Deep Pressure Therapy (DPT)

About this task

Dog applies firm, steady pressure to the handler's body, typically the lap, chest, or legs, to provide calming sensory input.

How it helps: Deep pressure activates the parasympathetic nervous system, reducing anxiety, panic attacks, and overwhelming sensory experiences.

Required foundation skills

Sit on cue. Down on cue. Stay. Basic body handling.

Training steps

1. Teach the dog to put front paws on a low surface on cue
2. Transfer that behavior to handler's lap while handler is seated
3. Mark and reward dog for resting weight on handler
4. Add the cue "lap" or "pressure"
5. Teach the dog to lay across handler's legs while handler is seated
6. Build duration — dog maintains pressure until released
7. Teach dog to apply pressure when handler is lying down (chest pressure)
8. Generalize to different settings and positions
9. Dog should respond to cue even during handler's distress

Proofing criteria

Once your dog reliably performs this task at home, proof it in these environments and situations:

1. Applies DPT on cue at home
2. Maintains pressure for 5 minutes without fidgeting
3. Applies DPT on cue in a public space (bench, chair)
4. Responds to cue during simulated handler distress
5. Does not break position when handler breathes heavily
6. Applies DPT in multiple positions (lap, lying down)
7. Responds to cue reliably without warm-up in any environment