SYNERGY CANE9
Is Your Dog Running Your Life?
Synergy Cane9  ·  Phoenix, AZ  ·  The SC9 Owner Assessment

IS YOUR
DOG
RUNNING
YOUR LIFE?

Living with a difficult dog is not just an inconvenience. It is a measurable, clinical-level strain on your nervous system, your relationships, and who you believe yourself to be as an owner.

68.5% of owners of dogs with behavioral problems score in the clinically meaningful burden range.

You cannot map a path forward until you know where you actually are. This assessment tells you exactly that. Because when you understand the weight you are carrying, we can build a real plan to reduce it, increase the joy you and your dog experience together, and get your life back.

Life with your dog should be maximum joy, minimum stress. If that feels far away right now, there is something important to know: the stress you are carrying, your dog is carrying too, in their own way. That stress can be a direct driver of the exact behavior that is causing it. Awareness is where the work begins.

Before You Begin
ABOUT YOU AND YOUR DOG
Rating Scale
0
Never
1
Rarely
2
Sometimes
3
Often
4
Always
Section 1 of 5
STRAIN AND DAILY LIFE
How owning this dog has changed your time, your freedom, and your routines.
Section 2 of 5
HYPERVIGILANCE AND DREAD
The burden of what happens before anything goes wrong.
"Every walk is a military operation. I scan constantly. I choose routes based on sightlines, not convenience. When nothing happens, I feel relief, not joy."
Section 3 of 5
SHAME AND IDENTITY
Not just embarrassment, but who you believe yourself to be as an owner.
"The shame all reactive dog owners feel is immeasurable. Every person who watches you and your screaming dog will look at you with pity or disgust." -- RedPointyDog.com
Section 4 of 5
RELATIONAL AND EMOTIONAL IMPACT
How this dog has affected the people around you and your emotional baseline.
Section 5 of 5
GUILT AND SELF-DOUBT
The internal loop: what you did wrong, what you should be doing, whether you are enough.
"What did I do wrong? If I had socialized them better as a puppy. If I had been more consistent. If I had gotten help sooner." -- The loop most owners live in, quietly, every day.
Clinical History
Does Not Affect Your Score
BEHAVIORAL HISTORY
This tells us where to start, not how to judge you.
What Brought You Here
THE MOMENT THINGS CHANGED
Something specific broke the equilibrium. Check what best describes it.
In Your Own Words
WHAT YOU STILL WANT
The most important thing we need to know.
What needs to change for you to feel like this worked?
Do you still believe your dog is capable of change?
Please answer all scored questions (Sections 1 through 5) before submitting.

Your score calculates instantly. No email required to see results, but we recommend adding one so we can follow up with resources.

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Score Breakdown by Section

Most owners who work with Synergy Cane9 score between 22 and 42 on arrival. By the end of a program, that score drops 15 to 25 points. Not because the dog magically changed, but because the owner did.

The stress you are carrying, your dog is carrying in their own way. It may be feeding the very behavior that is causing your burden. When you regulate, the dog regulates. When you lead, the dog follows.

Reach your dog before you teach your dog. Structure. Play. Pressure. Presence.

APPLY TO WORK WITH TIM
Adapted from: Zarit, S. H., Reever, K. E., and Bach-Peterson, J. (1980). Relatives of the impaired elderly. The Gerontologist, 20, 649-655. Spitznagel, M. B., et al. (2017, 2019). Validation of caregiver burden instrument for companion animals. Kuntz, K., et al. (2023). Caregiver burden in owners of dogs with behavioral problems. Journal of Veterinary Behavior. Synergy Cane9 Arizona | www.synergycane9.com | 480.647.5054
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