Reactive Rover Recovery

B Y N i k i P e r r y H o l i s t i c a n i m a l b e h a v i o u r

c o n s u l t a n t

A q u i c k s t a r t g u i d e

Beneath every behaviour is a

biological response that you cannot

see. When we first focus our work on

creating a calm internal environment,

we are also modifying the motivating

factors of the behaviour. This is the

difference between addressing the root

cause of the problem versus the

symptom. – Niki Perry

ogs bring immense joy and

unconditional love to us and they deserve

only the best given back to them. When our

dogs are struggling emotionally, physically

or in their behaviour responses, it's hard on

them, but it's very hard on those who love

them as well.

So how can we help them when it seems

like nothing will work? I have been a

practicing animal trainer and behaviour

consultant for almost 18 years. When I first

started this career, I always lead with

training games and techniques to

immediately start changing the animal's

behaviour.

Although I had a lot of success with this

approach, I always felt like there was

something missing in the message I was

delivering. For years and years, I taught my

classes and made an impact in many lives,

but in my heart I still knew that one day I

would create something unique.

Fast forward to 2018 when I discovered

veterinary aromatic medicine and dove into

the science behind phytoessencing.

Instantly I was intrigued and fascinated by

the potential of plant medicine to naturally

support both humans and animals.

Suddenly I knew what was missing in my

practice and I couldn't wait to develop a

program that integrated all the elements

together that would help animals feel good

in their body, mind and soul.

I'm honored to share a few of my best tips

so you can start helping your reactive dog

today.

Reactive Rover Recvoery — By Niki PerryPage One - Interlude

Holistic Animal Behaviour Consultant

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A study in 2008 revealed that the lines of

descent for all house cats most likely

came from self-domesticating African

wild cats up to 10,000 years ago.

The genetic makeup of dogs and cats

remains essentially the same as their wild

ancestors which means they are

biologically equipped to eat certain foods

that their bodies are designed to eat.

Dogs and cats don’t have range of motion

in their jaws, their jaws only move up and

down, unlike a cow who has a full range of

motion, even laterally, to chew and chew

their food. Dogs and cats are meant to be

gulpers, not chewers. Their teeth are

sharp and designed to rip and tear flesh.

They also have a very short GI tract

compared to vegetarian animals. Since

dogs consume foods that have the

potential to have a heavy pathogen load,

their bodies are designed to get food in

and out very quick. Also, their digestive

tracts are designed to be resilient and

handle the naturally occurring bacteria in

their food.

This carnivorous lifestyle provided

intensely satisfying stimulation to the

senses as well as involved the nervous

system, skeletal system, endocrine system

and the circulatory system.

our journey through this guide is a

bout creating good health, wellness and b

ehaviour for our pets naturally. And the f

oundation of their health will always be t

heir diet.

To really tackle this topic let’s start by g

oing back to the roots of the dog and the c

at prior to domestication for a f

oundation of understanding about basic n

utritional needs.

Although this guide is generally dog-f

ocused, I know many families have both d

ogs and cats and I think this topic is i

mportant for both species.

A species appropriate diet refers to the f

oods animals were designed to eat for o

ptimal health to occur within their b

odies. So vegetarian animals must c

onsume vegetation for optimal health a

nd carnivorous animals must consume f

resh whole prey.

Most scientists believe that dogs were d

omesticated from gray wolves about 1

5,000 years ago, but recent DNA analysis s

uggests that the transition began more l

ike 130,000 years ago.

The earliest evidence of the domestication o

f cats is a kitten that was found buried w

ith a human about 9,500 years ago in C

yprus.

S t e p O n e

Page Two - Step One Reactive Rover Recovery — By Niki Perry

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Addressing the Internal Environment

Reactive Rover Recovery — By Niki PerryPage Three — Step One

They had to work hard, exert energy and practice smart hunting practices to catch enough

food to stay alive. Many animals are missing this element of their days and it shows in their

health and behaviour.

It’s important to understand that “pet food” is relatively new so the dog food and cat food

you buy from the store has only been around for a little over a hundred years. These major

pet food companies have produced most of their foods with abase of wheat, rice, potato

and corn but our carnivorous pets have not yet evolved to be able to process those foods.

Here are a few things to consider:

1. Most of the prey animals cats and dogs consume are 75% water or higher.

2. Cats don’t naturally lap water so when they are fed a process, dry food they o�en are not

getting enough moisture in their diet and this has detrimental effects on their body

including chronic UTIs and inflammatory responses in the body.

3. Dogs will lap water, but if you feed raw you know that your dog doesn’t need to lap up as

much water because their food is rich in moisture.

4. Carbohydrates are not required in a carnivorous diet. Cats have NO amylase to break

down these starches that are in their foods and dogs have very little amylase secretion.

