How to calm an obsessed dog?

The toy should always come from you and you invite the dog to play with it, not the other way around. To give you an example, Darcy was always going to grab his ball and would drop it in front of people’s feet or in their lap and push it at them to play when they came to visit. Now the toys go away in a box and I bring them out when it suits me and offer the game. When we’re done I say ‘finish’ in a firm voice and calmly put it away. He now knows that the game is done and settles down nicely so I reward that calm behaviour as soon as it is displayed. You make the toy come to life, sometimes when other dogs are over, we do have safe play items brought out as I do allow the dogs to initiate play amongst themselves. Teaching your dog to ‘give’ a toy or ball is really important, you can work on this by making the toy / tug come to life and then making it go very still. Make eye contact, wait for, or encourage, eye contact before you throw the ball or invite tug play and mark with “yes” or “ok” as soon as they look and the reward with the ball or play. Be careful what you reward, do not inadvertently teach unwanted behaviours, like barking, lunging, biting, circling or always being in front of you by giving up the toy or throwing the ball when they are doing any of this. Finish – and mean it, when you stop the game always ends with the same cue like or “finish” and PUT THE TOY, BALL OR TUG AWAY.

First, schedule a vet visit to rule out any underlying medical causes. Once your dog has gotten a clean bill of health there are several actions you can take to mitigate OCD behaviors. Learn what your dog’s triggers are and work to reduce and eventually eliminate his exposure. Keep his routine predicable from day to day and remove any known stressors. Choose an activity that your dog enjoys and start increasing his daily exercise. Not only can exercise lower any anxiety that might be playing a part, but it can release endorphins assisting in relaxation. Keep his brain happy and enrich his days by giving him puzzle toys or food-dispensing toys and games. Use Adaptil spray twice a day on his bed or wherever he likes to relax. Try a Thundershirt on days that aren’t too warm. Work on training with your dog for five to ten minutes a day. Teach him behaviors that are incompatible with his OCD behaviors. Reward him with praise and a high-value treat for not continuing to spin.

To calm an obsessed dog, do not let the dog have the item until it is in a calm state. Not just practicing a sit in front of it, but waiting all the way until the dog submits and is relaxed in it’s presence. This may take 20 or 30 minutes for some but will gradually become less and less over time. As the pack leader you want to be the one to start and stop the excitement level, and never let it reach to a point of obsession. A dog who is obsessed or fixated is not in control of his energy so it is your role as guardian and pack leader to help him through it. Don’t think that this is teasing the dog, what you are doing is teaching them patience and what it means to be balanced. This is also known as discipline.