The Healing Power of Therapy for Dogs

Therapy is not unusual for humans, but it may also be applied to pets. Dogs may benefit from behavior therapy to correct certain undesirable behaviors, such as aggressiveness, fear, depression, separation anxiety, destructive behavior or excessive barking, and jumping on people. Therapy may be used at any point in the dog's life when it displays the undesirable behavior.

  1. Identifying the Root of the Problem

    • The first step in dog behavior therapy is establishing the root of the problem. Dogs may display behavioral problems due to separation from an owner or sibling, boredom or an illness. The dog's behavior may be monitored and tests may be performed. It's important to know what causes the behavior and, if possible, to improve the present situation and make the dog feel more comfortable in its home. For instance, if the dog displays certain undesirable behaviors due to the fact that it is bored or has excess energy, it may help if you provide it with toys and activities.

    Relaxation

    • Relaxation may reduce anxiety, depression or fear. Relax your dog by talking to it in a soothing voice and administering a gentle massage. Scratch your dog's back or behind the ear, but ensure your dog doesn't have any pain in the points that you touch (for instance, your dog may be depressed due to a wound on its back). Hug the dog frequently. Aromatherapy, or exposing your dog to various scents that have a calming effect, may also be applied. Typically, relaxation is combined with other behavior therapy techniques to amplify the effects of the relaxation techniques.

    Counter-Conditioning

    • Counter-conditioning is a technique applied in dogs that suffer from fear, anxiety or aggression. Identify the triggers of fear or anxiety in your dog and whenever the factor causing the negative behavior occurs, give your pet a treat, a toy or a relaxing massage. In this manner, the negative event fades in the light of the positive experience and the dog is less likely to display the negative behavior typically triggered by the negative event.

    Desensitization Therapy

    • Desensitization is a technique that works in the case of fear or anxiety. For instance, if your dog is afraid of fireworks or loud noises, expose it frequently to lower intensity fireworks or noise. Gradually increase the intensity of the noises. The dog adapts to the noises or the triggers of its fear or anxiety and won't respond as it used to.