Author: Brian Rose

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This article is intended to help dogs that bark, growl, lunge, charge, snap or bite when interacting with people or dogs. Stress, generalized anxiety, chronic stress, frustration, pain or underlying medical conditions can all contribute to aggressive responses. Address any potential medical issues with your veterinarian and read through these tips before creating and implementing a behavior modification plan for aggressive behavior.

1. The Importance of Management With Aggression in Dogs

Solid management strategies is a critical component of an effective behavior modification plan. The more a dog practices undesirable behavior, the more habitual those behaviors become. Create visual barricades to reduce the intensity and frequency with which your dog barks at people or dogs through windows or fences. Walk your dog at times and in areas that are quiet. Help your dog relax in a safe space in your house when you have visitors come over. These strategies will facilitate progress when paired with an effective training plan.

2. Keep a Behavior Log of Aggressive Responses

In order to work through aggressive behavior, we first need to get really good at predicting when it will occur. This can minimize the number of times our dogs rehearse aggressive responses. Keep a behavior log and use it to write down concerning behavior when it occurs. Write down:

• Date
• Environment (ie living room, kitchen, backyard etc.)
• Time of day
• Conditions that surrounded the event (events, resources, activities)
• Behavior (avoid labels like “vicious” or “defiant” – use terms that describe the actual behavior like “lunged” or “barked.”)
• Recovery time (ie. how long did it take for your dog to return to calm?)

3. Suppressing Symptomatic Behavior

Verbally or physically reprimanding a dog for growling, barking or snapping can easily teach a dog to suppress warning signs of aggression. When people say, “the dog bit without warning” this is usually because the dog was “trained” not to give warning. Respect warning signs and create space by moving your dog away from a person, dog or event that is triggering aggressive behavior. Do not use verbal or physical reprimands/corrections to suppress warning signs of aggression, like hard stares, growling, barking or air snapping.

4. What should I do if my dog delivers a bite?

If a dog delivers a bite, you should neutralize the situation by moving the dog away on a secure leash and harness. Avoid restraining the dog by the collar, isolating a dog, yelling or hitting the dog in such a situation. All of these responses can intensify the underlying emotional response. Instead, focus on redirecting the dog to an activity that is inherently calming. For example, go for a walk or stand or sit with the dog in a calm environment.

5. Ambiguous Behaviors

Know that wagging tails, licking faces, sniffing or rolling over to expose a belly are ambiguous behaviors. Many people mistakenly assume that these are indications that the dog is friendly, and wants to be pet or that they want to be “friends” with another dog. Sometimes that’s true, and sometimes this is actually an “appeasement gesture” that the dog is displaying to express stress or discomfort. Forcing unwanted interactions is a fast way to teach a dog to express discomfort in a less ambiguous manner, for instance, biting. If a dog has history of being nervous, or has a history of aggressive behavior, err on the side of caution, and give the dog space.

6. The Importance of Neutral Body Language

Petting, talking to, or staring at a dog that is uncertain can trigger an aggressive response. It may take several meetings for a dog to become comfortable. Some dogs never warm up to certain people, and will always need space. Neutral body language and patience are the most effective ways to generate trust with a nervous dog.

7. Avoid having Strangers Feed Your Nervous Dog

High value food can be a great way to condition a dog to have a “feel good” response to the presence of people that may otherwise generate stress. However, food should always be delivered by a trusted caregiver, not from the hand of a stranger. Coaxing a dog to interact with or approach a person they are uncomfortable with can create a conflict of interest that could result in an escalation of stress, and could lead to a bite.

8. Fences and Tight Leashes Can Fuel Aggressive Impulses

Trainers that train police or protection dogs use barriers and tight leashes to generate aggressive behavior. Leaving dogs outside in a fenced yard or walking your dog on a short, tight leash can have a similar effect. This behavior can generalize to other social situations, like greeting guests or people that they see on walks. If you live in urban or suburban environments do these four things to minimize the amount that your dog practices barking at people or dogs:

1. Keep your dog in a central area of your home when you are leave the house. Avoid leaving your dog in a yard unsupervised for extended periods of time.
2. Create visual barriers to windows or fences to minimize exposure to environmental triggers, like people or dogs.
3. Walk your dog on a six foot leash, as short leashes will exacerbate reactive behavior, like barking and lunging.
4. Enroll in a training program that uses positive reinforcement training to minimize stress and/or arousal that would otherwise fuel your dog’s aggressive responses.

9. Avoid Aversive Methods, Training Tools and “Techniques”

Avoid trainers or training recommendations that promote the use of aversive training tools to “fix” or “rehabilitate” dogs with aggressive behavior. Slip collars, choke chains, throw chains, shaker cans, remote electronic collars, bark collars and alpha rolls are likely to suppress behavior in the short term, but can exacerbate the underlying issue long term. There is only so long that you can keep a lid on a boiling pot of water before it pops!

10. Learn About Canine Stress Signals

Learn about canine stress signals and the manner in which they present in your individual dog. Recognizing early signs of stress can afford us the opportunity to give our dog the space they need when they are overwhelmed by a person, dog, or activity.  Dogs will escalate to more intense aggressive behavior when early warning signs are unnoticed, dismissed or suppressed.

10. Learn About Canine Stress Signals

Learn about canine stress signals and the manner in which they present in your individual dog. Recognizing early signs of stress can afford us the opportunity to give our dog the space they need when they are overwhelmed by a person, dog, or activity.  Dogs will escalate to more intense aggressive behavior when early warning signs are unnoticed, dismissed or suppressed.

