Relaxed through fields, forests, and meadows: cooling down heated hunting spirits

Excitement and relaxation are part of a dog's life; sometimes energy is released, and sometimes it is stored. Every dog behavior has its appropriate level of excitement, sometimes it suits our training goals and sometimes it doesn't. If we consider the large puzzle pieces of the predatory sequence*, such as chasing, a high level of excitement is needed for fast movement to be prepared for catching any prey. Increasing hunting fever and dopamine play a significant role in the excitement level propagating and increasing from one puzzle piece to the next – only the consumption of the prey would bring relaxation and satisfaction. Due to selection, the last puzzle piece of consumption has been deliberately omitted so that hunting work is always possible in the appropriate environment, regardless of hunger, and killed game can be utilized. Therefore, it is up to us to provide moments of relaxation and to regulate heated hunting instincts.

Anja Fiedler explains:
•   how excitement and relaxation balance each other
•   why regulating hunting excitement is so important
•   what "thinking in curves" means and how we can bring structure to our walks
•   how touch can relax a dog
•   how we can develop "relaxation batteries to go"
•   how the dog can participate in cooling down itself.

*Note Anja Fiedler discusses the predatory sequence in detail in the webinar recording "Stopping and Recalling Hunt-Motivated Dogs: Managing Hunting Behavior." https://www.kosmos.de/de/jagdlich-motivierte-hunde-stoppen-und-abrufen-jagdverhalten-in-der-hand_1900187_100-112-900187-video

The Speaker
Anja Fiedler is the head of the "dogable – what (hunting) dogs want" dog school. With her diverse seminar program, she travels throughout Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
More about the speaker: http://www.dogable.de/node/5

Photo credit: Anna Auerbach/ Kosmos