Dr. Nichol’s Video – Balloon Freak-Out

The leash walk – you’re only way of getting the heck out of the house – can be maddening and maybe even unsafe. Just seeing another creature causes your dog to growl and lurch, risking a human face plant. Jerk the leash and yell? There’s no future in it. You’re miserable, your dog is stressed,…

You and I are stressed by the collective anxiety of a serious epidemic. Winston Churchill was prime minister of Great Britain while his country was getting bombed by Nazi Germany. He felt a lot of pressure. His cat Nelson was by his side.

 We have a lot to worry about, don’t we? Our activities are restricted, we can’t go out to eat, the kids are home from school, and your 401(k) is circling the drain. Well, Mother Nature doesn’t even notice. Life goes on in the wilderness.

We love our pets like little people in furry suits – that’s the way I feel about mine. But if we’re going to get the calm behavior we want we need to speak their language. That includes predictability. If your dog has an anxiety problem – like so many people do right now, that pupster…

Good cats can go bad when petted. Yell at him? Hose him? Just give up on sharing affection with a kitty you love? Much better – find out why a sweet cat would do such a thing and manage the cause. It may not be behavioral – or it might.

Horses and dogs communicate with us – even if we don’t notice. They can love what we do and repay us with joy or they can react badly. Smart dogs and angry horses have lessons for us.

Yell? Spray? Teach? Yelling and jerking a leash hurt the heart. Some puppy parents are advised to hit a mouthing/nipping puppy on the nose. But punishment may trigger fear and defensive behavior.

Build morale! A shared passion! Bring your own? Barking, biting, messes, bathroom breaks? I love office pets. The shoulds of rules and accountability.

We love dogs and so do our kids. When encountering a canine beauty with a gently wagging tail you want to make friends and rub his fuzzy little head. Are you sure the dog is safe to pet? Its person may think so but they could be wrong.

Anxiety can also make a dog crazy. It’s different for dogs than it is for humans but being a little nervous about what might be lurking around the next corner helps us survive.