew,
oxytocin would probably
have a calming effect.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Within a few
weeks, though, a strange thing happened, one that I hadn’t anticipated. The dog
developed a kind of obsession for mother and baby. He couldn’t be separated
from them. If left alone he would whine and cry. When he was with them, he was
constantly trying to lick the baby’s toes and skin and fingers. This suggested
to me that oxytocin was at work, creating a bond between dog, mother and child.
However, it wasn’t a healthy kind of bond at all. Like I said, the
dog seemed obsessed.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Then another strange
thing took place. Whenever the husband was home, especially when he was interacting
with mommy and baby the dog became extremely agitated and began growling and
snarling at him, something he’d never done before. They thought he was “protecting”
the baby. Strangely enough (or perhaps not so strangely), the dog was fine when
he was alone with the husband. They got along very well. The dog only became
agitated when the four or them were together: mommy, daddy, baby and doggie.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">I suggested that
they keep the dog crated when the husband was home with the baby. And that the
husband should take the dog on long walks, play fetch and tug with him outdoors,
and work on getting him to hold a long down/stay.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Then, a week or so later I came
across a study showing that oxytocin can sometimes re-awaken and even strengthen
memories of past abuse. (“<a href="http://www.nature.com/neuro/journal/v16/n9/full/nn.3465.html" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Fear-enhancing effects of septal oxytocin receptors</span></a>;” <i>Nature Neuroscience</i>, 2013.)
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">“Oxytocin is usually considered a
stress-reducing agent based on decades of research,” said Yomayra Guzman, the
study's lead author. “With this novel animal model, we showed how it <i>enhances</i>
fear rather than reducing it, and where the molecular changes are occurring in
our central nervous system.”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">“So that’s what’s
going on,” I thought. The poor dog’s PTSD has come back to haunt him. He’s like the war veteran who hears the sounds made by a local news
helicopter, and, in his mind, he’s instantly transported back to the
battlefield. This dog felt he was back in his original home with his original,
abusive owner. He didn’t see the husband coming home to hurt the baby. He didn’t
see the husband at all, at least not while he was near the mother and baby. All
he saw was his original attacker coming to attack him. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/q8DiOthAKek/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/q8DiOthAKek?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">This is a very
important point, because dogs form basic templates in their minds based primarily on
emotional valences. This is why, for instance, a very smart border collie featured
in a famous Youtube video (above), keeps dropping a stick at the feet of a statue of
Alan Turing, hoping to get the statue to throw the stick for him to chase. He doesn’t see the
statue, he sees a template of a human being (or humanoid) sitting in a position
that indicates he’s ready to play with the dog. For dogs, deeply emotional past
experiences—positive or negative—outweigh present circumstances.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Aftermath</span></i></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">The dog's owners
decided that the dog needed to stay with me for a while, so that I could work
out some of the emotional kinks in his system. They were right. As long as the
memories of past abuse were constantly being re-triggered in the now-moment by
the oxytocin—which dissipates within a few months after child birth—it would be
a losing battle. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">So I began doing
the <a href="http://canineptsdblog.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-5-core-exercises.html" target="_blank">5 Core Exercises</a> with him again, deliberately putting the dog in stressful
situations, initially just mildly stressful. Then I steadily and gradually
started injecting more and more stress into the mix so as to increase his
carrying capacity.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">He’s fine now,
by the way, a much different dog. We’ll see if that changes if his owners
decide to have another child. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">But I don</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">’</span></span></span>t think it will.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Lee Charles
Kelley</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">“Life Is an Adventure—Where Will Your Dog
Take <u>You</u>?”</span></i></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Update: </span></i><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">They had a baby girl in November, 2017. And everything is fine with the dog, mommy, daddy, and the now 4-year old boy. </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> </span></i></span></span></div>
Lee Charles Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15859112874574974226noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098893893180848248.post-43649883966731310802015-07-24T11:20:00.001-07:002017-08-06T15:17:25.177-07:00Is It Possible to Cure Canine PTSD? Yes!<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Why Do Veterinary Behaviorists Believe That Canine PTSD Can’t
Be Cured?</i></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6098893893180848248" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpCO6QOEdFWc8veYobymC1fvyNZK5XnUccKXHlJ1g73qpzqy_vb0T4Te52R9bbAJK4SZTxIgkqPmQfMgFjw88laRHLhkTetNcuXNTy6Fz4mkbrt4vhiOVzHcNPowfy3vWzD3tNsVKCbgs/s1600/Military+Dog+%2526+Soldier%2527s+Leg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="337" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpCO6QOEdFWc8veYobymC1fvyNZK5XnUccKXHlJ1g73qpzqy_vb0T4Te52R9bbAJK4SZTxIgkqPmQfMgFjw88laRHLhkTetNcuXNTy6Fz4mkbrt4vhiOVzHcNPowfy3vWzD3tNsVKCbgs/s400/Military+Dog+%2526+Soldier%2527s+Leg.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>The Dogs of War</i></b> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">If you’re interested in understanding or learning more about
Canine PTSD, there’s a wonderful film about post-traumatic stress in military
dogs called <i><a href="http://dogsofwarfilm.com/see-the-film/" target="_blank">The Dogs of War</a></i></span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">, produced and directed in 2013 by Kristen Kiraly. Kiraly
was a student filmmaker at the time and she did a fabulous job. You should
definitely take the time to watch it. [1]</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Two things stood out for me when <i>I</i> watched the film. The
first is that the main dog profiled—a retired military detection dog named
Bix—seemed to always be carrying a tennis ball around in his mouth. [2] According
to his adoptive owner, this helped calm his nerves. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The other thing that stuck
out was that the military’s top expert on PTSD in dogs, Dr. Walter Burghardt,
former chief of behavioral medicine and military working dog studies at Holland
Air Force Base in Lackland Texas (now retired) says that PTSD in
dogs can only be<i> treated</i>, it can’t be cured.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In a December 1, 2011 <i>New York Times</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> article Dr. Nicholas Dodman said the same thing to
reporter James Dao. “Asked if the disorder could be cured, Dr. Dodman said
probably not. ‘It is more management,’ he said. ‘Dogs never forget.’”</span> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Or do they?<b><i> </i></b></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Aggression Cures Fear</i></b> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">My first experience with treating Canine PTSD came in 1994 when my
Dalmatian Freddie began having panic attacks about a week or so following a series of
deeply traumatic events, triggered initially by the loud sound of a store gate
being pulled down right next to where he was standing with me on the sidewalk,
and ending with him running from Second Avenue all the way to Central Park. He hid out there for three nights until a woman walking her dog found him early
on a Sunday morning and called me after seeing</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> one of the flyers I</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">’</span></span></span>d put up.</span></span></span></div>
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<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">With the kind generosity of Kevin Behan—creator of <i>Natural
Dog Training</i>—and a few tricks I discovered on my own (based on my
understanding of Behan</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">’</span></span></span>s philosophy) and a little help from a Sheltie named Duncan—I was able to manage Freddie’s symptoms, though like Drs. Dodman and
Burghardt I wasn</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">’</span></span></span>t able to totally cure Fred.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The cure came when Behan suggested a technique similar to
one I’d come across before, in a book on SchutzHund, where the dog is fasted
overnight and kept in his crate about 4 hours before an obedience trial. This is done to increase the dog</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">’</span></span></span>s drive. Kevin</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">’s idea was a bit more extreme. He</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> suggested that I fast Freddie </span></span></span>for two days, then tie him to a post or a fence while a helper and I threw a ball or
toy back and forth, right in front of his nose, until he became highly motivated to bite the ball. Once he</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> was fixated on biting the ball, Kevin said I should release him from the fence, then throw the ball for him to chase and bite. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Once I got over my reluctance to fast Fred, and finally did
the exercise, he never had another panic attack for as long as he lived and he was
15 when he passed away in 1997.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The reason this worked is because of three simple psychological
principles and one principle of physics. The first is what Behan calls
“Pavlovian Equivalencies,” the fact that there’s virtually no difference
between physical and emotional memory. Pavlov</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">’s dogs didn</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">’t salivate as a conscious response to external stimuli, </span></span></span></span></span></span>they responded through gut feelings. The second principle is the Freudian concept of
repressed emotion (referred to by Behan as unresolved emotion). The third is
the idea that a full release of unresolved emotion requires a level of
intensity similar to that of the precipitating event (or catharsis). And the fourth is the principle that energy (in this case<i> emotional</i>
energy) always has to go to ground.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So in Freddie’s case you have a dog whose physical/emotional
memories of a traumatic event—one he couldn’t fight back against—were being
re-triggered on a daily basis by a constant cacophony of street noises. Some of
the techniques I used to prevent this from happening—having him bark at the
noises, having him carry a toy on our walks—worked amazingly well, but didn’t t
resolve the problem entirely; it was management, not resolution.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Since Fred was unable to bite or bark at the actual thing
that originally scared him, the energy of that event stayed stuck in his body
and mind. However, the hunger he felt when he’d been fasted for two days, and
the sight of the ball being thrown past him, over and over, increased the
intensity of his desire to bite it. Once he was unchained and allowed to bite
the ball with all the force available to him, it a) provided a catharsis and b)
allowed his unresolved emotions to run to ground.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Of course I felt terrible about
fasting Freddie for two days. And he was very stressed <i>during</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> the exercise. But afterwards he was totally and
completely cured of all his fears and anxieties. Totally. Nothing ever threw him off
balance for the rest of his life. So those 5 minutes of intense stress had a
positive effect that lasted for 14 years.</span><b><i> </i></b></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>The Positive Effects of Stress, New
Technologies</i></b> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">You’re unlikely to find any of these concepts, principles,
or techniques in the veterinary behaviorist’s manual for treating behavioral
problems, which is why Dodman and Burghardt believe that PTSD
can’t be cured.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">However, in human subjects two new methods have been shown to have an amazing ability to cure
PTSD completely, at least in human subjects: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_movement_desensitization_and_reprocessing" target="_blank">EMDR</a> </span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">(eye-movement desensitization and re-processing) </span></span></span>and, believe it or not, the computer game,
<a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/tetris-shown-to-lessen-ptsd-and-flashbacks/" target="_blank">Tetris</a>! EMDR was controversial
at first but it’s now known that it can be very effective at treating PTSD. As
for Tetris, researchers at Oxford University found that playing this
simple video game didn</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">’</span></span></span>t cure PTSD completely in human subjects, but it seriously reduced the frequency of flashbacks.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Of course, you can</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">’t do EMDR with dogs or get them to play video games. But if you can get them to play tug-of-war, in such a way that they</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">’re totally committed to the game, and are biting down on the tug toy as hard as possible, what usually happens is that a lot of the internal stress they</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">’re still holding on to, due to negative experiences, can be fully (or almost fully) released.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Stress is what prevents dogs from a full recovery. It</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">’s also what causes dogs like </span></span></span>Bix to carry a tennis ball around in their mouth. As long as </span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">they</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">’re gripping that ball, </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">they</span></span></span> feel safe</span></span></span>. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The primary hallmark of PTSD is that the original trauma is continually
re-experienced by the victim. When dogs don</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">’</span></span></span></span></span></span>t have a way of releasing their unresolved emotions, each time the stress response is triggered,
or re-triggered, a cascade of hormones and neurochemicals are released into the
bloodstream, often resulting in actual lasting brain damage. This
is what makes PTSD one of the most difficult psychological
illnesses to treat.</span></span></span>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">However, new research shows that a little stress can actually <i>enhance</i> learning</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">. “According to an idea in psychology called the
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yerkes%E2%80%93Dodson_law" target="_blank">Yerekes-Dodson law</a>,” says researcher Emily Bray, “a little stress can be a good thing, but only up to a
point. A task that isn’t demanding or challenging enough can make it hard [for
a dog] to stay engaged… but when the pressure becomes too much to handle,
performance is likely to suffer again.” (“<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26169659" target="_blank">Increasing arousal enhances inhibitory control in calm but not excitable dogs</a>,” <i>Animal Cognition</i>, 2015.)</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Dog trainer and natural philosopher Kevin Behan writes, “My
theory is that stress, or Unresolved Emotion, forms when Emotion meets with
resistance.” He goes on to say that unresolved emotions are stored in the body
(via Pavlovian conditioning) as a kind of energy reserve, which Behan refers to
as an “emotional battery.” When it’s triggered, it can cause a dog to
re-experience a traumatic event as if it were happening again for the first
time, which is exactly how people with PTSD describe <i>their</i> experiences.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile, a study published in June of 2012 (“<a href="http://www.arpnjournals.com/jeas/research_papers/rp.../jeas_0612_705.pdf" target="_blank">Axiomatic Development of Human Psychophysiological Stress Indices Using Thermodynamics</a>”<cite></cite>)
re-capitulates this connection between body, mind, stress and unresolved
emotion. In it the authors write, “When we look at the human
psychophysiological (mind/body) system from a thermodynamic perspective, the
dichotomy between mind and body states cease to exist and they become one
energy system governed by the law of entropy.” A system they say behaves “like
a magneto-electro-mechanical system.”</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Behan writes that the biological connection he sees between
thermodynamics, emotion and stress “is the only model that can smoothly
encompass the phenomena of learning, sexuality, personality, memory, neoteny,
evolution and domestication [in dogs].”</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">That’s a pretty big statement. But I believe Behan can
back it up. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Do these ideas lie outside the normal way of seeing behavior and
learning? Yes, but remember, those concepts aren’t based on
science, <i>per se</i>, but rather on statistics and how quickly a behavior is produced in relation to a previous stimulus. In other words, behavioral science
doesn’t describe <i>how</i> learning actually takes place, it only deals in statistical
probabilities and temporal contiguities. That</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">’s why</span></span></span></span></span></span> the current view of veterinary
behaviorists is that Canine PTSD can’t be cured, it
can only be treated. And the reason they believe that is because they’re
either unaware of or uninterested in trying alternative methods that lie outside the ken of behavioral science.<b><i> </i></b></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Taking Things to the Next Level</i></b> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">My dog Fred’s problem was resolved a long time ago. The <i>Natural
Dog Training</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> technology and philosophy have
become much more advanced since then. That’s why I think it’s important for all
dog trainers and veterinary behaviorists to investigate, test and perhaps even study <a href="http://canineptsdblog.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-5-core-exercises.html" target="_blank">The 5 Core Exercises</a> of</span><i> Natural Dog Training</i><span style="font-style: normal;">.</span></span></span></span><i><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<i><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">What are they?</span></span></span></i><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<b><i><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">1) Pushing for Food,</span></span></span></i></b><br />
<br />
<i><b><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">2) Barking on Command, </span></span></span></b></i><br />
<br />
<i><b><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">3) Collecting,</span></span></span></b></i><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>4) Suppling</b></i> (massaging the dog’s back and shoulders), and
most important,</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>5) Playing Tug-of-War and Fetch</i></b> (also called
“Bite-and-Carry</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">”</span></span></span>).</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">(You can find <a href="https://www.leecharleskelleydogtraining.com/videos-1" target="_blank">videos of these exercises</a> on my website; for more info see <a href="http://canineptsdblog.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-5-core-exercises.html" target="_blank">Behan’s explanation of these exercises</a> on this blog.)<i> </i></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>These exercises <b>work</b>.</i> They’re very effective at solving all
sorts of behavior problems in dogs, not just PTSD. Behan—whose father was a famous dog trainer in the 1950s, and who has
spent his entire life focused on dogs and dog training—has a reputation as
America’s premier trainer when it comes to solving behavior problems in dogs.