5. Also consider that cats never hunted from the ocean so fish is not an evolutionary source

of food for them.

6. Processed pet foods are made with intense heat and this diminishes or destroys the

benefits of vitamins, minerals and enzymes in the food. You must supplement to replace

the lost nutrients. And this heating process also reduces the digestibility of amino acids

significantly.

7. Most of these commercial pet foods have a plant-based protein source, like pea or soy, for

both dogs and cats! But the digestibility of meat-based protein has been proven to be far

superior.

8. Here's another thought: In their time on earth dogs and cats have consumed a natural

diet for 99.9% of the time and for .1% of their time they have consumed a heavily processed,

unnatural diet. And this has become the root cause of the chronic inflammation, behaviour

problems and degenerative diseases that absolutely plague our dogs and cats today.

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I am a huge supporter of a raw diet for

both dogs and cats because most

commercial pet food on the market is

biologically inappropriate.

There are some new commercial products

that have been carefully created to retain

the nutritional benefits from the food but

you have to be really careful about what

you buy and feed your animal.

Just because your animal isn’t dying from

starvation, doesn’t mean they are thriving

in health. The foundation of health starts

with what is fueling the body.

Once the diet and nutrition have been

addressed, the next thing I recommend for

my clients is supplementation of safe and

effective cannabinoids to support the

nervous system, endocrine system,

inflammatory response and immune

system of the body.

THC and CBD are not the only

phytocannabinoids. Cannabichromene

(CBC), Cannabigerol (CBG) and Beta-

Caryophyllene (BCP) are also

phytocannabinoids with many health

benefits for our bodies.

BCP binds to directly to the CB2 receptors

in our body and in doing so, it helps our

body’s response to inflammatory

molecules, promotes a healthy immune

response to pathogens and promotes a

healthy digestive system, liver and skin.

Copaiba is high in BCP (beta-

caryophyllene) and there is a lot of

promising research on the therapeutic use

of Copaiba for humans and animals.

Reactive Rover Recovery — By Niki PerryPage Four — Step One

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For dogs in general, Copaiba is very

supportive for the same systems that CBD

supports in our body and offers very

similar affects as CBD oil.

Copaiba is indicated for calming the

nervous system, reducing anxious feelings,

pain, discomfort, inflammation, immune

response, supporting the hepatic system

and so much more.

The benefit to using Copaiba instead of

CBD is that the concentration of Copaiba

Essential Oil allows for a little to go a long

way, so the cost is far more budget

friendly.

Also since Copaiba is extracted from the

oleoresin of the Copaiba Tree and not

Cannabis, there is absolutely no THC in

the extract.

It is a safer option, and even more so when

you use doTERRA’s Copaiba because of

the industry leading standards for quality,

purity and potency.

For dogs, I recommend all three ways to

use Copaiba:

- Add 1-2 drops of it on their wet or raw

food twice daily.

- Apply diluted Copaiba topically to target

an area of pain, inflammation or skin

irritation in a layering technique to

enhance the benefits of the other oils used.

- Diffuse it with other calming or

supportive oils such as lavender and wild

orange.

As I sit with my hands gently resting on

my dogs body, one on the rump the other

on the chest, I close my eyes and quiet my

mind so I can focus on our connection

and feel the energetic bond.

Do you feel that tingle? Or that heat?

That’s the life force flowing between you

both. It’s remarkable, isn’t it?

I remain self aware to stay in this present

moment and in my mind I create

balanced, flowing energy. I release blocks,

I release trauma and breath in love &

light. I enjoy every moment of this time

with my dog.

During my daily grounding practice, I

love to apply Balance Essential Oil (the

grounding blend) to bring whole body

balance, encourage the flow of Qi and

release any energetic blocks that may

cause behaviour problems, illness,

exhaustion, pain, heat or disease.

aising a dog is not about obedience.

It’s about preparing a dog for a life with

humans. It's about teaching them how to

cope in our busy world, how to relax,

decompress, handle change, have

manners, make choices and respond to

cues that we’ve taught them to signal

important safety behaviors.

The daily practice of The Grounding

Technique is a building block for

Connection, bringing harmony to their

systems, connecting the dots within,

balancing and releasing stuck energy.

But most of all, this practice is to allow

you a time of quiet with your dog without

any behavior requirements. Just being in

the moment together, breathing in unison.

With or without essential oils, The

Grounding Technique creates an

incredible space that allows for intuitive

connection with your dog.

This beautiful daily practice encourages

you to set aside 5-15 minutes of each day

to sit in meditation with your dog(s),

without any distractions like the tv or

radio, to truly feel their life force energy

and focus on creating magical intentions

for your day.

S t e p T w o

Page Five — Step Two Reactive Rover Recovery — By Niki Perry

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The Grounding Technique

Level 1: WHERE IS IT

Start at a safe distance away from the

stimulus, a distance that does not elicit a

response from your dog. Stay quiet and

still so that you don’t distract your dog

and she notices the stimulus on her own.

