From Crazy To Calm
How Dogs (and their owners) Learn To Regulate Their Nervous Systems And Enjoy Their Lives
Welcome to Soulful Sunday #26 for July 9, 2023
Every dog owner wants a well-mannered dog. Some want dogs that excel at obedience or agility. Others want a lovable companion.
Six weeks ago, we welcomed our new puppy, Remy. Before he arrived, I began looking for puppy training and socialization classes to ensure he would develop the skills he needed to live a happy, healthy life as a member of our family.
While it took some digging, I located a local holistic dog trainer with years of experience training all types of dogs, including service and therapy dogs. What stood out was her approach to training.
What I liked most was her calm demeanor and focus on building trust and relationships between dogs and their human owners by developing their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. She trained the whole dog, not just an energetic puppy trying to learn manners.
We had done standard puppy classes before, and they never worked as we hoped.
So after a few conversations, I scheduled Remy’s first sessions and hoped that the success I’d experienced utilizing holistic and alternative therapies to heal from a chronic illness would help Remy become the amazing dog and companion we know he will be.
Regulating the Nervous System and Neuroplasticity
When an unexpected illness upended my life, my dog provided unconditional love and support and helped ease the anxiety that came with the unknown. When traditional medicine failed to uncover the cause of my illness, I turned to functional medicine and alternative therapies.
When my son was ill, our dog, Gracie, stepped up and provided a new sense of calm in our home, despite the many challenges that followed.
Without realizing it, our dogs helped us regulate our nervous systems and, in many ways, changed how we lived our lives during challenging times.
We also found the greatest success when we left the traditional rules behind and opted for holistic approaches to care.
So when Lorrie Harris, from Coaching Canine Companions, began telling me about the importance of regulating a puppy’s nervous system, I knew I had found the right person to help us train Remy.
Neuroplasticity
A few months back, I wrote about the role of neuroplasticity in healing from neurological Lyme disease. Simply stated, neuroplasticity is when the brain is rewired to function in a different way. If you missed that story, you can read it here.
During my research, I learned about the power of our brains to heal and the numerous alternative therapies that help us regulate our nervous system.
It wasn’t surprising then to learn that dogs also can learn to regulate their emotions and calm their nervous systems, but just as we need assistance, dogs need help too.
From ‘Crazy to Calm’
During Remy’s training sessions this past week, Lorrie spent time explaining to us the importance of teaching Remy how to self-regulate and go from ‘crazy’ (aka intense puppy energy/completely distracted) to ‘calm,’ especially if we were considering training him to be a therapy or service dog in the future.
She explained that as he progressed in his training, the time it took to switch from ‘crazy to calm’ would be shortened until it was almost instantaneous.
In the meantime, I knew that we needed to be patient with the process, and I reminded myself that just as children are not born with the ability to regulate themselves, neither are puppies.
Learning to regulate emotions, behaviors, and attention is a developmental process for humans and dogs.
Yet why do many owners expect their dogs, young and old, to know how to manage their behaviors in socially acceptable ways?
It’s a tall order! And it often leads to failure for the puppy. and disappointment on the part of the owner.
The Importance of Regulation For Dogs and Their Humans
When I was working to calm my nervous system, I turned to meditation, mindfulness, breathwork, sound therapy, and more. I dedicated myself to learning these techniques from professionals and mentors practicing them consistently. It was an important process, as it taught resilience, patience, and how to cope with challenging times.
The same is true for dogs.
Like children, dogs are natural explorers. They’re physical and like to move. And like toddlers, they’re still learning about their bodies and world, their likes, dislikes, things that scare them, and fun things.
Just as babies rely on their parents, puppies rely on their owners to help them grow, develop and learn how to behave.
How Do Dogs Learn To Self-Regulate?
Both dogs and humans learn the process of self-regulation by learning how to manage:
· Energy levels
· Emotions
· Behavior
· And the many distractions that are common in our lives.
By taking a holistic approach, dogs learn to regulate their fears and navigate the new world around them. And like their human guardians, they develop resilience, confidence, and emotional stability.
They also build relationships with their owners and form meaningful connections that last a lifetime.
While we’ve just started helping Remy grow, develop and regulate his behavior and emotions, understanding how he learns reminded me of the importance of maintaining self-care and balance.
If we neglect our needs, we can quickly become like tired, overstimulated puppies, cranky, or a little ‘crazy.’
Knowing when to take a break is part of learning regulation.
It’s why we set up a new space for Remy in a quiet area of our house. It’s away from distractions and gives him the time and space to calm his nervous system and rest throughout the day.
I’m a little jealous because this past week was quite busy. I’ve worked many long days, and writing this article is the last to-do item for the week.
Now that I’m ready to wish everyone a great week ahead, I might join Remy in his new peaceful place:))
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Until next week, stay mindful and be safe.
Love this Tracy! And you guys are doing a lot of co-regulating too 💗
Tracy - I love how your articles make us think! And yes, we (humans) often need to learn to go from "Crazy to Calm." Thank you!