Excerpted from an article by Mardi Richmond, CPDT-KA
Just say no to bark collars, air horns, squirt bottles, and other punishments. There are several reasons I don’t use this type of punishment for barking.
First, I don’t like to do anything to my dog that is intimidating or that causes pain or fear. Shock collars work by creating pain, noisemakers such as air horns work by scaring the dog, citronella collars and squirt bottles work by startling the dog or creating an unpleasant sensation. I do not want to do any of these things to my dog.
Also, I don’t think they are particularly effective in most situations. I will confess that in my distant past, I have used all of these in attempts to curb barking behavior. While I sometimes saw a short-term change in the behavior, in the long run the barking always returned. (And the few times I have seen punishment effectively stop barking, a kinder choice would have worked as well.)
Finally, the fallout from using these devices can be significant. Shock collars can cause aggression issues, noisemakers can add to startle and sound issues, and squirt bottles can make your dog want to avoid you! Enough said.
For more advice on how to understand and manage your dog’s barking, download and read Whole Dog Journal’s exclusive ebook Stop Barking.
Typically, symptomatic behaviors may begin either as the anxious dog’s human prepares to depart, or immediately after they leave. The behavior may continue for 30 to 60 minutes or longer, and in more extreme cases, for the entire length of the owner’s absence – even as much as eight to 10 hours. Destructive behavior is one of the most obvious and difficult signs of separation or isolation anxiety (SA or IA), but it is not the only one. Here are others that can be seen in some (but not all) dogs with SA or IA:
Velcro Dog – SA and IA dogs tend to be clingy even when owners are home – following their humans from room to room, and lying as close as possible when owners are seated. The dog may also frantically try to follow his human every time she walks out the door, even if she’s just going out to get the mail or newspaper.
Pacing – As you make preparations to leave, your dog recognizes the pending event, and begins to stress – often pacing, panting, and whining in anticipation of your departure.Vocalization – It is not uncommon for SA/IA dogs to be very vocal when their humans are gone.
House Soiling – Extreme stress can cause your dog to urinate and defecate indoors. He can’t help it.
Anorexia – Many dogs with SA/IA will not eat or drink when left alone. (This renders the often-given suggestion to give the dog a food-stuffed Kong or other toy relatively useless.)
Crate Intolerance – Dogs with SA/IA often will experience an even greater degree of panic if they are confined in a crate. Dogs who are destructive in the home due to immaturity and/or lack of house manners are often crated to protect the home, but this is generally not a viable option for SA/IA dogs. Panicked dogs have injured themselves and even died in the process of trying to escape from their crates.
For more details and advice on ways to prevent and cure canine separation anxiety, read Whole Dog Journal’s ebook Separation Anxiety.
Here are some tips for those who have already adopted a shy guy.
Locate a qualified positive behavior professional who can work with you to help your dog become more comfortable in his world. Try the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (iaabc.org) or Truly Dog Friendly (trulydogfriendly.com) for good lists of positive behavior professionals.
Have a solid understanding of counter-conditioning and desensitization (CC&D), and make a strong commitment to practice this with your dog every single day.
Read about the Constructional Aggression Treatment (CAT) procedure and consult with your behavior professional to determine if this procedure might be a useful behavior modification tool in your dog’s program.
Teach your dog to target (to touch his nose to a designated target on cue). Dogs get confident about targeting (most love it!), and you can use the behavior to help him be more confident in situations where he’s mildly to moderately fearful.
Assertively protect your dog from unwanted advances by well-meaning strangers who want to pet your dog. You must not let people pet or harass him until he is socialized enough to tolerate petting and harassment.
Be prepared for heartache. Some poorly socialized dogs respond well to remedial socialization and grow into reasonably well socialized adult dogs. Others don’t.
Try not to pay attention to, much less encourage, your dog when he’s chasing or biting at his tail. The behavior can develop into an obsessive or compulsive one in some dogs. Photo by Zuberka, Getty Images.
Dogs chase their tails for many reasons. Not sure if you should laugh it off or intervene? Here’s what you need to know.
