Are you ready to take your dog and go play outside? 

If you’re like me, being home alone in self isolation means trying to keep myself from getting bored. YouTube, Tik Tok, Instagram, Netflix, meditation, house-cleaning, reading, catching up on paperwork or talking with friends by video. Yet, most importantly is keeping my five dogs from becoming restless and bored cognitively.

Days and days together, most dogs begin to understand that their familial relationship has now shifted into an exclusive codependent proximity bonding. To your dog…this is awesome and amazing and exactly what your dog intrinsically craves.

I have a lot of choices to keep myself mentally stimulated. Even if it’s watching silly, mindless video clips or watching that classic movie I haven’t watched in years (I’d recommend ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ for the moralistic simplicity of the human story). The fact is I have many options to be entertained. But dogs need to be mentally stimulated.

Over the next series of blogs I’ll discuss how to keep your dog cognitively stimulated. And emotionally prepared for when self isolation is lifted and you’re leaving them alone for long periods again.

Acknowledging Your Dog’s Boredom, Emotionally

One of the Great Danes in my rescue, Anthony, is highly codependent. If I go to another room, he’ll get up and start looking for me. Once he finds me, he’ll lay as close to me as possible, even if that means laying on the hard floor. With self-isolation, I’ve been working on maintaining a consistent separation from him and my other dogs to keep their level of codependency from skyrocketing once self-isolation has been lifted.

Self-isolation is a time where we tend to lose social interactivity. Including with your dog. We’re seeing them sleeping all day with the occasional bursts of play energy. For the most part, your dog will sleep or lay there watching us, waiting for you to take them outside. With this extra time, it’s the perfect opportunity to engage with your dog mentally while acknowledging their inherent emotional codependency.

In this blog, I’m going to describe one of the most basic lessons from my proprietary psychogenetic-rooted dog training. This is the same method I use with basic behavioral issues such as mild anti-social behavior to OCD to extremely dangerous dogs that have tried to deliberately kill people.

What’s Your Dog’s Name?

It may seem silly to ‘re-teach’ your dog their name but this is an extremely influential training technique that I use with every dog I’ve worked with. Do all these steps simultaneously.

1. If your dog is laying beside you (or you go and sit beside your dog), say their name in an even tone AND;
2. It’s extremely important to say their name in a slow, measured pace without too much inflection (this reduces the extraneous range and tonal points of your voice) AND;
3. Make eye contact as you say their name (for dogs with vision impairment, go to the next step) AND;
4. Place your hand, flat palm with fingers together on your dog’s body (for dogs with vision impairment, place your hand on their mid/lower spine). For dogs with hearing impairment, very slowly gently squeeze your hand as you say their name) AND;
5. Don’t move your hand. Keep it completely still AND;
6. Gently and slowly remove your hand by lifting straight up as you simultaneously say their name (with a slight quickness in tone and pace) AND;
7. Don’t actively engage with them but do maintain eye contact.
8. Watch and evaluate your dog’s reaction and repeat this exercise when you intuitively feel the timing is right. This is one cycle.
9. Do this very simple exercise for a minimum of two minutes to a maximum of eight minutes.
10. For dogs with vision and/or hearing impairment, instead of removing your hand from their spine, slide it slowly toward the top of their head then remove your hand.
11. Remember there is no urgency. In an eight minute period you should not exceed 12 cycles.

You will initially notice your dog become animated and want to engage. DON’T engage. Act casual. Don’t overthink.

Why This Works With Every Dog Psychogenetically

This is a simple exercise that teaches your dog reliance on the stability of your voice and hand control. Humans tend to embellish the level of reciprocal affection during times of stress or intimacy with their dogs. This overstimulation is processed as disingenuous which negates codependent connectivity inherent in all dogs. For example, think of what you love most about your friends and family…the fact you can rely on them to be your stable rudder when you’re feeling anxious or scared.

A dysfunctional dog will, to their detriment, find greater comfort in their owner’s anxious or overly animated affection. This exercise will produce immediate cognitive behavior…in other words, your dog is going to look at you intrigued.

Don’t have a dog? Here’s a great reason to adopt.

==== Topic Notes/Suggestions====

What’s the first restaurant you’d dine at and what you’d order?

Where’s the first place you’re taking your dog once self isolation is over?

As most people know from the media coverage of my work, the dogs I downtrain are extremely dangerous. Most have significant bite histories and a few have tried to kill several people, including myself. That being said, do NOT take risks with any dog you are not familiar with or feel secure around.

I offer video consults and private lessons (local and out-of-town)