His techniques never fail to bring results. The problem for most veterinary
behaviorists (and even dog trainers who use behavioral science techniques) is
that none of these exercises can be explained through the philosophy behind learning theory. They can only be explained through the laws
of physics, specifically, thermodynamics and Pavlovian equivalencies.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.leecharleskelley.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Lee Charles Kelley</span></span></a></span><i><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">“Life Is an Adventure—Where Will Your Dog Take <u>You</u>?”</span></span></span></i><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Footnotes:</span></span></span></i><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">1) I have a personal connection to <i>The Dogs of War</i>. The filmmaker, Kristen Karaly
interviewed me to get my thoughts on treating PTSD in pet dogs. But while she
felt my input was valuable it didn’t relate to military dogs, so all my footage ended up on the cutting room floor. (Interestingly, Kevin Behan</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">’</span></span></span>s father</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">, who trained dogs for the military during World War II, wrote a best-selling book about his experiences: it was <i>also</i> titled <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/13/obituaries/john-behan-72-trainer-of-dogs-for-guarding-macy-s-and-others.html" target="_blank"><i>The Dogs of War</i></a>.)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">2) If you recall, up top I mentioned that Bix, one of the
dogs featured in <i>The Dogs of War</i>, was often seen carrying a tennis ball
around in his mouth. And as long as he had that “pacifier” available, the less
likely he was to have a “flashback” moment. Gripping the ball with his teeth
made him feel physically and emotionally stable. As I also mentioned in passing
this was one thing that helped Freddie with his panic attacks. As long as he
had a favorite prey object in his mouth, he was never thrown off-balance
emotionally by street noises. </span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span>Lee Charles Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15859112874574974226noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098893893180848248.post-35368658615654226842015-01-05T10:23:00.000-08:002015-08-08T16:40:22.046-07:00The 5 Core Exercises<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The
5 Core Exercises of Natural Dog Training </b><span style="color: grey; font-size: 11.0pt;">by Kevin Behan</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUvQxSf7grLAyUir3j5YRBe9aaLJYpKKc5GrS9tx5OQr-5G7jP7NpqqTMlK8rl1hIuw7c7gw1jcb79czCaFjvPe1DlzuUpWV5z5-SjrcI6qWoBgGJMsnMtMCrLc8Zqoi7qAdhsO9o9U2Y/s1600/Kevin.DogFancy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUvQxSf7grLAyUir3j5YRBe9aaLJYpKKc5GrS9tx5OQr-5G7jP7NpqqTMlK8rl1hIuw7c7gw1jcb79czCaFjvPe1DlzuUpWV5z5-SjrcI6qWoBgGJMsnMtMCrLc8Zqoi7qAdhsO9o9U2Y/s1600/Kevin.DogFancy.jpg" width="229" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="color: grey; font-size: medium;"><i> </i></span><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">(1) All behavior is a
function of emotion and all emotion is a function of attraction. (2) When
emotion can’t flow to completion, stress is acquired. (3) Stress, which may be
defined as the physical memory of emotion that failed to run to “ground,” must
be triggered by something just as intense as the thing that caused it to form
in the first place. (4) The acquisition and build up of stress as a physical
memory of emotional experience engenders a more complex form of attraction,
coupled with resistance, in which the dog becomes highly attracted to the
“negative” in order to convert stress back into flow and resolve it. (5) Stress
becomes resolved only if the dog and his trainer or owner can interact together
in a way that produces an emotional wave pattern akin to running at full speed,
which itself is a muscular wave pattern moving through the body.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">By doing the five core exercises—speaking on command, pushing for food, the collecting
exercise, deep tissue massage (particularly of the shoulders, haunches and
topline) to supple the dog, along with tug and fetch—you can activate and
strengthen that wave function so that the dog feels the freedom of movement
even when things aren’t moving, and even when his stress has been triggered by
an agency of intensity that previously elicited survival instincts.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">The most practical benefit of
teaching heel, sit, down, stay, and the recall through this emotional wave
pattern, is that lessons thus derived can be performed under duress, because
the wave pattern emanates from the dog’s core, unlike other lessons which are
acquired through instinct or fine motor manipulation, such as clicker training
and dominance techniques.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">My method with each and every
dog, no matter what the context or past history, is to trigger the dog’s
physical memories of unresolved emotion and then work to smooth them into a
pure wave function through the core exercises. When the wave is triggered, and
the dog is not allowed to fall back on old coping strategies, giving them free
range to exert themselves and dominate the dog’s spectrum of responses, he will
volunteer where he wants to be on the wave and how he’s able to participate. As
a result, he begins to feel in control of what is happening around him because
this wave pattern is the very basis of his construct of reality. And so he
feels an immediate payoff because the triggering agency (the owner or trainer)
is responding in terms of the wave pattern.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">Some dogs might lie down,
some might bark, some will jump up or grab your arm with their jaws. My next
move is always to springboard off whatever opening is being offered by the dog
in order to amplify the wave that he’s experiencing, and which we can clearly
see building up within his body, and coursing through his external physical
movements. This is why the core exercises—bark, push, collect, supple, and
bite-and-carry—are central in <i>NDT</i> methodology because each enhances a specific
dynamic within the overall wave template. A wave is how two beings integrate,
and integration is the only way unresolved emotion can be fully released.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">That’s <i>Natural Dog Training</i> in a nutshell. And
this can be tested by anyone willing to look at the behavior of dogs (or
any animal) with an open mind while simultaneously resisting the urge
to inject thoughts into what they’re observing.</span></span></div>
Lee Charles Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15859112874574974226noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098893893180848248.post-91191176419137497822014-09-24T20:08:00.002-07:002015-07-23T21:16:10.389-07:00Treating PTSD With Natural Dog Training<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhKKEkZ7axk81kHERWXpHL-FQMwu7y8ud8N35IP3ZduewJczfz5PE9APlDmwv_G5V6Oai6gaDG1svz-qZM7yYtjhbKE9B3j0o_vDluGJJ082Gy0y3eR1S8Hi95XNlWevVBEIkoyQzygj8/s1600/Dalmatian.Shy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhKKEkZ7axk81kHERWXpHL-FQMwu7y8ud8N35IP3ZduewJczfz5PE9APlDmwv_G5V6Oai6gaDG1svz-qZM7yYtjhbKE9B3j0o_vDluGJJ082Gy0y3eR1S8Hi95XNlWevVBEIkoyQzygj8/s1600/Dalmatian.Shy.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i> </i></b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #4c1130;">This Is <u>Not</u> Freddie</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>Play vs. Prozac</i></b> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In a previous article here (</span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://canineptsdblog.blogspot.com/2013/02/canine-ptsd-its-causes-symptoms.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“</span></span>Canine PTSD: Its Causes, Signs & Treatment</a></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://canineptsdblog.blogspot.com/2013/02/canine-ptsd-its-causes-symptoms.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">”</span></span></span></a>) I wrote about the very real probability that millions of pet dogs in
North America may have developed post-traumatic stress as a result of being
mistreated, abused, lost or abandoned. This is particularly true of rescue
dogs. Of course not all rescue dogs suffer from post-traumatic stress. And
symptoms of trauma can be found in non-rescue dogs as well. However, it’s important
to understand that, due to the release of certain neuro-chemicals in the brain,
both during the initial traumatic event as well as in subsequent flashbacks, a
dog can actually develop neurological damage similar to what’s seen in
traumatic brain injury. This is why it can be very difficult to bring dogs
who’ve suffered emotional trauma back to anything close to normal. It’s not
your fault. And it’s not the dog’s fault.</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">There seem to be only two ways to undo this kind of damage.
One is through the use of medications like Prozac. The other is
through rough-and-tumble outdoor play which, according to research done by Jaak
Panksepp and others, releases tremendous amounts of brain-derived neurotrophic
factors (BDNFs), associated with new neuronal growth and brain plasticity.
(Human subjects with PTSD have been helped by playing video games like Halo
and, oddly enough, Tetris.)</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The only problem with using play to heal emotionally wounded
dogs is that most of them have forgotten <i>how</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> to play. However, in this article I’ll provide readers with two very simple
exercises that </span><i>can</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> help rescue
dogs relearn how to play. I use them all the time in my training practice in
New York City, both with my paying clients and with members of my Rescue Dog
Owners Support Group. The exercises were created by former police-dog trainer Kevin
Behan as part of a system called <i>Natural Dog Training.</i></span> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Behan created 5 Core Exercises specifically designed to
achieve optimal emotional flow in dogs with “stuck” emotions.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1) Bark <i>(the dog speaks on command)</i></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2) Push <i>(the dog pushes into the handler while eating)</i></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">3) Collect <i>(the dog moves backwards into a relaxed down)</i></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">4) Supple <i>(the handler massages the dog’s shoulders)</i> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">They all lead to the most important exercise,</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">5) Bite <i>(the dog plays fetch and tug, and brings
the toy back)</i> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I’ll focus here on the first two exercises.<b><i> </i></b></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>The 4 Quadrants of Natural Dog Training</i></b> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Before I describe the exercises I should point out that they
might not make much sense at first because they don’t operate through the more
commonly known principles of dog training, i.e., dominance and submission or
positive and negative reinforcement. That’s because <i>Natural Dog Training
</i>operates through the physical and emotional properties of <i>attraction</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> & </span><i>resistance,</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> and </span><i>tension</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> & </span><i>release.</i></span></span><i><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">What does that mean?</span></span></i><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">A simple example of<i> attraction</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> would be a puppy who, on his first walk, sees a leaf blow by and
chases it. Why? Because anything that exhibits certain types of movement
stimulates feelings of attraction in the pup, and thus exert a kind of
“magnetic pull” on his body and emotions, drawing him toward them.
Meanwhile things which engender </span><i>resistance </i><span style="font-style: normal;">would cause a pup to move away from them</span><i>.</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> Common examples might be tall men in hats, sudden
loud noises, etc.</span> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">You always want to generate more feelings of attraction than
resistance. For instance, it’s not uncommon for an older puppy or
adult dog to feel that his owner is generating both attraction <i>and</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> resistance: “She feeds me and plays with
me!”—and—“She scolds me and won’t let me eat cat poo!” So the pup begins to
ignore or “disobey” the owner in some circumstances while running excitedly
toward her in others.</span> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I hope that gives you a window into <i>attraction &
resistance</i><span style="font-style: normal;">.</span> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">However, we could also look at a puppy chasing a leaf
through the lens of <i>tension</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> and </span><i>release</i><span style="font-style: normal;">. The leaf’s movement stimulates actual, palpable
feelings of tension and pressure within the pup’s body, causing him to run
toward it. His movement provides a subsequent yet small feeling of release from
that pressure. He would get a lot </span><i>more</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> release if he could actually bite the leaf and rip it to pieces. In
fact, many times when a pup is prevented from “killing” something he’s been
chasing, he’ll jump around, bark wildly, or start digging in the ground. We
tend to think of these behaviors as nonsensensical, yet they serve a very
important biological purpose: they release tension.</span> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Using these principles we can see that behavioral problems
most often arise when a dog is feeling more tension than he’s able to handle or
release. One very practical reason
for understanding this is that it may give you a new insight into your dog’s
specific behavioral problems, so can you begin attacking them from a new and
different angle.<b><i> </i></b></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>Standing Your Ground</i></b> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Let’s start with two very common problems: fear and
aggression<span style="font-style: normal;">.
First of all, on a certain level there’s virtually no difference between fear
and aggression because all aggression is </span><i>caused</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> by fear. Fear manifests, behaviorally, in three
ways: fight, flight, or freeze. In the last two the dog is feeling a great deal
of tension with little or no release. But the dog who’s able to flip fear
over on its head, and fight back, is releasing all that tension and more by
“standing his ground.”</span> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">One example of how this can help dogs involves my Dalmatian
Freddie, who many years ago (in 1993) started having severe panic attacks,
sparked by any little noise on the street. I tried everything I could think of
to help the poor dog but once he was in his panic state, all I could do was
wait it out.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Then I learned that a friend of Freddie’s, a Sheltie named
Duncan, had cured himself of thunderphobia simply by barking at the lightning.<i> </i></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>Brilliant!</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> I thought.
