Protocol for Relaxation

Karen Overall’s Protocol for Relaxation

This is the most well known relaxation exercise. It was published by Dr Overall in Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Small Animals, in 1997. It is a highly structured program, with the dog staying still as you perform various actions - starting with easy things like counting to 3 or taking one step backwards, and progressing toward going to the front door, knocking, and pretending to invite someone in. In the original the dog is in a sitting position, however I almost always teach it with the dog lying down, usually on a bed or mat.

The Protocol is divided into "task sets" but it is not expected that you will progress directly from one set to the next with each training session. Some dogs have trouble with a particular task and need to repeat it many times before they are able to relax while you do it. Other parts may come easily to him and you will be able to perform it once and move on. Each task set is structured to include easier "warm up" and "cool down" tasks at the beginning and end. If you want to shorten the day's work, remove some of the tasks from the middle.

You want your dog to not just stay while you perform each task, but to be able to relax while you do increasingly exciting things. Watch your dog's body language. If he is calm, you will see his tail lowered and still or moving slowly. His ears may be perked and he will be watching you, but his face should not be tense. He may choose to put his head down on the floor or roll his hips sideways or lie on his side -- these are all signs of relaxation. You may hear your dog sigh or see his rib cage moving less as his breathing slows.. When you notice him relaxing more, you may praise quietly, pet him gently, and/or give him a treat, then move on to the next item. If you see your dog becoming less relaxed -- tense face, head lifting up high, tail straight up and stiff or wagging quickly, tensing his body as if he might get up -- either repeat the item you're on until your dog relaxes again, or even back up to a previous item he did well on. You may use your dog's name and the word "stay" to remind him not to get up. You may praise him as he stays if he needs the encouragement.

Once you get a feel for the structure of the protocol, feel free to customize it for your dog’s specific needs. For example, for a dog who struggles to ignore moving objects, you might add tasks that involve you placing a toy on the ground, then moving it very slowly, and working up speed over time. You could also practice holding a small towel, then moving it back and forth across the counter, then flapping it around. Just remember that you want your dog to be relaxed, not tense and ready to chase!

You can read through the full protocol description by Dr Overall and the 15 task sets here. (Starts on page 7 - reading the long introduction is not necessary.)

There are free downloadable audio files (as mp3s) of the protocol here.

Here is a playlist of the audio version as videos on YouTube.

Here are demonstration videos of dogs doing the Protocol for Relaxation:

 
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