HOODY

The Gentle Leader Calming Cap is a wonderful tool for easing your dog’s anxiety in high-stress situations. The Calming Cap reduces visual stimuli and lowers your dog’s emotional arousal. The single-panel sheer fabric window does not blind your dog, but filters his vision, and we think it’s like trying to see under low-light conditions. Dogs we’ve used it with can still see well enough to go on walks and play fetch. Most dogs accept the Cap easily.

Trish King Marin of the Humane Society, Novato, California, developed the Hoody or Calming Cap. Dee Ganley CPDT, CABC, introduced the hoody in the U.K.

Eye coverings have been used to calm hawks, horses and wild animals for years. The Hoody uses the same principle and is used to calm reactive dogs. It is extremely helpful to desensitise against movement such as car chasing, joggers, cyclists and car sickness or fear whilst travelling, noise phobias and reactivity towards other dogs.

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INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE

IMPORTANT: Introduce the hoody slowly to the animal. Some dogs are very accepting of the hoody and others need more time.

1. Desensitise the dog to any sounds from the Velcro fastener. To do this, begin at a distance, opening and closing the Velcro strip while gradually bringing the hoody closer to the dog. Each time you move closer you should treat the dog for a positive response to the noise.
   If you notice a fearful or stressful response take a step back to where the dog was comfortable with the noise and start again. 
2. Allow the dog to sniff and investigate the hoody. Treat for each positive interaction.
   Note: Do not place the hoody on the dog’s head yet.
   
3. Allow the hoody to sit or lay across the dogs muzzle and treat.
4. Allow the hoody to sit or lay across the dogs face and eyes and treat.
5. Allow the hoody to sit or lay or across the dogs face, eyes and head and treat.
6. When you can successful complete the above steps with the dog feeling comfortable then move on to placing the hoody onto the head.
7. Leave hoody on for longer and longer until you can guarantee that dog will not try to remove.
8. Place your fingers through the elastic end of the hoody holding a treat in same hand gently slide hoody onto the muzzle, give treat and remove it.
9. Repeat for as many times as it takes for the animal to feel comfortable
10. Once the dog is comfortable slip the hoody up and over the eyes.  Treat and remove the hoody. 
11. Increase the time the hoody is left on always treating.
12. Once you can leave the hoody on the dog comfortably for several minutes slip the Velcro fastener (located at the top back of the hoody) under the collar, back over and fasten to hoody, do the same with the velcro under the muzzle.

By now the dog should feel comfortable and relaxed wearing the hoody. At this point allow the dog to chew on a bone or a stuffed kong so the dog is use to it being on for a while then do the same in the car

• If you need to walk the dog with the Hoody in place then make sure he is use to this in the safe area of your home first making sure the dog doesn’t bump into anything
• Make sure another dog doesn’t ever come up to your dog un-expectantly only in a controlled manner with lots of cookies for both dogs You can do more harm than good.