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1: Housetraining

Beginning from the very FIRST SECOND that your dog enters your house, they are absorbing information like a sponge. If you’re smart – you’ll take advantage of this time and get your dog off on the right paw. Here’s how:

When bringing a new dog into your home NEVER assume that house training will carry over. (Dogs don’t generalize well) Allowing your dog the opportunity to have accidents in the house in the first few days may set the stage for months of potty problems. Get your dog on the right track on Day 1 by vowing to prevent any accidents from occurring. These next three tips may seem like a lot of work but will save you time and frustration in the long run! Here’s what you need to do for the first 2-3 days (minimum):

 

• Go for for potty breaks outside (on leash) every half-an-hour.

• Reward when they do their business in the appropriate place.

• Keep your dog on leash or in a confined area when they are in the house to prevent accidents.

2: Separation Preparation

Creating a “safe space” for your dog to stay in when unsupervised is preferred. I recommend gating off a kitchen, and spending time to properly proof the area to make it safe and secure:

 

• Always be sure that your dog has been given the opportunity to potty and exercise before going into their “safe space.”

• Provide irresistible goodies only if/when they are in this area.

3: Establish a Healthy Routine

Dogs thrive when given structure and clear-cut expectations. Sit down with your whole family and write up a list of “house rules” – your dog will thank-you for it! Here are some basic rules to consider implementing with your new dog.

 

• Keep greetings and departures low key. Exuberant “hellos” can set the stage for unwanted behavior down the road; like jumping or barking. Long, drawn out, goodbyes could make your dog more anxious about being on his or her own.

• Build value for being calm and connected. If a newly adopted dog is prone to anxious, fearful or hyper-active behavior it’s a great idea to spend 5 – 10 minutes each day hand feeding your dog their breakfast or dinner. This can create the bedrock for a great relationship.

• Create a feeding schedule! Why shouldn’t you leave food out throughout the day? Scheduled feeding allows you to monitor your dog’s mental and physical health. Loss of appetite is usually the first indicator that something is wrong and your dog is in need of special attention. A good feeding schedule is also associated with greater learning potential and a more energetic, happier dog.

4: Learn About Your Dog

Read their body language, and take note of how your dog responds to different people, places, noises, environments etc. Be aware of your dog’s emotional state, and avoid pushing your dog into situations that appear to generate chronic stress or anxiety. Be your dog’s advocate. Being sensitive to your dog’s limitations is the first step in developing a trusting relationship. Dismissing clear indicators of stress or anxiety is a sure fire way to create unwanted behavioral issues.

5: Expose Your Dog to New “Stuff” Gradually

Go to big open parks where dogs have to be on leash (not a dog park!) where your dog can watch the world go by. Allowing your dog to see dogs and people in the distance is a great way to help your dog learn to be calm and minimize stress or arousal on leash.  This allows for more gradual exposure to stimuli that could otherwise over-stimulate or over-whelm your dog.

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First things first: if your dog has a pulse then your dog is indeed food motivated. A common thing I hear from people is that their dog isn’t that motivated towards food. Let me tell you about three possible reasons that your dog may no be excited about food.

1. Overfeeding

The dehydrated food that most people feed is packed with calories and expands in a dog’s stomach. Combine that with all the extra treats that dogs receive each day and this usually equates to a dog that feels sickly just smelling more food. Here are a few hard and fast rules that will help improve your dog’s appetite if over-feeding is the issue. Here’s what you’re going to do:

• Check with your vet to make sure there is no underlying physical cause for their reduced appetite. If your dog has a clean bill of health, keep reading ..
• Use the quantity recommended on your dog food package to get a rough estimate of how much your dog should be eating. Keep in mind that that quantity is usually 5-10% than most dogs actually need. The dog food is a product, and the more you use, the more you buy.
• Use a lined measuring cup! Stop using plastic containers and estimating, you should be precise in your measurements.
• Pick up any food not eaten within 10 minutes. Dogs are opportunistic eaters. If your dog is walking away from the food then they are most likely receiving more than their daily caloric need. Assuming your dog is physically healthy, trust your dog to know that they’ve had enough.
• If you are especially concerned that your dog might be hungry mid-day, you can always offer food again at lunch time. But do respect that the only way your dog can say “no thanks” is by turning their head away. Don’t force it.
• Track the quantity of food that your dog chooses to eat for one week. That’s right … a full week. A full seven days. Measure and write down the quantity of food that is left over after 10 minutes and subtract that from the amount given.
• Avoid adding gravy or wet food. If you feel the need to add a little something special you can grate some of the meaty roll into your dog’s food like you are adding in fresh pepper. This is often enough to stimulate your dog’s appetite.
• Now average your amount together. And divide by the number by seven. If you feed twice each day, divide that number by 2.

2. Stress, Fear and Anxiety

Chronic stress can suppress a dog’s appetite. This leads most people to leave food out throughout the day, which can exacerbate the problem. Keep your dog on a feeding schedule. If your dog walks away from their food bowl, be sure to pick it up. Talk to a professional trainer that will help teach you how to build your dog’s confidence, and minimize his or her day to day stress.

3. Medical Issues

A sudden loss of appetite or change in eating habits could be an indication that your dog should be brought to the vet. This will be easier to spot in a dog that is already on a healthy feeding schedule.

There are studies that show that small quantities of food are more effective at stimulating an animal’s appetite than a larger quantity of the same food. Biologically, brains are programmed to be suspicious of foods that are offered in abundance. With this in mind, here’s a tip that will get your dog excited about meal time: measure out the ideal quantity of food for the day based on your dog’s weight, age and activity, and offer it in smaller portions throughout the day.

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Impulsive Players

Tell me if you’ve ever met a dog exhibits sudden and intense episodes of manic play where they jump and bite at your clothing or arms. It seems playful, but the dog is unable to pick up on cues from you that you’re not having a good time. When dogs exhibit one of these outbursts the owner is usually left feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, angry and in some cases … scared. In the aftermath of one of these episodes, people are left with long red welts, bruises and the occasional swollen lip. 

