Field Guide · Glossary
Relaxation protocol
Methods and protocolsA structured series of daily task lists, published by veterinary behaviorist Karen Overall, that teaches a dog to stay relaxed in place while their handler does increasingly distracting things.
How it works
It first appeared in her 1997 textbook, Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Small Animals. It is organized as fifteen days of tasks. The dog sits or lies down, and the handler works through the day's list: counting aloud, taking a step back, walking away and returning, clapping, going to the door, knocking. Between tasks the dog receives a small, calm reward for staying settled. The lists begin easy and grow harder, and each day opens and closes with easier items. Although the exercise looks like a stay, the stated goal is relaxation, so handlers watch for a soft face, weight rolled onto one hip, the head lowering, or slower breathing.
What it looks like
On the first day, a dog lies on a mat while the handler counts to five, then gets a piece of kibble. The handler takes one step back, returns and rewards again. On a later day the list includes walking out of sight for a few seconds, and when the dog stands up, the handler resets them calmly and repeats an easier task.
Commonly confused with
- Place
- Place training teaches a dog to go to a mat or bed on cue and stay there. The relaxation protocol often uses a mat, but its aim is a relaxed body under distraction, with the stay as a means to that.
Related terms
Gear that helps
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High-value freeze-dried training treats
The paycheck. For reactive work the reward has to beat the trigger, so we keep these tiny, soft, and genuinely exciting, not everyday biscuits.