Over-Reactivity and Behavior Modification- Questions and Answers
Not only is punishment risky, but it fails to teach the dog an acceptable alternate behavior. The dog does not learn what to do the next time he is in that same situation. He only learns to fear the situation. To adequately solve the aggressive behavior you need to ask yourself, "What do I want my dog to do, other than being aggressive, when he sees another dog?" - Emma Parsons Click to Calm-Healing the Aggressive Dog (page 73)
What causes a dog to become reactive?
Dogs can be born nervous and anxious, especially those dogs who have been carried by a nervous mother. Studies have shown that nervous/anxious dogs with elevated stress hormones, pass that stress onto their puppies while in Utero. Those stress hormones influence every aspect of each puppy’s development throughout the gestational period, and they are born stressed, and unfortunately stress, and anxiety promotes aggression. However, most reactivity is simply a lack of socialization during the critical period (the first 20 weeks), and/or a continued lack of positive association to novel places, people, other dogs and things for the remainder of the first 12-months. Then there are single events that the dog makes an association with and doesn’t forget, especially those events that occur during the “fear-periods” or “sensitive-periods” during the first 18 months.
Can you give an example of how an event might make a dog reactive?
How does behavior modification work?
Behavior Modification, simply put is the systematic approach to changing behavior, in this case changing a dog’s reaction to a situation, a person, a thing, or another animal, etc. These things are referred to as the “trigger(s)” or “stimulus”. The process that is used to modify the behavior is called Counter Conditioning (along with Desensitization), this process essentially rewires a dog’s brain by creating a new neural pathway, which ultimately changes how the dog thinks and feels about the things that scare them. Counter conditioning is often confused with, and occurs at the same time as, desensitization. But desensitization can occur on its own - just like when we get used to a noxious smell or sound in a room. Counter conditioning, on the other hand helps make new associations or links between things or circumstances that replace old learned associations or links. Consequently, the old inappropriate response is substituted with a new appropriate response.
Why do you use food?
A high value food is used to feed the dog when they look at the trigger/stimulus; soon the dog begins to make the association that the trigger or (scary thing) predicts the appearance of the food. Eventually the trigger, which was once a representation of something frightening, takes on a new meaning for the dog and represents something positive.
Why doesn’t correction/punishment with a shock collar (prong, choke, or noise maker) work?
It is important for people to understand that when we try to treat dog aggression issues, we are looking to change more than simply what the dog does. While it is sometimes possible to temporarily suppress aggression or an unwanted behavior, unless you treat the underlying problem, the problem can get worse long term. So, we look to change the association the dog has, so that the dog is no longer anxious, then the behavior fades away. The goal is to change how the dog thinks and feels about the “scary” thing (trigger/stimulus). When we do this through a systematic process, using science-based approaches, and listen to what our dogs are telling us, we are giving our dogs every chance to succeed. Just as you can’t expect a child to read a book until they have learned the alphabet, we can’t expect our dogs to move through this process on our time table, pushing a dog to fast too soon can result in disaster. There is no fast tracking a dog through this process. This is a process driven by the dog.
So why do people use punishment training with reactive dogs?
Punishment gets results, there is no denying this. Unfortunately, those results are an illusion and generally temporary. The dog learns that in order to avoid the unpleasantness of punishment, he must stop what he is doing. However, most reactivity in dogs comes from the origin of fear, and fear is an emotion, and emotions can’t be corrected through punishment, because emotions are an involuntary response. So while we might suppress behavior through punishment, it will never change how the dog feels internally about what he is afraid of. And while the dog may not be reacting, it is likely because the dog has shut down internally; a quiet dog is not synonymous with a dog who is "fixed". Just because a dog is silent, doesn’t mean the dog has accepted what is happening or likes what is happening. When a dog experiences the unpleasantness of punishment, while he is looking at the very thing that scares him, we are teaching the dog that they really do need to be afraid, because look what happens when the trigger appears “I get shocked, my collar gets popped, I experience a level of discomfort and unpleasantness, etc. Dogs that are learning through the use of punishment and pain, are always working to avoid the punishment and pain, while dogs that are learning through positive reinforcement, are working for the hope of gaining a “prize”. Working to avoid something unpleasant, is simply not as effective or as lasting, as working for the promise of something pleasant.
