479 – Anxiety, FOMO or Frustration?
Anxiety, FOMO or Frustration?
Malena DeMartini on Ringside Anxiety Management – After Dark Special
Join host Laura Reeves and special guest Malena DeMartini for a sneak peek inside the Pure Dog Talk Patrons After Dark virtual gatherings.
This month our group was able to speak directly with DeMartini, canine behavior expert specializing in separation anxiety. We’ve brought you a bit of an excerpt. If this seems like your kind of group, join us by submitting your Patronage pledge here.
DeMartini walks us through signs owners can watch for that will help them determine if their dog is experiencing anxiety, FOMO (fear of missing out) or frustration ringside or in daily life. She specifically separated the behaviors associated with each of these mental states and then offered suggestions on how to manage each one.
Group members were able to join in the conversation virtually and receive specific advice from DeMartini about various situations with specific dogs in their households. From mild FOMO to significant arousal near other dogs, DeMartini talked us through several of her processes for addressing the issues at hand.
DeMartini and Patron Sandy MacArthur, a 30-year veterinary technician, discuss the pros and cons of treatments for anxiety, primarily discussing various homeopathic remedies. DeMartini noted that for dogs with classic separation anxiety, these are like pouring chamomile tea on a human with a sleep disorder.
“I do believe that training can be very effective,” DeMartini said. “What we did 20 years ago versus what we do now is very different.
“Dogs don’t particularly generalize well. So, if I teach my dog to stack only in my living room and then I expect to go into the show ring. Good luck with that. I think that sometimes we forget that a little bit when we talk about bringing them to different environments. When it comes to anxiety, whether that’s in a crate, whether that’s out of the crate, if people are the general simulators that are influencing your pup, then that needs to be worked on well before you get to a show ring.”
We hope to see YOU After Dark next time.
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER — FRANCIS BACON
When you become a patron of Pure Dog Talk you’ll tap into an exclusive community of experts to help you and your dog be blue-ribbon best at whatever you do with your purebred dog! Your support helps keep the MP3's rolling at Pure Dog Talk!
As a supporter, you’ll immediately gain access to the weekly Pure Pep Talk SMS, Pure Pep Talk private Facebook group, and priority emails. Patrons can choose to level up to the After Dark Zoom and a Patrons Digital Badge for their website— even a private counseling session with Laura on any topic.
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