Puppies often bite their tails as a part of their natural exploration and development. It’s like a toy – right there – attached to her body! And it’s moving, often erratically, as the puppy moves – it must be caught! At the other end of the life cycle, an older dog might engage in tail chasing as a repetitive behavior; this is not uncommon as aging dogs experience cognitive decline. And there are several more reasons in between:
Boredom and Excess Energy. A dog who lacks sufficient mental and physical stimulation may resort to tail chasing as self-entertainment and to burn off some steam. This can be especially common in younger dogs and breeds known to be highly energetic. If your dog spends the work day home alone, consider recruiting a friend or professional dog walker to help break up the day or look for a well-run dog daycare as a source of enrichment and an outlet for energy.
Medical Reasons. Allergies and parasites can also lead to tail-chasing behavior. Fleas, other parasites, and even environmental allergies can make the dog’s tail and hindquarters itchy, and they might spin and try and catch their tail in order to bite at it to relieve the itching. Also, in some dogs, tail chasing can be an obsessive behavior. If your dog’s tail chasing feels excessive or compulsive in nature, consult your veterinarian and a qualified positive-reinforcement trainer for help.
Attention Seeking. It’s hard not to laugh at a dog whirling itself into a dizzying frenzy in pursuit of the seemingly just-out-of-reach extension of its backbone. Dog chases its tail, we laugh, dog notices our attention to his shenanigans, and voilà! The tail chasing has been reinforced! You might think treats reign supreme when it comes to reinforcing behavior, but attention is a big deal – especially when you’re busy and not directly engaging with your dog.
If your dog’s tail chasing is infrequent, doesn’t last for long periods, and you can easily redirect him to another activity, it’s likely just a harmless behavior she enjoys – and it’s totally OK to laugh. If the tail chasing bothers you, make a point not to laugh – act like your dog is invisible. Once he stops chasing his tail, calmly redirect his attention to another activity such as chewing a favorite bone on his bed and offer calm praise (attention!) for that behavior instead.
Singleton puppies miss out on opportunities to learn basic canine communication and behavioral coping skills from their littermates, sometimes setting them up for frustration and sensitivity to handling later in life.
Occasionally a mother dog gives birth to just one puppy – often called a “singleton” pup. Fortunately it’s a relatively rare occurrence, although more likely to occur in small breeds, as they tend to have smaller litters anyway. Sometimes called “single puppy syndrome,” this can result in lifelong behavior challenges for the unfortunate baby dog who has no siblings to teach her important social skills. The good news is that while your singleton pup may offer you some behavioral challenges, she is not likely to suffer from significant health issues as a result of her singleton status.
Why Does Single Puppy Syndrome Happen?
A puppy’s critical socialization period occurs from 3 weeks of age to 12 to14 weeks. During this time puppies crawl over each other, play together, and squabble over access to mom’s milk bar.
Puppies bite each other in play, and if one bites too hard the other pup may yelp and stop playing. This is how puppies learn bite inhibition. Without littermates to teach this behavior, a puppy doesn’t learn to control her mouth pressure – much to the dismay of her future human family.
Other problems commonly found in singleton pups include being unable to problem-solve calmly, low tolerance for frustration, poor social skills, poor impulse control, and sensitivity to touch and handling.
What if I Have a Singleton Puppy?
Ideally the breeder of a singleton pup will find another similar-age litter with which to spend those first weeks so she has more normal experiences as a young puppy. If this didn’t happen, you’ll need to teach bite inhibition and handle your puppy a lot to avoid touch sensitivity issues. Have her spend time with other similar age and size puppies as much and as early and as often as possible during the first 12 weeks so she learns social skills.
If it’s too late for that, plan on doing extra behavior modification work to help your pup overcome her early social deprivation – lots of interaction with socially appropriate dogs, conditioning to handling, redirecting her hard mouth to toys, and teaching her to bite only gently. (See: “Teaching Your Puppy Bite Inhibition” and “How to Train Your Dog to Accept Husbandry Chores“).
Before reaching for Metamucil for dogs, discuss the symptoms your dog is showing with your veterinarian to ensure the problem is simple enough for Metamucil or pumpkin to help. Credit: Kateryna Kukota / Getty Images
You can use Metamucil for dogs to combat minor gastrointestinal upsets, like diarrhea and constipation. Along with canned pumpkin, Metamucil is one of the vet-recommended home remedies for dog anal glands problems.
