Why I Use Medication for My Reactive Dogs (Instead of Supplements)

Over the years, I have been very open about the fact that I use medication for my reactive dogs. I also made the decision to keep Maisy on her SSRI long-term; she's been on paroxetine for over four years now. I have taken my fair share of criticism over the years about these decisions. I'm sure part of this is the fact that the most popular articles on my blog are about supplements for reactive dogs; writing about something "natural" and then turning to "the evils of Western medicine" is hard for people to understand.

So why did I do it? Simply put, I put my money - to say nothing of my dog's health - where the evidence is. On the whole, medication works, is safe, and is well-regulated.

The troubling truth is that the claims on supplement labels often lack scientific support. That is why I wrote the series on supplements for reactive dogs; I wanted to know what (if anything) the science had to say about their use. It was interesting to learn about which supplements had some evidence for their use.

But even the best science is worthless if the ingredient isn't actually in that pill you're giving your dog, and a recent investigation done by the New York State Attorney General's Office found that about 80% of the supplements they tested did not contain ANY of the product in question. Further, some of those products had potential allergens that were not disclosed on the label.

Contrast this to the procedure followed for FDA approval and regulation for medication in the United States. The system may not be perfect, but it is far more rigorous than what current exists for supplements, with far more monitoring in place.

Of course, I'm not a vet, I'm not a scientist, and I don't know what's best for your dog. I have heard from many folks who have had great success with supplements, just as I've heard from people who have struggled to find a med that works for their dog. There is no magic pill. But when it comes down to it, I've decided to hedge my bets. My money's on medication.

Well, shoot. (Medication Update for Napi)

The last time I updated about Napi's progress, I had just had my primary vet consult with the local vet behaviorist. Based on that conversation, we increased his fluoxetine (Prozac) from 10mg to 12.5mg. That was about a month ago, and initially, the dose increase showed some promise. Napi was still barking at things/sounds around the house, but it seemed like maybe it was less intense. On top of that, I was able to interrupt barking fits by calling his name - and he would respond!

But now it's become clear that despite these positive signs, this is NOT the med for my sweet boy. Frankly, he is not very sweet these days. He has gotten more possessive of me; he's growling, snapping, and even biting the other dogs AND my husband if they get too close to me. He's more irritable and tips from excitement to aggression very quickly while playing. He's starting dog fights. It's not good.

So, it's back to the drawing board. We will need to wean off the fluoxetine and then switch to either parotexine (Paxil) or amitriptyline (Elavil). Maisy takes Paxil, so I am biased towards that. The amitriptyline is a TCA - a different class of drug entirely - so it could be a good one to try. I will chat with Dr. Jessy this week and find out what to try next.

Napoleon Updates: Class and Meds

Napi and I have now gone to three sessions of our "class" (actually just a couple friends and I renting a training space and each doing our own thing). Napi and my thing is to sit and eat treats while other people and dogs are in the same building. I'm really pleased with how he's doing, actually. The first time we did something like this, he wouldn't eat at all.

Here's a 3 minute video showing how Napi is doing. We are sitting right next to a half-height door, so he cannot see - but can hear - what's happening in the next room (my friend and her boxer working on personal play). About ten feet away to the left, there's a closed door to another room, where another friend and her two dogs were.


 Overall, I'm quite please with Napi so far. Obviously, we have tons of work left to do, but he's making nice progress.

On the medication front, since I cannot afford to take Napi to see Maisy's old veterinary behaviorist, I had our primary vet, Dr. Jessy, consult with Dr. Duxbury on the phone. This is an awesome (free) service. The result was a nice discussion of our options. The first thing we are going to do is increase Napi's Prozac dose. If that does not work, we are going to switch to either Paxil (Maisy's drug of choice) or possibly amitryptiline (which I know basically nothing about and am possibly spelling wrong; I think it's a tricyclic?). And depending on how that goes, we will experiment some more with trazodone, clonidine, and/or Xanax.

I really just want my poor boy to be more comfortable around the house. As it is, the noises that my other three dogs ignore (even Maisy, who used to bark at basically nothing) set him off in spasms of barking. It's annoying to listen to and undoubtedly painful for him to live like that.

I must have a thing for reactive dogs, because I'm just in love with this dog. He's so sweet, affectionate, and funny. If we can just get his anxiety under control, he'll be perfect.

There Are No Magic Pills... But There Might Be Magic Thundershirts?

After my most recent post on Napoleon, my vet and I have been experimenting with as-needed, short-acting drugs to see if we could find something to help him calm down and relax around the house. We've experimented with different drugs and different doses and different frequencies and... well, let's just say that the amount of trazodone that will knock me out does nothing to him.

I tend forget about deep pressure type wraps since the time we tried a Thundershirt on Maisy was an epic disaster. As in, she got even more anxious. Still, Maisy dislikes being touched and Napi loves it, so yeah. Then I tried an anxiety wrap on him (ie, an ace bandage because I'm cheap and it was handy) and... OMG. He just curls up and goes to sleep. Oh, he still notices when our upstairs neighbor comes and goes, but the barking lasts for a shorter amount of time, and it's less intense. The hyper-vigilance is reduced, and it's just basically... well, magical.

But the magicalness of the pressure wrap really came home to me when I signed up to share the rental cost of a local training building with a few friends. I'm not really sure what they worked on, but Napi and I worked on not freaking out around other dogs and people. We started out in the lobby, behind barriers and slowly worked up to being in the same room with the others. Okay, they were mostly sitting still, and we were a good 40 feet away, but HE WAS LYING DOWN AND QUIET. Relaxed? No. Eating treats? Yes, which is better than the last time we tried to do something similar.

We're renting the training building for the next couple weeks, and while I was initially planning on taking a different dog each week, now I'm thinking it will be Napi-only. We have the potential to make a ton of progress, and I'm really excited to see how he does.

Napoleon Update

I’ve been wanting to update everyone on Napoleon’s progress, but it’s been hard to know what to say. I think that, overall, he’s doing better… but he’s still got a long way to go. I doubt he will ever make the progress that Maisy has, if only because there is no way I have the time or energy to do that again. I wrote recently about the time and money costs that went into her training, but that doesn’t even begin to touch the emotional costs. No doubt about it, rehabbing a reactive dog is exhausting and occasionally discouraging work.

Then again, living with a reactive dog is too.

Napi has a very small world. He almost never leaves the property. We are lucky to have a relatively large privacy fenced yard, and even luckier that he actually uses it to exercise. He may not get daily walks, but I’d be willing to bet that with the amount of zooming around he does -chasing and being chased - he actually gets better cardio.