This is different from typical jumping that occurs during greetings. While an excited greeter can still be frustrating, at least the behavior is predictable. It happens when family, friends or acquaintances walks through the front door and usually stops after about 5 minutes. The behavior that we’re discussing in this post usually catches the owner off guard. The root of the problem is more complicated than it might first appear. The jumping typically occurs when dog becomes over-stimulated (fearful, anxious, aroused) by the environment or by changes in the environment. The dog can go from 0 to 60 in a few seconds, and it takes substantially longer for the dog to “come back down” to calm.

Commonalities in dogs that exhibit this type of behavior:

These dogs usually spend, or have spent, a significant amount of time “cooped up.”

• Meaning, they spend more than 4 hours in a kennel or crate during the day. In some cases, this is necessitated by the dog’s impulsive tendencies to jump up, chew on things, or surf table tops.

Their outside time is usually filled with high stimulation activity.

• To counter-balance the amount of time that they spend in-active, the owner might try to “tire the dog out” with long games of fetch, day care, frequently trips to the dog park or long runs. These dogs become accustomed to an “all or nothing” approach to living life. They have not spent a significant amount of time learning how to settle in high stimulation settings, and they are not learning how to regulate play.  In these cases, dogs are conditioned to become “adrenaline junkies,” anxiously waiting for the source of their next high stimulation activity. If it doesn’t come soon enough, these dogs will create a high stimulation event with their rough and tumble play.

It’s common for owners to feel that these dogs need a firm hand.

• When a dog acts out of line they usually try to roll the dog to their side, give the dog a hard stare, knee the dog in the chest or use other aversive training tools. A dog that is already on an adrenaline high is likely to respond to these challenges (intimidation or pain) by attempting to “match” the person’s combative approach. An aversive approach can, in some cases, suppress the behavior for a short period of time. But like a covered pot of boiling water, there is a limited amount of time before the dog blows their lid.

Here are 6 Training Tips for Impulsive Players:

Training Tip #1: Train together.

Training is a way to help your dog improve their problem solving skills. Food puzzles are becoming more and more popular, however, it’s even better if the problem solving becomes a bonding activity between you and your dog. Train them to a high level of fluency on calming behaviors. For example, settling on a training mat or dog bed, sitting or lying down on a variety of surfaces or heeling by your side. Start in a low stress, low distraction environment. Once your dog looks like an obedience super star in your house or backyard, gradually build up to more challenging environments. Remember that learning is an on-going process, there is always room for growth.

Training Tip #2: Ditch the Dog Food Bowl

Animals spend the majority of their day working to acquire food. Even we spend the majority of our mental and physical energy working to put food on the table. Our domesticated dogs are given free meals. Sometimes we ask them to sit (or for some other trick) before meal time but that takes up the smallest fraction of their total energy. The excess mental and physical energy fuels the most common behavioral issues. If you want to do a better job of utilizing your dog’s brain power you should get rid of your dog’s food bowl, and start making them work for their food in training sessions. Your dog will thank you, and your relationship will flourish in ways you never thought possible. It’s a great idea to carry your dog’s meals on walks. Fill up your training pouch and stop at a nearby park to hand feed your dog. This is a great way to promote calm, engaged behavior on walks. A dog that is calm and engaged is less likely to pull on leash, and more likely to come back when called when they are off the leash. Every dog can benefit from doing this.

Note:

Use higher value (meaty) food reinforcement whenever you’re challenging your dog to learn a new behavior, or when you are trying to generalize a learned behavior to new distractions or or to a new environment.

Training Tip #3: Teach them how to play.

This jumping/mouthing behavior is the result of a mis-directed effort to “play.” Some of these dogs find playing with their toys to be less interesting/stimulating than jumping and mouthing at their owner’s arm. Other dogs have no clue what to do with a dog toy, they’ve never learned how to play. We need to teach them. I personally have found that teaching dogs to play tug with well outlined rules can be a very constructive way of teaching dogs to issue more impulse control. You can also play fetch. Regardless of the game, the most important tip is to s-l-o-w the game down. Trying to do a lot of high intensity play will only fuel their fire. Instead, get your dog to think and problem solve. It’s also important to keep your playtime short. For example, it’s best to do 5 minute play sessions, 2 or 3 times each day. Avoid long play sessions. People generally try to “tire dogs out” with long games of fetch or tug, when in reality the dogs are just becoming over-stimulated. End each play session with a decompression activity like a relaxing nature walk, or by giving them a high value chew.

click here for a video regarding rules of play for tug

This also helps them think through high arousal and learn to become more in tune to their owner’s facial expressions and body language. However, many owners feel uncomfortable playing tug because it feels too similar to the very behavior that they’re trying to un-train. If this is the case, you can also teach your dog to play structured games of fetch. Some dogs are natural retrievers, some are not. A good trainer can shape and build drive for this type of game if they effectively break down the sequence.

Training Tip #4: Go for hikes with your dog.

Instead of taking this type of dog to daycares or dog parks, where they are likely practicing high arousal play, take your dog for hikes, to the lake, or on trips to the beach. The sights and scents of nature is great therapy. It can help recondition your dog to slow down, and relate to you in a healthier way. It’s physical exercise that generally promotes a calm state of mind, and it’s good for you too.

Training Tip #5: Condition your dog to a head halter.

I will be honest, I don’t love head halters. I don’t like putting head halters on dogs, because most dogs don’t like wearing them. That being said, dogs that jump and bite at people (even if the dog is well intentioned) can cause injury, and these situations need to be managed intelligently. If your dog jumps and bites with guests, with kids, or when you are out on a walk you can use a head halter while you work on generalizing their training to these scenarios. A dog that paws incessantly at their halter or muzzle is not properly conditioned to wearing it. Make sure you spend time helping your dog to feel comfortable with the head halter by feeding them meals while they wear it. The head halter should not create additional stress, frustration or anxiety.

