Updated: Feb. 11, 2024
We made several revisions to our last version, so feel free to download it again for your own use.
A training protocol that I give to almost all my clients is the Practical Relaxation Protocol. This is based on Dr. Karen Overall’s original Protocol for Relaxation. Sylvia Currie (dog behaviour consultant and my sister!) and I developed this to suit our own clients. Ours is a shorter version with several modifications.
Learning to relax, especially with distractions, is a skill that benefits every dog. There are so many uses for this protocol. I mainly use it for anxious or over aroused dogs to teach relaxation and increase their ability to cope and regulate their own emotions.
Dogs experiencing separation anxiety frequently shadow their preferred person throughout the house, unwilling to be out of sight. They commonly exhibit other anxious behaviours alongside this. The Practical Relaxation Protocol offers a gentle approach to gradually increasing distance from their human, fostering confidence and providing reassurance. After completing the foundational Practical Relaxation Protocol, supplementary steps are introduced, focusing on departure cues like putting on shoes and coats.
Case example: Arlo
Arlo is a typical, feisty Jack Russell Terrier that has separation anxiety (SA). Like some dogs with SA, he also became anxious and over aroused when either of his owners walked toward the door. He nipped at their feet or jumped and grabbed at their clothing, sometimes tearing their sleeves and pant legs. We started with a protocol to shift from high arousal to low arousal. Then we worked on the Practical Relaxation Protocol training. Once the basic protocol was successfully completed, we added additional distractions. For Arlo, watching his owners put on their shoes immediately caused him to react. Incorporating shoes into the protocol made a huge difference. This, combined with systematic desensitization to departures, helped to put him in the right frame of mind to relax and observe. It also enabled his owners to move around the house without being accosted!
Case example: Rosie
Not all dogs that follow their owners around the house have separation anxiety. Rosie, a high energy Labradoodle is one of those dogs. She became quickly agitated and frustrated when she was excluded from activities, and would show it by barking. The Practical Relaxation Protocol training enabled her owner to increase distance from her and train her other dog while Rosie quietly observed. It also allowed her to do her exercise workouts in her home without Rosie needing to be in the same room — bonus! This skill can be transferred to the car and to other areas with more intense distractions.
Feel free to download a copy for your own use: