We compress the crap out of our dogs by putting them in situations that are not natural to them. This is not to say they are bad situations but they require a lot out of our dogs to handle the stimuli among other variables. Yes, over time many dogs become desensitized to all these situations, I would agree as my dogs age they become extremely comfortable and happy in their regular trial environments. However, we can help them bounce back to their baseline quicker and be more resilient if we give them a chance to decompress.

I know as humans many of us understand how great we feel after we go for a walk, get a massage, take a breather, unwind etc. Our dogs need this opportunity too, they need to do things that make them feel good like sniffing, running, jumping, shredding, digging and climbing and we need to be offering this to them every chance we get, especially after a long day at a trial, seminar or training.

Here is the episode where Julie and I discuss compression https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-q-coach-pod-mindset-coaching-for-handlers-with/id1577589463?i=1000616100043

Here is the episode where the Behavior Vets discuss the Resilient Rainbow and the 7 domains https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/worry-less-wag-more-the-behavior-vets-podcast/id1599111429?i=1000599727804

Sarah Stremming's podcast on the same topic https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cog-dog-radio/id1128562867?i=1000613240024