It’s sad, though. I enjoy going to the dog park with my dogs; we have a large, wooded park with great paths and huge open spaces. While dog parks definitely have their own challenges, it’s my only legal place to walk my dogs off leash, so we go. Or, we used to. We don’t go much anymore since we feel sad leaving Napi behind.

His behavior makes it hard to travel; we took the crew camping a month or so back, and Napi really struggled. He ended up getting quite a bit of trazodone as a result. It’s also hard to have people over, since he gets pretty worked up when folks first arrive. While the other dogs will calm down quickly, it takes him much longer.

WHY does this picture have to be blurry??

Still… he’s doing better. We had some friends over the other day – two adults, and two children (4 and 7) – and he was eventually able to calm down and visit with everyone. We still haven’t quite figured out the best way to introduce him to new people and dogs. Restraining him makes things worse, but he’s an absolute ass for ten minutes or so (barking and nipping and dogs, barking and humping people). This time we tried crating with a bully stick for awhile first. It worked okay.

Our biggest area of struggle is just everyday living. He will bark and growl and trot around the house when he hears noises. Unfortunately, we live in a duplex, so there are often noises from upstairs. Nothing big – sounds of footsteps, mostly – but while the other dogs have gotten used to them, he just can’t. Maisy was like this at one point too, but medication really did fix that for her. Unfortunately, Napi is like this even though he’s already on meds. My vet and I are doing some drug experimentations, but so far, I’m not thrilled with what we’ve tried.

What I really need to do is suck it up and do the relaxation protocol. To start working on exposure. Find some time to get him into another reactive dog class. There’s no reason I can’t do this, other than what I said back in the beginning – I just don’t have the energy. Still, we’ll all be a lot happier if I do this, so I guess it’s time to work up a plan.

I’ve decided to start small with one small training session a day. Since his anxiety seems pretty generalized, the relaxation protocol seems like the best place to start. I suspect we’ll get the most bang for our buck, and it really doesn’t take much brain power. It’s mostly just boring. Right now I’m working on teaching him to go to a mat. I’ll spend a few days on this, then move on to a modified version of Day 1 of the protocol. I’ll keep you guys updated as we go.

Napi Update: 6 months on meds

Napi has been on Prozac for six months now.

Here's his before video:


And here's his after video:


Both videos were taken at our vet clinic, and there's a HUGE difference. The very awesome thing is that at that first appointment, the vet couldn't even touch Napi (she just prescribed the Prozac and called it a day). At the second appointment, he allowed the vet to do a brief exam, give a rabies vax, and draw blood. He wore a muzzle, although he probably didn't need to. He was very good the whole time. He didn't like it, but he's much less of a drama queen than Maisy!

I'm very happy with Napi's response to medication. I haven't done much training with him (just some basic recall away from the fence when the neighbors are in their yard) so he's still reactive towards people and other dogs. He has a small world right now as a result - we don't really take him anywhere - but he has a big yard that he and Pyg run around.

He is able to calm down quicker these days, and he is more comfortable around the house. We can even have guests over without too much drama. He does bark quite a bit at first, but generally acclimates within 10 to 15 minutes.

There's a lot of work to do, but I'm glad that I decided to put him on meds right away.

Mental Illness IS Physical Illness

I think it would be helpful to stop referring to depression and other mood disorders as “mental illness” because, although technically correct, that term has been stigmatized and it makes non-sufferers assume either that people suffering from mental illness are beyond help or that they just need to cheer up and/or try harder. Depression is a neurological disorder.

People who have depression do not just experience disordered emotional responses, they experience disordered perceptions and engage in disordered thinking. This is because their  brain processes are not functioning properly. Their neurons are not as they should be. Their hypothalamus, pituitary glands, and adrenal glands are being continuously triggered and their cortisol is not being inhibited; their amygdala (fear processing and fearful memory consolidation) may be enlarged as a result and their hippocampus (learning and memory) may be reduced in size. Their sleep patterns are abnormal and resemble that of someone who’s worked their entire lives 9-5 and now they’re being forced to work 3^rd shift; their REM sleep comes on too soon and too often, they don’t experience deeper sleep stages as often as they should. Ongoing stress and sudden trauma trigger their symptoms, even after long periods of having recovered.

This is not about being weak or failing to be strong. This is not about “feeling sad.”

I think we need to put this to the fore every time this subject comes up. Depression is a disorder of the brain and body, not a psychological set-back or character flaw. Please be compassionate of others’ or your own suffering because it is real and deserves to be legitimized and treated. 

-          Colleen A. Falconer

I’ve posted this quote for two reasons.

First, because this is an excellent description of just how depression (and many other mood disorders) is truly a biological illness, not something that’s “all in the head.” There are true physical differences in the brain, and these differences need to be medically treated. Because this description is so clear, it needs to be shared as widely. This platform is the best one I have to get the message out to as many people as possible, regardless of whether or not it is on topic.

And second, because it IS on topic. We humans are not unique or somehow special in suffering from the brain-based neurological disorders that we currently call “mental illness.” While it is true that diagnosing mood disorders in animals is tricky at best because animals can’t tell us what’s going on in their heads (which is why I prefer to use a veterinary behaviorist whenever possible), we can observe behaviors that suggest conditions like anxiety, compulsions, stress disorders, etc. In addition, there is no reason to believe that other mammals, whose brains look so very much like our own, couldn’t have abnormal neurons or brain structures associated with these diseases.

I’m not advocating for the over-medication of society, human or animal. I am advocating for appropriate treatment. Just as other medical problems can be treated with a multi-pronged approach (for example, diabetes often requires changes in diet and exercise in addition to medication), human “mental illness” can be treated through a variety of approaches, as can “behavior problems” in animals. But appropriate treatment can and does include medication, and just because it has been inappropriately prescribed in some cases does not mean that it’s inappropriate in all cases.

Mental illnesses are physical illnesses, and having one can be painful and affect one’s quality of life. These illnesses are often chronic conditions that require lifelong monitoring and maintenance; they aren’t something one just “gets over.” Maybe someday we will find a cure, but in the meantime, we are fortunate to live in a time when these illnesses can be treated. Please, do not allow yourself or your loved one to suffer needlessly. 

Napi Joins the Cool Dogs

All the cool dogs take drugs. And now Napi is one of the cool dogs.

I took Napi to the vet today to discuss the possibility of behavioral medication for his extreme fear. First, I'm just gonna say it: I love my vet clinic. I chose Lake Harriet Vet in Minneapolis because I liked their mix of holistic and western medicine. I was thrilled to find out that across the board, their staff are really good at handling dogs with special needs. Today was no exception.

I called when I arrived to let the staff know that we needed to go straight into a room. They were more than willing to do this for us. We were a bit early, so we waited about 10 minutes before the tech came in. Napi was quite reactive during this time; he barked every time he heard a noise or someone walked past the door and refused to eat any of the yummy foods I'd brought with.

