Oh no, this would have been a great article if it weren't for the recommendation to 'not reward your dog's depression'! Ever tried giving your friend a hug or some chocolate when she's feeling depressed or run down? Is that then responsible for her continued anxiety the next day? Nope. You cannot 'reward' an emotion like depression, anxiety, fear... it is there regardless of how you react toward it due to the physiological responses to an event. Behavior, yes behavioral expressions of these emotions can potentially be rewarded and therefore repeated but to not comfort your dog when they are sad or scared (e.g. feeling grief, afraid of the sound of fireworks) is completely incorrect! What a shame to deny your pet reassurance at this awful time.
Oh no, this would have been a great article if it weren't for the recommendation to 'not reward your dog's depression'! Ever tried giving your friend a hug or some chocolate when she's feeling depressed or run down? Is that then responsible for her continued anxiety the next day? Nope. You cannot 'reward' an emotion like depression, anxiety, fear... it is there regardless of how you react toward it due to the physiological responses to an event. Behavior, yes behavioral expressions of these emotions can potentially be rewarded and therefore repeated but to not comfort your dog when they are sad or scared (e.g. feeling grief, afraid of the sound of fireworks) is completely incorrect! What a shame to deny your pet reassurance at this awful time.