<i>He’s barking at the thing that scares him!</i></span><i> </i></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">After that, every time Freddie went into a panic state—ears
back, tail between his legs, head down, ready to run off in any possible
direction—, and I gave him the speak command, as soon as he barked, he
became a different dog, almost as if he couldn’t understand why we’d stopped
walking to the park.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">One practical way this idea can be put to use is by doing
what Duncan the Sheltie did on his own, i.e., teaching thunderphobic dogs to
bark at the lightning. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Begin by teaching the dog to speak on command in
different locations, so that the behavior becomes reliable and automatic
whenever the cue is given. (After you do this you should also teach your dog to be <i>quiet</i> on
command.) Then, on a day, when a
storm is due, before the dog starts to panic, you give her the “Speak!” command. In
most cases, once she’s able to bark at the lightning she’ll no longer be
frightened of the thunder ever again.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Why? Because instead of freezing or fleeing—where the dog’s
fear gets stuck in her body, and has nowhere to go—, she’s pro-actively
fighting back against the scary sound. It doesn’t matter that the thunder and
lighting don’t stop or go away. She doesn’t care because she’s no longer afraid
of them. This is similar to a kid who’s being harassed by a bully. Once the dog
finally stands her ground and fights back, the fear is no longer controlling
her behavior and the thunder/bully no longer has any power over her.<b><i> </i></b></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>Hunger, Balance & Fear</i></b> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Another important aspect of how fear operates is illustrated
by a lost and wounded dog who hides in the woods until he’s hungry enough to
take food from someone. Being in a weakened and unstable condition creates
feelings of <i>resistance </i><span style="font-style: normal;">rather
than </span><i>attraction </i>toward<span style="font-style: normal;"> people who
might be in a position to help him. Eventually, hunger overrides those feelings, the dog comes out
of hiding and will take food. (Many volunteers at shelters cite the first day
that a scared dog finally took food from them as the moment when things started
to turn around for that pooch.)</span> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So, to recap, hunger cures fear. <i>How?</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> Through increasing a dog’s feelings of social
attraction. And aggression cures fear. </span><i>How?</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> Picture the body language of a dog who’s frightened.
His head and shoulders and tail are all down. He’s cowering. Picture that same
dog barking furiously at the lightning. His body and tail are erect and his
four paws are firmly planted on the ground.</span> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The fact is that whenever a dog (or human) is frightened,
anxious or nervous he <i>a)</i> doesn’t feel hungry, and <i>b)</i> doesn’t feel grounded; he
feels off-balance both physically and emotionally. In fact there is virtually
no difference between being off balance physically and being off-balance
emotionally. It operates on a purely Pavlovian level. (If you still don’t think
there’s a connection between fear and balance this little factoid might help:
in puppies the first fear development phase comes around the same time that the
pup begins learning how to stabilize himself physically.)<b><i> </i></b></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>Playing and Pushing: Stabilizing Unstable Dogs</i></b> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So I’ve given you one tip on how to reduce (or release) emotional tension in
dogs: have them speak on command. But there’s still another hurdle the dog has
to cross, which is a reservoir of unresolved emotion that may cause him to
fling a ball or rope around on his own instead of bringing it back to you for a
therapeutic game of fetch or tug. <i> </i></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>How do we bridge that gap?</i> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">A few years ago I got an email from a veteran dog trainer in
Virginia who had just brought home two Jack Russell pups. This woman was having
problems housebreaking the female, who’d been the runt of the litter. Plus she
was frustrated that the dog seemed withdrawn and a bit nervous. I
suggested that she do “The Pushing Exercise,” essentially hand-feeding the
doggie all her meals outdoors in a very specific way.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This trainer didn’t understand why I made this suggestion, but she did it anyway. A few days
later she called to tell me that not only had the doggie stopped doing her
business inside the house, but the pup brought her a toy for the first time
ever!</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Now, some readers may balk (or feel resistance toward) the idea
of having their dog push for food. “I don’t want my dog to get pushy over his
dinner.” This is something I also felt initially. Then one day, one of the dogs
staying with me, who was normally very social and easygoing, exhibited a fairly
severe case of resource guarding; he wanted all the food in all the doggie
bowls! So I pulled him away and fed him separately for three days, using the
pushing exercise. On the fourth day, when I put everyone’s dinner bowl down, he
was happy with his own food. There were no residual traces of food aggression or resource guarding.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Here’s how the exercise works. At a time when your dog is
hungry, take her to a quiet place outdoors where there’s a platform of some
kind—a bench of a flat rock—that she can jump up to or climb on. Bring along
her favorite food, either in a pouch or a bait bag. It’s not a bad idea to wear
latex gloves if the food she eats is messy.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Take a handful of food out of the pouch, holding it in your
non-dominant hand (i.e., your left hand if you’re right-handed). This is
especially important for large breeds. Show her the food, waving it around a
little, if necessary, to pique her interest. Then say, in a pleasant tone,
“Wait…” And then close your fingers over the food, move it under her snout,
say, “Ready?” then open the hand and let her eat.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">While she’s eating, surreptitiously cup your dominant
hand, palm up, against her chest. If she balks, pull that hand away or stroke
her gently wherever she likes being stroked while inviting her to eat from your
other hand. With some dogs you have to work gradually, day by day, so that all
resistance to feeling the second hand against her chest dissipates. With others
you practically need to wear chain mail gloves! (This brings up an important point: some dogs aren</span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">’</span></span>t as careful about where their teeth go as others, so proceed with caution!)</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The idea is that while she’s eating, you gradually increase
the amount of pressure the dog feels against her chest. You don’t do this by
pushing the dog! You do it by pulling your food hand away slightly, in small
increments, until she has to push into <i>you</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
in order to feel the pleasure of eating.</span><i> </i><span style="font-style: normal;">You want to get to the point where the dog is up on her
back legs, totally off balance, while pushing into you as hard as she can.</span> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Why is it therapeutic? </span></span></span></i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Because she’s being put in a position
where the person she loves most in the world is hand feeding her in such a way
that she doesn’t even realize that the harder she pushes, the more off-balance
she becomes. (She won’t <i>really</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> be off
balance because you’ll be her balance beam.) You’re also triggering a little of
the good kind of aggression, where the dog feels confident enough to stand her
ground.</span> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">If you’d like to learn more please visit my website. There is a downloadable pdf, giving a more detailed description of the exercise, along with 4 demonstration videos.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">There
are no immediate guarantees. In some cases, it may take several months or
longer to get the final results. </span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In other cases, the changes can be quite
dramatic and manifest within only a couple of days or weeks. Just keep pushing.
It’ll help your dog stand her ground against all her fears, not to mention all
the internal tension, pressure, and resistance causing her behavior problems.</span></span> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://baddoglaszlo.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">On her blog</a> Jenya Chernoff gives a very good, and I think important description of <i>Natural Dog Training</i>.</span></span><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The real-world of <i>Natural Dog Training </i>is by nature a bit
intuitive and improvisational (according to my husband, </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“</span></span></i></span>it</span></span><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">’</span>s just
jazz.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">”</span></span></i>) That said, there are some fundamental exercises that could be
summarized as follows: bark, bite, supple, push, collect. Not
necessarily in that order. I like to describe it as part primal scream
therapy, part dressage for dogs. Training the bark (</span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“</span></span></i></span>speak</span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">”</span></span></i>) brings the
drive to the surface; the bite resolves it. <a href="http://www.leecharleskelley.com/trainingtips/thepushingexercise.html" target="_blank">Pushing for food</a>,
mirrored by collection, elaborates into the behaviors heel, sit, stay,
down, etc. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“</span></span></i></span>Suppling</span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">”</span></span></i> your dog through massage relaxes her and accesses
her primal puppy memories.</span></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I am, like so many modern humans, action-oriented, goal-driven, and
addicted to formulas and schedules. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“</span></span></i></span></span>Less is more</span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">”</span></span></i></span> may be one of the
hardest things for me to internalize. So I get that it</span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">’</span>s often a tough
sell for the OC among us when we</span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">’</span>re told </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">“</span></span></i></span></span>Just work on building these
skills, and everything else will fall into place.</span></span></span><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-style: normal;">”</span></span></i></span> Work on problems
indirectly? Trust your improvisational skills? Wax on/wax off? </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">Whatever.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: #eeeeee;">But seriously, kids. It works that way.</span></span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.leecharleskelley.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Lee Charles Kelley</span></span></a></span></div>
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</span>Lee Charles Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15859112874574974226noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098893893180848248.post-79954891780782269652013-04-24T06:48:00.000-07:002013-04-24T06:55:55.283-07:00Case History No. 4—Oddy & Penny<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>Why do some
dogs develop PTSD while others experiencing the same trauma don't? </i></b>
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="submitted">Originally published in slightly different form on December 20, 2012 at PsychologyToday.com.</span></span></span></span>
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBDhyphenhyphenDkKs5wXKybR4MMAiYJV3ReK-2O-e1rCiUa4pKXp162bHC9iYp_CxU57MKDszo8qvUSt45UqPkGlVLnmwcbEOXFmCGLWE8l6lNZ8sWO9ukiT6ofM4Kx9EVZObRq_5NEClAlbB1egc/s1600/Oddy+&+Penny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBDhyphenhyphenDkKs5wXKybR4MMAiYJV3ReK-2O-e1rCiUa4pKXp162bHC9iYp_CxU57MKDszo8qvUSt45UqPkGlVLnmwcbEOXFmCGLWE8l6lNZ8sWO9ukiT6ofM4Kx9EVZObRq_5NEClAlbB1egc/s320/Oddy+&+Penny.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>PTSD Develops in Different Ways in Different Dogs</i></b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This is the 4th in a series of case histories of dogs I’ve worked with who
may have suffered from PTSD, which statistics suggest may be much more common
in pet dogs than it is in military dogs.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This series of posts is meant to be a helpful diagnostic tool for
veterinarians, shelter and rescue workers, as well as dog owners and dog
trainers to hopefully prevent more cases of Canine PTSD from going undiagnosed
and, therefore, untreated. (A Canine PTSD symptom scale can be found <a href="http://www.leecharleskelley.com/images/CPTSD_Symptom_Scale.pdf">here</a>.)</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The first case history (of my own dog Freddie) can be found <a href="http://canineptsdblog.blogspot.com/2013/02/canine-ptsd-case-history-no-1my-dog-fred.html" target="_blank">here</a>.
In Freddie’s case, I witnessed the original trauma first-hand, and saw the
resulting behavioral disorder that developed very quickly as a result. There
was no guesswork. This is the easiest type of case to diagnose, the one where
the owner was witness to the original trauma.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">A second case involved a boxer named Fancy whose stress was probably the
result of being kept in a crate at the vet’s office during an important social
development phase. Fancy’s story can be found <a href="http://canineptsdblog.blogspot.com/2013/02/canine-ptsd-case-history-no-2fancy-boxer.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">A third case, of Noodles, a dachshund, who was biting his owners, his
dogwalker, and eventually me, can be found <a href="http://canineptsdblog.blogspot.com/2013/03/canine-ptsd-case-history-3noodles.html" target="_blank">here</a>.
Noodles was easier to diagnose because his affect and behaviors were
off the charts.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Now comes the story of Odysseus and Penelope (Oddy and Penny), two miniature
schnauzers who were attacked by another, much larger dog, while out on a walk.
Penny actually came pretty close to dying from her wounds, and was in the
hospital clinging to life for several days. She pulled through, but, oddly
enough, didn’t suffer from post-traumatic stress. Oddy, on the other hand, who
wasn’t hurt as badly, did.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Why the difference?</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>Entangled Schnauzers</i></b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">First it’s important to understand how the dogs' personalities differ.
They’re roughly the same age. Penny is about two months older than Oddy. She’s
also much smaller; Oddy is almost the size of a standard schnauzer. And while
they have some surprisingly similar character traits in some ways, they’re also
quite different.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">When I first met them, I found that Penny was very playful, a little
mischievous at times, and liked to roll over on her back for tummy rubs. She
was quite a bit smaller than her “brother,” but seemed to be in charge of
things. She also seemed to dislike going on walks, which I thought might have
been a repercussion from the attack, but was told that she’d always been like
that.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Oddy, on the other hand, didn’t know how to play except with Penny. He also
exhibited more tension, stress, and showed less emotional elasticity than his
“sister.” For instance, I never saw him roll over on his back for a tummy rub
or for any other reason.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">They would play together every day, but if Penny found another dog she liked
to play with Oddy was unable to join in.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Another difference is that Penny had been a part of the household since
puppyhood while, for various reasons, Oddy had been kenneled (at the breeder)
during certain important developmental phases, and hadn’t been brought into the
household till he was nearly six months of age. I don’t know for certain that
this accounts for the difference in their responses to the traumatic event, but
there is <a href="http://www.casey.org/Resources/Publications/pdf/CaseyNationalAlumniStudy_MentalHealth.pdf" target="_blank">evidence</a>
showing that children in foster care may be five times more likely to develop
PTSD than children raised in a traditional family
setting.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Personally, I believe that the dog-human bond which develops during
puppyhood bears some important similarities to having a normal childhood with
loving human parents.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">There may be another reason Oddy was more affected by the
event emotionally, though Penny sustained the most physical damage.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>Life-Threatening Physical Injuries & Hypercathexis</i></b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In 1920 Sigmund Freud wrote about the symptoms of PTSD (then referred to as
“the war neuroses”). He said that “two characteristics emerge prominently: first ,
that the chief weight in their causation seems to rest upon the factor of
surprise, of fright; and secondly, that a wound or injury inflicted
simultaneously works, as a rule, <i>against</i> [their] development.”