What will happen to my dog if punishment training has been used already?
Punishment training to address fear based behavioral issues often results in an exacerbation of the original behavioral response, making it much worse than it started out being.
Will behavior modification still work if my dog was previously punished?
Yes, behavior modification will work, it just might take longer.
How will I know that when the behavior modification is working?
Your dog’s reaction to the trigger will begin to diminish, you will also be able to move closer to the trigger.
How far away from my dog’s trigger(s) will he/she need to be?
That can vary tremendously depending on the level of reactivity, how long the dog has been rehearsing the behavior toward the trigger, how effective your dog has been at making the scary thing go away, and of course the dog themselves.
What if my dog encounters other dogs unexpectedly during the behavior modification process?
In this process we are creating new positive associations where there have previously been bad ones. It will take patience, many repetitions and consistent positive outcomes for the learning to occur. The dog needs to believe that the new conditions are permanent. This means the positive experiences happen for so long and so consistently that their suspicions actually reverse. So, to that end exposures to triggers should be controlled. It is up to you to manage your dog's exposures to their triggers when your trainer is not working with you. This may mean having to modify previous exercise routines that included walking in the neighborhood or hiking in high traffic areas, so as to avoid surprise encounters with dogs, until your dog progresses to that point in the behavior modification process. Once you begin working in a more "real-world" setting, you will always want to have your high value food with you and be prepared for those "teaching-moments". Unfortunately, if your dog is put back into the same stressful situation again, you have undone a lot of your hard work, because you have just taught the dog that the negative situation still has the potential to occur at any time.
Can you “fix” or cure my dog?
It’s very important to understand that there are no guarantees in dog training, regardless of whether it is training for behavior modification or general manners training. Any trainer making guarantees or promising you results you should run from. It is unethical for trainers to guarantee changed behavior results. This is due to the variables in dog breeding and temperament, owner commitment and experience, the dog's future life experiences, etc. I pledged to refrain from giving guarantees regarding the outcome of training. Instead of guaranteeing specific behavior results, I promise to work with you and your dog to achieve a better relationship.
How long will this training take?
The dog really drives the bus through this process, how quickly a dog moves through the process depends on many factors.
Does training continue past the behavior modification?
Yes, for the dog who progresses to the point where they are able to be in the presence of other dogs, the next phase of this work happens in a group setting with the focus on cognitive behavior modification. Eventually this all progresses to dogs who are able to perform previously learned skills while in the presence of other dogs, learn novel skills while in the presence of other dogs and eventually be able to parallel walk and hike together at a distance from other dogs that is comfortable for them.
When will I know that my dog is ready for the next phase of training?
Most dogs are able to participate in this next phase of training anywhere from 1-3 months after the behavior modification work has been completed successfully.
How do you work with clients?
Most of the time I initially work with clients privately, then move on to a group setting. Sometimes those groups are small, comprised of 2-3 other dogs or in the more advanced group setting as many as 10 dogs.
What can I expect from this training?
You can expect the following:
Many reactive dogs are in fact created, through the use of electric fences. If you have an electric/invisible fence you will need to deactivate that fence while in this training, then a positive association with a new boundary of distance 2-3 feet away from the original boundary will need to be established for your dog.
Dogs can be born nervous and anxious, especially those dogs who have been carried by a nervous mother. Studies have shown that nervous/anxious dogs with elevated stress hormones, pass that stress onto their puppies while in Utero. Those stress hormones influence every aspect of each puppy’s development throughout the gestational period, and they are born stressed, and unfortunately stress, and anxiety promotes aggression. However, most reactivity is simply a lack of socialization during the critical period (the first 20 weeks), and/or a continued lack of positive association to novel places, people, other dogs and things for the remainder of the first 12-months. Then there are single events that the dog makes an association with and doesn’t forget, especially those events that occur during the “fear-periods” or “sensitive-periods” during the first 18 months.
Can you give an example of how an event might make a dog reactive?
- You are walking your dog, a car driving by and backfires, while your dog is looking at a person riding a bike, the back fire scares your dog. It is possible for that single incident to make your dog afraid of bikes.
- You are walking your dog and he is ambushed by another dog who is not friendly and begins fighting with your dog. This could scare your dog enough to create a “dog-reactive-dog”.