Metamucil is an over-the-counter psyllium fiber supplement designed for people. A plain psyllium product without flavors or sweeteners of any kind is the only psyllium for your dog—but you need to be especially careful here, as it can be very difficult to find unflavored, unsweetened psyllium products in your local grocery store. It may be wise to choose a psyllium product made for dogs.
You may wonder about Metamucil vs. pumpkin as an option to add fiber to your dog’s meals. Both help with constipation and diarrhea in dogs, which sounds contradictory, but they both add fiber, and therefore bulk, to the stool. Fiber eases constipation by stimulating the bowel muscle and draws in fluid to help bowel movements flow more easily. For diarrhea, fiber firms up stool and slows the transit time in the intestines.
The Metamucil dosage for dogs is up to 1 teaspoon (tsp) twice a day for dogs of 50 lbs. Medium dogs of 35 to 50 pounds should get no more than ½ tsp, and small dogs are best at ¼ tsp maximum. Start low and raise the amount to find the lowest effective dose for your dog. It is extremely important that your dog has excess to plenty of fresh water and is drinking that water, if you give any psyllium fiber product like Metamucil.
Dosages for plain (no added spices) canned pumpkin are: for small dogs, 1 heaping tsp canned pumpkin per meal; for medium dogs, 1 heaping tablespoon (tbsp) canned pumpkin per meal; and for larger dogs, 2 heaping tbsp canned pumpkin per meal.
Adding fiber is generally a simple, safe way to help your dog over a bout of diarrhea or constipation. However, with many potentially serious causes of both, it’s important to check with your veterinarian. For example, if your dog has an intestinal blockage—and both diarrhea and constipation are possible symptoms—giving Metamucil won’t help and may make things worse.
Be Careful with Psyllium Products
Read the ingredients carefully. Many flavored versions contain the artificial sweetener xylitol, which can be fatally toxic to dogs.
Provide lots of water and be sure your dog is drinking it.
Consult your veterinarian before starting psyllium supplementation.
Should you shave your dog? Well, most dogs don’t need to be shaved—and there are dog breeds that should not be shaved it can be necessary. First, though, it’s important to understand why shaving is not generally recommended for dogs.
Evolutionary Wonders
Your dog’s coat protects his skin from the elements. Long, harsh guard hairs deflect rain and slip right through brambles, while a dense, soft undercoat provides insulation from both heat and cold. If the hair isn’t matted or tangled, air can move freely through the layers of the coat to provide ventilation. The dog will shed excess undercoat in the summer to help free up additional space for airflow and bulk up again for extra warmth in the winter.
Dog breeds selected for companionship often have longer or softer coats that are more pleasant to pet and attractive to look at, but they are also higher maintenance. Dog breeds developed to serve a working purpose, such as herding, hunting, and sled dogs, typically have a more natural coat that protects the dog from harm.
Dog Breeds That Should Not Be Shaved
A full-body shave is not necessary for most dogs. Shaving a double-coated dog, such as a Samoyed, German Shepherd Dog, or even Golden Retriever, is generally not a good idea. Shaving removes the insulation his body is used to and exposes the skin to the sun, sticks, and branches.
Shaving a dog’s coat to the skin can damage hair follicles, increasing the risk of ingrown hairs, and potentially alter the texture of the hair.
Instead of shaving your dog, brush him regularly. This removes dead hair, promotes healthy skin, and enables good air flow through the coat. This is the best way to help most dogs stay cool in the summer (as well as providing water and shade, of course!).
When Shaving Is Needed
Shaving your dog may be necessary in some situations:
Thick mats or tangles that would be painful to remove by hand
Hot spots and skin infections
Medical procedures like surgery or placing a catheter
Health or behavioral conditions that alter the skin and coat or prevent normal grooming
If you have a dog with a thick, dense, or long coat and live somewhere with hot, humid summers, shaving his belly may help with cooling. Shave his underside to provide extra ventilation, leaving the coat on his back and sides to protect him from the sun.
Dogs with continuously growing hair, such as Poodles and Poodle mixes, and dogs with extremely long hair, such as Shih Tzu and Cocker Spaniels, do benefit from regular haircuts. Trimming that long, soft hair to a shorter length prevents tangles if you aren’t up for daily grooming. But, still, shaving down to the skin is still not necessary for a healthy dog.
