anxious dog
We have recently started to go camping with a travel trailer. we have a Dachsund that is the most mellow dog ever. For some reason when we take her away with us she goes nuts. She loves to ride and is...
Forum Discussion
Pawz4me wrote:toedtoes wrote:
I wouldn't go to medication as the first choice. Medication won't change her reaction to being left alone, it will just block the reaction. It's always better to change her reaction to a positive one.
The purpose of medication is to calm and relax the dog enough that it can learn new behavior(s). Stressed dogs, like stressed people, don't learn easily or well.
You beat me to respond. :B
Actually the correct medication can change how she will respond. The exaggerated anxious response is associated with a change in brain chemistry and the proper medication and dose can moderate that chemical change. The normal response can be trained as others have indicated when there is no or little stress.
Paws is totally correct that learning does not go well when people or animals are stressed.
The days where sedation is used to treat these situations are a thing of the past.
Doug, DVM