(“Beyond the Pleasure Principle,” 1920.)</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">If this is true, it might explain why Penny didn’t develop symptoms of PTSD,
and why Oddy did. It also explains why, generally speaking, a soldier who isn’t
seriously injured is more likely to develop symptoms of PTSD than those who <i>are.</i></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">First, I think it’s important to understand why Freud refers to what we now
call PTSD as a neurosis. Neuroses are anxiety-based behaviors or sets of
behaviors, where the energy invested in them is out of balance, either with the
normal reasons for producing such behaviors or with the amount of energy that
might normally be expended on them. In dogs the 1st might be something like
humping inanimate objects or chasing cars, and 2nd might manifest as separation
anxiety or showing obsessive guarding of toys or other objects. Second, most if
not all neuroses are the result of repressed emotional energy. I believe this
is true in both humans and dogs.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">In Freudian terms, the mind's "control panel" <i>(the ego)</i>
has the job of deciding which internal and external stimuli <i>(excitations)</i>
should be a) paid attention to, b) ignored, c) have their energies blocked <i>(repressed)</i>,
or d) have their energies projected <i>(cathected)</i> onto persons or
objects in the environment including the subject's own body. So the gross
physical trauma--the sheer mechanical force that accompanies a serious,
life-threatening injury--demands that none of the mind's energy can be wasted
on "mere trifles;" it all has to be projected onto the body itself so
as to enable healing and/or self-preservation. Or as Freud put it, “the
physical injury, by calling for a narcissistic hypercathexis of the injured
organ, would bind the excess of excitation.” (610)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Meanwhile, for the subject whose injuries aren't as serious, those same
emotional energies aren't projected (or cathected) onto the body, they're
repressed by the mind, resulting in what Freud called "the compulsion to
repeat," which is one of the chief features of PTSD (i.e., the subject is
unconsciously compelled to repeat the feelings <span style="font-size: large;">surrounding the </span>initial trauma over and over a<span style="font-size: large;">gain</span>).</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Furthermore, Freud made it quite clear that fright, fear, and anxiety were
not synonyms; they represented clear distinctions in how we relate to danger.
Anxiety, he said, “describes a particular state of<i> expecting</i> the
danger or preparing for it, even though it may be an unknown one. ‘Fear’
requires a definite object of which to be afraid. ‘Fright,’ however, is the
name we give to the state a person gets into when he has run into danger
without being prepared for it; it emphasizes the factor of surprise.” (598.)</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Once again, if we look at the stories we hear from veterans about how their
PTSD developed it’s not uncommon to hear them say that the danger “came out of
nowhere,” or “I wasn’t prepared for what happened.” And since PTSD is
classified as an anxiety disorder, and anxiety is a state of “constantly
expecting … danger or preparing for it,” this makes sense.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">While I don't believe dogs <i>think</i> about their experiences, or try to explain
or understand them through internal monologues, I think the basic principles
can still be applied.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">If I'm right, then Penny's injuries necessitated that whatever psychic
(mental or emotional) energy she had available at the time be focused (or
projected) solely on to the tasks of self-preservation and healing. Meanwhile
the excess energy the traumatic event had stimulated in Oddy had no place to
go. It got stuck, which in turn created an unconscious compulsion to repeat the
event over and over.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I recently heard from Oddy's <span style="font-size: large;">owners and they say that while he<span style="font-size: large;">'s still prone to <span style="font-size: large;">act protective, he's much more relaxed<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>and pla<span style="font-size: large;">yful and has, in all other respects, become a completely different dog!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.leecharleskelley.com/whoarewe/kevinbehan.html">LCK</a><br />
<i>“Changing
the World, One Dog at a Time”</i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://0189e47.netsolhost.com/linksetc/psychologytodayblog.html" target="_blank">My Puppy, My Self</a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> (archived)</span></span></span>
Lee Charles Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15859112874574974226noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098893893180848248.post-32634830412846784032013-03-01T11:42:00.001-08:002013-03-04T06:41:55.539-08:00Case History No. 3—Noodles<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Miniature <span style="font-size: large;">D</span>achshund or Incredible Hulk? </span></i></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="submitted">Originally published in "<a href="http://www.leecharleskelley.com/linksetc/psychologytodayblog.html" target="_blank">My Puppy, My Self</a>" at PsychologyToday.com on October 3, 2012.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Db8m_qRtiy9B6oj9kiRCEmPVSJDdxFjB78FFYThn-usOFH_1ARn2VcvFZJwimk8mUqt0USSYEA0VmPSbWcOG0mirZcJg3JBt7WOmUfymi-VpZ_B8FW7HctV6P4RbdsbIvSCrU7RaUFk/s1600/Noodles+Napping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Db8m_qRtiy9B6oj9kiRCEmPVSJDdxFjB78FFYThn-usOFH_1ARn2VcvFZJwimk8mUqt0USSYEA0VmPSbWcOG0mirZcJg3JBt7WOmUfymi-VpZ_B8FW7HctV6P4RbdsbIvSCrU7RaUFk/s400/Noodles+Napping.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">“</span></span></span>You
don</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">’</span></span></span>t want to make me mad. You wouldn</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">’</span></span></span>t like me when I'm mad.</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">” </span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>— Bruce
Banner</i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Three Ways to Diagnose PTSD in
Rescue Dogs</i></b><br />
This series of blog posts is intended to show the different ways that pet dogs
can show symptoms of PTSD, and how to determine if your dog, or a dog you’re
working with, might have the disorder. It’s also important to know that rescue
dogs are probably more at risk for PTSD than military dogs.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Another important piece of
information is that the brains of patients with PTSD show a signature similar
to those who’ve suffered a traumatic brain injury. This means that PTSD carries
with it significant long-term changes in brain connectivity, making treatment
and recovery more difficult than with other behavioral/emotional problems.
Anti-anxiety medications can reportedly restore brain plasticity, reversing
neurological damage. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So can hard vigorous outdoor play.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">How do we diagnose PTSD in dogs? There are <span style="font-size: large;">3</span> basic ways<span style="font-size: large;">:</span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<ol start="1" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Through first-hand knowledge and observation of the
precipitating event, followed by subsequent behavioral responses that seem
to be tied to the original trauma in the form of exaggerated responses to
a similar stimulus or set of stimuli. </span></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Through second-hand accounts of the dog’s history, followed
by careful observations of the dog’s behavior over time.</span></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">If no history of trauma is known, yet the dog’s
behavioral responses are exaggerated in the form of fear or
aggression—especially when no real threat is at hand and the responses are
repeated consistently in a stereotypical fashion—then the owner or trainer
can make reasonable assumptions about the possible nature of the original
trauma.</span></span></span></li>
</ol>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Miniature Dachshund or Incredible
Hulk?</i></b><br />
In the case of Noodles—a miniature dachshund who exhibited fear aggression and
other signs of previous abuse or trauma—his owners and I started without
knowing what, if anything, had actually traumatized the little guy. His
original owner, a single male, reportedly gave up the dog for “financial
reasons.” This information came second-hand from the rescue organization that
took in Noodles, not from the owner himself.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">However, since Noodles was biting
people, and biting them really hard—sometimes for no apparent reason (such as
when he was being petted)—I thought it was more likely that he’d been given up
because of that specific problem behavior. I also thought it likely that the
original owner had abused or mistreated the little dog during his oral and
social developmental phases. That’s because when a puppy’s oral impulses are
repressed, especially in a punitive manner, it almost always results in some
form of behavioral problem in the adult dog.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">After he was given up by his
original owner, Noodles then had two different owners, both females, each for a
period of about two weeks or so. These women both reportedly gave Noodles up
because he was “too much work.”</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">His final owners, Mr. and Mrs. H.,
saw him on the street one day, dressed in a skeleton costume, and fell in love
with him. The rescue group told the couple about the dog’s previous owners but
didn’t mention anything about the biting behavior. Was this because Noodles
hadn’t bitten his original owner or the two women who'd briefly adopted him?</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It’s possible, though it seems
unlikely.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">As is often the case when a dog
finds himself in a strange new environment, Noodles was on his best behavior
for the first few weeks with Mr. and Mrs. H. (This may be why it took the two
previous adoptees several weeks before they realized that Noodles was “too much
work.”)</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Then, Noodles became overly attached
to Mr. H. and started biting his wife. These were really hard, deep pressure
bites. Noodles would go into an altered state of pure rage when no real threat
was present. In fact, being cuddled and petted, which for most dogs stimulates feelings
of social bonding, could bring on one of these fits.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Noodles rarely, if ever, bit Mr. H.,
whom he seemed to adore in perhaps an overly-dependent, unhealthy way. The dog
only bit Mrs. H. This didn’t seem to gibe with the fact that the dog’s original
owner had been a single male: if his original owner had abused him, wouldn’t
Noodles have been more wary of men than of women?</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This suggests the possibility that
one or both or his temporary female owners had been the abuser, and that’s why
Noodles was targeting Mrs. H. and acting lovey-dovey with her husband. The only
problem with <i>that</i> idea is that the behaviors Noodles was exhibiting
were so beyond the normal range that the trauma almost had to have come during
the dog’s developmental phases. And his original owner hadn’t given Noodles up
until long after those phases were over.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Identifying With One’s Abuser</i></b><br />
One of the strangest behaviors I saw in Noodles was his infatuation with an
intact male dog who lived on my block. Whenever we’d run into Pushkin (a shepherd
mix), Noodles would pull toward him, then do a crazy dance around the much
bigger dog, zipping this way and that in a kind of happy—though perhaps
overly-anxious—frenzy.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">At first I thought there was just
something about Pushkin that Noodles liked. But on a couple of rare occasions
Noodles had a chance to meet other intact males, and acted in a similar
fashion. This suggested that Noodles—unlike most neutered dogs—was highly
attracted to whatever scent was being given off by Pushkin's normal
testosterone levels. It also suggested that the reason for his infatuation with
Mr. H., and his general disdain for and desire to attack Mrs. H., might have
been based simply on the difference between male and female hormones.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Again, this didn’t seem to make any
sense. After all, if Noodles had been abused by a male he <i>should</i> show
signs of vigilance around men.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Then I remembered something Freud wrote in his 1925 paper on negation: “There is a most convenient method
by which one can obtain a necessary light upon a piece of unconscious and
repressed material. ‘What,’ one asks, ‘would you consider is the most unlikely
thing in the world in that situation? What do you think was the furthest thing
from your mind at that point?’ If the patient falls into the trap and names
what he thinks is most incredible, he almost invariably ... makes the
correct admission.” (<i>General Psychological Theory</i>, p. 217.)</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Dogs can’t tell us why they behave
the way they do. They can’t even explain it to themselves. But as I put the
pieces of this puzzle together, I realized that if Noodles had been abused by
his first owner—as seemed very likely—and had now formed a deep, long-lasting
emotional bond with another male figure—which was less likely—it was probably because
he’d formed a deep emotional bond with his original owner, not despite the
abuse but <i>because</i> of it!</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Dr. Frank Ochberg, M.D., an expert
on PTSD in humans, says that victims of abuse often develop positive feelings
toward the victimizer including strong feelings of attachment. And in some
cases such victims actually <i>identify</i> with their abusers.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In an earlier article on Canine PTSD
I said that a traumatic event or series of events can make a lasting imprint on
a dog’s character and personality. Before I started working with Noodles he was
almost always in “danger” mode. When he was with some people this was seen
clearly in his bitey-ness. With his male owner it was made manifest as a
neurotic overfriendliness. I think both behaviors come from the same source: a
deep and lasting imprint of fear and pain that came at an important time in his
early social and oral development. Both the biting/guardedness and the zippy,
anxiety-based “happiness” were derived from the same original trauma.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Once we started working on Noodles’
PTSD—through making him feel safe, having him <a href="http://www.leecharleskelley.com/trainingtips/thepushingexercise.html">push
for food</a>, and getting him to engage in rough-and-tumble outdoor play—he at
times began to show more affection for Mrs. H. than for her husband, though he
adores them both.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Noodles hasn’t been totally
transformed. Not yet. But there’s a looseness to his gait now that wasn’t there
before. And he’s always engaging me and his owners in play, particularly late
at night. Plus he’s happy to meet new people who come over to his house. He
plays nicely with children. And he loves most other dogs he meets.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Yes, he still occasionally makes a
snarly face when I try to pet him, and makes as if to bite my fingers. But he
restrains himself beautifully. It’s as if the fixed-action pattern is still in
evidence, but there’s no real juice (rage) behind it, and his bites aren’t
real. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Overall, <span style="font-size: large;">Noodles i</span>s an amazingly sweet dog.</span></span></span></div>
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<i>“Changing
the World, One Dog at a Time”</i><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://0189e47.netsolhost.com/linksetc/psychologytodayblog.html" target="_blank">My Puppy, My Self</a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> (archived)</span></span></span>
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Lee Charles Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15859112874574974226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098893893180848248.post-27160185436031250482013-02-28T11:18:00.000-08:002014-11-06T15:40:06.261-08:00An Open Letter to New York City Dog Trainers<span style="color: #330000;"><span style="color: black; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This blog post was originally posted on <a href="http://leecharleskelleysblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">my other training blog</a>. It was written not just for New York City dog trainers, but for all owners and trainers, everywhere. It's about an exercise that's vitally important to treating and even curing Canine PTSD<span style="color: #330000;">.</span></span></span>
</span><br />
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<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;">
<div>
<i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Can O</span>ne Technique Solve <span style="font-size: large;">All</span> Behavioral Problems?</span></b></i><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I'd
like to introduce you to a wonderful new training technique. It can
help shy dogs become confident, turn aggressive dogs into love- muffins,
eliminate fear, decrease unwanted barking, make dogs happier and more
playful, increase obedience, and can even help with housebreaking
issues. In fact, it does all that and a lot <i>more.</i></span></div>
</div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">I must be joking, right? </span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Nope. It's called "<a href="http://www.leecharleskelley.com/freetrainingtips/thepushingexercise.html">The Pushing Exercise</a>" and here are just a few case histories:</span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">Ginger:</span><span style="font-size: large;">
I got an e-mail from a veteran dog trainer of 35 years who started out
using “pack leader” methods but switched several years ago to an “all
positive” approach. She wanted to know how to get her “shy,” 11
month-old Jack Russell terrier Ginger to stop eliminating in the house.