Are there breeds you love and breeds you don’t get the appeal of? I think we all do – though I would be the first to admit that there are always exceptions to any rule. I love Border Collies – but I’ve met individual ones that aggravated me. And I am generally not a fan of German Shorthair Pointers (or Wirehaired Pointers, for that matter), but one of the sweetest, funniest GSPs is in my extended family and I adore her.
In my opinion, hunting dogs in general are some of the prettiest dogs there are. But if they come from a long line of hunters, I tend to find it annoying to walk with them. I enjoy walking with my dogs, interacting with them, racing and playing with them, and watching them scan and joyfully take in their environment. I do not enjoy feeling like I have to prevent the dog I am walking with from scanning the environment for small creatures that they might be able to kill. As such, I love hounds – but only the ones who aren’t into hunting!
I was raised around dogs who were bred to herd cattle – Kelpies and Australian Cattle Dogs and various mixes of these – but I tend not to enjoy the intensity, grit, and independence that these dogs are known for. However, I have lots of friends who enjoy them for those traits alone; some people prefer having somewhat aloof dogs who can take care of themselves without a lot of fuss.
I was an adult before I was introduced to the typically softer, more responsive Border Collie – still a herding breed, but one that tends to be more attuned to humans, more solicitous of our affection and approval than the tougher dogs bred to take the hard knocks of cattle herding. My BC Rupert, a “pet quality” pup who was practically given away (in contrast to his high-cost, sheep-herding prospect littermates), opened my heart forever to these sensitive and quirky dogs.
But as much as I admire purpose-bred dogs, I don’t want one for myself. I’m afraid I’m always going to be a mutt lover. I love big mutts and I cannot lie! I get such a kick out of trying to guess what mixed-breed puppies will look like– how big they will be! – when they mature. And I love trying to identify what breed their personality traits and tendencies may be attributable to – if any! My two most muttliest mutts – the two dogs that show the most breeds in their mixed-breed DNA tests – don’t show any particular traits that align with any breeds at all!
Are there breeds you’d never own? Do you always get dogs of the same breed? Or do you select dogs without regard to their breed?
Dogs dig in their beds for many reasons, but behaviorists say the No. 1 reason dogs dig in their beds is instinct. It’s what Mother Nature tells them to do before they lie down.
The instinct to dig, scratch, or circle comes from the days—centuries ago—when dogs were wild. They had to scratch at the ground to form a bed of some kind, to get comfortable, to get warm or cool, and to check for predators like snakes and spiders. So, it’s normal, but sometimes a dog’s bed scratching or digging can become obsessive and require trainer or veterinary intervention.
Dogs dig at their beds or yours for other reasons, too. The most common other reason is believed to be their need to mark their territory, through glands in their footpads that say, “This is my bed!”
This is especially true if you have more than one dog using the same bed. Remember, dogs have very sensitive noses, and they can tell if another dog has been there. A dog checking a scent is like us reading the newspaper—it’s where he gets information on what’s been happening. Instinct then tells the dog to dig and scratch to erase the other dog’s scent.
Another common reason dogs scratch in beds is that they’re looking for toys or food. Or they could be just curious about what might be hidden in that bed because they previously found a treasure.
Expert theories also state digging in a bed could be a frustrated response to not being allowed to do something else, like going outside, chewing on something, or barking because someone rang the doorbell. They could be seeking attention, and they know scratching will get a response from you—a laugh or a shout to stop.
Finally, old dogs are thought to scratch the bed because some part of their body hurts, and they just want the bed to be more comfortable. And they sometimes circle in the bed. Don’t worry about that either. It’s also natural.
The short answer to how hot is too hot for dogs is, it depends, but if you think it’s hot your dog thinks it’s hot.
Right away, let’s be clear about things that are too hot for dogs: There is no excuse for leaving your dog in a locked car on a hot day. A car, with all its windows up, in 70°F weather heats up to 100° in 25 minutes, according to the National Weather Service. That’s too hot for any dog. So, if the temperature is, or is going to be, more than 70 degrees, leave your dog at home.
Dogs, unlike humans, can only sweat through their pads (feet). They cool down almost exclusively by panting, or exchanging heat with their environment, which is not efficient. So, when the ambient or surrounding temperature is overly hot, dogs have difficulty cooling themselves. A dog’s tongue will lengthen and widen in an attempt to maximize its cooling capability.
