There is evidence to show Riley has tried to settle in her crate and Natalie even caught her in there!
However, Riley doesn’t like having her photo taken so she may have put her off using it!
Natalie is continuing to put tasty treats in there for her and next week she plans to start her on a nutraceutical dietary supplement and a calming collar.
Stay tuned!
For the last week Riley has been having treats and chews put into her crate to get her to associate it with positive emotions.
This is Riley standing half in-half out trying to reach the back of her crate without going all the way in! She has also been removing any chews and taking them to eat elsewhere.
This is too be expected initially so keep watching for next weeks’ update to see how (if!) she makes any progress!
Meet Riley
This is Riley an 11 year old terrier mix who presented with firework sensitivities at the age of approximately 4 years old. Her sensitivities have also progressed to gunshots and thunder. She has even associated precursors of these events such as heavy rain and will run and hide at the sound of this in anticipation of the thunder.
Her coping strategy so far has been to hide underneath her owners’ bed but due to a recent home move she no longer has access to this resource, as the stairs are too steeps for her aging legs to get up safely. Not having access to her coping resource 24/7 can be very stressful for dogs and so we need to provide an alternative.
The Plan
Riley has previously used a crate and so we have decided to develop this into a hide. This involves covering the crate to create a dark area and block out the noise. There is comfy bedding in there and also blankets for her to hide under if she needs to.
She is also under going nutritional support and using dietary supplements to help with stress and anxiety, these contain amino acids and B vitamins. Artificial pheromone plugins can be used near to the den to aid its appeal but Riley will be using this product in collar form in 2 weeks time which she will wear throughout the firework season.
To encourage Riley to use her den she will have treats put in there daily along with some tasty chews. As she becomes more relaxed in her den she will start to eat the chews. Chewing is an important activity for dogs as it is a ‘drainage activity’ which reduces their stress levels.
If you would like any help finding/creating or using a hide or would like any information on how to get your pet through these coming weeks please contact us on 01606 880890 Keep watching for weekly updates on how Rileys training is getting on.