Contact a trainer if you feel you are not able to tackle these challenges on your own.

Go to www.legendsdogtraining.com to book a consultation with Alyssa Rose or to sign up for an online course.

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​Transformational Journey to a Happier and Healthier Dog

I use quotes around the word “untrainable” because I don’t believe that any dog is actually untrainable. There are many people that do think or wonder if that might be true of some dogs; usually older dogs, highly anxious dogs, or small dogs that are burdened by this label. As soon as a person develops the notion that a dog is beyond hope, or beyond help, that dog truly is at a distinct disadvantage because helping dogs with behavioral issues depends largely on whether or not a guardian or caregiver believes that change is possible. The “untrainable” dog featured in this story is named Frodo, and meets all criteria for what society might deem “beyond help.” And yet, Frodo continues to make progress in his behavioral journey on a daily basis. This became possible because someone believed that he was more than the sum of his problems. My mom took him into her care when he needed her the most, she saw the good in him, even when others couldn’t.

Frodo is an 11 year old, 12 lb terrier mix who came into our home 2.5 years ago. Name a behavioral issue, chances are, he has it: sensitivity to sounds, separation anxiety, territorial behavior with people, reactive behavior with dogs. Integrating a dog like Frodo into a house with kids and two other dogs was – to say the least – a challenge. You might be wondering why we would choose to bring a senior dog, with this type of behavioral profile, into our lives.  To better understand how and why Frodo ended up with us, you first need to know a little about where he came from.

Raising a Puppy in the Big City

Frodo was originally named Wayne. He was raised in New York City. His original owner was a woman that suffered from schizophrenia and substance abuse. By the time Wayne was three years old his owner’s mental and physical condition was such that she needed to be admitted to a residential care facility. At the time that she was admitted, Wayne went to live with the woman’s brother. Unfortunately, the adoption was short lived. Wayne was territorial of his new apartment. The woman’s brother did not know how to manage or work with this type of behavior, so less than one week after losing his first home, Wayne was thrown out of his second. He was relinquished to a Queen’s shelter. My mom had been following Wayne’s story through a friend of a friend. My mom was ready to adopt this little terrier the moment she learned that he had ended up in the shelter, despite the fact that she had never met him. When no one returned her calls she became concerned that he could be euthanized before she had the chance to adopt, so on December 17th she got in her car, drove to the shelter, and adopted a matted, anxious, little terrier. It was her birthday. Saving this little dog from near certain euthanasia was her birthday present to herself. She re-named him Frodo.

Behavioral Issues Galore

My mom always had a knack for choosing dogs from the shelter that were very easy going, and fit into her life without much drama. Frodo was the exception. Frodo alert barked with any and all activity occurring outside the house, he had accidents throughout the house no matter how often he was let outside, he would dash out doorways and he did not take kindly to visitors. Despite all of these challenges, she still loved him, and was always quick to point out all of his virtues. This was always a quality I admired about my mom when it came to loving the animals in her care.

Building a Plane In-Flight (or Training without a Base)

“Building a plane in-flight” is what I call it when people try to address behavioral issues without a foundation. My mom was a busy lady. She was an auditor for a German bank in Manhattan, she ran her own business in Long Island, she took care of my aging grandparents, and she had health issues all her own to contend with. Training was not a top priority for her. Like many people, she wanted training solutions without having to set aside actual time to train. This never works out. I knew that without a foundation any training recommendations were unlikely to help, but she had limited time, so I did my best to give her some one off tips.

“If you are trying to build your plane in flight, you should expect that you might not reach your destination.”

If you are trying to build your plane in flight, you should expect that you might not reach your destination. Such was the case with my mom’s attempts to address Frodo’s behavioral issues. She rotated through different strategies but it was hard to find strategies that effectively managed his separation anxiety, his territorial tendencies with unfamiliar people and his potty accidents without the necessary bedrock in place first. It was a bumpy road. She did her best and took these frustrations in stride. She never once questioned her decision to take him in and care for him to the best of her abilities.

“Life and Death are one Thread, Viewed from Different Sides”

My mom’s health continued to deteriorate. In June of 2016 I was 9 months pregnant. My mom had planned to fly from New York to California so that she could be present for the birth of my son. Unfortunately, she was too sick to fly. In fact, she was admitted to a hospital on the evening of June 11th. That night we would both be lying in hospital beds on either side of the country. I went into labor around 1130pm and at 7:58am on June 12th my son, Peyton, was born. My mom saw Peyton through photos and on video calls. By the magic of technology she was able to be present as we drove to his first doctor’s check up, but she never did meet him in person. On July 7th she was put into an induced coma, and on July 23rd she passed away.

I flew back to New York with my 5 week old son. My husband, Brian, and my 7 year old step son, Ami, would be meeting me in New York in a few days to attend my mom’s funeral. As I waited to board the plane my mind went back to conversations my mom and I had years before. She had always told me that she wanted me to take care of her animals in the event that something happened to her. My husband and I were just adjusting to life with a newborn, and now we might be inviting at least one more new family member to the house when we returned to California in August. To learn more about Frodo’s journey, stay tuned for Part 2.

Have you ever cared for a dog that was riddled with anxiety? Tell me more about your experiences in the comment section below.

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Adopting Frodo

My mom and I always had a special bond in our mutual love of living and caring for animals. Just like my mom and I had talked about years before, in the event of her passing, she requested that I take care of her animals. At the time of her death she had two dogs and two cats. I knew that taking all four was not realistic since my husband, Brian, and I had our hands full with a 5 week old newborn, Peyton, my 7 year old step-son, Ami, and two dogs, Fritz and Beatrix. After talking it over with my siblings we decided that my older brother, Christopher, would take the two cats, and my younger sister Michelle, would take my mom’s older, easy going shih tzu, Benji. Since I work with dogs that have behavioral challenges for a living, it seemed logical that I would take Frodo.

