by
Susan Sharpe
Creator of the Anxiety Wrap
The Anxiety Wrap was created to fill an
existing need, an alternative or holistic approach to behavior
modification for dog and cats. It can happen by using the Anxiety Wrap to ease
your dog and cat's anxieties. When used properly it has proven positive to increase balance, self-confidence, focus,
preparation for and during training, animal to animal
socialization, animal to human socialization, bonding, relaxation,
and gait awareness. As well as helping to
end dog and cat aggression, shyness, nervousness, releasing stress &
tension, end jumping, stop destructive chewing, fear biting, car
sickness, unnecessary barking, shyness, fear of loud noises,
thunderstorm fear, sensitivity to touch, sensitive to sound,
aloofness, emotional upset, hyperactivity, grooming
issues and other anxieties.
Animals, Like
People, Are Individuals
Conventional medicine,
behaviorists and trainers all have their place and the Anxiety Wrap was
not designed nor intended to replace an y of them, but
rather to be an alternative or holistic addition to the plan. Being a trainer myself, I
know from personal experience
that animals, like people, are individuals. Both often require different
ways of learning and/or recovery for past experiences.
Far too often animals, like people, fall
through the cracks when traditional methods fail. Anyone wishing to see some of
these animals need go no further than your local animal shelter or even
your own neighborhood. When I personally experienced
that traditional training didn’t work with one of my own dogs, it was
then I began my search for alternative ways of training. A way of working
with the entire animal that would include their mind, body and spirit.
This search led me from
traditional training, that focuses on punishment for offering a wrong behavior and the
removal of that punishment for offering the one desired, to a kinder,
more respectful way of training. I was searching for a way to teach that could be fun for both
animal and human. Soon I was using two reward methods of training. Operant
Conditioning combined with Clicker Training but still there was more to be
learned.
Our “Throw Away” Animals
What about the animals that
didn’t or couldn’t respond to reward training alone? Those animals
whose past issues and present fears were so overwhelming, it
left them powerless to focus on anything else. Often these are the animals
we see abandoned, passed from one home to another. Animals excessively crated,
kenneled or chained, isolated with little hope of ever truly becoming part of
a family pack.
Changing Behavior By
Changing The Body's Sensation
Soon I found myself increasing my study of animal behavior including their
calming signals. I became a certified Tellingtonttouch.com
Tellington Touch Practitioner, successfully completed Purdue University's
"DOGS" Course Principles and Behavior, Bob & Miraim Bailey's intermidate and
advnced Clicker Training,  successfully tested for the C.P.D.T. the only
nationally recognized dog trainers certification test and the list goes on.
After many workshops, seminars, clinics and courses I came to learn many
behaviors and some health issues could be affected by the manipulation of
the animal's skin and by applying light to moderate pressure to certain
areas of the body.
Behavior modification,
a more rapid recovery - they appeared to be aided by these sensations. But why? Why did it have
an effect?
All my years of traditionalism
prevented me from accepting what I had witnessed. Then I read a book
titled Molecules Of Emotion by Candace B. Pert, PhD.
When Candace wrote “the body and mind are not separate and one cannot
be treated without the other,” the pieces of the puzzle started
coming together. Added
to that learning was the example of Temple Grandin’s “Hug
Box,” a device developed to apply deep pressure to help calm
autistic children’s over stimulated nerves. So we envisioned a
product that would cover a large portion of an animal’s body
without falling off or allowing the animal to get tangled up in
it. At the same time it could not be binding or distracting,
so to help calm the animal and help modify the undesirable
behaviors.
I realized that animals, though
admittedly much different than humans, still possess some of the same
physiological and, may we dare suggest, some of the same psychological
make up. Finally I began to understand how these effects were
being possible.
Realizing this I began to
experiment using various types of materials put together in various ways
to increase the positive effects of the sensations being sent to the
animal’s brain by use of the body's receptors. Opening up the neurological pathways and substituting
new sensations for old habitual ones.
Over much time and many
prototypes the Anxiety Wrap was developed. A Wrap especially
designed to help your animal as well as my own and those of my clients.
Shereen Faber, PH.D., OTR, FAOTA, and author of
Neurorehabilitation A Multisensory Approach, contacted us after
discovering our product. She explains how The Anxiety Wrap uses a
Technique called "Maintained Pressure" to help calm the
sensory receptors. Click
here to read more. We’ve
found The Anxiety Wrap works
especially well in situations where your dog or cat is anxious or fearful,
whether it’s during a thunderstorm or trips to the vet or meeting new
people.
Due to
its ability to help an animal become more focused, the
Anxiety Wrap is an excellent tool for use with gentle training methods.
It can provide an under-confident animal with a greater sense of
security, helping it become more comfortable and begin increasing
confidence.
For overly excited or hyper dogs/cats, the Anxiety Wrap can
help an animal become more calm and relaxed.
A suggested list of other possible uses is at left, but
every animal is unique and there are countless other ways the
Anxiety Wrap can improve your animal’s quality of life. |
