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12 Days of Giveaways | Day 5

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Does your dog suffer from anxiety? Enter to win a pack of Treatibles on It's Dog or Nothing to help keep your dog calm.

It’s day 5 of our 12 Days of Giveaways on It’s Dog or Nothing!

Yesterday was a nice lead in to today. To keep on helping dogs with anxiety, today’s giveaway is sponsored by Treatibles!

Treatibles have been a staple in our house for a few years. I always stock up before stressful events—our two main purchases being around fireworks and travel.

Being in Seattle, we live far away from our family on the east coast. No one likes 40-hour drives, but the dogs are particularly against the lengthy travel. I’m sure many of you have holiday travel plans coming up, and I think Treatibles could help you and your dog enjoy your holiday plans.

As much as we love the holidays, they can be the cause of a lot of stress, especially for our furry companions. Whether you’re hosting friends and family or traveling to celebrate, it’s a stressful time of year for our pets.

(Psst… if you missed any of the previous giveaways, you can find them all here.)

Since Mauja has every day anxiety, we have a ton of anti-anxiety treats, chews, and supplements around the house. She usually requires a combination approach to calm her down; however, there is one constant stress-relief treat that is always a hit (for me and her).

 

Treatibles

Does your dog suffer from anxiety? Enter to win a pack of Treatibles on It's Dog or Nothing to help keep your dog calm.

Treatibles are our go-to treat for stress and anxiety relief. Whether it’s the holiday hustle and bustle, fireworks, or military training, we always have Treatibles on hand.

I’ll even give them to Atka sometimes when he comes with me to work. Since it’s a rare treat for him, he gets very excited, and Treatibles help take the edge off a bit.

Treatibles contain organic full spectrum hemp oil formulas to help calm pets in any situation. All Treatibles products are virtually free of THC, non-psychoactive, and non-toxic.

Our products help to instill calm, ease and balance for beloved animal companions, large and small – Treatibles

 

Giving Back

I can’t be the only one obsessed with Pitbulls & Parolees and Villalobos. I’ve followed them for quite some time now, and I’ve been impressed with everything they have been able to accomplish.

Treatibles partnered with Mariah (one of the family members running Villalobos) to create a treat in honor of her dog, Tater Tot. Appropriately named, “Tater’s Sweet Potato Tots,” Treatibles gives $1 back toward Villalobos veterinary care for every package purchased.

Enter to win a bag of Treatibles treats in the 12 Days of Giveaways on It's Dog or Nothing! Also, learn how your purchase can support Villalobos rescue center (Pitbulls & Parolees).

So, what are you waiting for? It’s giveaway time!

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Miss any of the giveaways? You can find them all here!

Does your dog suffer from anxiety? Enter to win a pack of Treatibles on It's Dog or Nothing to help keep your dog calm.

12 Days of Giveaways | Day 4

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Does your dog struggle in certain situations? Enter to win a Calmz anxiety relief system for your dog on It's Dog or Nothing.

Welcome to day 4 of our 12 Days of Giveaways! Have you been enjoying the giveaways so far? Let us know in the comments below 🙂

Today, we’re giving away something that a lot of dogs could benefit from—an anxiety relief system.

Mauja has suffered from pretty severe anxiety since she was about eight months old. We never did find the trigger of the anxiety, so we’ve been working on desensitization and finding supplements to help keep her calm.

Anxiety is extremely common in dogs. In fact, it’s estimated that over 24 million dogs in the U.S. suffer from regular anxiety. This anxiety can be caused by storms, fireworks, loud noises, car rides, among several other things.

We’re always looking for new products to help her. One I was pretty excited about was a compression shirt, like a thundershirt. I have a weighted blanket and understand the calming powers of compression, so I was really excited for Mauja to have that as well.

Unfortunately, we didn’t have much success with it.

 

Calmz

A few years later, I was introduced to Calmz. I figured it was just another compression shirt, and I tossed it aside because I know how little success I had with Mauja previously.

Eventually, I decided to try again, and I’m really glad I did. The Calmz anxiety relief system was definitely helpful in managing Mauja’s situational stressors.

The Calmz® Anxiety Relief System for dogs consists of an adjustable vest that cradles a device over specific acupressure points on your dog’s spine. When the device is activated, the clinically proven NeuroSync™ Technology takes over. Your dog will hear and feel a therapeutic blending of classical music, tones, and vibrations that soothes anxiety within minutes. – Calmz

Since so many people have dogs suffering from anxiety, we wanted to extend this giveaway to TWO of you! Please note that the giveaway is for the XL size of the vest. Please ensure it will fit your dog or you’re willing to donate the vest to the appropriate-sized dog.

Enter the giveaway below for your chance to win!

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Miss any of the giveaways? You can find them all here!

Does your dog struggle in certain situations? Enter to win a Calmz anxiety relief system for your dog on It's Dog or Nothing.

Handling Stressful Vet Visits

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Practicing “focus”

Between the issues both Mauja and Atka have been experiencing, we’ve been at the vet a lot. Atka doesn’t mind vet visits. In fact, I think he enjoys them. Any situation that offers him snuggles and treats is great in his mind!