That means that the temperature dogs can endure also depends on the humidity, because they can’t exchange heat as well if it’s humid. Outside, a dog in the deserts of California or Nevada (where the humidity is less than 10% on hot summer afternoons) can withstand a higher temperature than a dog in Virginia or New Jersey (where the humidity is 90% or higher in the summer).
A dogs’ comfort in heat also depends on other factors: their breed (brachycephalic breeds like Pugs, Bulldogs, and Boxers, as well as northern breeds with thick coats, like Malamutes, do far less well in heat), age, obesity, lack of shade or water, fitness, and type of exercise are important. But, just as with humans, it also depends on the individual.
A dog’s normal body temperature is 101 to 102.5°. If their body temperature exceeds 105°, and they aren’t otherwise sick, they are suffering from potentially fatal heatstroke, which can cause lethargy, their gums to turn bright red, excessive panting, and even vomiting or diarrhea.
What should you do if your dog gets too hot? First, move him somewhere cooler, like to shade or an air-conditioned room or the car AC. If available, put him in a cool pool or tub of water or hose him with cool—not icy cold—water, focusing on his groin area, feet, and neck (you can wet his entire coat if you want, but most of that water will just roll off). Offer frequent sips of water. If he still doesn’t cool down, he needs to go to the veterinarian.
A good guide is, “If you think it’s hot, it’s too hot for your dog.”
The ultimate goal of any “leave it” exercise is teaching your dog that he can glance at something in his environment that he finds stressful or exciting, but that if he then looks back at you, you will reinforce that very good choice very richly. The Engage - Disengage game teaches him to do this without a “leave it” cue from you. Photo by Jennifer Burns
Almost 20 years into my dog training career, “Leave it” is probably one of the cues that I say the least – and yet, how to train a dog to “leave it” is one of the most-wanted behaviors that people wish their dogs could learn. Why do I not teach the use of a “leave it” cue? Because by the time you can even verbalize the word “Leave,” your dog has likely already made the decision to go for whatever “it” is; the cue is often too delayed. Moreover, the “leave it” cue is often over-used and under-rewarded.
Over-use of a cue leads to learned irrelevance – which means that the cue means nothing to the dog – or an unreliable behavior, with the dog deciding each time he’s been cued whether it’s more rewarding to just go for “it” than to “leave it.” I often see people repeating “Leave it! Leave it! Leave it!” – and when the dog does leave it, I rarely see the dog rewarded for his effort.
But “leave it” is absolutely a valuable skill for dogs to have in their behavioral repertoire. Instead of teaching it with a verbal cue, though, I teach it by using the sight of the stimulus (the trigger, object of interest, or thing that you want the dog to “leave”) as the dog’s cue to disengage with the thing and check back in with you.
For example, to teach a dog to not chase a bird, I use the sight of a bird as the cue to check back in with me. In my experience, teaching “leave it” this way is more successful than with a verbally cued “leave it.”
Identify the goal or end-game behavior you want
As with all training, the first step is to be clear about the behavior you want your dog to display in a given situation – the “end game” or target behavior. For example, when my dog sees a bird, I want him to disengage from the bird – to refrain from chasing it – and make eye contact with me. My goal is to build and reinforce a “check in with me” behavior that will replace his natural response of fixating and chasing birds that he sees. However, I want my dog to offer the check-in behavior without any cues from me; in this case, ultimately, the cue will be the sight of a bird.
Eye Spy: Teaching your dog to check in with you
To teach this, I start by playing a game called “Eye Spy.” To play, start indoors, with your dog in front of you. Place a small (pea-sized) treat halfway between you and your dog and centered between your feet and their paws. Allow your dog to eat the treat and wait, watching your dog. Almost always, your dog will look at you for more information: “Are there more treats?”
The moment your dog makes eye contact with you, mark it with a clicker or the marker of your choice (such as the word “Yes!”) and then place another treat in the same spot as before. You want the treat between the two of you, so that it’s easy for your dog to take the treat and then look up at you. This prompts a pattern: Your dog looks down (at the treat) and then up (at you), down, up, etc., on repeat.
Keep marking (click or “Yes!”) and putting treats down and repeat about 10 times. Now try the exercise in three new locations.
