That got your attention, didn't it?!
Alright, folks. It's time to have "the talk" about pharmaceutical behavior interventions, aka drugs. It's a subject I am very passionate about, not only because of the scientific innovations that can make life better for dogs, but because there is an equal amount of misinformation and ignorance circulating that leads to the abuse of these wonderful innovations.
Just like in the human world, drugs can be nothing short of life-saving. When used appropriately, they can be the key to a good quality of life for some individuals. Also like the human world, they can also be mis-prescribed/dosed/misused with very bad consequences either unintentionally or as an intentional "band-aid" fix where a lifestyle change should have been applied instead or even in tandem with pharmaceuticals.
Lately I have noticed a surge in the prescription of behavior drugs, most specifically Fluoxetine (Prozac) and Trazodone. By far, Trazodone is the drug I see most commonly prescribed. Here are some of the most common issues I see across the board when both of these drug and others are applied, by and large without the vet consulting with the trainer:
The dog owner is not fully aware of how the drug works, and what not to do. I see a lot of people trying to cold-turkey dogs off a drug after only a few short weeks of it "not working" that needs a lot of time and consistent dosing, such as Fluoxetine, to start working. It was not made very clear to them, for whatever reason, that taking the dog off their medication without proper vet intervention could be very bad for the dog's brain and behavior. I have also seen people mix drugs that should not be mixed, or give a drug that should be taken continuously only here and there. If your dog is prescribed a drug, make sure you follow any and all instructions from your vet and be sure to ask proactive questions.
The wrong drug is prescribed for the dog's behavior. To keep things simple, there are two main classes of drugs: short-lived potent "situational" drugs (think going on a plane, going to the salon, etc) and longer term "non-situational" drugs that tends to cover issues of mood fluctuations, personality, brain abnormalities and chemical imbalances (think chronic anxiety/depression, conditions such as OCD, Clinical Separation Anxiety, etc). Many times I have seen a dog with a problem such as chronic anxiety come home with a "situational" drug at a "situational" dosage.
The drug should not have been prescribed at all ( or not yet). I have also seen dogs end up with drugs for "behavior problems" that have nothing to do with brain chemistry and just need a little time, or are a species typical behavior. For instance, if your teenage dog is humping the older dog and mouthing him intensely, this is not a problem of dominance and aggression..... this is totally normal teenage behavior and will resolve once the dog matures and proper management is in place (true story involving a local vet!). Sorry, but Trazodone ain't the answer! I've also seen high drive dogs, such as Malinois, German Shepherds, Dobermans, Border Collies, Heelers etc be prescribed drugs for their "anxiety," which upon further inspection is really just energy and drive that has absolutely no outlet because the dog lives in an apartment, does not get walked, does not get trained, does not get played with, etc. Another situation that has come up is dogs getting prescribed drugs after a recent adoption or rehoming, where the dog is exhibiting normal transitional stress within the first 90 days and it is too early (in my opinion) to diagnose a behavioral condition requiring drugs.
Drugs that work best in tandem with behavior and lifestyle modification are being given..... without a behavior and modification plan. Listen- Ozempic is an incredible drug that has helped my friends lose weight... when they also started eating a little better and getting a little more activity! Every intervention has coverage gaps and side effects. There is no magic pill. When medication, such as Clomicalm, is prescribed for Separation Anxiety in dogs, it is supposed to be done "as part of a comprehensive behavioral management program." It can be a complete waste of time and money for the dog, the owner, veterinarian, and trainers not to use drugs as they are intended if used at all.
So the thing is, every one of these situations could be prevented if only a behavior professional/dog trainer is at least able to voice their perspective to both owners and the dog's vet about how a drug may or may not help a dog. We can explain whether what we are seeing lies inside or outside "the behavioral norm" of dogs in our practice and why. We can explain how the dog's exercise and stimulation requirements factor in to the problem. We can explain what the dog's skillset is and explain how that can be changed in training, and what the timeline for that is. We can present the training and equipment suggestions that are likely to help the problems, and why. Often people bring their dog to the vet and insist that they have "tried everything".... which, if they have not seen a trainer or behavior professional, they are very unlikely to know what "everything" even is. In fact, regular vets themselves do not even know what "everything" is, since they do not work in behavior modification or hands-on skill training with clients and deal specifically in treating the physical body. Often, it's as simple as kenneling a dog- no prescription required!
As someone who works more than full time out in homes caring for people's dogs in their real, everyday life experience and treating them for problem behaviors, I can say that I firmly believe that a paradigm shift needs to start happening where it is a baseline societal norm to have open communication and involvement between veterinarians and modern dog trainers to make life the very best it can be for our dogs. Dogs are DOGS! They need to have proper exercise and enrichment, be able to communicate with their people, and have positive relationships with the people and dogs they live with. It is standard for every dog to have to have a veterinarian basically on retainer to protect their physical health- why isn't it standard to have a trainer/behavior professional to protect their mental health and happiness as well?
It's time to raise the standard. Let us be on your dog's team and help you decide what is right for your dog!
Be a part of the new paradigm of dog ownership by keeping up with this blog and joining our movement to make Cedar City and Southern Utah a more dog friendly and dog savvy place! Join our training community and get access to Group Classes, Dog Homeschool (dog Day Training), Pack Walks, dog volunteer work, Private Dog Training Lessons, GRC Dog Sports, and more!
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