I love animals, but that’s not why I’m a behavior consultant. Now, don’t get me wrong, I delight in the furry besties I meet and am fulfilled by seeing their growth (and, let’s be honest, when a pup with stranger danger cuddles up on me, I’m on top of the world). But in all honesty, one of the most fulfilling things for me as a consultant is to make connections with the humans and to see how everyone’s behavior contributes to a household.

Enrichment is for Everyone

When we say “enrichment” means “meeting needs”, of course we’re talking, in part, about the animals we’re working with, but enrichment cannot truly do its job if it’s not addressing the needs of the whole household. My goal as an effective consultant is not simply to teach my clients about behavior and then dictate instructions on how to change it, but to allow time for my clients to respond and connect this information to their lives. We cannot expect an enrichment plan to work if it’s only addressing one side of the equation.

If you have worked with a consultant (or if you are one yourself), you know the importance of setting up the environment to help the learner be successful. A dog can’t steal a stick of butter off the counter if there’s no butter on the counter (Anyone else? No, just me?). We talk about how management of the environment helps to prevent undesirable behaviors from being practiced and encourage the desirable ones. It’s one of the cornerstones of what we’re asking families to do. But who controls that?

The humans.

And that’s a lot to ask!  The humans are in charge of a lot of the physical management plans, and while this will help our pets be successful and can give the humans actionable tasks to not feel so helpless while we onboard skills, it also impacts the everyday lives of everyone in the house. 

So now let’s think about going into a new session– the humans already have the stress of worrying about their pet’s behavior, the stress of making decisions to support their pet’s success, the stress of reorganizing/reconfiguring their every day lives to support their pet’s success, and now you gotta step over the d*mn baby gate!?! It is so stinkin’ hard.

Y’all know this by now– these things affect how we function. Being a caretaker is harder when you have unmet needs.

Here are some real conversations with families that I work with that have humbled my confidence in giving advice and have reminded me to collaborate, not pontificate.

Client: My dog sometimes barks on walks!

Me: Let’s find alternative physical and mental exercises to do instead at home so they aren’t exposed to the triggers before onboarding skills!

Client: But the walks help me to feel balanced, and we always walk to my best friend’s house where my dog loves romping around in their big backyard.

 

Client: My dogs sometimes redirect on one another when we walk them together and one of them gets spooked.

Me: Well, walk them separately!

Client: But our schedules are really tight, it’s super stressful, one dog gets anxious when she’s left alone, and they can’t go out in the backyard because they also react to our neighbor who already doesn’t like their barking

 

Client: My pup gets really rowdy in the evenings, but is able to relax if she’s gotten long walks or has been romping around at day care.

Me: It sounds like when her physical needs are met, she’s able to relax more. Let’s make sure to get 15-20 minutes of a good romp each day in your backyard.

Client: When I’m able to play, she’ll just stare at me and I can’t find anything that she’ll do; or sometimes she’ll get so rowdy that she starts biting and pulling at my shirt!

 

Stop, Collaborate, and Listen

It’s through listening to my clients’ stories, needs, desires, etc., that we make a collaborative enrichment plan that meets everyone’s needs. We consultants dedicate our brains to problem solving, but we don’t necessarily have the answers. Our conversations create the scaffold to give clients the freedom and creativity to find their own solutions.

Here are a few examples of clients making their own discoveries:

• Practicing a relaxation protocol with the dog on the couch next to the human helped one client because the pup always got up after the session to lay on the couch with her.
• While carrying a Gatorade bottle (specifically), one client’s pup could walk without picking up trash because he liked to hold the bottle in his mouth.
• Shreddable enrichment was TOO much fun for one pup, as he was observed being more excited after the activity, which was supposed to help him settle and rest.
• Wearing a specific shirt helped a dog relax. The coverage and texture was juuuust right!

These people are amazing. They know and love their pets so much and can tap into more than I ever could because of their extraordinary bonds. They want their animals to succeed, but many are nervous about making the “wrong” choice. It’s so exhilarating to see them use the foundations of understanding behavior modification as a grounding method to making decisions they weren’t originally confident making.

They’re coming to us for pet parent tips, but they’re teaching me tips as this pet’s parent.

Making Connections

So how are they doing this? When we work through the Enrichment Framework with a client, we discuss and list behaviors the family appreciates and likes (desirable), and those that they do not appreciate and don’t like (undesirable). We think about why those behaviors happen. Sometimes, they are just normal [insert animal here] things (aka: species-typical behavior). Even normal behaviors can be undesirable sometimes (ever been annoyed that somebody was chewing?). We think about options for solutions that allow us to improve the lives of everyone in the house. 

Are you stuck with some undesirable behaviors? My advice is to list those out and discover which of those is species-typical behavior. How can we let them be the doggiest dogs, the cattiest cats, the bunniest bunnies, the birdiest birds they could ever be and how can we do that in a way that works symbiotically with the family.

Dog likes to dig and the only available dirt is in the flower beds. ➡️ Can we dig in blankets at home instead of dirt, and find an outdoor space to walk sometimes where digging is okay?

Cat likes to scratch the couch. ➡️ Can we find something with that same texture to add to the cat tree? 

Rabbit likes to nibble on rubbery cords. ➡️  Can we use hard cord covers and give a safe alternative with a rubbery texture?

Bird likes to screech at dusk. ➡️ Can we add some ambient music to mask the sounds for the humans while the bird performs species-typical behaviors, or give the humans some noise-cancelling earbuds?

But here’s the important part that you’re probably tired of hearing by the end of this blog: you need to then ask yourself “does this solution decrease/increase my welfare/enjoyment?” We’ve got to hit a balance between honoring the pet’s needs and respecting human comfort, because our stress levels, in turn, affect how we can care for our pets.

If you’re struggling right now, we know. It’s hard. Let’s think of ways how we can simplify our routines to create sustainable practices so that we can better serve ourselves and our pets. We’re here for you!

Now What?

• Delight in what you have already learned from your pet– believe it or not, it’s a lot!
• Reflect on things you do with your pet that’s good for you too– enrichment really is for everyone!
• Share with us a story of something surprising your pet taught you, we’d love to hear it. Comment below or email info@petharmonytraining.com. 
• If you’re feeling stuck, you’re not alone. Reach out if you’d like us to join your team to help brainstorm an enrichment plan that works for everybody.

Here’s to harmony,

-Corinne