Booking our return trip to California presented some challenges. I was not able to get on the same plane as Brian and Ami, which meant that we would fly back to California the same day but on separate flights. Flying with Peyton and Frodo was just as challenging as I imagined. Frodo did not like the idea of being confined to a room, so it was no surprise that being confined to a small bag was not his cup of tea either. I spent the 6 hour flight from New York to California leaning forward, one arm used to comfort the 12 lb dog at my feet and the other arm wrapped around my newborn son. Dividing my efforts in this way was helpful to no one. Frodo cried, clawed and chewed at the carrier until his gums were bleeding. I bounced and nursed and sung to my son, but he too, was just as inconsolable. The only reprieve I got was when I was able to unzip the bag and let Frodo bring his head out. Unfortunately, these respites were short lived. The stewardess had zero tolerance for this blatant disregard for airline policies. Smoke billowed from her eyes each time she saw the unzipped bag. I wanted to tell her my story, about my mom and why this poor frantic dog had ended up on this flight with me and my newborn son. I imagined that if she heard this story, her expression would soften, and that she would understand and turn a blind eye. Unfortunately, I have no idea if this would have been true or not, every time I even thought about my mom, and the idea of relating this story, my throat closed and I couldn’t speak. This left me with no other option but to close him back inside his carrier whenever I felt her glaring over me.

Integrating an Anxious Dog into a Home with Kids

When I arrived back to the bright blue skies of San Diego I had about an hour wait before Brian and Ami’s plane landed. I was eager to get back home to the comforts of home, and begin the process of integrating Frodo into our family. Trainers frequently refer to the first few weeks that a dog is in a new house as the “honeymoon period.” Less desirable behaviors don’t always present in the first few weeks that a dog is in a new environment. I tried to use this time wisely, to set the stage  for new, desirable habits and to minimize his tendency to fall back on old habits. I created a training plan and wrote out, in sequence, everything that I hoped to accomplish with him in training. My first priority was establishing a “base” in training which would help him become calm and confident in his new surroundings. Base Training Method got its name from the concept that in order to help dogs work through the most challenging behavioral issues, we first need to develop a rock solid base. With a strong base we can establish a healthy form of two way communication, and provide more enrichment opportunities suited to each dog’s individual needs and abilities.

I realized how important it was to be realistic in my expectations. I knew that change was possible, but it wasn’t going to happen overnight. I also realized that it would take some time to truly understand the full scope of his anxieties. The first time we saw any concerning behavior with Frodo was after about three weeks of him being in the house. Frodo began to compulsively follow me when ever I got up and moved around the house and became distressed and cried or paced if he couldn’t be right by my side. The only time this was not an issue was if one of the kids left the door ajar. In this case, he dashed out the doorway, and appeared oblivious to my calls. Anxiety is an interesting paradox in this way. A lot of times an anxious individual has no clear understanding or path to the things they want and no clear escape from the things they don’t want. He started to alert to the smallest sounds outside. Sometimes sounds outside prompted him to turn around and lift his leg to mark furniture. He barked a lot, sometimes he barked at nothing. Other times he barked at us, which happened most commonly at dinner time. If there was one positive, it was that we could rest safely knowing that Frodo would not allow a strange person to enter the house without letting us, and the rest of the neighborhood, know all about it.

The Start of Frodo’s Behavioral Journey

I already loved this dog for who he was, but also for the fact that him being a part of our lives allowed for a continued connection with my mom. Ami would frequently point out the importance of caring for “Mama Bear’s dog.” This was a nickname my mom had garnered over the years within our family as well as with close friends. I also was interested in Frodo’s behavior on a professional level. This dog was shrouded in anxiety. Every sound, every movement, every interaction, every change to his environment triggered some level of stress. The behavior scientist in me wanted to know what the prognosis was for an eight year old dog, that had such deep rooted anxiety.

“Taking a line from the movie The Martian I wanted to ‘science the s*** out of this.’”

Taking a line from the movie The Martian I wanted to “science the s*** out of this.” I implemented every bit of advice that I would give to a client that had a dog with a similar behavioral profile. I expected this to be a long term project. Younger dogs (1-3 years of age) that exhibited serious signs of stress, anxiety and reactive responses usually showed significant progress in 3-6 months of working through a well structured, and consistently implemented, behavioral training plan. Given the intensity of Frodo’s behavioral issues, and that Frodo was a nearly 8 years old dog that had a longer history of rehearsing undesirable behaviors (especially barking excessively at outside noises and territorial behavior with guests), I expected that it would be a solid 1-1.5 years before I started to see the most meaningful change. I was excited to begin the journey, and see where it would take us.

Management, Management and More Management

In the meantime I worked to create management strategies that would help to minimize the amount that Frodo was practicing undesired behavior. It was important that these strategies minimized the frequency with which these behaviors were practiced, and that they also alleviated the corresponding anxiety. I kept Frodo tethered to me if ever there was even the smallest concern that Frodo could react to a person inside the house. This allowed me to intercept reactive behavior and help Frodo de-escalate when those situations came up. We also gated off the kitchen, for those times that tethering was just not a practical solution. Although the gated kitchen was a less than ideal management solution because being behind a gate triggered Frodo’s anxiety – another issue that needed to be addressed in his training plan.