Here's a video of Napi before the tech came in. I did edit it lightly to remove stuff when he was off camera. He did start eating just at the end of the video; most of that is off camera, of course!


Napi finally started eating just before the tech came in. Naturally, her presence freaked him out a bit, so he stopped eating and started barking. She very wisely completely ignored him, and he quieted within a few minutes and was willing to eat peanut butter again.

When the vet came in, Napi had decided that peanut butter is better than barking, and he just made a little wuff and went back to the food. Yay! He did bark once in awhile during the exam, but overall, was very good. This gives me a lot of hope for his future progress.

For her part, the vet didn't push Napi for the sake of the exam; instead we agreed to try 5mg of fluoxetine daily, with the possibility of moving up to 10mg daily if needed. The vet also suggested a situational med - trazodone, up to 25mg every 12-24 hours - and I was thrilled that she suggested both the as-needed med and that it wasn't ace.

So. Fingers crossed this is the right med for Napi! I am super excited to see how much progress he can make between meds and training.

Worse Than I Expected: Napi's First Reactive Dog Class

Friday night, I took Napi to his first reactive dog class. I knew going into it that Napi is reactive; I've seen him bark and lunge at people. I've also suspected that he might be a bit anxious, as he seems to have trouble settling. When he and Pyg play together, Pyg will want to take breaks. Napi doesn't. More than that, it seems like he can't. My overall goal for the entire session is to evaluate if he would benefit from medication.

For the first night of class, my goal was to get him settled on a mat – even briefly- and to teach him about the clicker. We did not accomplish these goals. Instead, I had to revise them to simply eating treats in class.

Napi is a lot more fearful than I thought. Upon entering the building, he immediately piloerected (hair on his back stood up), and tucked his tail. As soon as he saw the instructor, he started barking and growling. I scooped him up, stuck him behind a barrier, and started offering him bits of bacon and turkey. It was a no go. He was not interested in eating.

Hiding behind me, but eating!

I switched to using soft praise and petting. Napi liked this, and for the rest of the hour, whenever something scared him, he would hide behind me and press up against me. I was really happy to see this because I believe reactive dogs need to see their person as safe. Since we don't live together yet, I wasn't expecting to see this.

Napi did eventually start eating treats, although he would occasionally refuse them if things got too overwhelming. He never did go on his mat (he seemed scared of it, actually), and he never really did settle. In fact, it might not even sound like we did anything. It's true that I didn't teach him any exercises or introduce him to the clicker. But we actually accomplished a lot. I began the long process of counter-conditioning. I established myself as a safe person. I learned about the kinds of foods Napi likes and doesn't like – info that will be invaluable in coming weeks.

I also learned that although he could make a lot of progress with just training, it will not only be easier but also be more humane to start him on medications. Napi's fear response was extreme, far worse than I remember from Maisy. He was louder and more intense in his reactions. He was difficult to distract, even with food. He was slow and stiff in his body movements, and there were times he just shook from head to toe.

It's true that these reactions appeared worse because I took him out of his comfort zone. It's also true that this could be avoided by not “forcing” him to go to class. But the truth is that simply being in a new place does not change a dog's underlying personality and response to the world. The fact that he was terrified says a lot about what he's experienced and who he's become as a result.

That is no way to live. Even if Napi has carved out a little part of the world where he feels (mostly) safe, all of that anxiety and fear are still underneath. Leaving a living being to suffer like this is not kind, not when I can do something to help.

Graduation Day: The VetBeh Recheck that Almost Happened

Maisy had an appointment scheduled for today with her veterinary behaviorist, Dr. Duxbury. Key word: had. We ended up cancelling it, on Dr. Duxbury’s advice.

Things normal dogs do: play, then nap.

 

 

Quick recap: At our last appointment a year ago, Dr. Duxbury was so pleased with Maisy’s progress that she gave me the option of transferring her care back to our primary vet. I chose not to do this because I wanted to maintain a relationship with Dr. Duxbury in case things worsened.

Things have changed since then. Not only is Maisy doing even better than she was a year ago (to the point that I now think of her as normal), but I also now count Dr. Duxbury- Margaret- as a friend. This means that she has seen Maisy regularly over the past year, thus alleviating my concerns about continuity of care. Still, I scheduled the appointment because I was concerned that the sudden thunderphobia that started last summer would continue this year. It hasn’t (she’s slept through the last several thunderstorms), leaving me with absolutely zero concerns about Maisy’s behavior. Margaret and I agreed that it seemed silly to bring a normal dog in.

Maisy will continue on her current medication regime because it continues to be the best thing I’ve ever done for her. I decided long ago that I would not change something that’s working so well. Of course, I will continue to run regular lab work to make sure the meds aren’t impacting her negatively, but so far, so good.

And so ends our (professional) involvement with the Veterinary Behaviorist. I will be forever grateful for what she’s done for both Maisy and for me. Margaret is an amazing clinician and an even more amazing person. The world is truly a better place with her in it, and I am so fortunate to be able to call her a friend.

Why Punishing Anxiety Doesn't Work

I have asthma. This causes my airway to swell and narrow, making it more difficult for oxygen to reach my lungs. In turn, I become short of breath, my chest feels tight, and I often wheeze or gasp for breath. It’s an awful feeling.

I have a friend with a heart condition. She has poor circulation and sometimes her heart rate increases and her blood pressure drops. The end result is light-headedness and occasional fainting spells.

I have worked with people who have diabetes. You’re probably familiar with this disease in which the body doesn’t regulate insulin well. Sometimes, the body will either have too much or too little blood sugar, and the person can be rendered confused, disoriented, or even unconscious.

My dog has an anxiety disorder. Her brain chemistry is not balanced, and the neural pathways of her brain are abnormal as a result. When something happens to overload those pathways, she may become hypervigilant, pace, or growl and snap at people.

What do all of these things have in common? They are medical conditions that are the result of a physical problem in the body. What’s more, these conditions manifest themselves in behavioral terms. Whether it’s gasping for breath, fainting, or becoming aggressive, the behavior is not a conscious decision made by the sufferer.

I want to be clear on this last point: none of us choose to act the way we do as a result of our respective problems. Believe me, I hate having an asthma attack, and when one is imminent, there is little I can do to prevent it. I definitely do not choose to have trouble breathing- it just happens. Likewise, my dog is not weighing out her options when she encounters a situation too stressful for her to handle. Her brain releases a cascade of hormones and neurotransmitters which causes her to react in a certain way.

