So Jenn and I are doing more experimenting with face wraps (see previous post) to help me keep my cool on leash walks (and not wake up the neighbors by barking at deer, etc.). Today, Jenn fit a Calming Band on me before our walk. A Calming Band is fabric and elastic that fits on my face in a figure eight, around my muzzle and behind my ears. It is just kind of there, not tight and all face wraps/Calming Bands need to be used with supervision. You can't leave your dog alone with one on. The elastic around my muzzle on the Calming Band definitely feels a little different than the elastic face wrap we used yesterday. A Calming Band looks like this:
Here I am walking in my Calming Band:
And here I am looking at a squirrel frolicking in the field:
I kind of lost it on the walk home when I saw a deer, so I actually did a little better yesterday with the elastic face wrap that Jenn made from an old pair of underwear. You can also cut apart an Ace Bandage to make a simple face wrap. Jenn thinks that it is funny that a piece of elastic on my face can make such a difference in the amount that I bark. But it kind of makes sense, because if my face isn't tense, then barking isn't quite the same. I'm aware of the face wrap and for me, that seems to help. Maybe your puppy might benefit from a face wrap, at times when they are likely to bark. The worst thing that can happen is nothing.
Here I am walking in my Calming Band:
And here I am looking at a squirrel frolicking in the field:
I kind of lost it on the walk home when I saw a deer, so I actually did a little better yesterday with the elastic face wrap that Jenn made from an old pair of underwear. You can also cut apart an Ace Bandage to make a simple face wrap. Jenn thinks that it is funny that a piece of elastic on my face can make such a difference in the amount that I bark. But it kind of makes sense, because if my face isn't tense, then barking isn't quite the same. I'm aware of the face wrap and for me, that seems to help. Maybe your puppy might benefit from a face wrap, at times when they are likely to bark. The worst thing that can happen is nothing.
1 comment:
Have just ordered some more proper calming bands but do use elastic too - I thought this was nicely written. I don't usually write on these things but that made me laugh and I hope you don't mind if I use it myself when talking to my dog training clients - "the worse that can happen is nothing" I like that.
Sarah New Zealand
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