Be Like Mr. Miyagi -Building a strong foundation
Who remembers the scene from the 80s classic, The Karate Kid, where Mr. Miyagi gives Daniel his first “real” lesson in Karate? What was that lesson? Was it Gedan Mawashi Geri? Hiza Geri? Nope. Mr. Miyagi taught simple, fluid movements found in waxing a car, or sanding the floor.
What in the world does this have to do with dog training? More specifically, what does this have to do with Separation Anxiety dog training? Everything. Read on.
Separation anxiety is a serious, debilitating panic disorder. Compare it to someone who is afraid of snakes. Imagine putting that person in a room filled with venomous snakes with no way to escape. While this may sound extreme, it is very similar to the panic and fear your dog feels when left alone.
“When we begin working with our separation anxiety dogs, we make a pledge. We pledge we will not leave them alone for longer than they can cope.”
When we first start working with clients, we first look at the whole dog: exercise, enrichment, sleep, diet, health. Can the dog settle on their own when the owner prepares to leave? Is the animal in pain or discomfort? These factors may be influencing the dog’s fear of being left alone.
When training, we use baby steps and the procedure called desensitization. By keeping your dog from reaching a fearful state, we teach them to tolerate absences. First, we may train your dog to relax when you are getting ready to leave and/or calmness around the front door.
Was Mr. Miyagi really teaching Daniel to sand the wood floor and clean the car? Nope. Mr. Miyagi was teaching Daniel the value of a strong foundation. He was illustrating that the most basic skills are the building blocks of fluency. A strong foundation builds confidence and resilience, as does repetition. We know that building a strong foundation and working in baby steps is the most effective, humane way to tackle Separation Anxiety in dogs.
Be like Mr. Miyagi. Build a strong foundation. Wax on, wax off.
Tell us about your dog’s journey in the comments below.
“How do you get to Carnagie Hall? Practice, practice.”