This is one of the many reasons I prefer to avoid the use punishment when dealing with dogs with behavioral problems. Just as we wouldn’t hit people in diabetic comas in order to stop them from having low blood sugar episodes, we can’t stop a dog from having a panic attack by using a collar correction. While it’s true that some behavior problems are just that- behaviors- others can be traced back to a medical problem like imbalanced brain chemistry, pain, or some other disease process. It is exceedingly difficult to know the cause of so-called misbehavior in the heat of the moment.

I’m not saying that we should just shrug our shoulders and allow things to continue as they are. If we do, there is a risk of death. Left untreated, I could stop breathing because of my asthma. My friend could go into cardiac arrest. And my dog could be euthanized if she bit someone.

Thankfully, there is a lot we can do to prevent those behaviors. I take inhaled steroids twice a day and avoid chemical scents. My friend takes beta blockers and avoids activities proven to cause problems. Diabetics often take insulin and monitor their blood levels. And my dog takes medication, receives ongoing behavioral training, and I help her avoid stressful situations.

What’s more, each of us have things that we can do when exposure to triggers are unavoidable. Whether that’s following a carefully thought out exercise regime, a well-balanced diet, or a behavior modification protocol, there is a lot we can do to cope with an unpredictable world.

If something happens to push our dogs over the edge, we need to step in and help them. Trying to train through the situation is foolish; it’s like lecturing a diabetic on the importance of a proper diet when their blood sugar drops. It’s too late for that. Glucose for a diabetic or a rescue inhaler when I have an asthma attack is not a viable long-term strategy, nor is it prevention. It’s a response to an emergency situation. When our dogs growl, bark and lunge, or otherwise “misbehave,” that’s an emergency, too. Get them to safety.

We owe it to our dogs to help them deal with stress. Seek out a professional, whether it’s a medical appointment with their vet or a behavioral evaluation with a qualified trainer. Come up with strategies that will prevent problem behaviors from occurring. Equip them with the tools that will help them in the moment. Know how to respond in a behavioral emergency.

And above all- remember that you can’t shock a diabetic’s pancreas into working. So why would you do it to your dog?

Why People are Resistant to Behavioral Meds for their Dogs... And Why You Shouldn't Be

As a dog trainer, it is rare that I recommend people consult with their vets about the use of anxiety medications. Most dogs simply don’t need them. When I worked at a big box store, I never once ran across a dog who I thought needed meds. However, now that I work exclusively with people who have dogs with behavior issues, I naturally see more dogs that might benefit from a little chemical help.

Thankfully, many of these dogs improve over the course of a six-week class. So much so, in fact, that by the end I do not feel the need to refer them for a medication consultation. For some, I mention that if their progress stalls out or if their dog regresses, they might want to consider using meds, but it’s more to educate them about their options than a serious recommendation.

But then there are the dogs that do not improve, or who get worse. The dogs who are so hypervigilant that they cannot learn anything in class. The dogs who cannot eat or otherwise be distracted from the mere sound of another dog. The dogs, in other words, who probably could benefit from the use of medication.

It’s a fine line I walk. I am not a vet, and as a result, I cannot tell someone that their dog needs medication. I cannot diagnose their dog with a clinical disorder. I cannot tell them which medication is right for their dog, nor the dosage. But I can urge them to consult with someone who can.

Some people- bless them- follow up on my recommendation. But others steadfastly refuse. Why? There are a number of reasons- probably as many as there are owners- but here are what I think are the top five… and my response to them.

1. Treating animals with human medication is silly and anthropomorphic.
I’ve heard this one a lot, and on the surface, it makes sense. They are dogs, not people. Why would we use human treatments? The funny thing is, though, that this objection is only raised in relation to behavior meds. The truth is, there are lots of medicines that have both veterinary and human applications. Antibiotics are an obvious example, but plenty of dogs take thyroid medications, insulin, pain meds, or allergy pills. In fact, this is so common that several major (human) pharmacies even have a pet prescription savings plan!

What’s more, I do not think it is anthropomorphic in the least to think an animal can suffer from anxiety. They have nearly identical brain structures to ours, so it seems not only possible, but also quite likely, that they might suffer from some of the same mental disorders that we humans do.

2. All vets want to do is prescribe medication. Everyone knows that meds are overprescribed in this country!
I’m sure this objection is a carryover from human medicine- it’s trendy to say that doctors overdiagnose and overprescribe ADHD meds, for example- but as a social worker who works with children, I have to say I see far more kids who could benefit from medications, but aren’t on them, than kids who are on them and shouldn’t be.

Adding to that, when I first explored the concept of medication for my own anxious dog, my general practice vet said she didn’t need them. Anecdotal evidence to be sure, but I’ve heard the same story from plenty of other people.

This objection is also why I have a personal preference for referring people to a board-certified veterinary behaviorist. My experience has been that they do not prescribe meds to every dog that walks through their doors. In fact, the last person I referred was told that their dog would not benefit from medication.

3. I’m worried about the side effects. I’ve heard these meds can hurt my dog, or cause his personality to change.
This is a very valid concern. You should not walk into medication use blindly. When you consult with a veterinarian about medication use, you should ask what the side effects might be, as well as potential drug interactions. Your vet should also give you information on when and how to follow-up, and advise you regarding blood work to monitor your dog’s systemic function.

That said, these drugs have been well-studied and considered generally safe. Every dog will react differently of course, but I personally believe it is worth the risk, especially when you consider that the effects of long-term anxiety on the body may be even more detrimental than the side-effects of medication. A quick google search will reveal that the effects of untreated stress include a compromised immune system, gastrointestinal distress, heart problems, and musculoskeletal pain.

So far as personality change, this should not happen. If your dog seems drugged, zombie-like, or somehow different, he may be on the wrong medication or the wrong dose. Talk to your vet. My dog is different on medication, it’s true, but it’s like a radio: the volume has not been turned down at all. Rather, the static of anxiety has been filtered out so that her personality can come through more clearly.

4. It’s too expensive. Times are tough, and I just can’t afford it.
It’s true, the initial appointment, follow-ups, blood work, and even the cost of the medication itself all add up. But so is the cost of ongoing training. My dog and I spent two years in weekly training classes before trying medication. After starting meds, she was able to graduate within six months.

Also, keep in mind that the ongoing cost of medication does not need to be high. Many of the meds prescribed for anxiety have a generic equivalent; my dog’s medication costs less than $10 a month. Shop around for the best price- some drugs can be as low as $4 a month at the right pharmacy.

5. But what will people think? I don’t want people to think my dog is crazy. For that matter, I don’t want people to think I’m crazy for doing this!
I think this is the hardest objection to overcome. The social stigma surrounding mental health concerns and treatment is strong for humans and animals alike. Although we don’t think people (or animals) are “less than” if they have diabetes, cancer, or thyroid problems, we look down on them if they have depression, anxiety, or another mental illness.

