When there is a hyperactive animal in the family, simple pleasures like having friends over, holiday celebrations, or going for a walk can become nerve-racking.
Recently I worked with a lady whose dog could not sit still. He barked constantly both when inside the house and in their backyard. Going for walks wasn’t much fun either.
This lady was great because she was willing to patiently work with her animal and redirect its behavior. My perspective is there is always a different possibility and I’ve seen the tools of Access create dramatic improvements in anxious pets.
What causes hyper behavior?
Dogs that are happy-go-lucky by nature seem to cope better with our modern ways of living, which frankly are filled with stress. Our world is obsessed with solving problems and the catalogue of ‘bad news’ seems constant. In their personal lives, many people have underlying worries and anxieties. Rarely do we seem to enjoy ourselves in the moment.
High levels of mental stress are overwhelming to hypersensitive animals. Dogs are pack animals. When they are in our world, they try to become our vibe because a similar vibe allows the pack to work together. Unfortunately, for an anxiety-ridden animal, tuning into our world is almost like over-stimulation. They become inundated with thoughts, feelings, and emotions that can cause them to act out.
Be the calm pack leader
How do you get a hyper animal to chill out? I’ve noticed that acknowledging them for all the different things they perceive can work wonders. I gave this tool to the lady whose dog was hyper-aware and to her credit, she used it for 3 whole days.
Every time her dog alerted her to something in their environment: people walking down the street, the neighbors’, the wind blowing even, she calmly acknowledged him. ‘Yes, I saw that too. I’ve got this, it’s all good.’
Her calmness and presence as the pack leader were so reassuring the dog began to relax little by little. After 3 days of continuous acknowledgment, her animal lay down and went to sleep instead of barking constantly. One week later he was calmer on walks and didn’t overreact to visitors.
Give your animal a new job
For generations, dogs have taken on the job of alerting us to danger; it’s almost part of their DNA. Giving your hyper alert animal a new job description can help to re-direct their energies. All you have to do is fire the barking dog by saying, ‘You don’t have to work so hard anymore. Your new job is to be happy and calm.’ With this, you’re taking away responsibility for the pack’s safety so they begin to relax.
Although every animal will be different, with these tips you will start creating more ease for a hyper dog. There are numerous Talk to the Animals tools, in addition to those above, that we cover in our classes.
Schedule some selfcare
What else can we do? Improving the pack’s well-being will also bring relief to an anxious animal. I have created an audio track for people who experience panic attacks or stay awake at night worrying. This 10-minute exercise draws on the earth and other energies, to instill space and stillness while releasing fearfulness.
Playing this audio repeatedly at low volume has assisted many people and their animals. The digital download can be purchased in my shop here https://suzygodsey.com/product/exercise-for-anxiety-panic-attacks/
Another easy way is through Access Bars, a gentle hands-on process for the whole family. There are Bars practitioners around the world offering sessions where you get to experience a sense of calm and peace. https://www.accessconsciousness.com/en/micrositesfolder/accessbars/