- Your dog is walking through a doorway, something falls making a loud noise, your dog is scared by this noise, they could then develop a fear of walking through doorways.
- A dog that is behind an electric fence, who gets too close to the boundary while looking at another dog, kid on a bike, jogger, etc., can in fact develop negative associations with those things if they get zapped while looking at them.
How does behavior modification work?
Behavior Modification, simply put is the systematic approach to changing behavior, in this case changing a dog’s reaction to a situation, a person, a thing, or another animal, etc. These things are referred to as the “trigger(s)” or “stimulus”. The process that is used to modify the behavior is called Counter Conditioning (along with Desensitization), this process essentially rewires a dog’s brain by creating a new neural pathway, which ultimately changes how the dog thinks and feels about the things that scare them. Counter conditioning is often confused with, and occurs at the same time as, desensitization. But desensitization can occur on its own - just like when we get used to a noxious smell or sound in a room. Counter conditioning, on the other hand helps make new associations or links between things or circumstances that replace old learned associations or links. Consequently, the old inappropriate response is substituted with a new appropriate response.
Why do you use food?
A high value food is used to feed the dog when they look at the trigger/stimulus; soon the dog begins to make the association that the trigger or (scary thing) predicts the appearance of the food. Eventually the trigger, which was once a representation of something frightening, takes on a new meaning for the dog and represents something positive.
Why doesn’t correction/punishment with a shock collar (prong, choke, or noise maker) work?
It is important for people to understand that when we try to treat dog aggression issues, we are looking to change more than simply what the dog does. While it is sometimes possible to temporarily suppress aggression or an unwanted behavior, unless you treat the underlying problem, the problem can get worse long term. So, we look to change the association the dog has, so that the dog is no longer anxious, then the behavior fades away. The goal is to change how the dog thinks and feels about the “scary” thing (trigger/stimulus). When we do this through a systematic process, using science-based approaches, and listen to what our dogs are telling us, we are giving our dogs every chance to succeed. Just as you can’t expect a child to read a book until they have learned the alphabet, we can’t expect our dogs to move through this process on our time table, pushing a dog to fast too soon can result in disaster. There is no fast tracking a dog through this process. This is a process driven by the dog.
So why do people use punishment training with reactive dogs?
Punishment gets results, there is no denying this. Unfortunately, those results are an illusion and generally temporary. The dog learns that in order to avoid the unpleasantness of punishment, he must stop what he is doing. However, most reactivity in dogs comes from the origin of fear, and fear is an emotion, and emotions can’t be corrected through punishment, because emotions are an involuntary response. So while we might suppress behavior through punishment, it will never change how the dog feels internally about what he is afraid of. And while the dog may not be reacting, it is likely because the dog has shut down internally; a quiet dog is not synonymous with a dog who is "fixed". Just because a dog is silent, doesn’t mean the dog has accepted what is happening or likes what is happening. When a dog experiences the unpleasantness of punishment, while he is looking at the very thing that scares him, we are teaching the dog that they really do need to be afraid, because look what happens when the trigger appears “I get shocked, my collar gets popped, I experience a level of discomfort and unpleasantness, etc. Dogs that are learning through the use of punishment and pain, are always working to avoid the punishment and pain, while dogs that are learning through positive reinforcement, are working for the hope of gaining a “prize”. Working to avoid something unpleasant, is simply not as effective or as lasting, as working for the promise of something pleasant.
What will happen to my dog if punishment training has been used already?
Punishment training to address fear based behavioral issues often results in an exacerbation of the original behavioral response, making it much worse than it started out being.
Will behavior modification still work if my dog was previously punished?
Yes, behavior modification will work, it just might take longer.
How will I know that when the behavior modification is working?
Your dog’s reaction to the trigger will begin to diminish, you will also be able to move closer to the trigger.
How far away from my dog’s trigger(s) will he/she need to be?
That can vary tremendously depending on the level of reactivity, how long the dog has been rehearsing the behavior toward the trigger, how effective your dog has been at making the scary thing go away, and of course the dog themselves.
What if my dog encounters other dogs unexpectedly during the behavior modification process?