Look, either way, it’s a physical problem. Sometimes it’s in the heart, and sometimes it’s in the brain. Illness can be treated no matter what part of the body is causing it, and I don’t think we should avoid treating our sick dogs just because it’s in the brain.

This is also why I am so honest and transparent in this blog. I want people to know there is no shame in using medication if that’s what’s right for your dog (or yourself!). I don’t think it should be the first thing you try, but I don’t think it should be your last resort, either. Medication can be a very helpful addition to any well thought out behavior modification plan.

People often email me, telling me that my blog inspired them to seek medication for their own dogs. Almost every one of them tell me that the only regret they have is waiting so long to do it. I share the same sentiment. I can’t believe I wasted so much time, and let my dog suffer with so much anxiety, because of my own pre-conceived notions of what it would mean to give my dog medication.

So, consider your options carefully. Ask questions. You’re right to be hesitant- you care about your dog, after all, and just want what’s best for him- but be open to the idea that medication might be just what he needs.

One Year on Meds: Recheck with the Veterinary Behaviorist

So Maisy's been on meds for a bit over a year now. The difference between the way she was then and the way she is now is nothing short of miraculous to me. Of course, it's not a miracle at all, it's simply the fact that the biochemistry in her brain is not correct, and the addition of paroxetine makes it so. Whatever. The point is, medication has made such a huge impact on our lives that I am absolutely awestruck when I think about it- like when we have an appointment with our veterinary behaviorist, Dr. Duxbury.

Our appointment this time around was actually pretty short and sweet. We didn't discuss behavior logs (although I took them, and I'll share them here today), and we only watched one video. We talked about what daily life is like now- uneventful, really, but that's a good thing in this case. We also talked about some of the challenges we still face- children, mostly, as well as our disastrous (if you're a chicken, anyway) Thanksgiving. But really we just admired how well Maisy is doing.

Here's a link to the behavior logs/charts from a year ago. At baseline, before medication, she was averaging 3.58 incidents (defined as overreacting to unnoticeable or mild stimuli when at home) per day. About a third of these happened during the night, and frequently woke me up. It was not uncommon for these incidents to include prolonged scanning of the environment/general vigilance, up to and including leaving the room to investigate. After six weeks on medication, this was down to 1.33 incidents per day.

Although this was a great improvement, we decided to increase Maisy's medication slightly. I took another set of behavior logs (link here), and after eight weeks at the new dose, we were down to 1 incident a day, on average.

Things have improved since then, and honestly, it's not even worth making a chart. I kept logs for seven days. Over the course of six of these days, I saw a grand total of three incidents, which makes for an average of 0.5 incidents per day. It involved stuff like “Maisy was lying in my lap while we were watching Star Trek. She heard a car go by with loud bass. She lifted her head and growled.” No vigilance, low intensity, and just all around typical dog behavior.

That seventh day, though? Was awful. She had four incidents that day, mostly because my husband was wrong about everything and forced me to yell at him. Okay, not really, but for some reason we were just really crabby with each other that day, and I was amazed by the impact it had on Maisy. Including the seventh day, her logs shoot up to an average of 1 incident a day. Marital bliss is good for more than just the people involved, I guess.

I also took logs after we got home from Thanksgiving. Every year, we spend five days at my parents' house in South Dakota. It's a significant disruption to her routine, there are tons of cats and dogs and horses and chickens, and it's just hard on her. I also took logs last year after we got home, which means I can compare how she recovered both times:

Her stress recovery period actually took longer than I expected, although it's still an improvement over last year.

The coolest thing about all this doesn't come from the numbers, but rather from her general behavior. The video below was taken back in October. I had left work early to do some much needed yard work. It was a very windy day (that white thing you'll see bouncing around is a styrofoam cooler lid), and across the street you can just barely make out approximately 50 elementary school-aged children playing during recess. And through it all, she did this:



Maisy's behavior was not in any way cued or encouraged by me. She chose to lie down. As Dr. Duxbury noted, Maisy's acting like a normal dog. Who knew she had it in her?

Miraculous or not, both Dr. Duxbury and I are quite pleased with Maisy's progress. In fact, the sum total of Dr. Duxbury's advice to me was to continue to be alert to both the environment and Maisy's body language, and to remove her from situations where she might be triggered, but before she reacts. I think I can do that.

Meds and Your Dog, Part III: The Prescribing Professional

So you've thought it through and come to a decision: your dog might benefit from medicine as a tool to treat his behavior problems. Now you will need to see a vet, since (in the United States, anyway) only vets can legally prescribe medication for a dog. Don't make that appointment yet, though! Just like with humans, you have options. Today, I'm going to outline what some of your choices are.

A board-certified veterinary behaviorist.
A board-certified veterinary behaviorist is much like a psychiatrist in humans: they are vets who have gone through a rigorous certification process in animal behavior. Identifiable by the initials DACVB after their names, these vets have three years of post-vet school education. They complete a residency, conduct and publish original research, submit case reports, and pass a two day exam. In other words: they are highly educated, and highly experienced.

I personally think that veterinary behaviorists are the gold-standard, and when Maisy and I pursued medication, we saw one. Unfortunately, they can be hard to find, as there's only around fifty in the US and Canada. (Check to see if you have one near you here.)

A vet who is not board-certified, but does have some credentials in animal behavior.
There are several other organizations that certify animal professionals in some way, although they accept any qualified person, not just vets. One such organization is the Animal Behavior Society, which requires its behaviorists to have completed either a Master's degree or a PhD in behavior or ethology, pass oral and written exams, publish articles in scientific journals, and complete supervised experience. Once these criteria have been met, the professional can designate themselves as a CAAB- but remember, they may or may not be a vet, so check their credentials carefully. (You can find one near you here.)

There are other certifications out there, as well (and feel free to comment if you know of some). In addition to assuring that your chosen professional can prescribe meds, you should find out just what vet had to do to obtain the certification they have, and then decide if that means they have the knowledge and experience you want your behaviorist to have.

A vet with a special interest in behavior, but no particular certifications.
Don't let the lack of a certification dissuade you- there are definitely vets out there that really enjoy doing behavior work. They likely have obtained continuing education credits in animal behavior and read journal articles. They might even have a specialty practice in behavioral medicine.

Unfortunately, without any certifications, they can be hard to find. I googled up a few in my area, but it took a lot of work to sort through the results to find actual vets. And even once I found them, it was hard to know what, exactly, qualified them to do behavior work.

