Foraging:
Foraging is an activity that helps a dog produce dopamine in the brain and get them familiar in the environment.
Sniffing activates something called the Seeking System portion of the dog’s brain- which is also the portion of the brain that is responsible for releasing the chemical dopamine, the feel good chemical. An increase in dopamine can boost mood, motivation and attention and helps regulate learning and emotional responses.
Clicker Loading:
Once the dog has had some time to smell, get the seeking system activated then start introducing treats. The owner is going to click the clicker, pause, show the dog the treat and then give the treat. Repeat this process. Click, pause (look for the dog to seek your attention) then give the treat. Do this a couple times and then let the dog go back into foraging the environment. Give it around 3 minutes then let the dog go for a walk and sniff. Again activating that seeking system. Repeat this step throughout the next hour, giving the dog several breaks. As long as the dog is not going over their threshold.
Recognizing If the dog is Over Threshold:
When looking to see if a dog is being pushed over their limit here are the things to look for:
Over excitement (jumping and mouthing)
Being distracted to the point where you can not keep their focus
Shutting down or freezing
Zoomies (dog zooms around in a frenetic manner)
Inability to take a treat. Change the environment to allow the dog relief and the dog may be more comfortable enough to take food again. This is where you can allow them to forage again to release that dopamine.
Take home Notes:
Practice clicker loading in a familiar environment i.e. the backyard or in the house.
Avoid possible triggers during this time. During this time we are stacking dopamine in the dog’s brain. Avoiding the things that cause the brain cortisol.
Every dog is different. Depending on the owner’s schedule. Next lesson is scheduled for next week.
During the car ride home:
Keep music down low and let the dog relax and latent learn. Then when arriving at home chill out for a bit and then have the dog decompress and latent learn in the crate. About an hour or so.
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