Since the little Jack wouldn’t play, I suggested that the woman spend
some time on the floor every day, letting the dog jump on top of her,
and that she hand feed all her dog’s meals outdoors, using what we in <a href="http://www.naturaldogtraining.com/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Natural Dog Training</span></a> call the <a href="http://www.leecharleskelley.com/freetrainingtips/thepushingexercise.html">pushing exercise</a>.
Within a week the little doggie had not only stopped eliminating in the
house, she was much less shy and actually began bringing her owner a
toy.<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">Ba’sia</span><span style="font-size: large;">:
Some members of an online behavior board read about the pushing
exercise here on this blog, and several of them tried it, just to see
what changes if any it created in their dogs. Within 4 or 5 days the
owners of a Belgian shepherd named Ba’sia, whose only real behavioral
problem was that she loved to chase the Frisbee but wouldn’t bring it
back, began bringing it back to her owners, on her own, with no prompts.
She just suddenly “felt” like doing it.<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">Fancy:</span><span style="font-size: large;">
When Fancy, a boxer, was a puppy she was sick for several months and
had to be kenneled at the vet’s office. As a result she had trouble
interpreting social signals from other dogs and was getting into
skirmishes a lot at the park and at the dog run. I did the pushing
exercise with her for a few days, and she slowly began to learn how to
play nicely with other dogs. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">However, t</span>here was<i> one</i> unanticipated, yet <span style="font-size: large;">encouraging,</span> side-effect<span style="font-size: large;">. </span>Her
owners called me about four days in to doing the exercise to ask if I’d also been working on
her fear of sidewalk grates. I told them I hadn’t. In fact, I hadn’t
even known about the behavior.</span>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">“Well, whatever you're doing is working like a charm. She’s no longer afraid of them!”</span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">Kyla</span><span style="font-size: large;">:
A German shepherd mix (mostly shepherd) named Kyla had a very
“dominant” temperament, and one problem she had was that she could not
be bribed, cajoled, or coaxed with treats away from her intense focus on
squirrels. She also pulled constantly on the leash, ignored her owner’s
commands, constantly got underfoot at home, was always jumping up on
the bed or the couch, barked incessantly at other dogs at the dog run,
and scavenged like there was no tomorrow. But Kyla slowly and gradually
became a totally different dog. She now loves to obey all her commands,
she no longer pulls on the leash, she still shows a strong interest in
squirrels, but is easily called away, stays off the furniture, and no
longer scavenges. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Why? </i>Because of the pushing exercise. </span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">Caleb</span><span style="font-size: large;">:
A Welsh springer spaniel named Caleb, who sometimes stays with me
overnight, was starting to exhibit a very severe form of resource
guarding whenever other dogs were staying with me as well. At meal time
he felt he had to attack any dog who came near any food, even the food
in their own dinner bowl. All food was his! This was an otherwise
wonderfully social dog who had a knack for making almost any other dog
love him, no matter what it took. But at meal time, with other dogs
around, he became a monster. So, as an experiment, I did the pushing
exercise with him for 2 days, and guess what? He never showed any signs
of resource guarding ever again.</span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">Muskoka</span><span style="font-size: large;">:
This is a Westie who had 2 problems — leash aggression and an
absolutely frantic fear of walking anywhere near 72nd Street between
West End and Broadway (the location of her vet’s office). She’s now no
longer leash aggressive, and is slowly getting used to walking nearer
and nearer the dreaded place where she gets all her shots and
examinations, and used to get her toenails clipped.</span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">Dudley</span><span style="font-size: large;">:
He’s a cocker spaniel who’d had separation anxiety for seven years, and
during that time had also forgotten how to play. He was so frightened
of being left alone, he was found by his owners several times, trembling
in a corner covered in his own excrement, his eyes practically spinning
with terror and despair. It took much longer to bring this poor little
guy back to normal, but one of the primary ingredients was — you guessed
it — the pushing exercise!</span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">How
is it possible that one simple exercise — whose only point seems to be
to teach a dog to be pushy about eating — have such diverse effects, one
of which is that it actually makes dogs <span style="font-style: italic;">less</span> pushy?</span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">If
your background is in dominance training (or being the pack leader),
this exercise would make no sense to you for a lot of reasons, the main
one being that by simply allowing (not to mention outright <span style="font-style: italic;">encouraging!)</span>
a dog to push into his owner to get his meals every day you would be
setting up the exact opposite dynamic of what the pack leader culture
believes in. You would in the clearest of terms be allowing your dog to
“dominate” you. And yet the exercise makes dogs<i> more</i>, not less
obedient. It makes them less pushy about food. It makes them more likely
to stay off the furniture, come when called, and less likely to get
into fights or engage in resource guarding. In other words, it makes them less <span style="font-style: italic;">“dominant.”</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">If
your background is in the “all positive” approach, the exercise
probably makes no sense to you either because from a learning theory
perspective all the exercise is doing is reinforcing a specific
behavior, pushing for food. And yet <span style="font-style: italic;">it makes dogs </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">less </span><span style="font-style: italic;">pushy</span>!</span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">How is this possible?</span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Working for a Living</span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Dogs
are designed to work for a living. Pet dogs no longer have the
utilitarian function in our lives that they once did. They don’t have to
hunt, herd, or guard our flocks for us to get their daily provender.
Their expectation (learned and reinforced by their owners) is that a
bowlful of food will appear in the kitchen or on the back porch 2x a
day, and that’s pretty much it. Oh, sure, sometimes they might have to
perform tricks to get an extra treat now and then, but for the most part
all the energy they’re designed by evolution to expend on working for a
living goes into, what? Playing with other dogs at the dog park? Going
on long walks? Playing fetch with a Frisbee or tennis ball? Patrolling
the back yard for gophers? All worthwhile pursuits, but hardly dirty-fingernails, blue-collar, working-class stuff.</span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
If they’re lucky — and if they’re suited for such tasks — they might get
a chance to do Schutzhund or go to agility trials and dance through
some weave poles. But again, it's hardly the real 8-hr. day, punching
the time-clock down at the elk herd type stuff, is it?</span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile<span style="font-style: italic;"> our </span>species, the <span style="font-style: italic;">human </span>animal — who also used to hunt (and gather) for a living — now expend much less of our physical energy toward putting food into <span style="font-style: italic;">our </span>dinner
bowls. Sure, some of us still farm the land and pull nets full of fish
out of the sea. But the difference (or one of them) is that those of us
who engage in that kind of hard, physical labor on a regular basis don’t
need gym memberships. Most of the rest of us<span style="font-style: italic;"> do</span>. </span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Why is that? Why do we go to the gym, or the golf course, or go hiking or kayaking or play tennis or go skiing?</span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Because
pushing feels good. Whether your thing is lifting weights, jogging on a
treadmill, doing pilates, playing golf or tennis, hiking, kayaking,
skiing, or going to a spin class, you’re pushing against something to
get a result. And the <span style="font-style: italic;">pushing feels good.</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Think
about it: in a spin class you’re pushing the pedals on the bike. In
tennis you’re pushing your back, leg, shoulder, and arm muscles to go
after the ball so you can put the right force and spin and velocity on
it to “push” it back over the net. In golf you’re using those same
muscles to put enough force against that little ball to drive it (push
it) down the fairway. If you’re on a treadmill you’re pushing your leg
muscles to work past your own internal resistance. If you’re doing
pilates you’re pushing against your core.</span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Why
is Michael Phelps the best swimmer in the world? His physical gifts are
part of it, but there are other swimmers with his height, his reach.
Why does he consistently perform better? Why do some football teams
always seem to come from behind in the final minutes to win a big game
while other teams tend to fade in the clutch? The kind of athletes who
come through, when others can't, usually do so because they’re good at
pushing past <i>their own internal resistance</i>, past that internal voice that says to the rest of us, “I can’t do this.”</span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Do dogs have such an inner voice?</span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Not exactly. But if the dogs I described in the case histories I cited above <span style="font-style: italic;">could</span> talk they might very well say things like this:</span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>“I can’t hold my bladder muscles until I get outside the house!”</i></span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br />
</i></span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>“I can’t bring the Frisbee back to my owners!”</i></span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br />
</i></span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>“I can’t walk on sidewalk grates!”</i></span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br />
</i></span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>“I can’t control myself when I see other dogs eating!”</i></span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br />
</i></span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>“I can’t obey commands or not chase squirrels or not be dominant!”</i></span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br />
</i></span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>“I can’t walk down 72nd Street!”</i></span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br />
</i></span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>“I can’t be left alone in the apartment!”</i></span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Well, my little doggies, the truth is, <span style="font-style: italic;">“Yes, you can!” </span></span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">You
just have to learn how to push past your own internal resistance. You
just need to have someone with a nice big pouch of food, take you
outdoors, and teach you how to push for your dinner. You don’t have to
push very hard at first. You don’t even have to push at all if you don’t
want to. But slowly and gradually, the more you learn how hard you can
push, and how good it feels to push that hard, and then even a little <span style="font-style: italic;">harder</span>, and a little harder after <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span>, you’ll start to realize that:</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size: large;">Y</span>ou can do anything</span><span style="font-size: large;">!</span> </span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">And guess who’s the one teaching you that wonderful lesson?</span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">That’s
right. It’s the person who loves you. He or she is the one who’s like
Michael Phelps’ trainer, or Tom Brady or Joe Montana, the one person who
knows you can do it. That you can come from behind, you can get out of
the hole you’re in, and prevail! That you are a strong doggie with a
wonderful, wild heritage. And that you can do anything.</span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">All you need is a little push…</span></div>
<div style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.leecharleskelley.com/whoarewe/kevinbehan.html">LCK</a><br />
<i>“Changing
the World, One Dog at a Time”</i><br />
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Me on Twitter!</a></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://0189e47.netsolhost.com/linksetc/psychologytodayblog.html" target="_blank">My Puppy, My Self</a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> (archived)</span></span></span>
Lee Charles Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15859112874574974226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098893893180848248.post-64968283885423304902013-02-28T06:56:00.004-08:002016-04-23T17:19:21.216-07:00Can “Bark Therapy” Help Cure Canine PTSD?<b><span style="color: #4c1130;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Like Talk
Therapy for Humans, Bark Therapy Helps Some Dogs </span></span></i></span></b>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="submitted"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Originally p</span>ublished in <a href="http://mypuppymyself.blogspot.com/2014/07/canine-ptsd-case-history-no-1my-dog.html" target="_blank">"My Puppy, My Self"</a> at Psyc<span style="font-size: x-small;">holog<span style="font-size: x-small;">y<span style="font-size: x-small;">Today.com<span style="font-size: x-small;">,</span></span></span></span></span></span></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">August 31, 2012.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>How a Sheltie Helped “Cure” My Dog Freddie’s PTSD</i></b><br />
In 1993, when my Dalmatian Freddie first developed PTSD, he was having daily
panic attacks brought on by any number of noises coming from the city streets:
the air brakes from a city bus, a loud horn honking, the gate being closed on a
beer truck, etc, etc, etc. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We lived 4 city blocks from Central Park, where we
went every morning to play Frisbee or chase sticks. In the park,
Freddie was fully alive and completely happy. But most days it was torture to navigate our way there without some sudden noise causing a
panic attack.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I had been training dogs for only a few years at the time, but I was
constantly studying the subject, looking for answers on the best ways to train
these wonderful animals, but more importantly the best ways to help them deal
with emotional issues<span style="font-size: large;">.</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Just prior to the onset of Freddie’s PTSD I went through what I call my
Karen Pryor phase, where I was fired up by the seemingly unassailable truth Ms.