Any general practice vet.
Any vet can prescribe medication, so you certainly can make an appointment and request behavioral drugs. Unfortunately, their knowledge of behavioral drugs might be rather limited... and it's possible they are even lacking in general behavior knowledge, too (vet schools generally require little in the way of behavior coursework).

While they may not have the same breadth of experience and knowledge that vets specializing in behavior do, they can certainly be an affordable option- and if you live in a rural area, this may be your only option. It's also more likely that you'll have developed a relationship with this person, which can go a long way to helping you feel at ease.

Distance consultations.
Finally, you can do distance consultations by phone, fax, or email. Many veterinary behaviorists will consult with your regular veterinarian regarding medications, while others, like Tufts, offer a remote consulting service that allows you to cut out the middleman and communicate with them directly.


So which option should you choose? Well, a large part of your decision will likely be a function of your location and budget. Board-certified behaviorists can be expensive, and they're certainly not common, so it can be hard to find one nearby.

But you should also consider your dog's needs; some dogs are pretty straightforward and will do just fine with a general practice vet, while others have much more complicated behaviors and might need a highly skilled clinician to parse out the issues. I believe that if your dog falls into one of those proceed with caution categories, you'll want to hire the most experienced and knowledgeable person you can find.

Finally, no matter who you're inclined to go with, you need to do your research. Find out how much experience your intended professional has. Get some recommendations. Educate yourself, and be your dog's advocate. Ask questions during the appointment, and make sure you have a plan for follow-up.

Does your dog take medication? What type of vet did you see? Why? Were you happy with the results?

Meds and Your Dog, Part II: Proceed with Caution

In my last post, I shared some situations that I think merit a consultation with a professional about whether or not your dog would benefit from behavioral drugs. As I said then, I am neither a vet nor a trainer, and the ultimate decision lies with you. Today's topic is the flip side- times that I think you should either avoid the use of medication, or that you should approach the subject very cautiously.

You haven't had a thorough veterinary exam done.
Before you initiate behavioral medications, it is vital that you have a full physical work-up done. I'm not talking about the garden-variety wellness check, either: you want an in-depth medical consultation, especially if the behavior has a sudden onset. This is important because there is a wide variety of health conditions that can impact a dog's behavior. I cannot even begin to ennumerate them all- that's why you need the checkup, after all- but things as common as unaddressed pain or an out-of-whack thyroid level all the way down to rare neurological problems like brain tumors or epilepsy can cause behavioral concerns. Don't jump to meds unless you've treated any medical needs your dog might have.

There are underlying health conditions that contraindicate the use of medication.
Again, I can't possibly talk you through all of the conditions that might impact your dog's ability to take behavioral drugs. Some things are obvious, though: if your dog has a serious liver or kidney issue, for example, adding more strain to those already taxed organs may not be wise. Likewise, if your dog is already taking medication for a health issue, you will need to make sure that there are no drug interactions. Maisy's medicine will even interact with certain flea treatments and some supplements, so I have to be very careful about what I use with her!

You don't plan to do any training with your dog.
I truly hope none of my readers fall into this category, but just in case, I need to emphasize this point. First and foremost, you have to understand that there is no silver bullet. A pill is just that- a pill. It is not a magical cure, and when it comes to behavioral issues, there is no easy way out. Whether a dog is on medication or not, you still need to put in the work. It's true- medication alone will cause a certain level improvement in your dog. However, you will see more progress if you combine it with behavior modification.

However, that's not the most important matter at hand. It is my very strong opinion that using medication alone is dangerous. This is because some medications have a disinhibiting side effect. If you are not working to teach your dog what he ought to do, should he experience a loss of inhibition, it's likely he will fall back on old coping mechanisms. And he'll probably take them further than before, leading you into very dangerous territory.

This happened to Maisy. She was doing amazing on medication. Her fear and anxiety had reduced, and I could tell she was feeling more confident. Unfortunately, this newfound bravery meant that when she saw a strange man in a winter hat come shuffling down our alley last winter, she took off in his direction instead of running away. We came very, very close to having a bite incident, which could have had disastrous consequences. Because I was actively working with Maisy, I was able to redouble my desensitization and counter-conditioning efforts around men, and got her through this scary time.

There is a heightened risk of aggression, or other liability concerns exist.
As my story with Maisy indicates, the use of medication can lead to problems, even when you are being diligent. You need to be very, very careful, and if you let down your guard even slightly, like I did (I was letting her go from the car to the house off leash), you could be setting yourself up for heartbreak. Find an expert in pharmacology and behavior, and rely on her ability to prescribe a medication with the smallest likelihood of such side effects, as well as to advise you on how to manage or prevent any issues.

You want to isolate the factors of success.
This isn't so much about avoiding the use of treatment altogether, but rather, about delaying it. The fact is, if you implement multiple treatment approaches at once, you'll never know which worked and which didn't. If you're short on time, this won't matter, of course- you want to throw everything you've got at the problem- but if you're like me, you probably want to measure how each variable impacts your dog's behavior. I recommend that you set clear goals and time limits if you go this route, though. If a certain treatment isn't helping within 8-12 weeks, you should try another. It's not fair to let your dog suffer in the name of intellectual curiousity.


These are just some of the situations that I think should cause you to approach the use of medication very carefully. It's possible that your dog might still benefit from medication even if he fits in one of these categories, so I urge you to find the best educated, most experienced professional you can. There are lots of options out there, and my next post will discuss some of the various people you might consult with as you weigh the risks and benefits of behavior modifying drugs.

Meds and Your Dog, Part I: Should You Consider Meds?

 
Ever since I put Maisy on paroxetine last fall, I've gotten regular emails from readers asking if I think they should consider behavioral drugs for their dogs. The truth is, I don't know. I've never met their dog, and even if I had, I'm neither a vet nor a trainer. Still, I know from personal experience that the decision whether or not to put your dog on medication is a difficult one, and that sometimes a bit of hand-holding is needed. After all, the reason I chose to pursue it is because a friend was kind enough to share her experiences.

While I welcome emails from my readers- I always feel honored that people want my opinion- I figure there's probably a number of others who haven't emailed but are wondering the same thing: should they consider meds? That's why I'm going to devote this week to the topic of behavioral drugs for dogs. Today I'll discuss when you should consider meds. Later this week, I'll write about times I think you should not use meds, or that you should use them cautiously. And finally, I have a post about the different professionals you might consult with in your search.

So. Should you use medication for your dog's behavior problems? Generally speaking, I've come to the conclusion that if you're asking the question, then the answer is probably yes. This doesn't mean that you'll ultimately decide to use them, but I think if you're wondering, you should probably consult with a professional who can guide you in making your decision.

