behavioral Medications and Dog Training

Many clients seeking my help with their dogs have already made the decision to put their dogs on medications for their issues. As a dog trainer, I am very passionate about the power of training and how beneficial it can be for dogs who are having issues. For this reason, I do not take dogs into my program unless they are off of their behavior medications. This obviously only pertains to medications being given for behavioral issues such as anxiety, aggression, self harm, etc. 

In my opinion, all dogs should be obedience trained. Unfortunately, the amount of people who train their dogs and believe that training is essential to the dog’s wellbeing seems to be waning. In the case of a behavioral issue in the untrained dog, the first thing that should be done is to train the dog. That does not mean offering your dog cookies for returning to you in the living room! It means that anytime, anywhere, without treats and under any level of distraction your dog will come when called and remain stationary until released. It means your dog will walk politely on the leash and ignore distractions around him. It means your dog understands the language of the leash and yields to its gentle pressure. It means your dog will leave items alone when told, and spit things out on command when told. These behaviors are for the safety and wellbeing of your dog and everyone around him. Be honest. If your dog can not do those things, your dog needs more training. If your dog can not do those things and is experiencing behavioral issues, the first thing that should be done is to train the dog. 

Sure, there are some dogs who truly need medication. But as a trainer, my very strong opinion is to train first - then assess whether meds are truly needed. In most cases, the meds are not needed. 

The training will provide your dog with a better and clearer understanding of how the world around him works. It will create a clear language between dog and owner, so that communication is effortless. This will ease anxieties and create predictability, which creates self confidence. Behaviors such as heel, sit/stay, down/stay and recall (coming when called) are incompatible with less desirable behaviors such as lunging/pulling on the leash, running after distraction such as wildlife, and generally antisocial behaviors. The incompatibility of these behaviors means your dog must learn a new way to respond to earlier triggers. The dog becomes responsible for maintaining new behaviors, and they must focus on that rather than what’s happening around them. Their attention is on their owner, and on the behavior, and within these behaviors the world is a safer and more familiar place.

I urge everyone to train their dogs, but most especially if you are facing any type of behavioral issue, to please train your dog with the help of a professional before resorting to medications.