Blog — The Polyvagal Dog
Calmer Is Not Always the Same as More Regulated
One of the most important distinctions I think we can make when working with anxious or reactive dogs is the difference between a dog appearing calmer and a dog actually becoming more capable of navigating stress. These two things can look very similar from the outside, but they are not necessarily the same process. A dog who is barking, lunging, pacing, scanning the environment, or unable to settle is clearly showing us that something about their current state is interfering with their ability to function comfortably. Reducing that level of distress can be enormously valuable. In some cases, medication is...
When Anxiety Medication Changes the Nervous System: What Happens When We Take It Away?
As I’ve been reading Dr. Stephen Porges’ work on the autonomic nervous system, I’ve become increasingly interested in the relationship between behavioral medication and the nervous system of the dog. This is not an argument against medication. Behavioral medications can be extremely valuable, particularly when a dog is experiencing so much fear or anxiety that learning, rest, exploration, and relationship-building are difficult. Veterinary behavior medicine recognizes medications such as fluoxetine, trazodone, gabapentin, and clonidine as useful tools for different behavioral and situational problems in dogs. But medication does more than change what we can see on the outside. It changes...
The Secret to Helping a Reactive Dog Has Nothing to Do with Triggers
When people seek help for a reactive dog, they often assume the solution is to spend more time working directly on the reactive behavior itself. More exposure. More training sessions. More opportunities to practice around triggers. But the truth is that your dog's reactivity isn't really changing during the outburst; the real work happens in all the moments in between. The nervous system that barks, lunges, panics, freezes, or explodes in a stressful situation was shaped by thousands of experiences that occurred long before that moment. And if we want lasting change, we have to stop focusing exclusively on...
When Your Dog Isn't Getting Better: Looking Beyond the Training Plan
One of the hardest parts of living with a behaviorally challenged dog is how slowly change happens. We live in a culture that expects quick results. We are told that if we use the right techniques, practice consistently, and remain dedicated, our dog's behavior should improve within weeks. But nervous systems don't work that way. True behavioral change usually unfolds gradually, almost imperceptibly at times. It's often two steps forward, one step back. There may be plateaus, regressions, and periods where it feels like absolutely nothing is happening. This is normal, but certainly frustrating. A dog's behavior is the outward...
The Slow Blink Protocol: A Somatic Co-Regulation Practice for Sensitive Dogs
Recently, I was caring for a very sensitive and anxious dog staying in my home. He was struggling to settle and seemed to be carrying a great deal of tension in his body. Rather than asking anything of him or trying to interrupt the behavior, I decided to focus on slowing myself down first. I became quiet and still, softened my posture, slowed my breathing, and began using slow blinks and soft eyes in his direction. Within a few moments, his body language changed noticeably. His expression softened, he turned away peacefully, and then chose to go lay down on...