Unfortunately, Mauja doesn’t share the same level of enjoyment in vet visits. To her, they are pretty much the worst thing ever. She pants, whines, and makes noises I never knew a dog could make. Obviously, vet visits are something we will never be able to avoid completely, so I had to figure out a way to survive these visits.

When Mauja’s anxiety was at its peak earlier this year, it was impossible to get her to focus on anything when she was in an uncomfortable situation. This made training and desensitization extremely difficult. She wouldn’t take treats and praise didn’t phase her. Eventually, we made the decision to start her on Prozac so we could actually reach her brain. Since starting the medication, we’re finally able to work through difficult situations.

If we're not working, she's distracted by even the tiniest noise.
If we’re not working, she’s distracted by even the tiniest noise.

The best way that I’ve found to survive these stressful situations is to keep her mind busy so she can’t focus on the extra stimuli. I keep her busy and distracted by “playing games” and doing basic trick training. Now, Mauja definitely isn’t a “trick dog”, but she does know a few basics.

We try and find a quiet corner in the waiting room to sit and work. I always go to the vet with a bag full of because I know I will be using a lot as we wait! Some simple tricks we use include:

  • Sit
  • Down
  • Stand
  • Shake
  • Touch
  • Leave it
  • Focus

“Leave it” is a very versatile game because it’s easy to mix it up and it’s also the one we play the most. Mauja knows how to leave treats on her paws, my hand, my legs, the bench, and anywhere else I can come up with in the waiting room.

Our second favorite is “focus”. For us, focus means to look at me until I give the release. In very stressful situations, I’m thrilled to get just a few seconds of uninterrupted focus from Mauja. One year ago, I never would have gotten her to look at me.

Not the best picture to tell, but here Mauja is displaying "whale eyes" Whale eyes are a commonly overlooked sign of stress where the dog shows the whites of her eyes.
Not the best picture to tell, but here Mauja is displaying “whale eyes” Whale eyes are a commonly overlooked sign of stress where the dog shows the whites of her eyes.

This technique, if you can even call it that, can be used in so many different situations. This was one we frequently used at BlogPaws this year to survive really busy events. I’d love to hear if you use this method to decrease your dog’s stress as well!

How do you handle stressful situations with your dog?

Positive Pet Training Blog Hop


Surviving Events with an Anxious Dog

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Great Pyrenees

Surviving Events with an Anxious Dog

As Mauja has matured, her anxiety has become worse and worse. Even with extensive socialization and training, we were never able to stay a step ahead. It seemed like whenever we started to make progress, we’d immediately be set back by some unknown factor.

Mauja’s anxiety was a huge consideration during our preparations for BlogPaws. Before we were completely sure of Nick’s work schedule, we thought that I may have to do the road trip alone. In that case, only Atka would have attended BlogPaws with me. It simply would have been too much for Mauja.

When Nick found out he would be able to take off work, I knew taking both of the pups would work for us. Nick wasn’t going to be attending many of the sessions, which would give Mauja ample time to relax in the hotel room with him. I figured Mauja could make brief appearances, especially since she loves people and other dogs so much. As long as we limited her time and kept her from getting overwhelmed, I figured we would be fine.

Great Pyrenees

I failed to consider the severity of the added stress of the move. For an entire month, Mauja and Atka never stayed in one place for more than a week; most of the time it was just a night. By the time we got to BlogPaws, they were both a bit on edge. I can’t blame them – I definitely was too!

High-Value Treats

For any large event, I’m always prepared with a “trail mix” filled treat bag. Mauja and Atka will get bored of the same treat extremely quickly, so I toss about 4 or 5 different treats in the bag. A few of their favorites are the Green Beef Tripe Nibblets, All Meat Bites (a new one we tried at BlogPaws and they went NUTS for!), Wellness Pure Rewards, and WellBites. I also tossed in some of the Wellness CORE Air-Dried food for more high-stress situations. I usually use this as a food topper, but they absolutely love it so it makes a great training treat as well!

Overall, Atka was his usual rock-solid self. He did bark a few times when he saw other dogs, but it was his normal excitement barking. As an adolescent, we’re still working on impulse control! Mauja definitely had a rough time, but I was really proud of how she did. There were a few random snarly incidents – things that wouldn’t normally bother her, but after giving her a brief break from the commotion she settled down. She even went to the exhibit hall with me!

Great Pyrenees

If you’re going to take an anxious dog to a large and/or stressful event – be prepared. We brought VetriScience Composure calming chews to take the edge off and planned for frequent breaks. I can’t even begin to imagine what such a large and stimulating event is like for a dog; I was even overwhelmed at times! We also always had a full treat bag on us. When Mauja would show early signs of anxiety, we would first attempt to distract her attention by playing basic “leave it” and “focus” games with her. This tactic usually works really well.

The most important thing to remember is that just like we aren’t perfect, dogs aren’t perfect either, and it’s crazy to expect them to be. Dogs have their own unique personalities and have a right to express them. While I will continue working with Mauja to lower her stress levels, she really is just a canine introvert. Nothing makes her happier than curling up on the couch with her family <3

How do you handle large events with your dog?

