Here at Lolahemp, we are very excited to offer training tips and tools for dog lovers to help their canine companions thrive. Like the ASPCA, we believe that training methods that focus on reward and fun are the most effective and humane. Stay tuned for specific training related content on our website to learn more about how these training methods are easy to learn and a great way to improve your relationship with your dog – a relationship built on fairness and trust.
This article will explore a topic that many of our customers have already learned: CBD oil can be a part of a training program to help address behavioral problems in dogs such as separation anxiety, aggression, and phobias.
Although we do find that many of our customers have success using Lolahemp to help provide calming relief for their pets, we also believe that proper training methods can make a world of difference, especially for dogs with neglect or abuse in their past. We want to make sure our readers have all of the tools available to help their loving pups live happy, long, and healthy lives.
Raise the Reaction Threshold
One of the ways that professional dog trainers tend to use CBD oil as part of their training programs is to help to raise the reaction threshold for dogs with phobias. Let’s take a moment to understand what the reaction threshold is, and how it can help you with desensitization and reconditioning training programs for your canine.
The reaction threshold is a very helpful concept to understand when working with dogs who have any kind of phobia, including separation anxiety, travel or noise phobias, or hyperactivity/aggression in response to certain triggers. It refers to the moment that your dog becomes reactive when exposed to a specific trigger.
When reconditioning (the training used for most dog phobias) it is important to keep the dog under the reaction threshold. That is, you are looking for the moment when they are close enough to the stimulus that they are aware of it, but not yet reactive to it. Then, reward calm behaviors with tasty treats and praise, while slowly getting closer to the stimulus.
For example, consider a dog who is reactive when they see another dog on a leash. They may begin to react by pulling on the leash and lunging towards the other dog when they are even as far away as 50 feet. However, since CBD helps many dogs feel less reactive, they may only begin to react when another pooch is 20 feet away. This is called a “higher” reaction threshold.