In this process we are creating new positive associations where there have previously been bad ones. It will take patience, many repetitions and consistent positive outcomes for the learning to occur. The dog needs to believe that the new conditions are permanent. This means the positive experiences happen for so long and so consistently that their suspicions actually reverse. So, to that end exposures to triggers should be controlled. It is up to you to manage your dog's exposures to their triggers when your trainer is not working with you. This may mean having to modify previous exercise routines that included walking in the neighborhood or hiking in high traffic areas, so as to avoid surprise encounters with dogs, until your dog progresses to that point in the behavior modification process. Once you begin working in a more "real-world" setting, you will always want to have your high value food with you and be prepared for those "teaching-moments". Unfortunately, if your dog is put back into the same stressful situation again, you have undone a lot of your hard work, because you have just taught the dog that the negative situation still has the potential to occur at any time.
Can you “fix” or cure my dog?
It’s very important to understand that there are no guarantees in dog training, regardless of whether it is training for behavior modification or general manners training. Any trainer making guarantees or promising you results you should run from. It is unethical for trainers to guarantee changed behavior results. This is due to the variables in dog breeding and temperament, owner commitment and experience, the dog's future life experiences, etc. I pledged to refrain from giving guarantees regarding the outcome of training. Instead of guaranteeing specific behavior results, I promise to work with you and your dog to achieve a better relationship.
How long will this training take?
The dog really drives the bus through this process, how quickly a dog moves through the process depends on many factors.
- How long the dog has been rehearsing the behavior toward the trigger- has it been weeks, months or years?
- How this behavior was previously addressed-flooding or punishment used?
- How effective your dog has been at making the scary thing go away?
- How often you will be able to practice with your dog?
Does training continue past the behavior modification?
Yes, for the dog who progresses to the point where they are able to be in the presence of other dogs, the next phase of this work happens in a group setting with the focus on cognitive behavior modification. Eventually this all progresses to dogs who are able to perform previously learned skills while in the presence of other dogs, learn novel skills while in the presence of other dogs and eventually be able to parallel walk and hike together at a distance from other dogs that is comfortable for them.
When will I know that my dog is ready for the next phase of training?
Most dogs are able to participate in this next phase of training anywhere from 1-3 months after the behavior modification work has been completed successfully.
How do you work with clients?
Most of the time I initially work with clients privately, then move on to a group setting. Sometimes those groups are small, comprised of 2-3 other dogs or in the more advanced group setting as many as 10 dogs.
What can I expect from this training?
You can expect the following:
- Prevention and Management
- Learn how to Anticipate and Avoid
- Learn how to Read your Dog
- Learn how to Plan Ahead and Manage
- De-Stress
- Learn how to decrease stress
- Learn how to Increase Positive Experiences
- Learn how/what to Provide as Alternative exercise
- Relationship Building
- Learn Attention Training
- Learn how Petting can reduce stress
- Learn how to create a Game Night
- Foundation Training
- Learn Foundation Skills
- Learn how to Introduce Novelty
- Targeted Behavior Modification
- Learn (Approximations)
- Learn how to add in Distance, Duration, Distraction, Etc.
Many reactive dogs are in fact created, through the use of electric fences. If you have an electric/invisible fence you will need to deactivate that fence while in this training, then a positive association with a new boundary of distance 2-3 feet away from the original boundary will need to be established for your dog.
Scientific Resources
The Effects of Using Aversive Training Methods in Dogs - A Review
Electronic training devices: Discussion on the pros and cons of their
use in dogs as a basis for the position statement of the European Society
of Veterinary Clinical Ethology
The Effects of Using Aversive Training Methods in Dogs - A Review
Electronic training devices: Discussion on the pros and cons of their
use in dogs as a basis for the position statement of the European Society
of Veterinary Clinical Ethology
DON'T PUNISH THE GROWL
"Just a generation ago if you went near a dog when he was eating and the dog growled, somebody would say, 'Don't go near the dog when he's eating!, what are you crazy?' Now the dog gets euthanized. Back then, dogs were allowed to say, NO. Dogs are not allowed to say no anymore...They can't get freaked out, they can't be afraid, they can never signal 'I'd rather not.' We don't have any kind of nuance with regard to dogs expressing that they are uncomfortable, afraid, angry, or in pain, worried, or upset. If the dog is anything other than completely sunny and goofy every second, he goes from a nice dog to an 'AGGRESSIVE' dog."
- Jean Donaldson
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