At the very precise moment your dog

engages by LOOKING at whatever the

trigger of excitement is, CLICK or mark

with a YES!

Then, when your dog turns his head back

toward you a�er hearing the click, pay

him by giving him one of those yummy

high value treats. Don’t be thri�y with the

treats - bring out the big guns.

If your dog responds with arousal or does

not turn back to you a�er the click,

increase the distance between you and the

trigger to reset at a distance that will set

you up for success.

he “Where Is It?” Game introduces you

to the principles of counterconditioning

and differential reinforcement.

It’s a great way to teach your dog to

remain calm even when exciting things

are happening. They learn to calmly

engage by looking at the stimulus and

then disengage by choosing to look at you.

Getting Started:

Before beginning the WHERE IS IT

Game, gather the following supplies that

you will need:

• High-value treats

• Clicker

• Humane harness or flat collar

I’d recommend petting with Adaptiv, the

calming blend, 20-30 minutes prior to

playing the game. This will help your dog

adapt and cope with stress in the

environment as well as help keep them

focused.

Warm up with a quick game of Go Find It.

This game involves tossing treats on the

ground as you both change direction

quickly. This is a great way to safely leave a

situation to avoid escalation.

S t e p T h r e e

Page Six — Step Three Reactive Rover Recovery — By Niki Perry

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The Where is it Game

The goal of Level 1 is to succeed with at

least 3-5 repetitions in a row at the same

distance before moving on to the next

level. A successful repetition is when your

dog turns back to you immediately a�er

the click.

Keep in mind that the best scenario is the

exciting trigger stay still to keep the

intensity of this game low to start.

If the trigger is changing in intensity by

moving, making noise or decreasing

proximity, keep playing Level 1 until your

dog can calmly look at the trigger from

every direction.

Level 2: WATCH ME

Again, let your dog notice the trigger, but

this time pause for 1-5 seconds to see if

your dog will offer to look away from the

trigger on his own.

If your dog is fixated on the trigger for

longer than 5 seconds, go back to Level 1

and put some more money in that bank

account.

At the precise moment your dog

disengages by LOOKING AWAY from the

trigger, CLICK.

A�er the click, pay with a yummy treat. If

your dog reacts or is not turning back to

you a�er the click, adjust the intensity by

moving further away from the trigger to

start over at an easier distance.

Reactive Rover Recovery — By Niki PerryPage Seven -Step Three

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The goal of Level 2 is to succeed with at

least 3-5 repetitions in a row before

moving 1-5 steps closer to the trigger.

Just like in step 1, a successful repetition is

when your dog disengages with the trigger

comfortably on his own.

Eventually I like to turn this into direct eye

contact with me, but just turning away to

begin with is so amazing.

We don’t want to prompt the response by

making noise or saying their name. We

want to create a game that allows them to

make the choice that we want so we can

reinforce it!

As you move closer, keep playing Level 2

if the trigger is not moving or changing in

intensity.

Reactive Rover Recovery — By Niki PerryPage Eight

If the trigger is moving or changing in intensity in other ways, lower your criteria by

clicking when they LOOK AT the trigger like we did in the Level 1 game, while playing at

the new distance.

Each time you play the WHERE IS IT Game, play for 1-5 minutes, and then take a break

because this is hard work for your dog. If your dog is ready and eager, you can repeat this

pattern and play again but keep your sessions under 15 minutes.

If your dog becomes overwhelmed at all and you need to leave quickly, you can play the

GO FIND IT GAME to bring their attention away from the trigger, in a different director

and then calmly walk away.

This is one of my favourite games to play with dogs for fun, as well as to help counter

condition a problematic response to a trigger.

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About the Author

Niki Perry is a board certified professional dog trainer (CPDT-KA®), a canine behavior

consultant (CBC), and a Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner (KPACTP). She is

also a Certified Equine Massage Therapist, a Reiki Practitioner and an Essential Oils

Educator.

Niki works with animals that are struggling emotionally, physically and within their soul

essence. Her approach to helping them heal takes consideration of the whole body and all

of the intricate systems that make it function optimally.

Niki has spent the past 18 years focusing on continued education in the science of learning

theories, natural wellness and essential oils and mastering her art as a holistic animal

behaviour consultant & wellness educator.

With a specialty in canine reactivity, anxiety, fear,

aggression and canine communication, Niki has made

it her mission to help humans better understand their

animal companions, fulfil their needs and bridge the

communication gap between them.

Through ethical practices, reward based training

systems, applied learning principles and natural

supplementation with Essential Oils, she is committed

to providing the resources and support her students

require to create a life long relationship with their pet

that is built on trust, cooperation and

loving kindness.