​Making Deposits into the “Trust Account”

Surprisingly, and thankfully, Frodo did great with Peyton. I set up stations next to my nursing chair, near the couch, and in the nursery – places that I knew I would be spending a lot of time with a newborn baby. A station included either a training mat or dog bed depending on what made the most sense for that space, as well as, a jar of dried treats that I knew Frodo liked. Any time I was sitting with Peyton I made a point of tossing Frodo a few treats for targeting his station, he could be standing, sitting or lying down, just so long as he wasn’t trying to climb into my lap or paw at my legs, which was common if sounds or activity triggered his anxiety. I also made a point to hand feed meals whenever possible, which meant sitting down with him for breakfast and dinner and to deliver small handfuls of food. Hand feeding can be a great way to connect with a dog that experiences chronic stress or that struggles to develop trusting relationships with people. These types of informal sessions helped to accomplish the first and most important phase of his training plan: helping him to feel calm and comfortable with me, with his environment and with his routine. Although it didn’t happen often at the beginning, there were moments between all of the barking, panting and pawing where Frodo actually settled. And as time passed this became more and more common. I think that this type of passive reinforcement of desirable behavior really added up over the months. Looking back I see this time as an important investment into my relationship with Frodo as well as Frodo’s future relationship with Peyton. As Susan Friedman, a renowned behavior analyst would say, I was making deposits into a “trust account.” It was these small, but deliberate efforts that really added up over time.

Two Way Communication, Taking the Next Step

At the beginning more formal training sessions proved to be difficult for a few different reasons. 1. Newborns consume a lot of your time. 2. If I did find time to literally sit down to do “formal training” ALL Frodo wanted to do was anxiously climb into my lap and paw at me incessantly. Initially he had little to no interest in eating food in this type of training set up, this was likely due to the fact that he was chronically stressed and being on his level seemed to generate an even higher level of anxiety. If your dog is not “food motivated” check out this blog for tips and considerations.

Sitting with Frodo generated a nervous response. His social interactions with me were compulsive, he pawed at me or tried to crawl into my lap for comfort. Once he was eating food from me when placed on the ground, it took a few weeks to teach him to take food from my hand, and another few weeks before he was capable of consistently taking food from me with any level of focus, even when we trained in relatively low stress situations. I moved at his pace. We had already established a base layer in training, one that promoted a sense of safety, security and trust. The goal was to create building blocks that would set the stage for a healthy form of two way communication. In my opinion, this is what good behavioral training is really all about. As we moved through September there were some encouraging moments where it felt that Frodo was making real headway. Unfortunately, working through anxiety or other stress related issues is rarely a linear process. In October, we were scheduled for a trip to visit family, which meant that Frodo had to stay with pet sitters, I knew this was bound to come with its fair share of drama. To find out what happened, stay tuned for Part III.

To what lengths have you gone to help your nervous dog feel more comfortable with routine stress? Are there any behavioral struggles that have ever left you feeling lost and frustrated? I would love to hear your stories, share in the comments section below.

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Travel Plans and Pet Sitting for an Anxious Dog

Frodo was starting to make some progress with his foundations in behavior training when we were due to fly to Cleveland for a week to visit with my husband’s family. We use a company called Doggie Joggie for pet sitting, I’ve always been impressed with how well they’ve cared for Beatrix and Fritz. I was even more impressed with the manner in which they persisted through a tough week with our new little family member, Frodo.

Sam and Lisa are the owners of Doggie Joggie, they’re also family friends. They came over a week or so before we were due to travel so that we could set up a friendly meeting with them and Frodo. Just like I would recommend to clients, I cut training food up in advance and met Sam and Lisa in front of the house with Frodo on harness and leash.

Frodo was not barking or lunging but he also wasn’t taking food, which was a red flag that he was not as comfortable having visitors as he might have seemed on the surface. Our dog’s ability to engage or respond to well established training exercises is one of the most helpful ways of determining their level of comfort, or conversely, their level of stress or anxiety. In this way we can view basic training as a means of two way communication, versus seeing a slow or reluctant response as a form of “disobedience.”

We went for a short walk up and down our street, before returning to the house to talk about the do’s and don’ts of taking care of our anxious terrier. Doorways had always been a major “hot spot” for Frodo’s most concerning behavior so we talked about ways to promote calm, relaxed behavior when walking in or out of the house.

I have to believe that it was hard for Sam and Lisa to understand the significance of the training and management protocol I was outlining, since there weren’t any incidents of barking or lunging during their visit. Soon they would have a better understanding of Frodo’s guarding tendencies.

Territorial Aggression in Dogs, and What to Do About It

The following week we boarded our flight and when we landed in Cleveland I saw an email from Sam outlining the initial challenges. It turned out that Frodo was a formidable security system in our absence.

I half expected that they would ask me to find another place for Frodo to stay while we were away, but to my surprise, they were ready to brainstorm for a better solution when walking into the house. Sam set up dog pen by the front door. It worked brilliantly. The second barrier seemed to give them the time and space they needed to calm Frodo down before walking inside. Here are the top 10 tips that I offer to clients that have dogs that exhibit aggressive or reactive behavior.

Behavior Modification Strategies, Upping Our Game

The next phone call came the following afternoon. Lisa had spent time relaxing with Frodo in the backyard. She recalled how he actually seemed to be warming up to her and described behaviors that I had become familiar with: crawling into her lap and pawing at her hand wanting “to be pet.” This type of nervous “social” behavior is always a red flag to me. A socially nervous dog might solicit interaction when a person is sitting or standing still, but become reactive again the moment that the person moves or makes a loud noise. Sometimes the petting can exacerbate the subsequent reaction. In this case, Frodo was triggered the moment Lisa walked back into the house.

When I spoke to Lisa over the phone, she was open and curious about how this could be helped with training protocol. We discussed keeping a harness and drag leash on Frodo. I was greatful for the time I had put into his foundation training because it was going to pay off in spades to help me, help Frodo work through this situation despite the fact that I was on the other side of the country. Lisa placed training mats on either side of the back sliding door, along with a jar of dry dog treats. Since doorways leading into and out of the house were “hot spots” for reactive behavior, I had her pause and deliver 3 treats before and after walking through these emotionally charged thresholds. This was protocol that I had implemented in similar situations with my clients’ dogs with great success.

