You are all geniuses. She has just had a mad moment now, and I chopped up some cheese to practice sitting mid tug. I got her to sit as soon as any part of her body made contact with mine, and now she automatically sits when starting to get revved up. Hopefully if we keep this up we should be able to stop this pretty soon. I shall keep you posted I wish I could of done a video of the before and after Thanks so much!

A word about cheese...........

Casomorphine is derived from the digestion of casein (milk protein) and exorphine from the digestion of gluten (found in cereals) These substances, together with hormones, hormone like substances and pheromones are naturally present in many dog foods. All have been scientifically shown to alter normal dog behaviour. Casomorphine and exorphines can trigger behaviour in dogs not unlike giving them morphine or other opiates.

There has been a lot of research done on this with autistic children and they have found that they can interfere with the activity of neurotransmitters.

Dietary manipulation by excluding milk and gluten products may have have behavioural benefits as well as digestive ones!

Smokybear, that's interesting. Think I may cut out the cheese and see what happens- very interesting thanks.

Ideas for healthy treats would be very much appreciated.

Don't morphine and other opiates generally act as sedatives, not as energisers which would tend to be more the amphetamines?

Even with autistic children the results are undecided and canine and human metabolism and digestion are not identical.

No opiates do not necessarily always act as sedatives, they can have the opposite effects in some organisms (much like eg ACP)

Yes the science is not determinative, but I believe that people should consider the possibility and test.

ETA and of course autism is not black and white, there is a spectrum, just as there is for most things, including digestive disorders etc

i worked with a mal pup who was taken from his mom, way too soon, i was asked to see if there was anything i could do,the poor pup was groweling biteing and nasty,very young.it was not normal,to much and relentless.i worked with the owner,and it was a combo of help,i placed the pup with my dogo bitch who is a mum,she taught the pup how to be a pup,and it made things easyer for me,and the owner .i placed my dog in there home.it worked the pup is now 1ish and i see him often,he is mouthy but an awsome dog.