George The Spicy Dog

The change in routine, increased visitors, and more stimulation can make the festive season difficult for fearful and anxious dogs.

It's been a bit of a trying week.

When George was younger, I received advice that ditching the routine helps dogs to become more resilient.

We had to go to our regular vet this week. It's been a while and I wasn't sure how it would go.

We're heading in to summer in the Southern hemisphere which means long days, more daylight hours and warmer temperatures. All of which is great. But it also means more people, more dogs, and more triggers in general.

It's one thing your dog being over threshold and reactive when you're out and about but reactivity, fear and anxiety in the home is a whole other challenge.

I've been feeling very hopeful this week. It's been a good week.

Last summer, I got a retractable awning fitted to provide some shade in the back garden.

I used to be bothered about things I don't care too much about anymore. When you have an anxious, fearful and reactive dog, the 'normal' parameters don't apply anymore.

As we approach 8 months since starting our medication journey, I thought it would be useful to look at our reactivity tracking over time.

I am very fortunate that George can go to daycare. I'm not sure how we could cope without it.

When you are on constant alert for triggers and are constantly trying to manage the environment, it's not surprising that your own mental health/anxiety might be affected.