Preemptively engaging the dog, and offering high value food can help to reframe a challenging situation, lower stress, and thereby stop reactive or aggressive behavior before it starts. Sam and Lisa reported that by the end of the week Frodo was allowing them to enter the house, and walk through doorways without any further incidents. They continued with the protocol throughout the week, for good measure, but by the end of the week Frodo seemed comfortable with them regardless of time, location or context.

Breaking it Down, Building it Up

I came back from Cleveland feeling pretty optimistic, and excited to continue training. Frodo seemed to be all on board. He was even practicing training on his own time. For example, laying on the mat when he heard the neighbors outside instead of barking at the window. This was huge progress. You could tell his level of confidence was slowly and steadily growing. Unfortunately, not everyone in the house was feeling so rosey.

Stress can stew beneath the surface and then boil over when you least expect it. Having a newborn and working on Frodo’s reactivity took all my focus, so much so that I disregarded the fact that there was clearly tension between Frodo and my Lab/Basset Hound mix, Fritz.

Frodo would bark, charge and nip at Fritz whenever Fritz played, scratched his back or ran around outside. Because Fritz was fairly tolerant of this, and because my mental bandwidth was already at capacity, I didn’t do very much to manage these incidents. In fact, I was quietly hoping that this tension would resolve on its own. By the end of November the underlying tension rose to the surface. Fritz was no longer tolerating Frodo and it took very little for tense moments to boil over into a fight.

Life with Frodo was becoming easier in some ways, and more stressful in others. I continued to focus on our next step in training and came up with a strong management plan to prevent altercations. If you have issues with fighting between dogs living in the same house, you might want to check out this blog.

Stay tuned for Part 4 of Frodo’s story where I talk about the use of medication in behavior modification and how we are assessing its efficacy. I also want to know if YOU have a dog that others might have felt was “untrainable” – beyond hope, or beyond help. Share your stories in the comment section below.

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About Medication

I trained as much as possible, and used management strategies that I knew would help keep everyone’s stress levels down. If I wanted to train I had to take advantage of early mornings when my then 6 month old son was still sleeping. The holiday season was a turbulent time. I took a trip to visit my sister in New Orleans around Thanksgiving, we had friends and family visiting throughout the month of December and January and towards the end of January my husband went away on a business trip. I was feeling more than a little overwhelmed.

Raising a newborn on top of dealing with Frodo’s anxiety was taking its toll. I was seeing slow and steady progress with Frodo’s day to day training, and seeing some promising carry over into real world situations, but I did wonder if medication could compliment the training. The idea being that medication could alleviate his day to day stress levels and help accelerate training. On January 28th, Frodo’s 9th birthday, we were at the vet’s office to talk about medication. The vet gave us a prescription for fluoxetine, also known as Prozac.

Frodo on Medication

A day or two after Frodo was started on the medication my husband and I were surprised to see that Frodo was lying in the office, seemingly oblivious to the sound of a jackhammer down the street. This was noteworthy because Frodo is extremely anxious with sounds, especially with the sound of power tools. The construction continued for 3-4 weeks, and his behavior in relation to the noise of the construction evolved over this time, but I’ll get back to that later.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

The good: he was less reactive during the day.  The bad: he became indifferent about eating his meals. And he became very difficult to engage in training. The ugly: he started to wake up screaming and scratching frantically at his face in the middle of the night. This happened every night, sometimes multiple times in the same night. So we went back to the vet.

The vet gave us a prescription of tramadol to be given each night before bed to help with any potential pain, although the exam did not reveal any clear reason for why he would be in any type of pain. Initially, the tramadol seemed to help a little, but after a few weeks the wake ups were back to the same level of intensity and frequency. At this point it was hard to tell if he was experiencing panic or pain. Maybe it was both? On some nights it was so intense that he involuntarily defecated. We went back to the vet.

The vet examined his teeth, and felt that he could benefit from a dental cleaning and potentially some extractions. We made some adjustments to the dosage of medication and we scheduled dental cleaning and extractions for the beginning of April. After the dental cleaning and extractions Frodo became a little more animated, which made me feel that his teeth had been bothering him, but the nighttime episodes persisted.

Training pre medication had been slow but steady, training post medication hit a plateau. It felt as though the medication had created murky waters. I thought back to when he was lying there with the sound of the jack hammer blasting away in the background.

Was he really as calm as he appeared with the noise of the jackhammer, or was there a disconnect between his internal response and his outward behavior? There is a wide held belief that medication helps by restoring a “chemical balance.” The reality is that there is very little research to support this. In fact, there’s more research to suggest that psychiatric drugs “work” by creating an “emotional flattening.” Here’s an article on the subject that’s worth reading: How do psychiatric drugs work?

I read extensively about these concepts during my time working in human mental health. Personal accounts from my clients supported this notion that medication was simply minimizing emotional responsiveness, not specifically targeting their anxiety, depression or other psychiatric disorders.

While Frodo’s reactivity was muted, and you might say that’s a good thing, it was nearly impossible to train with him if and when he did react. We made zero progress with the acquisition of concrete skills. He also began to develop anxiety associated with my office and our backyard. The most concerning part of it all was that my ability to connect and communicate with Frodo did not feel as strong as it had felt before. By mid-May I made the decision to take him off meds.

There may be some cases in which medication can help someone get through an especially traumatic period. It’s possible that “emotional flattening” can be helpful in some circumstances. But more and more I question the use of medication long term. I personally did not feel that there was any benefit to keeping Frodo on the fluoxetine, and I had little interest in experimenting with other medications. If anything I felt confident that I could make more progress with training once Frodo was off medication, and I was excited to get back to that path. As I weaned Frodo off the fluoxetine he began to exhibit some interesting behavioral changes. To learn more about how Frodo’s behavior changed after medication, be sure to stay tuned for Part 5.