Still, that's awfully vague, so here are five situations that I think merit a consultation with a professional:

You have been following a good behavior modification program for 3-6 months and have seen very little or no progress.
Note the key phrase here- “a good behavior modification plan.” While it is beyond the scope of today's article to discuss what this means in detail, I broadly define it as one that has been designed by a professional trainer, and that includes a desensitization and classical counter-conditioning component. It does not include the use of pain or intimidation techniques.

I also specify allowing up to half a year because behavior modification takes time. Despite our society's penchant for quick fixes, you can't rush good training. While three to six months is probably not going to cure your dog- and depending on the issue, a cure may not ever come- you should see measurable progress in that amount of time. If you don't, it's possible that medication could help your dog be more receptive to training.

You initially saw progress, but it has since stalled.
Maisy and I fell in this category. While training made a huge difference for her initially, it eventually plateaued. Even though she was doing much better, there was still a lot of problematic behavior. Despite my best efforts, we just couldn't get unstuck. After several months, I began to consider adding meds to the mix. As it turned out, this was exactly what we needed to continue making progress.

You have been doing behavior modification training and your dog has gotten worse.
First, it needs to be said that a certain amount of regression is normal during the course of training, so if you have a temporary setback, don't go rushing for the chemicals. However, if your dog demonstrates serious or sustained backsliding, it's a cause for concern. If you haven't already, a vet check is in order- a variety of medical maladies can cause behavior changes.

It's also time to consult with a professional trainer if you've been trying to go it alone, and if you've already got one, you may want to seek a second opinion. A poorly designed or a poorly executed behavior modification plan can be worse than none at all. You need a trainer who can both design a great plan and coach you through it. However, if you're quite sure your plan is solid and that you're implementing it well, it's time to have a consult for medication.

Your dog has difficulty sleeping, can't relax even in familiar environments, you can't identify his triggers, is globally fearful, or just seems on edge all the time.
When dogs have predictable behavioral problems, they tend to respond to training alone beautifully. But for other dogs- the ones you just can't quite figure out- medication may be warranted. Anxiety and fearfulness often have a genetic component, and you can't train away a brain chemistry problem.

Maisy and I had this working against us, too. One of the great difficulties I had was that her triggers seemed to change a lot. She also had many of them- joggers, bikes, garbage trucks, ballons, things out of the place in the house. But they also fluctuated a lot- one day she'd lose her mind over a doberman and the next she'd barely blink. It was frustrating, and I never knew what to expect. It also made it very difficult to effectively do desensitization and counter-conditioning.

Worse, Maisy seemed incapable of relaxing. She was constantly moving. She rarely laid down, and when she did, she startled easily, jumping up to bark or growl at things that I couldn't even perceive. For a long time, I thought this was just who she was- which, I guess it was, but still- it wasn't normal dog behavior. Once I realized that she was probably suffering from Generalized Anxiety Disorder, I knew it was time to consider meds.

You're short on time.
In a presentation given at the 2010 APDT conference (I buy the CD-ROMs, which, while expensive, are absolutely worth the money), Dr. Barbara Sherman shared that her research has shown that the combination of behavior modification and medication works faster than behavior modification alone. Her study (Treatment of separation anxiety in dogs with clomipramine, authored by King, Simpson, and Overall, and published in Applied Animal Behavior Science in 2000) found that 51% of the dogs receiving behavior modification alone improved in 8 weeks, as compared to 73% of dogs who received behavior modification in combination with clomipramine.

While this study is talking about a specific medication and a specific diagnosis, in her presentation, Dr. Sherman mentioned several other studies that showed similar results for different medications and conditions. Therefore, I must conclude that if your dog has a behavior problem and you're faced with an “it's me or the dog” situation, you should consider the addition of medication to increase your chances of quicker improvement.


As I said in the beginning, I am not a professional. I have no idea if medication is right for your dog- I'm simply trying to share times that I think it makes sense to sit down with an expert to find out what they think. And anyway, it's ultimately your decision. I also know it's not an easy decision. I had wondered if meds might help Maisy for 8 or 9 months before I finally made the appointment, but I was worried about the cost, the side effects, and the perception that I was “taking the easy way out.”

Still, I'm glad I made the decision that I did in the end. Maisy is so much happier these days, and for the first time in her life, she seems comfortable in her own skin. If you're asking the same question, I hope that your decision- whether it's for meds or not- has an equally good outcome for your dog, too.

Maisy's New Ability to Recover from Stress

Recently, I found myself without a dog sitter. We have always left Maisy with a trusted family member (and Maisy adores them, so we know they're doing it right), but unfortunately, we had plans the same weekend they did! None of my friends can take Maisy for a variety of reasons (mostly because they all have crazy dogs, too), so we were stuck.

 Maisy loves Uncle Jim. Too bad he couldn't take her this time.

Then someone told me about A Dog Spot, a boarding facility about two hours away, run by some mutual friends of ours. They started A Dog Spot because they hated leaving their own "crazy" dogs with people, and I went to Clicker Expo with one of them, so I figured it would be okay.

Okay? It was amazing. They talked to me on the phone every day, telling me what Maisy was up to, and how much they loved her (well, how could they not?). When they noticed that Maisy winced every time the metal door shut, they padded it for her. They spent tons of one-on-one time with her. I was very pleased.

Maisy spent four days there, so I expected her to come home and be a bit stressed out. I took behavior logs since I'm still interested on how quickly she bounces back from stress, after all. And here's the absolutely awesome part: I wrote nothing down. Nothing for an entire week!

I am so, so excited. One of my huge goals for when I chose to put Maisy on medication was for her to be able to recover from stress quicker, and I'd say we've met that goal now. I also cannot say how pleased I was with the staff at A Dog Spot. Seriously, if you live in northern Iowa, southern Minnesota, or southwest Wisconsin- check them out.

Now I Understand

 At my old job, I worked with adults with disabilities, but many of my clients were also diagnosed with some sort of mental health condition. Today, I want to tell you about Jerry. (Both his name and the details have been changed for privacy reasons. The essence remains true.)

Jerry was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, but when I first met him, he was on medication, so I found it hard to believe that the mild-mannered man in front of me was the same man as described in his file. According to his paperwork, when his anxiety was really bad, he would become destructive and violent.

But his brothers didn't care that his medication was making him calm. He wasn't acting like the Jerry they knew, so at their insistence, the medicine was stopped. At first, everything went well. He became more talkative, and was really quite funny. As time went on, though, his cute sayings turned into perseveration. He began to pace the hallways and pick at his skin until it bled. It was heart-breaking to watch, and I'll admit I was quite judgmental. I just couldn't understood why his brothers, who claimed to love him, would do this.