Positive Pet Training Blog Hop

Great Pyrenees Therapy Training with VetriScience Composure

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During our therapy dog training we've been using VetriScience Composure to help my Great Pyrenees focus.I wrote earlier this week about how Atka passed his Advanced Canine Good Citizen test this past weekend. Since then, I have received numerous emails and messages from Great Pyrenees parents wanting to train their pyr for therapy. I was so excited by the emails because I truly believe pyrs are one of the best breeds for therapy work. They’re incredibly loving, tolerant, mellow, and who wouldn’t want to snuggle with all that fluff?! The problem arises with the obedience portion of therapy work. That is where most people struggle with their Great Pyrenees.

Great Pyrenees are independent thinkers which doesn’t translate well to traditional obedience. However, with lots of practice, patience, and a sense of humor, you can achieve great things with your Great Pyrenees.

Focus

Focus has been the most beneficial skill for our training success and it’s one I recommend teaching right away. If you’re a pyr parent, you know how hard it is to keep the attention of your Great Pyrenees. There are always people to meet, things to guard, and well… more important matters to attend to. Teaching focus helps to work through these obstacles.

When you start training your Great Pyrenees, treats are not optional! You need a variety of high-value treats to keep your pyr interested in what you’re saying. My treat bag is always mixed with several types of soft and freeze-dried treats; like a trail mix for dogs!

When Atka and I first started working on “focus”, he got a treat every single time he looked at me, regardless of whether I asked him. I want looking at me to be more exciting and rewarding than the other stimuli in the environment. We’ve been working on this for over a year and definitely aren’t perfect, but it has helped tremendously in our therapy training. We had a huge victory two weeks ago when we were walking through the store and a dog lunged and snarled at Atka. I immediately asked Atka to “focus”; he looked up at me at trotted past the other dog. It was treats GALORE after that!

VetriScience Composure

During our therapy dog training we've been using VetriScience Composure to help my Great Pyrenees focus.Atka will be 2 next month, which for a giant breed is still very much puppy. Giant breeds don’t become an adult mentally until around 3 years of age. Puppy brain coupled with pyr personality can be a definite training challenge, which is why I wanted to give VetriScience® Composure™ a try.

Composure is a chewable calming supplement for stressed or nervous dogs. While Atka isn’t stressed or nervous in our training sessions, he can still be excitable at times. I sometimes tell Atka he has a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality. He can be absolutely perfect one day and then a squirmy, wiggly puppy the next (which is why even though I know he could pass the therapy test, we’re going to wait a bit). I was hoping the Composure chewables would help Atka focus a bit more in our training sessions.

Composure is “a calming formula providing C3™ Calming Complex, L-Theanine (Suntheanine® brand), and Thiamine to support balanced behavior”. They are tasty chewables that I had no problem giving Mauja and Atka; they definitely thought they were getting a treat! The dosage for their size is high, but that’s typical of any supplement or medication for giant breeds.

I’ve been really pleased with the use of Composure in our training. We only use it on his “Hyde days” to help take the edge off so he can process the high levels of stimulation more effectively. My next step is to try Composure to help Mauja’s anxiety in buildings. I’ll keep you posted on how that goes!

During our therapy dog training we've been using VetriScience Composure to help my Great Pyrenees focus.
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Want the chance to try Composure for your dog? Enter the giveaway below!

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Disclaimer: It’s Dog or Nothing is being compensated to help spread the word about VetriScience Composure. Don’t worry – an advertiser will never influence the content of this blog and It’s Dog or Nothing only shares products we believe in and feel you would enjoy. VetriScience is not responsible for the content of this article. Thanks for supporting It’s Dog or Nothing!

The Anxiety Wrap

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Great Pyrenees - Anxiety Wrap

I really don’t like to medicate my dogs. I prefer to use natural remedies as much as possible. Thankfully, we haven’t had many occasions where I’ve needed to utilize medication. Mauja tends to have anxiety in new places, but we have found a natural product that really seems to take the edge off. It wasn’t until recently that I needed something for Atka. [Read more…] about The Anxiety Wrap

Keep Your Dog Safe this Fourth of July

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This weekend we spent a lot of time discussing how to keep our dogs safe and out of mischief this week. I’m going to be honest. I have no idea how Independence Day is going to go for us. Mauja has only experienced fireworks one other time. Aside from a little extra panting and drooling, she did great. We wanted to make sure we would be home for her first experience just to be safe, so we decided to forgo the festivities last year. You can see how enthused she was 😉

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Mauja Gets a Gentle Leader

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Mauja was always our pyrfect angel of a puppy. She has a wonderful disposition and excelled through her obedience classes. She went everywhere with us and absolutely loved it. As she hit her adolescence, her enjoyment of new places slowly started to change. She began to exhibit anxiety in new situations, which led to poor manners. As with most adolescent dogs, her self-control started to become very poor. Her anxiety coupled with her lack of self control have been getting progressively worse. [Read more…] about Mauja Gets a Gentle Leader