Opportunities for Choices

“I can see her making choices.”

During a training session, a client made this observation.

His dog was able to disengage from someone approaching which is usually a very exciting situation leading to his dog jumping up on the person.

Instead, with an established reinforcement history, she made a different choice of looking back at my client even when she started to become a little excited.

She also had her needs met of getting attention from one of her favorite humans.

Teaching your dog what you want sets your dog up for making choices in her environment.

The choices you want are established through a strong reinforcement history.

You go through each step at a time.

Building your dog’s self control capabilities.

As you begin seeing what your dog is offering as something of value, you can quickly signal the value to your dog.

Being patient, waiting for the environment to change, observing what your dog is communicating through the changes of your dog’s body language, you can then become aware what your dog is offering and begin seeing your dog making the choices you want.

The choices of looking at you, looking away from the trigger will inhibit the emotional response of the barking and lunging out of fear or frustration will be replaced because your dog is feeling safe in the

environment.

Engage/Disengage

When your dog is relaxed, your dog can offer the choices of staying engaged with you.

Engagement with you, is the goal.

Chaos to Calm

Bernie enjoying some attention.

When you’re frustrated with your dog’s barking and lunging, you may be unable to empathize with your dog’s emotional experience of the environment.

Your own learning about what is going on beneath the surface of your dog’s outward expressions can give you understanding of how your dog is experiencing the world around him and help you see your dog is struggling rather than being difficult.

Feeling fear or frustration are some things your dog may be experiencing and the outward expression is barking and lunging.

When your dog experiences fear, this inhibits your dog from seeking pleasure which in turn limits your dog’s learning.

Your dog is emotionally flooded and doesn’t trust he’ll be safe.

First, help your dog regain trust that the perceived or real threat is no longer one.

You can do this by moving you and your dog away from what the triggering situation or event is.

This will decrease the intensity of the trigger which will decrease your dog’s perception of feeling threatened.

Then you will want to desensitize whatever causes your dog’s fear (person or another dog or a truck driving by) so your dog can change his emotional response to each stimuli.

Pairing at a distance (lessens the intensity) the trigger with what your dog finds out of this world pleasurable (most often this is a high valued food item(s)).

Using the Open Bar/Closed Bar method, when something that causes your dog considers to be fear inducing, give the reward in rapid succession or play with your dog while the person or other dog are in view. When they go out of view, immediately stop.

Repeat.

You can also teach your dog an alternate behavior of looking back at you. Once you’ve made the reward marker (a click, a verbal yes/good) reinforced, your dog will offer a head turn towards you when he hears the reward marker.

So, when your dog is looking at the other person, or dog from a distance, say your reward marker or click and when your dog turns his head towards you (the behavior), reward!

As your dog remains comfortable and relaxed (watch body language), slowly decrease the distance to those triggers.

Remember to practice your defensive leash handling for those surprising situations!

Inside your home is a bit of a different story.

Keep in mind, you don’t have a responsibility to fulfill the needs of others wanting to interact with your dog. Teaching your dog to be in his safe zone away from certain guests will ensure your dog is safe and the particular guest is safe too.

Also, not all people want to be around dogs either. Some guests may be time limited like a maintenance person, so management may be a better solution for these types of experiences.

Teach your dog to love hearing the sound of the doorbell!

Teach your dog to settle and relax on a mat with distractions.

Teach your dog to wait.

Teach your dog all four on the floor is way better than jumping up and saying “hello”!

Jack is always ready!

These are a few, what else can you think of that you want your dog to learn?

Changing Feelings Always Comes First

Macie and her family came to Four Paws & You at a time when the family was uncertain about her future.

Macie’s early puppy experiences were mostly great.

Fun and loving home.

The family wanted the best for her.

They absolutely love her.

Unfortunately for Macie, she had a couple of negative interactions with people which contributed to her fear of those who are strangers to her.

Macie’s fear at the veterinarian’s office labeled her an “aggressive” dog by another pet professional.

Macie is only about 5 months old.

I met Macie shortly after this experience.

We met outside since the transitional experience of someone new coming into the home would have been triggering for Macie.

To make it easier for her, I suggested for my client to slowly make her way up the street (I waited about a block and a half away).

As Macie was able to disengage from seeing me and offer attention towards her guardian on her own, they moved closer.

Macie and her guardian remained engaged and I tossed some super high value rewards away from me, so it didn’t encourage Macie to get closer rather it encouraged her to move away.

After several rounds, Macie grew comfortable with me.

Macie greeted me by sniffing my pant legs.

I tossed some treats away, so Macie didn’t feel trapped if a wave of fear came over her when the new to her person was still there.

After a few more rounds, Macie grew even more comfortable with me and chose to brush up against me with a relaxed body.

I tossed some more treats.

She came back, sat in front of me and she gently took a treat from my hand.

I gained her trust and she felt secure with our greetings.

Not only was this real time unfamiliar greeting practice for Macie, but her family too.

As you can see, before any practice on teaching Macie behavior cues or replacement behaviors for unwanted ones, I first had to help Macie gain trust I wouldn’t threaten or scare her in any way.

Once she felt secure, we proceeded only as quickly as Macie was comfortable with at each stage.

Macie made huge gains over the last several weeks.

The family is united on ensuring they maintain their management as well as continuing to help Macie change her conditioned emotional responses through playing the Engage/Disengage game, open bar/closed bar, mat work, and she’s even striving in areas of self control by waiting at doors and having all four on the floor.

Their work is not over.

They are now on a path of long lasting and effective behavior change.

I know they will continue to have success on their journey together.