This week, on All My Children Wear Fur Coats, Mary Beth Evans discussed the importance of providing dogs with adequate physical stimulation and highlighted how sensory and motor systems play a crucial role in shaping canine behavior.
Mary Beth Evans is the founder of Calmr Dog, a company that designs therapeutic dog toys to alleviate anxiety and enhance quality of life. With a background as an occupational therapist and clinical autism specialist, Mary Beth realized that the same sensorimotor programming used to treat her human patients could be applied to dogs.
Mary Beth examined why anxiety is such a common issue for canines. While rational fears such as vet visits, loud sounds, or unfamiliar people, contribute to situational anxiety, there is a deeper form of dysregulation at play. Mary Beth explained that dogs in domestic environments, especially working breeds, often miss out on the natural experiences of “being a dog”. This can lead to increased stress and maladaptive behaviors such as chewing furniture, excessive vocalizations, and impulsivity. She asserted that this problem stems from a lack of proper stimulation — dogs need to activate their muscle and movement sense to regulate their nervous system efficiently. Specifically, the vestibular, proprioceptive, and tactile senses must work in conjunction to modulate sensory information appropriately.
Calmr Dog aims to address this issue by satisfying a dog’s fundamental needs via play. By simultaneously promoting rotational linear movement and muscle work, Calmr Dog toys stimulate canines’ natural curiosity and provide a sense of purpose during playtime. With their uniquely weighted, durable, and flexible design, these toys allow dogs to play in a way that aligns with their evolutionary instincts. This, in turn, helps activate a natural inhibition that fosters a calming effect. Calmr Dog offers a diverse range of products tailored to your dog’s size, behavioral needs, and preferences.Top of FormBottom of Form
Mary Beth emphasized that Calmr Dog is not just a line of toys, but a complete methodology. She suggested creating a “sensory diet” to offer your dog consistent sensory input throughout the day, as regular stimulation of their sensory-motor system helps build resilience. For example, she proposed hiding your dog’s food bowl at mealtimes, encouraging them to engage their olfactory system and problem-solving skills, which adds enrichment and fulfillment to their dining experience. According to Mary Beth, a dog that undergoes regular sensorimotor therapy can experience significant behavioral improvements in a matter of weeks.
If you would like to learn more about Calmr Dog, or to place an order, please visit CalmrDog.com. Follow Calmr Dog on social media at Facebook.com/CalmrDogToys or Instagram.com/CalmrDogToys.
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