Pryor merrily puts forth in her book <i>Don’t Shoot the Dog!</i> Pryor was
convinced about the complete and total effectiveness of operant conditioning. To Pryor—and to me at the time—behavioral science seemed to be as
inevitable as the law of gravity.</span></span></span>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The trouble is, no matter how hard I tried, nothing I could find in the OC
bag of tricks was of any help to Freddie. Nothing, nada, zippo. And while each
of Freddie’s attacks didn’t last very long, they kept happening, over and over,
day after lonely day.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I began talking to any and every dog owner I knew, hoping to find something
that would keep Fred from going into what seemed like constant episodes of pure
terror. One person I spoke to was the owner of a Sheltie named Duncan. Duncan
and Freddie often played together in Central Park when they were young pups.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Duncan’s owner commiserated with my dilemma, then he said, “You know, come
to think of it, Duncan used to be afraid of thunderstorms.”</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">“Really?” I asked, desperate to know the secret. “How did you fix <span style="font-size: large;">it</span>?”</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">“Oh, I didn’t. Duncan did it on his own.”</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">“Okay... How did Duncan fix it?”</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">“Well, one day he barked at the lightning, and he was never afraid of
thunder again.”</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Of course</i>, I thought. <i>Instead of going into the flight part of
the fight-or-flight response, Duncan was fighting back, he was
“attacking” the thing that scared him.</i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Luckily, I had already taught Freddie to “Speak!” So for the first time in
months I was actually looking forward to his next panic attack, just to see if
what had cured Duncan of<i> his</i> phobias might cure Freddie as well.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We were on our way to the park when the next attack came. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Poor Freddie's
ears went back, his eyes started to “spin,” his tail went between his legs, and
he seemed ready to run in any possible direction.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I held the leash firm and calmly said, “Freddie, speak!”</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Nothing happened.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I tried it again.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Again, nothing.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Finally, on the 4th or 5th try, a deep rumbling bark emerged from Freddie’s
throat. And when it did he was instantly a different dog. His ears pricked up,
his tail and shoulders returned to normal, his breathing became light and
steady and he looked at me as if to say, “Why are we just standing
here? I thought we were going to the park…”</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Over the course of the next few weeks I used this technique repeatedly until
a funny—or I should say a wonderful—thing happened. Freddie’s panic attacks
became less and less frequent.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">One important caveat: when using this technique with some dogs, the barking
is such a release that it interferes with their normal impulse control
behaviors. In other words the barking gets the dog too revved up to be able to
settle down as quickly as Freddie did. For such dogs the next step after
releasing the bark should be to give her something to bite or hold onto with
her teeth and jaws. Doing that should settle the dog’s nerves quite nicely. Of
course all dogs are different, so your mileage may vary. But that’s what works
for me.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So how do you teach a dog to speak in the first place? And what do you if
the dog won’t stop barking once he’s started?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>How to Teach a Dog to “Speak!” and Be “Quiet!”</i></b><br />
Teaching a dog to speak on command is a fairly simple procedure. You start by
showing the dog a treat. You tease her with it, then growl a little. Then you
bark a little. Keep teasing her with the treat, keep barking and growling.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">At some point—it might take 3 seconds or it might take 30 minutes—either a
bark or a small noise of some kind will start to tickle the dog's throat. When
it does, immediately give her the treat, then say “Speak!” as she takes it in
her mouth.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Repeat several times, and you’re done till the next session. It’s important
to re-teach her the command in different locales, at different times of day,
etc.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Note: It took Freddie over 30 minutes of frustration, on his part and
mine, before he finally uttered a sound. It’s easier if you do your training at
a time of day when your dog’s emotions are already primed for barking, for
example when you first come home.</i></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Once you can reliably get the dog to speak on command, the next step is to
teach her what “Quiet!” means.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here's how:</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Tease her with a treat. Say “Speak!” and as she barks, keep repeating the
command. Get her to bark 7 or 8 or 10 or 15 times, however long she seems able
to sustain the barking. Then interrupt her by giving her the treat and saying
“Quiet!” in a hushed, not angry, voice.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Again, repeat several times, then re-teach her the command in different
locales, etc.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Once the dog is totally reliable with the “Speak!” command you can begin to
use it to dispel all kinds of fears. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">For instance, I had 3 dogs staying with me
recently on the 4th of July. Two of them had been taught to speak on command, and one
hadn’t. Once the fireworks started, and the sound of “thunder” began to roll
in, the two who had been taught to speak were unfazed by the racket, though one
did have to be reminded to bark at her fears before they went away. The other
dog</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">—</span></span></span>the one who hadn’t been taught to bark at her fears</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">—</span></span></span>was quite trembly for
some time.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Does the Barking Cure Work on PTSD?</i></b><br />
Severe traumatic stress creates a lasting imprint that's difficult, though not
impossible, to erase. But teaching a dog to bark when he's frightened can help
reduce or alleviate the fears he or she may be feeling in the now
moment. Again, it’s a matter of switching the dog’s survival responses from freeze
or flight to the <i>fight</i> component. [1]</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">With Freddie I had to do a few other things beside have him bark when he was
in a panic before his symptoms disappeared entirely. But I think that speaking
on command was the first chink in his PTSD armor.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.leecharleskelley.com/whoarewe/kevinbehan.html">LCK</a><br />
<i>“Changing
the World, One Dog at a Time”</i><br />
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</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://0189e47.netsolhost.com/linksetc/psychologytodayblog.html" target="_blank">My Puppy, My Self</a></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> (archived)</span></span></span>
</div>
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">1.) If part of the dog's PTSD symptomology already involves excessive barking, this
technique may be somewhat counter-productive <span style="font-size: large;">at first</span>, so please proceed with caution.</span></span></span>Lee Charles Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15859112874574974226noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098893893180848248.post-22035826627514166102013-02-27T08:26:00.000-08:002013-03-01T13:37:30.754-08:00Case History No. 2—Fancy the Boxer<i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Are Pet Dogs More at Risk for Developing PTSD?
</span></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="submitted">First published in "<a href="http://LCK “Changing the World, One Dog at a Time” Join Me on Facebook! Follow Me on Twitter! My Puppy, My Self (archived) " target="_blank">My Puppy, </a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://LCK “Changing the World, One Dog at a Time” Join Me on Facebook! Follow Me on Twitter! My Puppy, My Self (archived) " target="_blank">My Self</a>" </span>at PsychologyToday.com, August 29, 2012<span style="font-size: x-small;">.</span><a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/experts/lee-charles-kelley"><br /></a></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja38PllkWhYGz8gDwOdV_ixqYm1AJLiakkd6um17b9o4dQdqEnQJQMpprOWYS1pS6SW1PwZ_WoWB0LzVk5kKTgPtivGmSIiM-9tbFjt1m95V10ayQoklmCgTttG5WP6KEnzmPzlO3K7Mc/s1600/FancyWithBiscuit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja38PllkWhYGz8gDwOdV_ixqYm1AJLiakkd6um17b9o4dQdqEnQJQMpprOWYS1pS6SW1PwZ_WoWB0LzVk5kKTgPtivGmSIiM-9tbFjt1m95V10ayQoklmCgTttG5WP6KEnzmPzlO3K7Mc/s320/FancyWithBiscuit.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>Seeing the Forest and the Trees</i></b><br />
It has become clear in the past year or so that dogs can suffer from PTSD. Most
of the media attention has been focused on U.S. military dogs who’ve suffered
trauma during wartime deployment.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">However, military dogs are “a special breed.” They come from hardy stock,
chosen for their working character. During training they’re tested to withstand
the rigors of combat. It’s rare for a dog who’s afraid of loud noises or is
unable to focus on his job under chaotic conditions to ever make it into
battle. Bottom line: these are tough, well-trained dogs with nerves of steel.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Certainly the kinds of trauma our military dogs experience goes beyond what
we would normally expect a pet dog to endure. Yet imagine how difficult it is
for dogs who <i>haven’t</i> had such rigorous training and who don’t come
from the same genetic lines to be put into a stressful or traumatic situation,
particularly one they can’t escape from.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Since I first wrote about Canine PTSD over a year ago I’ve had occasion to
work with a number of dogs whose behavioral problems could probably fit into
that category. Yet in some cases I didn’t see the forest for the trees, or
rather the forest <i>and</i> the trees. Here I offer the first in a series of
case histories where I originally didn’t think PTSD was a factor, and an now
either convinced that it was or feel that it <i>might</i> have been.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This first case falls into the latter category. It took place about 5 years
ago, back when Canine PTSD wasn’t on my radar screen and probably not much on
anyone else’s either. It involves a sweet, sensitive white boxer named Fancy.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>Emotional Compression?</i></b><br />
Fancy was a<span style="font-size: large;"> little over</span> <span style="font-size: large;">4</span> months old when her owners first contacted me. She had a mild
case of separation anxiety; she wasn’t barking and whining or destroying the
furniture, just soiling the carpet. Another problem was her frantic barking at
other dogs, particularly at the dog run. She never bit any of them, but had
been bit herself a few times. Finally, she had an irrepressible tendency to
jump up on anyone who made eye contact or said hello; i.e., she was <i>overfriendly.</i></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Fancy had kennel cough as a puppy, which developed into pneumonia when she
was about 3 ½ months (i.e., during her social development phase). She wasn’t
allowed contact with other dogs during that time. Then, once the pneumonia
developed she was kept in cage at the vet’s office for 4 days and nights. She
had an IV tube in her leg, and had to wear a Victorian collar. When her owners
came to visit every night after work, Fancy was wildly happy to see them. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Unfortunately, this meant that the vet techs had to restrain the poor dog by
surrounding her and clamping down hard to keep the IV from coming out and the
Victorian collar from coming off. This only made her wiggle harder and struggle
more to get free.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">An unfortunate effect of being ill was that Fancy had to be kept away from
other dogs for the first 5 months. She was taken on brief walks, and kept away
from other dogs. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">However, I don’t believe that if a dog isn’t forced to
interact with other dogs and humans during a “critical period,” she’ll never be
socialized. I’ve known too many dogs who had little or no socialization during
that period and were <i>very</i> adept socially, while others who'd been
socialized too <i>much</i> became anti-social as a result. Fancy is walking
proof that the socialization period isn’t as critical as once thought. She’s
very social but under certain circumstances she starts to panic.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">During my first few days with Fancy I noticed a that when she met a dog at
the dog run whom she wanted very badly to play with, she liked to start her
games very close to me, practically on top of me, or if I were sitting at one
of the benches, practically under my feet. Unfortunately, the closer she played
to me, the quicker things got out of hand with the other dog. If I encouraged
her to run away from me and chase the other dog, or let the other dog chase <i>her,</i>
she was free of all worries. It was only when she played in cramped quarters
that the fear would rise.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">For the first month we didn’t do any obedience work. Fancy was
too young. Instead <a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/my-puppy-my-self/200905/the-power-play-part-ii">I
encouraged her to play with me</a>, I got her to chase me around the park,
played fetch and tug with her, and did what’s called “<a href="http://www.leecharleskelley.com/images/The_Pushing_Exercise.pdf">The
Pushing Exercise</a>,” all of which I think should be the first points of
attack for almost all behavioral problems, particularly PTSD.</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">After 3 days of getting Fancy to play with me, and to push into me while
eating, her owners called to ask me if I’d been working on her fear of sidewalk
grates. I hadn’t, but "The Pushing Exercise” and getting her to play with
me had apparently solved a problem I wasn’t even aware of.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Fancy’s separation anxiety is long gone The dog run is still hit-and-miss,
so her only playtime with other dogs is during off-leash hours in Central Park.
She also plays with her friends when she comes to my place for day care or when
I board her overnight. However, if she feels hemmed in by a strange dog
outdoors, her hackles still come up and she still reacts.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>Bad Socialization or Unintentional Traumatization?</i></b><br />
Fancy went through a short but intense period of separation from her owners,
and continual, daily feelings of stress. So her body was constantly producing
stress hormones and neurochemicals while her young brain was still developing,
which may have had a lasting effect on her behavior. I also think there’s a
direct connection to being clamped down on by the vet techs and some of Fancy's
behaviors around other dogs.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Being kept locked up in the crate was stressful but it wasn’t a critical
factor. She’s fine with being kept in a crate and even goes in on her own. This
indicates that the experience which caused her PTSD wasn't being crated but was
probably being “kept calm” by the vet techs. But is it really PTSD?</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It’s hard to say. However, the fact that the other dogs aren’t doing
anything to set her off suggests that she’s not responding to their behavior in
the now moment but to something that happened in the past. And the fact that she
gets particularly prickly when she feels hemmed in suggests that a part of her
is still trying to break free from the grip of those well-meaning vet techs.
Remember, in the park, where there’s ample space for running, Fancy has a
lovely time playing with other dogs. She’s happy, carefree and easygoing.
She’ll often initiate play in new and inventive ways.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ultimately, while we don’t know for sure that Fancy’s issues with other dogs
are truly a result of PTSD, I think it’s important to keep our minds open to
the possibility that a persistent behavioral problem involving survival-type
behaviors such as fear and aggression may very well have its basis in a
stressful traumatic incident, one that the dog, for one reason or another,
seems compelled to re-live over and over.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b><i>What to Look For</i></b><br />
I think this shows that in some cases the external events surrounding a case of
Canine PTSD can be deceiving. Remember, the primary cause of this disorder is
an event or series of events that stimulate sustained feelings of fear and
danger, where there is no possible escape or where escape actually compounds
the danger <i>and</i> the dog’s stress. Fancy desperately wanted to escape
from the grip of these strangers, and make contact with her owners, but
couldn’t.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It’s unfortunate that Fancy has had to endure this problem and that I wasn’t
aware of it until recently. She’s an otherwise sweet-natured, good-hearted,
happy dog. Her owners are always getting compliments on how well-behaved and
well-trained she is.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Now that we're aware of the possibility that Fancy may have PTSD we can
start re-doing some of the things that helped her initially: "The Pushing
Exercise," playing tug-of-war outdoors, and working on impulse control.
Most importantly we can afford to be a bit more patient with her. After all,
NONE OF THIS IS HER FAULT.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Fancy is a wonderful dog. She’s making progress. It's true some days
are better than others, but that's probably true for most of <i>us</i> as
well.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.leecharleskelley.com/whoarewe/kevinbehan.html">LCK</a><br />
<i>“Changing
the World, One Dog at a Time”</i><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://0189e47.netsolhost.com/linksetc/psychologytodayblog.html" target="_blank">My Puppy, My Self</a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> (archived)</span></span></span>
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Lee Charles Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15859112874574974226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098893893180848248.post-32596211293815652222013-02-23T11:02:00.000-08:002014-10-16T20:40:36.345-07:00Case History No. 1—My Dog Fred<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><i>Does
PTSD Cause Brain Damage in Dogs?</i></span></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span class="submitted"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Originally published in <a href="http://mypuppymyself.blogspot.com/2014/07/canine-ptsd-case-history-no-1my-dog.html" target="_blank">"</a><a href="http://mypuppymyself.blogspot.com/2014/07/canine-ptsd-case-history-no-1my-dog.html" target="_blank">My Puppy, My Self</a><a href="http://mypuppymyself.blogspot.com/2014/07/canine-ptsd-case-history-no-1my-dog.html" target="_blank">"</a> at PsychologyToday.com on July 10, 2012. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt;">
</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><i>“PTSD, depression, and other
psychiatric disorders cause what is called ‘negative neuroplasticity,’
including activation of abnormal circuitry in the brain, and strengthening of
those circuits over time. They also cause shrinkage … and decreased
connectivity between parts of the brain.” —</i><a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/experts/david-hellerstein-md">David J.