You're probably wondering what all this has to do with dogs. Well, it's this: I tried the trazodone with Maisy the other day, and I hated what it did to her. For a good portion of the morning, she sat staring at me, but not really seeing me, if that makes sense. Every time I tried to interact with her, she'd blink slowly and lick her lips. She barely moved, and then only with significant coaxing. Even so, it was painfully slow and she appeared uncoordinated and clumsy. She just seemed drugged.

No matter how well the trazodone worked, I would have hated it because of that alone. Unfortunately, it gets worse. Within half an hour of taking it, she abruptly stopped eating breakfast and began whining incessantly instead. If I was sitting, she was in my lap, and if I was standing, she was curled up around my foot. For a dog who doesn't really like to touch or be touched, she was acting as though she needed to crawl inside my skin.

She refused to enter the bathroom- you know, the room where we keep the post-tooth-brushing-rawhides that she begs for every chance she gets? She seemed terrified of the tile floor, even though she's never before shown any hesitancy of walking on it (or any other tile floor) before.

Outside, she avoided locations and objects she normally loves, and she would stare and stare when she heard a noise. It wasn't hypervigilance so much as it seemed like she just couldn't process what she was hearing.

Thankfully, I knew that medication can and should work better, so I emailed Dr. Duxbury before it had even worn off completely, expressing my concern. She emailed back and called Maisy's reaction an “agitation response.” She advised me not to use trazodone anymore, and said she would phone in a prescription for clonidine instead.We'll try that this weekend.

But this experience gave me a new sense of empathy. I suddenly understood how Jerry's family must have felt. His anxiety may have been gone, but at what cost? For several hours, I felt like I'd lost my dog. Everything I love about my dog- her enthusiasm, her happiness, her energy, her intelligence- it was all gone. She wasn't acting like the Maisy I know. How must Jerry's family have felt, slowly watching their brother go from a funny guy to one who barely spoke? Sure, he wasn't injuring himself anymore, but he also wasn't doing much of anything.

I'm so glad that it's not an all-or-nothing proposition. I am thankful to have the support of a veterinary behaviorist who will help us find the drugs that work, who wants "only the best" for my dog. I am so glad that we found a long-term medication that allows Maisy to feel comfortable in her own skin, but that doesn't rob her of her personality. And I hope that Jerry's family can find that for him, too.

Recheck with the Veterinary Behaviorist: Plans for the Future

After all my blathering on, I still haven't gotten to the crux of the appointment: where do we go from here? So today I'm going to share what Dr. Duxbury and I agreed to do next.

Medication
Not ones to mess with a good thing, we are not changing Maisy's paroxetine. She will remain on a daily 10mg dose for the forseeable future. I don't know when/if we'll ever take her off it, but for now, it remains effective and awesome.

However, given how traumatic her recent vet visits were, and considering that Maisy will be staying at a boarding kennel for the first time in her life next month, we decided that we do want have a little something for special occasions.

We did try trazodone at her ultrasound, and I was unimpressed with it then. Still, that day was weird- she was already stressed from her appointment the day before, and the city was doing ripping out the sidewalk in front of our house that day. Plus, Dr. Duxbury really prefers trazodone over the alternatives (it's typically less addicting and seems to have fewer side effects, including paradoxical effects), so we agreed to give it another try, this time on a day when nothing was going on.

Training
Based on the feedback Dr. Duxbury received from our reactive dog class trainer, we discussed the possibility of trying more conventional training classes. (I'm thinking I'll try an advanced rally class, but I might try an advanced obedience class, too- depends on what works best in our schedule, really.)

We're going to take it slow, though.

Maisy and I will remain in our current reactive dog class, but only attend every other week. Dr. Duxbury said we could start taking regular classes immediately, but I think I'm going to take it a bit slower instead. My plan is to go to the club where I plan to take classes every other week and set up Maisy's crate and do the same stuff as we do at reactive dog class: mostly chill in the crate, but have her come out to heel, work on a perch, etc., near the other dogs. I'll probably spend two to three months doing the every-other-week thing before actually signing up and attending a class.

The purpose of doing reactive dog class every other week is to give us a barometer of how Maisy is doing. If Maisy gets reactive in the regular class, but not in reactive dog class, we'll know that she's not ready for the regular class yet. If she gets worked up in the regular class and the reactive dog class, we know there's an issue, but that it's probably not related to the class schedule.

Beyond classes, though, we have two additional assignments: first, I am to condition Maisy to wear a muzzle. This was mostly my idea, but Dr. Duxbury did fit Maisy for a muzzle because I couldn't figure out what size she needed. (As it turns out, she's between sizes.)

 
Second, I am to condition Maisy to love being picked up. She doesn't care for this right now, but if she finds being picked up pleasant, it will make it easier to move her through crowded doorways and spaces without increasing her stress level. It's meant to be a management strategy, to prevent stress, as opposed to something I do in response to stress.

Trialing
Because Maisy did so well just hanging out at the last trial, Dr. Duxbury said we could enter the next one! However, we both agreed that the best course of action is to play it by ear. I'll go, hang out, and if Maisy's doing well, do a day-of-show entry. And then, depending on how she's doing as we enter the ring, I am to seriously consider purposely NQing, and either do just one to two signs, or have a “cookie run” instead of trying to actively compete. Either way, we've been given permission to enter the ring, and I'm happy about that!


Both Dr. Duxbury and I are thrilled with how Maisy's doing. We'll return in three to six months to reassess things again, and I am very excited to see where she's at then.

Recheck with the Veterinary Behaviorist: Before and After Videos

It probably wasn't fair to leave the last post hanging like that, mostly because Dr. Duxbury and I didn't really discuss the logs. She thanked me for bringing them in, but the bulk of our appointment was spent watching videos.

Because she had three students in the room with her, I showed the “before” videos that complemented the "after" videos so they had a frame of reference. I'm really glad it happened like this, because I don't think we would have watched the before videos otherwise. Why would we have? We both were there, we both remember what Maisy was like... right?

The truth is, when I watched the before videos, my jaw dropped. I didn't remember Maisy being that anxious, that vigilant, that slow to bounce back from stress. What I remember is Maisy being herself, and that she'd improved a lot through the training we'd already done.

Here's the before video. For context, this was taken at my reactive dog class last fall. We were pushing Maisy a little bit harder than usual because we wanted to make sure we got good video for the initial appointment. (I was later told that wasn't necessary, so I do not recommend you do the same thing.)



And here is the after video. There are some differences between the two videos- different location, different dog, different orientation- but not enough to cause the drastic change you will see in Maisy's behavior.



Amazing, right? Let me tell you, if I had had any doubts about whether or not medication was the right choice for my dog, well... they're gone now. Instead, I turned to Dr. Duxbury and said, “Why didn't I do this sooner?”