Teach the first step of “Engage-Disengage” (Engage)
This is step one of the “Engage-Disengage” exercise. We approach a novel stimulus (in this case, a pet pig) at a distance close enough to capture our dog’s attention, but far enough so he’s not already over-threshold with excitement. He’ll naturally look at the stimulus, and when he does so, we mark that moment of engagement with the click of a clicker or a verbal marker, such as “Yes!” Photo by Jennifer Burns.
Next, teach your dog to “engage” as the first part of the classic “Engage-Disengage” game (also known as “Look at That”). I prefer to use a novel stimulus to initially teach this, but you can use anything your dog is unfamiliar with. This could be a kid’s toy, a remote-controlled car, or even food on a paper plate. In this game, to “engage” means to look calmly at a novel stimulus.
With your dog on a leash in front of you, place (or have a helper place) the novel stimulus perpendicular to where you are, so that your dog must swivel his head 90 degrees to look at it. You can do a “temperature check” at this point (see sidebar below) or you can wait for your dog to look at the novel stimulus. Either way, mark the moment that your dog looks at the stimulus (click or “Yes!”), and then feed your dog a treat in the opposite direction – ideally by tossing the reward away. By tossing the treat away from the stimulus, you start to add “movement away from the stimulus” as part of the target behavior.
At this juncture, use a 1:1 ratio of reward to behavior for each time your dog looks at the stimulus; this means your dog will receive one reward every time he looks at the stimulus. As with the Eye Spy game, mark each behavior (looking at the stimulus) and feed for position (give him a treat in the opposite direction as the stimulus). Repeat for a minimum of two sets of 10 to 15 repetitions.
The second phase of Engage-Disengage (Disengage)
When you mark the moment that your dog looks at the stimulus, he’ll naturally look back at you with a “Where’s my treat?” expression. Feed him a treat (or toss it away from the stimulus). Note that if you are too close to the stimulus, it might be difficult for your dog to disengage from the stimulus, so back up! Photo by Jennifer Burns
When your dog can engage with a novel stimulus consistently and reliably, start withholding the marker for two to three seconds. When your dog looks at the stimulus, wait two to three seconds before doing anything. If your dog checks in with you (looks at you), reward him for disengaging with the novel stimuli – but now, rather than rewarding him on a 1:1 ratio (one behavior = one treat), use an average ratio of 1:5 (one behavior = an average of 5 treats, fed consecutively, one after another).
How do you give your dog an “average” number of treats? If you give him three treats consecutively this time and seven the next time, it averages out to about five treats per behavior. You want the behavior of disengaging with the stimuli and checking in with you to be, on average, five times more reinforcing than it is to look at the novel stimulus.
If your dog does not check back in with you, take a few steps away from the stimulus and try again, starting with the 1:1 behavior:treat ratio. The same process will apply when you take this outdoors into the real world. If you are too close to the tempting or distracting stimulus, it will be more difficult for your dog to take his eyes off of it and look at you instead. Distance is what I refer to as the “X factor” – it can make or break the outcome of a situation.
Taking Engage-Disengage into the real world
When your dog is ready to take this exercise to the next step, identify which stimulus you plan to address. Is it birds, squirrels, dogs, or something else that grab his attention? Scout out a location where this stimulus will be present – but be sure to choose an “easy” environment – where you can get far enough away from the stimulus to move freely. This should be a familiar location for your dog with few other distractions or triggers.
Any time you venture to a new location, do some temperature checks (see sidebar, “Take Your Dog’s Emotional Temperature”). Can your dog offer behaviors that are reliable, is he able to play the Eye Spy game, will he take a treat from you – and if he will take food, does he take it in the same manner with which he normally takes food?
This is key to making the most of the learning opportunity. If your dog is too stimulated or triggered, it’s unlikely that any quality learning will occur. Do not skip the temperature checks. These are a crucial to ensuring that your dog is primed to learn.
Be aware that just because your dog knows this game at home, there is no guarantee that he will be immediately successful elsewhere. Adjust your criteria; start by expecting less and rewarding more. Return to the first phase of Engage-Disengage by just marking and rewarding your dog as soon as he registers the stimulus.
If your dog repeatedly turns to look at the stimulus right after taking a treat, just keep marking and rewarding these engagements and continue the process. It is totally normal for a dog to glance at real world stimuli multiple times in a row. Remember that each look starts a new repetition. The number of glances per stimulus will reduce as you continue the process and is also how you will know he is ready to transition to the disengage part of the exercise – where he’ll earn an average of five consecutive rewards for looking away from the object and at his handler instead.