Hellerstein, M.D.</a></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">
</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><b><i>How Common Is PTSD in Pet Dogs?</i></b><br />
Post traumatic stress disorder is probably much more common in dogs than most
people realize. We tend to think that it’s only found in military service
personnel, including canine members of the armed services. But it turns out
that deeply stressful events have a lasting negative effect on brain plasticity
and learning even in pet dogs. This is often clear in dogs who’ve suffered
physical abuse by their owners (or trainers), but can also be seen in some dogs
who’ve suffered a serious illness during their fear or social developmental
phases and had to be kept in a kennel at the vet’s office for an extended
period, or dogs who’ve been traumatized by attacks from other dogs, etc.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Stress
is the common denominator, not necessarily exposure to violence or to physical
trauma.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Of course, just as in humans, not all dogs experience stress in the same
way. Some are more sensitive than others. But those that <i>are</i> more
sensitive are deeply affected by stressful events, and can develop some
symptoms that are quite similar to those found in human beings who suffer from
PTSD, including neurological damage and memory loss.</span></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">One of the hallmarks of PTSD is that the original trauma is continually
re-experienced by the victim. And each time the stress response is triggered,
or re-triggered, a cascade of hormones and neurochemicals are released into the
bloodstream, causing oxidative stress resulting in brain damage. This damage to
neural circuitry makes PTSD one of the most difficult psychological illnesses
to treat.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><b><i>Stress and Neuronal Toxicity</i></b><br />
Neuroscientist J. Douglas Bremmer writes: “Stress in animals is associated with
damage to neurons in the CA3 region of the hippocampus … and inhibition of
neurogenesis [new cell growth].” Bremmer also says that high levels of
glucocorticoids (via the<span style="font-size: large;"></span> body’s stress response) are also associated with
deficits in <i>new</i> learning. [1]</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Glucocorticoids</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">—</span></span></span>released during stress-related experiences</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">—</span></span></span>in
turn cause an increase in glutamate, an amino acid that plays a key role in
facilitating long-term connections between neurons, connections that are vital
to learning and memory. This suggests that the more stress a dog experiences
during a traumatic experience, the stronger his memory of a stressful event
becomes and the more difficult it is to restore normal working memory, not to
mention normal emotional and behavioral function. This is why it’s not only
difficult to keep the dog who suffers from PTSD from over-reacting to certain
triggers, it can also be difficult to teach him new behaviors as well.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Mind you, I’m paraphrasing and condensing some very complicated research
into what I hope are easily understood bytes of information. But what
essentially happens is that the fear circuits (connecting the amygdala,
hypothalamus, and hippocampus), which are normally capable of being inhibited
to some degree by the impulse control centers in the prefrontal cortex, create
a kind of permanent or semi-permanent loop, blocking the higher parts of the
brain from exerting impulse control while decreasing the ability of the
hippocampus to provide normal working memory.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">The dog’s ability to control his behavior is reduced dramatically.
He’s classified as a “reactive” dog, or out-of-control, or hyper-vigilant.</span></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><b><i>Exposure Therapy or Play Therapy?</i></b><br />
It may seem strange but some human victims of PTSD—specifically military
personnel—have had their symptoms moderated a great deal, and in some cases
apparently cured, by playing violent, virtual reality video war games like<i>
Halo.</i></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Some in the field believe that violent video games act as a form of “exposure
therapy,” where the patient confronts a feared thought, image or memory
associated with a past traumatic event. I’m not convinced that that’s true. I
think what’s needed is research on whether these games can also facilitate
healing in cases of PTSD that <i>don’t</i> involve combat, such as victims of
sexual abuse, or witnesses of a major tragedy, etc. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Another possible way of
determining if it's the content of the game or the act of playing that has a
moderating effect on PTSD symptoms would be to have military or ex-military
personnel play violent virtual reality games set in a make-believe world of
sword and sorcery, as in the <i>Warcraft</i> series.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">It seems to me that play, of any kind, and in any species, always has an
element of aggression built into it. This is as true of a game of chase at the
dog run as it is of working the controls of a violent video game. What
differentiates play from actual aggression is the lack of danger to the
players: the moment fear enters the equation, the fun stops.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Another aspect of play is the mostly unconscious process of pattern
recognition, a process that also tends to release dopamine, one of the brain’s
“feel-good” chemicals. The more complicated the game (up to a point), the more
dopamine is released and the better it feels to play. Plus, generally speaking,
the more playful a dog is the more resilient and adaptable he is as well.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">When working with dogs who have PTSD I’ve found that play is an essential
part of the healing process. In some cases it can be play with other dogs, but
the most important type involves the owner or trainer playing games like fetch
and tug-of-war, where the dog gets to bite a toy, preferably as hard as he can.
The harder a dog can bite a toy in play, the more pleasurable, and the more
therapeutic it is for him.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">There are caveats, of course. The dog has to “know it’s a game.” If the dog
takes things too seriously, it’s only a matter of time before he flips over
into real aggression. So if your dog doesn’t know it’s just a game, DON’T PLAY
until you can get him to relax. The way to recognize the difference is in how
tense or relaxed the dog’s body seems during play.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">How do you do get a tense dog to relax?</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">You have to work very slowly, never act in a threatening manner toward the
dog (this includes things like scolding or correcting the dog physically). You
also have to find ways to gently activate the dog’s urge to play without
reaching or even coming near his threshold. This means you work in small
increments. <i>Very</i> small. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">It also means that you can’t take things too
seriously yourself. You have to relax as well. Long, protracted moments of just
being with the dog, and massaging his muscles in a very gentle manner can be
very therapeutic. So can <a href="http://ttouch.com/">Tellington Touch</a>
techniques.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">It’s also important to remember that in cases of PTSD, the dog’s “fear
circuits” are capable of overriding his “pleasure circuits” in a heartbeat. But
if you can generate a feeling of trust, and a deep emotional bond with the dog,
he’ll slowly gravitate more and more toward wanting to feel pleasure than to
re-live his old fears.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">There’s another important feature built into play; it requires high levels
of impulse control. And finally, rough-and-tumble outdoor play tends to release
tremendous amounts of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BDNF">BDNFs</a>—brain-derived
neurotrophic factors—associated with brain plasticity. Depending on how much
trauma the dog has experienced, I believe it’s possible that just by playing
with a dog who has PTSD you can reverse some of the brain damage and cognitive
deficits that might otherwise make the dog’s recovery <span style="font-size: large;">se<span style="font-size: large;">emingly</span></span> impossible.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Is that all there is to it? </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">No, there are a few other tricks I find helpful.</span></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><b><i>Transitional Objects, Fear, and Impulse Control</i></b><br />
Always remember that the dog with PTSD doesn’t have the same capacity for
impulse control, or for learning new behaviors, as a dog who hasn’t been
traumatized. That doesn’t mean he can’t learn impulse control. It just means you
have to take things more slowly.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">When my dog Freddie was having panic attacks I found two strategies that
helped him with his symptoms during the period where I was slowly working on
getting him to play with me, and teaching him impulse control tasks. One was
barking on command (fighting the fear), and the other was carrying a pacifier
in his mouth on our walks.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Whenever Freddie went into his panic state—which could be triggered by any
number of noises—I would tell him to “Speak!” As soon as he
barked he went from being a terrified pooch—ears<span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="font-size: large;">back,</span></span> shoulders down,
tail tucked, trying to run off in any direction—to his usual
self. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">This works better in cases of fear than it does with dogs whose PTSD
manifests as aggression. But it still works.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">The other tactic I took was having him carry a toy of some sort in his
mouth. I got the idea from seeing how some dogs I knew tended to seem less
anxious when their owners let them carry a tennis ball or other object around in
their mouths. It<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>worked wonders for Freddie, and many other dogs as well.</span></span> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I’ve found that by using these strategies—taking things slowly, earning the
dog’s trust, teaching the dog to play, using transitional objects, and teaching
impulse control—I seem to have been able to reverse symptoms of PTSD in some
dogs completely.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">I hope these ideas can help your dog as well.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://www.leecharleskelley.com/whoarewe/kevinbehan.html">LCK</a><br />
<i>“Changing
the World, One Dog at a Time”</i><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://0189e47.netsolhost.com/linksetc/psychologytodayblog.html" target="_blank">My Puppy, My Self</a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> (archived)</span></span></span>
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<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><i>Footnotes:</i></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">1) "Traumatic stress: effects on the brain," J. Douglas Bremmer,
MD; <i>Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience</i>, December, 2006.</span></span></span>Lee Charles Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15859112874574974226noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098893893180848248.post-30482975409283737582013-02-22T08:33:00.002-08:002016-03-19T17:50:01.742-07:00Canine PTSD: Its Causes, Symptoms & Treatment<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>How Can You
Determine If Your Dog Has PTSD?</i></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="submitted"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="submitted"> Originally published in "<a href="http://www.leecharleskelley.com/linksetc/psychologytodayblog.html" target="_blank">My Puppy, My Self,</a>" at <span style="font-size: x-small;">PsychologyToday.com<span style="font-size: x-small;">,</span></span> August 8, 2012<span style="font-size: x-small;">.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="submitted"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></span></span></span>
</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>Reactivity</i></b></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">”</span></span></span> in Dogs</i></b><br />
I got the following email message the other day from a company called <a href="http://www.dogwise.com/"><i><span style="text-decoration: none;">Dogwise</span></i></a>. They publish and sell books
primarily about reward-based dog training.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i> </i></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>“Probably the hottest topic in dog behavior and training circles right
now is reactivity. You may never be able to ‘cure’ a dog who is reactive—it’s
hard to counter poor socialization and/or genetics—but there are a number of
ways you may be able to control it, at least some of the time...”</i></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My first reaction was to the word “reactive.” I’ve never understood how or
why that term is being applied to behavior problems in dogs. It seems to me
that if a dog <i>doesn’t</i> react to stimuli, that’s when he’s got serious
physical, emotional or behavioral problems.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Then, when the blurb informed me that “you may never be able to ‘cure’ a dog
who is reactive,” I chalked that up to the fact that behavioral science
techniques are usually ineffective, or at the very least only mildly effective,
at solving most behavioral problems in dogs, because in my experience they’re
geared to focus on changing outward behaviors rather than finding and changing
the underlying cause.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But as I thought more about it I realized that a very high percentage of the
dogs being described as “reactive,” are actually <i>over</i>-reacting to
stimuli, which suggests that they may be suffering from Canine PTSD, which is,
indeed, very “difficult to cure.”</span></span></span><b><i> </i></b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Stress: The Underlying Cause</i></b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">
The database of the <a href="http://www.ntis.gov/about/index.aspx"><i><span style="text-decoration: none;">National Technical Information
Service</span></i></a>—an agency of the U.S. Government—shows that as many as
70% of individuals [human beings] living in the United States have experienced
at least one serious traumatic event during their lifetime. <span style="font-size: large;">But</span> according to
investigators at Boston University School of Medicine only 8% of those people who</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">’</span></span></span>ve
experienced some form of trauma have developed PTSD as a result.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Unfortunately, we don’t have a database showing the percentage of <i>dogs</i>
who’ve experienced trauma. But given the number of dogs abandoned or brought to
shelters every year, plus the number injured in fights with other dogs, and the
number who’ve been mistreated by their owners, or mishandled by their trainers,
groomers or vet techs (it happens), not to mention those who’ve been
struck by a car, gotten lost, were fought over during a divorce, etc, etc, etc,
I would be very surprised if the number of dogs who</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">’</span></span></span>ve experienced some type of
trauma wasn’t at least 70%. And I’d also be surprised if the number of dogs
who’ve developed symptoms of PTSD as a result of such wasn’t very close to the
figure of 8% found in human beings.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This would suggests that since there are roughly 75 million pet dogs in
America, there</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">’</span></span></span>s a real possibility that more than 6 million American dogs
might have PTSD.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Meanwhile, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/02/us/more-military-dogs-show-signs-of-combat-stress.html?_r=1&pagewanted=1&ref=general&src=me"><i><span style="text-decoration: none;">The New York Times</span></i>
reports</a> that “more than 5 percent of the approximately 650 deployed
military dogs are developing some form of canine PTSD,” meaning that there are
only 30 or so who’ve developed the disorder. Granted, in working military dogs
the symptoms are usually much more severe than what see in pet dogs. But the
problem still exists pet dogs, and in much larger numbers.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So when does a traumatic event of any kind stay a one-time thing, and when
does it actually <i>cause</i> PTSD? And can we apply any of the criteria used
in diagnosing PTSD in humans to diagnose our dogs as well?</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>I</i> think so.</span></span></span><b><i> </i></b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Diagnosing Canine PTSD</i></b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">
In humans, PTSD is not just caused by a traumatic experience, but one that
causes a tremendous amount of stress. The traumatic event causes the body to
release a cocktail of hormones and neurochemicals specifically designed to deal
with that stress. But in large doses those chemical agents also can reportedly
cause the same or similar kinds of neurological damage found in patients with a
traumatic brain injury (TBI). This can adversely affect mood, memory
and learning in deep and lasting ways. (See: </span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/my-puppy-my-self/201207/does-ptsd-cause-brain-damage-in-dogs">Does
PTSD Cause Brain Damage in Dogs?</a></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">”</span></span></span>)</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> * </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Since much of the literature on how stress affects memory, learning, and
behavior in humans comes from animal studies—primarily on rats and mice—and
since a dog’s body produces the same basic kinds of stress hormones produced by
rats <i>and</i> humans, it’s very likely that dogs—even pet dogs—can develop
symptoms of PTSD.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In humans these symptoms include re-experiencing the original trauma,
fearful avoidance of stimuli associated with that event, and increased forms of
arousal such as an sleep disturbances, rage, aggression, and lastly
hypervigilance, or in the <i>lingua obscura</i> of some dog trainers:
“reactivity.”</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Granted, our lives are much more complicated and stressful than the kind our
dogs lead. A human being can develop PTSD simply by observing the scene of an
accident or natural disaster. Some can develop symptoms just by looking at
videos or photographs. Dogs aren’t as deeply affected by the passive
observation of horrific events as we are.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">On the other hand, there are far more cultural taboos and legal restrictions
against doing harm to human beings than there are about hurting dogs. Remember,
up until a few years ago the most popular training book in America—<i>How to
Be Your Dog’s Best Friend</i>, by the Monks of New Skete—contained the
following “training” advice: “How hard should you hit your dog? If she doesn’t
yelp in pain you haven’t hit her hard enough.”</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hurting dogs is pervasive in our country. People like Philadelphia Eagles
quarterback Michael Vick—who spent time in prison for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Vick#Dog_fighting_investigations">running
a dog-fighting ring out of his home</a>—are just a drop in the bucket in terms
of the kind of people out there brutalizing dogs on a regular basis<span style="font-size: large;">.</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">With all that in mind I would be very surprised to find that the number of
dogs in America who have Canine PTSD isn’t more than double or even triple the
6 million I suggested above.</span></span></span><b><i> </i></b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>Diagnostic Signs of PTSD in Human Beings</i></b></span></span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Criterion A – <i>Exposure to a traumatic stressor.</i> </span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Criterion B – <i>Re-experiencing the event (flashbacks).</i> </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Criterion C – <i>Avoidance and numbing.</i> </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Criterion D – <i>Hyperarousal.</i> </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Criterion E – <i>Duration of symptoms for at least <span style="font-size: large;">1</span> month.</i> </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">Criterion F –<i> Significant impairment of normal functioning.</i></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"> </span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Personally, I think dogs can exhibit all 5 of these signs and symptoms. The
only one that might seem controversial is the idea that dogs can have
“flashbacks.” I think that depends on how we view the differences between how
memory operates in humans and dogs.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In human beings, memory operates on three basic levels: physical (i.e.,
unconscious or procedural) memory, emotional (or affective) memory, and mental,
or declarative memory (which includes semantic, episodic, and autobiographical
memory). Only the last requires both a sense of self and a linear sense of time
(knowing that there’s a past, present, and future), forms of cognition that
dogs don’t have (or don’t seem to).</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In human subjects, flashbacks come primarily from sense memory; the sound of
chopper blades for example. This then triggers emotional memory, where the
fear, panic and helplessness experienced during the original trauma, come
flooding back, raising blood pressure, releasing stress hormones, etc, etc. In
many cases, the subject doesn’t even realize that he or she is not actually
safe in bed or hiding in the closet, but is convinced that he or she is back on
the battlefield or is about to be sexually assaulted, etc.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It seems to me that dogs are quite capable of experiencing both sense memory
and emotional memory. In fact, the work of two Russians—physiologist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Pavlov">Ivan Pavlov</a> and theater
director (and inventor of “method acting”) <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantin_Stanislavski">Constantin
Stanislavsky</a>—show quite clearly that sense memory and emotional memory are
inextricably linked.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I should point out that the 5 diagnostic criteria I mentioned above are only
broad categories, and that there are many much finer points to be looked at
when diagnosing PTSD in humans. I think the same should hold true for
diagnosing Canine PTSD as well.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">To help with this<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>I’ve created a mock-up for a potential Canine PTSD
questionnaire to be filled out by a dog’s owner, veterinarian, trainer or
behaviorist. It can be found by <a href="http://media.wix.com/ugd/b6a50b_736f9bc8ff4d4b15bbe5501d6e637ec7.pdf" target="_blank">clicking here</a>. (I would be very interested in getting feedback, whether some
things should be added, subtracted, or tossed out
altogether.)</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Please keep in mind that most of what I’m saying is hypothetical. We need
more research, we need to create a much larger yet credible database. We need
to start thinking along new lines. PTSD is not something that can only happen
to human beings, or to our military dogs. Those brave and hardworking
four-legged members of our armed forces are showing us that there’s a much
larger problem right under our noses, affecting millions of American doggies,
animals who are currently nestled safely on their doggie beds or sleeping on
our couches, and yet who may be in emotional distress and need our help.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you agree with or relate to anything I’ve said, please pass it on to your
vet, dog trainer, and anyone else you think might be able to help
us move forward in making this problem more widely known.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I firmly believe that Canine PTSD is a very real condition that can be found
in a great many pet dogs, and we need to start addressing it now.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.leecharleskelley.com/whoarewe/kevinbehan.html">LCK</a><br />
<i>“Life Is an Adventure</i></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">—Where Will Your Dog Take <u>You</u></span></span></span>?”</i><br />
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Lee Charles Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15859112874574974226noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6098893893180848248.post-6199273512389385442013-02-21T09:53:00.003-08:002016-04-23T17:20:23.711-07:00Can Play Help Cure PTSD in Dogs?<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Dogs Can Help Vets with PTSD.
Can Play Help Dogs?</span></i></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Originally published in "<a href="http://www.leecharleskelley.com/linksetc/psychologytodayblog.html" target="_blank">My Puppy</a><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.leecharleskelley.com/linksetc/psychologytodayblog.html" target="_blank">, My Self</a>" at PscyhologyToday.com on </span>August 1, 20<span style="font-size: x-small;">11.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcU3E1au8j2HsLUX20AvUeoIaFtdwK2jSo6ySeGugjRhopKCYbm8pbjxC25iS5KW6_GibZnQoZw44StN9i50nKeHkreLgkJTj-rHwGRTsxML0wWVOv4rGYCHAiK0m00UuoUrT3HRPdRsU/s1600/Soldier+&+Dog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcU3E1au8j2HsLUX20AvUeoIaFtdwK2jSo6ySeGugjRhopKCYbm8pbjxC25iS5KW6_GibZnQoZw44StN9i50nKeHkreLgkJTj-rHwGRTsxML0wWVOv4rGYCHAiK0m00UuoUrT3HRPdRsU/s400/Soldier+&+Dog.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In her recent blog post,
"<a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/survivors/201107/why-dogs-heal-ptsd" target="_blank">Why Dogs Heal PTSD</a>," Tracy Stecker beautifully describes how the
canine-human bond can help war veterans overcome <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PTSD" target="_blank">PTSD</a> and start getting back to
normal.</span></span></div>
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<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We usually think of PTSD
(post-traumatic stress disorder) as a condition primarily afflicting such
veterans. But battered children and spouses can also exhibit symptoms. Victims
of automobile accidents, natural disasters, and violent crimes can too. So can
abused dogs.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Nicholas Dodman, of Tufts
University, says, "There is a condition in dogs which is almost precisely
the same, if not precisely the same, as PTSD in humans<span style="font-size: large;">."</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There was a case in the news
recently of a canine Iraq-war veteran, a formerly-playful 2-year-old German
shepherd named Gina, who developed PTSD as a result of her duties as a
bomb-sniffing dog. She returned home to Colorado cowering and fearful.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"She showed all the
symptoms," said Master Sgt. Eric Haynes, the kennel master at Peterson Air
Force Base. "She was terrified of everybody." She was no longer the
"great little pup" Haynes remembered. She wanted nothing to do with
people. "She'd withdrawn from society as a whole."</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Haynes and other handlers
coaxed Gina on walks, sending someone ahead to pass out treats for bystanders
to give her. They got her over her fear of walking through doors by stationing
someone she knew on the other side to reward her with pats and play.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"She started learning
that everyone wasn't trying to get her," Haynes said. "She began
acting more social again."</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Dr. Nicholas Dodman says he
doubts that Gina can recover completely. "<span style="font-size: large;">F</span>ears once
learned are never unlearned. The best thing you can do is apply new learning,
which is what (Gina's handlers are) doing."</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I think fears <i>can</i> be
unlearned, or at least disposed of. I've helped many dogs with PTSD-like
symptoms recover completely.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I once worked with a Jack Russell (also named Gina) who had been so abused by her previous trainer
(<span style="font-size: large;">who believed in</span> dominance) that if you said the words "stay" or
"down" casually, even on the phone, she would panic, evacuate her
bowels, and hide under the bed for 4 hours.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I asked Gina's owner if there
was anything she did, in any situation, where she acted like a real Jack
Russell, determined to bite or wrestle with something or someone.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">They told me there was. They
called it the spoon game. If you dropped a spoon (or fork or knife) on the
kitchen floor, Gina would come tearing out from under the bed, grab the utensil
in her mouth, shake her head around furiously, "killing it," then
race to the living room, hide it under a sofa cushion and bark at it until
someone came to pull it out for her.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Her owners didn't like playing
this game because Gina didn't know when to stop. But I knew (or felt) it was
the key to curing her fear of the words "down" and "stay."</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Over the course of
half-an-hour, I helped Gina get over her fears.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">First, I dropped the spoon on
the kitchen floor, watched Gina go through her playful/predatory routine, then
I pulled the spoon out from its hidey-hole, teased the dog with it, and said,
in a very happy and playful voice, "Down!"</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Each time I did this she
bolted straight back to her spot under the bed.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'd wait a few minutes, then
drop the spoon on the kitchen floor again. By the end of our session I had not
only cured Gina of her panic, but she was actually obeying the down command as
if it were the most fun thing in the world to her.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">She loved it!</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Some might say I was
desensitizing Gina to the word "down." I can understand that, but I don't see it that way. I see
this as what drive trainers call conflict training. Putting the dog in a state
of conflict over what she wants to do (run and hide) as opposed to what you want
her to do (lie down on command).</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It works by making the dog see that, a) she's
safe from harm, and b) that obeying the command is more fun, and more
satisfying, than hiding under the bed.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Once a dog feels safe, at
least within certain controllable parameters, it will naturally start to
gravitate toward playful -- i.e., predatory -- behaviors, because the prey
drive is the source of a dog's strongest, deepest, and happiest social
impulses.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The reason I thought I might
be able to cure Gina's PTSD-like symptoms was because the first dog I ever
cured of such fears was my own dog, a Dalmatian named Freddie.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When he was around 14 mos.
old, Freddie was frightened by the sound of a Manhattan store gate being
dropped very loudly right next to his head. He bolted across the busy street,
almost getting hit by several cars, which frightened him even more.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Some well-meaning pedestrians
on the other side tried to stop him, but they lung<span style="font-size: large;">ed</span> at him, trying
to grab his collar. This put him in a blind panic. He ran all the way from
Second Avenue to Central Park, where he hid out in a secluded section called
"The Ramble." He lived there, hidden from view -- drinking lake water and eating
grass -- for 3 days.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A nice young woman found him
while walking her Doberman pinscher. She'd seen one of the flyers I'd put up
all over town, and called to tell me the good news. Fred was a bit skinny, and
his poops were green, but otherwise he was fine: tired but happy.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">About a week later he started
having panic attacks. The slightest noise -- the kind that most New Yorkers
(and most New York dogs) easily tune out -- would set him off. His eyes would
widen, his ears went back, his breath became quick and shallow, and his head,
shoulders and tail went down. He was in a blind panic.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This went on for months.
There was no escaping the ubiquitous nois<span style="font-size: large;">e</span> of the city. And nothing seemed to
help. Desensitization didn't work. And once he was in a panic, distracting him
with food was impossible. The only two things that helped, at least
temporarily, were having him bark on command, and having him carry a toy in his
mouth.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The first -- barking -- I
learned from a Sheltie name Duncan, who cured himself of thunder-phobia by
barking at the storms. Once I learned about Duncan's trick, I immediately tried it with Freddie. <span style="font-size: large;">I had already t<span style="font-size: large;">aught Fred to speak on command<span style="font-size: large;"> so </span>t</span>he n<span style="font-size: large;">ext time he went into a panic state, </span></span>I said,
"Speak<span style="font-size: large;">, Freddie, <span style="font-size: large;">speak!</span></span>" <span style="font-size: large;">I had to repeat the</span> command a few times before he could "hear" me over the fea<span style="font-size: large;">r. But </span>as soon as he barked, his ears, shoulders, and tail
came up, and he behaved as if nothing had happened.<span style="font-size: large;"> </span> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This was <span style="font-size: large;">a <span style="font-size: large;">very <span style="font-size: large;">helpful tool for dealing with <span style="font-size: large;">his</span> panic state while <span style="font-size: large;">t<span style="font-size: large;">hey were</span> ha<span style="font-size: large;">ppen<span style="font-size: large;">ing, but</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> it didn't stop them from recurring. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The second technique -- carrying a toy
around in his mouth -- seemed to work like a baby's pacifier<span style="font-size: large;">. A</span>s long as Freddie held the toy firmly
between his jaws he was less prone to be thrown off-balance emotionally by
sudden noises.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Dogs need to know where the
danger is.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">One of the hallmarks of
canine social play -- where two dogs play together -- is the mock danger
involved. Take most playful behaviors, remove the playfulness and pretense, and
you've got aggression and, yes ... danger.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The other forms of play that
most dogs and owners are familiar with, involve chasing and biting prey
objects: Frisbees, tennis balls, sticks, and tug toys. Going back to the wolf
model, an inhibited wolf -- one who's shy about chasing prey objects (in this
case rabbits, mice or moose) -- won't survive long. So the act of chasing a
prey object involves losing one's inhibitions. The act of catching up with it,
grabbing hold of it, and "killing" it, is also enormously satisfying.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The thing that eventually<i>
</i>cured Fred<span style="font-size: large;">die</span> completely was when I was able to engage him in
all-out, whole-hearted, rough-and-tumble play, where he got to chase a tennis
ball with all his might, and bite down on it as hard as he could. The day I got
Freddie to play like that, with all his heart, was the last day he exhibited
any symptoms of panic or PTSD. And he lived to the age of 15 (which in dog
years is 105!).</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">That's why I knew (or hoped)
that "the spoon game" would cure Gina.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Going back to the other Gina
(the former bomb-sniffing shepherd). She was described by her handlers as being
a playful pup. Well, of course! All puppies are playful. But part of the
treatment that enabled her to trust people again, and to no longer be
frightened of doorways, etc., was "giving her pats and play" whenever
she went through a door.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Play therapy can work wonders
in dogs with PTSD.</span></span><br />
<br />
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</span></span></span>Lee Charles Kelleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15859112874574974226noreply@blogger.com2