Total Dog Specialist Canine Services

Does Your Dog Really Require Behaviour Medication?


There is a growing trend to medicate dogs for behaviour and anxiety issues prior to employing sound training, desensitisation and conditioning. I have to ask “Why?” It is by no means a cure to any behaviour problem; it increases the levels of serotonin in the brain which aids in calming (in other words the dog is drugged). It isn’t a quick fix; it takes a number of weeks for the medication to take effect and then there is the ongoing behaviour modification. It’s not the cheap option; the cost is exorbitant with consultations and the ongoing costs of medication. Most importantly, there is health side effects associated with its use.


In September I was employed to do behaviour modification with a Staffordshire Terrier. She had reported aggression issues towards other dogs.  In the previous month the owner sought professional consult with a prominent veterinary behaviour service on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. The outcome of the three hour consultation was to avoid provocative situations (any encounters with other dogs), behaviour modification by way of a ‘sit-stay-look’ relaxation exercise (It was stated it may take weeks or months to achieve the target behaviour), medication (fluoxetine) and an Adaptil™ collar. The conclusions were reached without subjecting the dog to an environment with other dogs. The whole three hour consultation was spent on the premises in a sterile location. The said Staffordshire Terrier is the subject of the first two videos.


Counter-conditioning and desensitisation cannot be conducted if the dog is not exposed to the ‘trigger’, be it in a controlled environment where a positive outcome can be assured. Conveniently the said behaviour modification time frame is approximately the same as the medication (fluoxetine may take six to eight weeks for therapeutic effect). How would one know if the behaviour modification had any success or if the dog was more relaxed resultant of the drugs? I am sceptical as to the effectiveness of an Adaptil™ collar in general; even more so in this situation.


Thankfully the owner had the presence of mind not to heed the advice of the veterinary behaviourist and got a second opinion. Far too often medication is used as a ‘band-aid’ solution to mask a problem that could be resolved with quality training and conditioning.

I will reiterate that fluoxetine may have serious health side effects. I am not for one moment suggesting that there is never a scenario where medication is required; I am saying these situations are rare. I am not saying this dog does not have issues; this dog has been reactive on occasions. But, this is clearly not a medical problem.


Video 1


I had not done any work with the dog prior to the first video. All I did was control the introduction to the other dogs. The second video was a few weeks later. Five weeks earlier she could not associate with the two Mastiffs in the video. There are still some aggression issues with this dog, but they are being addressed by training, not doping. The results speak for themselves.

 

Video 2


The subject of the third video is a Dachshund. Prior to this video she was medicated with Fluoxetine for approximately two years. She could be aggressive, anti-social, lethargic and was beginning to have episodes of shivering. This video was taken three months after ceasing medication. She now interacts with other dogs and the bouts of shivering have stopped. She can still be aggressive on occasions (what can I say, she’s a Dachshund) but stops when corrected. An overall improvement of one hundred percent. Medication did not aid this situation; the dog was getting worse. Training and conditioning resolved these issues.

 

Video 3


Unfortunately these are not isolated incidents.


Conditioning, practical training methodology and common sense was employed to achieve these results. There was no ‘dog whispering’, patented words, ‘secret methodology’ or intuitive communication. There was definitely no medication.


Let us know your opinion or do you have any stories you'd like to share - Follow this story on Facebook or E-Mail Us