Many people get discouraged when their dog won’t disengage from the triggering stimuli and check in with them. I encourage them to just keep repeating the “engage” part of the exercise – and to notice that their dog is no longer lunging, pulling, vocalizing, fixating, freezing, avoiding, or speeding up when they see the object of interest.
This process is fluid. On some days, your dog may be perfectly able to consistently disengage from the birds, squirrels, other dogs, etc. On other days, your dog may be prone to reacting or require more distance to be successful. This is totally normal. Here are some general guidelines to help you decide when you should revert to marking and rewarding for just the engage, even if you were previously able to work on the disengage phase. Go back to working on just the engage phase if:
It is taking more than 2 or 2.5 seconds for your dog to disengage, and/or
Your dog is displaying the initial signs of a reactive display, and/or,
You cannot guarantee that your dog will check back in, and/or
Your dog rehearsed the behavior you are trying to modify (i.e., chasing or obsessing about a bird) before he was able to disengage.
Progress is perfect
There are many factors that may affect your dog’s reaction: the speed or intensity of the stimulus; your dog’s distance from the stimulus; trigger stacking (stress on top of stress on top of stress for your dog); fatigue; weather; the dog’s baseline that day; the direction that the stimulus moved; the value of your rewards that day; the dog’s reinforcement history; the dog’s overall mental and emotional state; and more!
But throughout this process, you will start to notice that your dog is increasingly capable of disengaging when he sees the stimulus. So rather than barking, lunging, chasing, etc., he can now simply look at the stimulus, disengage from it, and check back in with you. Hurrah! The trend is improving.
Remember that practice makes progress; consistency, patience, grace, and time are essential to any process. The learning process is not linear. There will be great days and then there will be other days that crush your soul but remember that on those hard days, your dog is having a tough time. View those situations as neither good nor bad but simply experimental data – more like a science experiment and less than a reflection of you!
Last, be sure to celebrate the small wins and have fun along the way. Make time to engage in activities that your dog enjoys and to find mutually enjoyable activities to keep both of your emotional cups full. Finding joy in the journey is one of my favorite parts of living and working with animals. It is so much less about the destination and so much more about what we learn along the way.
Take Your Dog’s Emotional Temperature
Whenever you go to a new location, do a “temperature check” with your dog to see how he’s likely to handle being with you in the new environment. This will give you information about any adjustments you might need to make in order for him to succeed before you head down a trail together.
If your dog takes treats readily and gently at home, but lunges or grabs at treats – or won’t take treats at all – when he’s in a new environment, you have been given valuable information that he’s overwhelmed and stressed. In order for him to be able to learn or meet your behavior expectations, you need to give him more space and/or time in that new environment. Photo by Nancy Kerns
Is he “running hot” – so overwhelmed or overexcited that he can barely acknowledge you? If so, the likelihood of your success handling him in that environment is low; it may be wise to reschedule your walk. Or is he just nicely “warmed up” – excited but still able to check in with and respond to you? If so, you can start down the trail, but keep taking his temperature and adjust your plans according to his ability to work with you.
One way you can do a temperature check is to offer him a treat to see if he takes it and how he takes it. Ideally, he will take the food as he normally does at home; that’s a nice, cool temperature, indicating that he’s ready and able to learn.
However, the emotional temperature of many dogs will rise in an exciting new environment. What should you do if your dog:
uses more teeth than usual to grab at the food?
takes the food intensely?
inhales the food when he normally chews?
These are signs that your dog needs more time to settle, sniff, and reset into a more neutral head-space so that you can start working together.
Another way to check your dog’s temperature is to wait to see if he checks in with you without any prompting. You could also ask your dog for an easy behavior with a cue that is already reliable, and observe whether there is any delay between your cue and when he offers the behavior. If he can check in with you without prompting and respond quickly and accurately to your cues, he’s at the perfect “temperature” and ready to work with you!
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
This website uses cookies and other tracking technologies to offer you a better experience, personalize content and ads, and analyze our site traffic. Before proceeding, you agree to our Terms and that you’ve read our Privacy Policy. Update Settings
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
