Stella’s Success

Military life can change a way of life quickly and pet companions need to do the same. Not only are family dogs needing to up and move too, but sometimes where military families live is not necessarily in their hands. What results, is making sure everyone and pets included adjust well to their new community as well as feel relaxed in their new home.

Nick and Jess were frustrated in the beginning with Stella barking and lunging at passerby’s both in the backyard and while on walks. They knew Stella being a powerful breed, they wanted her to be gentle and accepting of her new neighbors. So, Nick and Jess were ready to put in a little work. 

As they transitioned to a busier and more condensed community living, Stella faced challenges of children running by, riding their bicycles, other dogs being walked by their people and living on a corner proved to be the challenge. Everyone came by every which way, and with longer daylight in the warmer months meant more people out and about with more opportunity for training.

Together, we worked on helping Stella look for Nick and Jess when things she perceived something strange and scary happened. We incorporated games like “Find It” as fun ways of teaching, but also as a strategy of helping Stella change her mind. The aim was, anyone, including dogs who walked by the yard, Stella was going to learn seeing or hearing them meant attention from her people which she loved. 

After a few sessions, Stella is more relaxed while on walks and in her backyard. She is less interested in what is going on because Nick and Jess helped her to know the busy road, the passerby’s and visitors only mean good things for her ALWAYS!

Ding Dong

Do your dogs bark non-stop with the sound of the doorbell?

Do you have a hard time answering the door when guests or delivery people come by because your dog is incessantly barking and trying to get out the door?

When you do open the door, does your dog lunge at a delivery person or instead, feel freedom and bolt away?

If you’re thinking “yes” to all of this, you’re for sure not alone. AND, you can help your dog become more comfortable with the buzz of the doorbell.

Let’s discuss the why’s for this happening in the first place.

Dogs are smart creatures and learn by making associations from one event to another. So the sequence goes for the doorbell is, the doorbell rings-person walks to the door-opens the door-another person on the other side of the door. Your dog has to determine if this is safe or not.

We can also go one step further out in the beginning. Dogs can differentiate between sounds based on their association to events https://eileenanddogs.com/blog/2019/03/21/dogs-hearing-vs-human-hearing/ So, a sound of a delivery truck can be learned by your dog that a person is going to come up the door-ring the bell-you answer-the door opens-unfamiliar person on the other side. In this situation, your dog can already be amped up with the sound of the delivery truck.

As your dog’s stress level rises with the anticipation of someone being behind the door, that energy must go somewhere. This is where you experience your dog barking, lunging even growling and nipping at guests.

What to do? The first step is making sure you can manage the front door area, so your dog is unable to get close to guests at the front door until your dog is able to greet calmly and quietly.

Setting up an area separating the front door access with baby gates or a tether leash would work.

Next comes the fun! Have you ever played Ding Dong Ditch as a kid?

Never heard of it?

Well, this version is adapted from the childhood game. The dog training version goes like this. Have someone in your family or a neighbor or a friend come by and ring the doorbell. The expectation is your dog will bark. Once your dog is quiet, praise and reward. Repeat several times a day for 5 days! Once your dog is able to bark less frequently and turn towards you and comes to you, you’re ready for the next step.

This is Maya. Maya had a hard time when hearing the doorbell. In the beginning, Maya was so stressed out with the sound of the bell, she refused treats. After a couple of sessions, Maya is able to quiet and redirect her attention back to her person. In between sessions, the family utilizes baby gate and instructs people stopping by to not use the doorbell. This way, Maya learns in a controlled environment.

Step 2 is when the doorbell is rung and you approach the door with your dog nearby and answer it, but no one is on the other side. This step is crucial. Why? This step helps your dog learn walking up to the door after the bell rung does not mean making a decision between friend or foe. You’ll be teaching your dog, answering the door will mean only good things for him!

Working incrementally like this helps change your dogs mind when they already have an emotional response (barking and nipping when answering the door when the doorbell rings). Breaking down the sequence of events breaks up the predictability of stranger-danger potential and allows for new experiences to take shape. In addition, also take note how your dog reacts to men versus women, people in uniforms, wearing hats, sunglasses and children of all ages ect. Added steps of getting your dog to accept these nuances with people may be necessary.

Step 3 is bringing it all together. Now, is when the doorbell rings, you answer it and a person is there. Praising and rewarding for when your dog is calm and quiet throughout the steps, will ensure your dog now sees the door opening and someone being there as the best thing in his life. He will want the doorbell to ring and be happy greeting everyone coming by!

Scared, Anxious or Frightened?

Dogs can experience phobias, anxiety and be generally scared in different situations. Sometimes, this can happen suddenly in your home and without warning. Other times, especially with dogs being adopted out of shelters and rescues, they come into your home with those fears already established.

The reason for these experiences may stem from genetics. For example, dogs that are sensitive to loud noises or motion can become scared or phobic in cars, or during thunderstorms and fireworks in a single event. Most often, dogs who do show fear in certain circumstances are fearful because they have not learned how to accept those experiences during early puppyhood. Instead, they see those events as a threat to their survival.

Remember, dogs experience fight, flight or freeze like you! Think about different times you’ve been scared.

What did that feel like for you?

What were the persons, places or things that contributed to your fight, flight or freeze response?

Did you find ways of changing your mind about those frightening things?

If not, how do you handle situations when those things happen in your life?

The same questions can be used to address your dog’s fears. It’s now important for you to know what persons, places or things are triggering for your dog in soliciting a fear response. Once you’ve identified those triggers, you will want to help your dog change his mind about those particular situations and his conditioned emotional response.

Now you have the general understanding on where dog’s fearfulness stems from, so what to do about it, right?

This part takes time and at times a step by step approach of breaking down the situation so your dog first learns to habituate to the trigger at a very low frequency (sound) or intensity. Always making the association to the once triggering stimuli as positive and fun experience. You’ll do this by using what your dog sees as high value rewards.

For instance, some dogs cower, hide, freeze when they hear dogs barking. When helping your dog change his mind, you will want to control the environment. All this means, you’re ready to give the high value reward when your dog hears other dogs barking.

You may be wondering, how will you know when dogs will be barking? Well, you can find YouTube channels of barking dogs or record those sounds without your dog present. Once you do, you’re on your way of creating a controlled environment. You will control when the dogs will be barking by playing the recording when you have time to devout to training.

Training can happen during your daily routine, like say in between Netflix shows. All you would do is play the recording of the barking at a very low volume while rewarding your dog with his favorite things. The goal is for you to observe your dog staying relaxed (he continues enjoying his favorite rewards while this recording is playing). The goal is for him to feel comfortable. Never move too quickly that he experiences fear or becomes scared with those things you’re helping him change his mind.

Once you find your dog is becoming more comfortable with those situations, then you will gradually increase the volume which will raise the intensity of the sound. Raising the volume should be slow and done over several days. Raising the volume too much too soon can be frightening for your dog. So, when you have time to practice, and are feeling relaxed yourself, this will be a great time to work in some of this desensitization training.

Once you’re having success in the home, you’ll increase distractions by moving locations. Try taking the recording outside in your front or backyard. Always bring the high value rewards with you and reward when your dog stays relaxed and calm.

You may even encounter dogs barking at a distance. You can do the same training with real life barking, but remember, keep your dog at a distance from other dogs until your dog is showing increased comfort (one sign is your dog continues taking the high value rewards from you) with other dogs present.

Now, you’re on your way!