Have you ever used medication to help a dog experiencing anxiety? What were your personal observations? Write in the comments below, I’d love to hear about your experiences.
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Behavioral Observations

As Frodo was weaned off the medication, he started to exhibit some interesting behavioral changes. On medication, he didn’t exhibit any interest in playing with toys. He had little interest in food. If he reacted to a noise or to movement it was significantly less intense than it had been. I would argue that he still seemed stressed he just exhibited a behavioral response that was on the lower end of the arousal spectrum. Off medication he exhibited clusters of behavior that I would consider to be on the higher end of the arousal spectrum.

Frodo started to play with gusto. He became intensely interested in chasing tennis balls. He even started to play with Beatrix, sorta. His play style was edgy, and in some cases seemed just a tad over the top. He began chewing on the kids toys like it was his job. And he started resource guarding his chewies. It made sense. Previously he just didn’t seem to care about anything, almost like he was depressed.

Now he cared about toys and chewies … maybe a little too much. It was almost like he had mentally checked out when he was on the medication, and now he was making up for lost time. There were adjustments to be made in his training plan, but I have to say that in many ways I actually enjoyed this zestier version of Frodo. It took a month or two for things to even out again to the point that he seemed able to think through his renewed zest for life.

Engagement in Training

Frodo was more actively engaged in every day events and surroundings and was also more actively engaged in training. We were back on track. He started getting a better night’s sleep and the speed at which he acquired new skills accelerated, which also meant he was making considerably more progress with his behavioral goals.

For example, it was becoming easier to have people enter the house, and it was taking less time for him to settle and get comfortable when guests came over. I still trained in these circumstances but the training sessions were becoming more fruitful. I was not longer having to stemming the tide of reactivity, I now had an engaged student in front of me, eagerly awaiting my next cue. If he did go over-threshold it became easier to work through his reaction and his ability to rebound was impressive in its own right.

In 2018 we welcomed a baby girl into our family, Annelise Violet Rose was born on March 27, 2018. When you live in a house with three kids and three dogs, it’s hard – if not impossible – to manage everything all the time. Tired kids are loud, unpredictable, and prone to hitting, pushing and pulling. We do our best, but there are times where the dogs are subjected to the brutality of the babies, and surprisingly, Frodo takes it in stride. I can only think that building that “trust account” (see Part 2: “Making Deposits in the Trust Account”) in their early months, pre-crawling, made all the difference.

How is Frodo doing today?

Frodo still has his “off days” now and again. Days when triggers stack, one on top of the other, and he struggles. He might be more sensitive to outside noises, or show other more passive signs of anxiety. Management and training protocol is still a necessary part of living with him. I regularly assess his needs and map out training plans in the same way I would for one of my client’s dogs. This helps me stay focused and objective about his behavior. It also helps me to troubleshoot whenever we hit a turbulent patch; like a couple of weeks ago when he decided that bicycles were a clear and present danger.

I have to keep myself in check, too. Taking him on a hike or for a trip to a park might be a great form of enrichment for the average dog, but not for Frodo. I try to provide enrichment opportunities that are better suited to his individual needs, usually things that happen in the comfort of his own home environment. It’s enough to take pleasure in the small but significant milestones. Like when Frodo curls up next to Ami’s side when watching a movie. Or how he and Peyton have their own mini training sessions that they both equally enjoy.

We have guests visiting and staying with us on a regular basis and it’s remarkable to see his ability to develop new relationships gets stronger all the time.  He may still alert to sounds outside, but he can think through these situations and de-escalate in a way that he was not able to before. He and Fritz can co-exist peacefully 99% of the time. He’s happy to go for walks, play a game, or engage in training.

Mutually Beneficial Training

As good as I feel that I have been able to help Frodo with his challenges, it’s also worth noting the way in which he helps me with mine. These last few years have presented the most challenging transitional period of my life. Learning how to become a mom, in the wake of losing my own, has left me with many sleepless nights. Training with Frodo has allowed me to maintain a very real connection to my mother. It also gives me the opportunity to slow down and become in tune with the present moment.

“Training feels a lot like meditation when you do it right.”

Training feels a lot like meditation when you do it right. Every time you take the time to train with your dog you are getting insights into their needs and their unique perspective on the world around them, and there is something exquisitely therapeutic about that process.

What Did His Training Look Like?

If you’re interested in learning how to implement this type of training with a dog that is experiencing similar behavioral issues, I offer many self-study courses and LIVE virtual classrooms that will show you step-by-step what to do.

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https://youtu.be/omMsumPPSPc

The idea that a dog has been “fully trained” always raises an eyebrow for me. Training (in my opinion) is more like having a healthy diet, or working out routinely. Saying your dog is “trained” is like throwing your sneakers in the trash bin and saying “I’m exercised.” There’s no definitive end to training, it is a daily process that nourishes your dog’s need to solve problems and be presented with new challenges. 

Common Misperceptions

There are so many wrong perceptions of training. Many people think that training is simply about teaching dogs to respond to words like “sit” or “down” or “leave-it”, but it’s so much more. Other people think that it means sending a dog to a four week boot camp, where dogs learn to submit to human authority. That’s definitely not it. Some think training is about creating a robot – programming the “perfect dog” that will never dig where they shouldn’t dig, bark when they shouldn’t bark, jump when they shouldn’t jump, and chew where they shouldn’t chew. But that’s not right either. (Though I think they might sell one of those at Sharper Image.)

Authentic Training

Authentic training is about acknowledging the fact that every dog (just like every human) has their own set of challenges. Some dogs become fearful of loud noises and others become anxious when they’re left alone. Other dogs become hyper-territorial of their space or their valued resources.

Training is Teaching

Training is just another word for teaching. It is about improving communication, it is about strengthening your bond. Mostly, it’s about helping your dog to become happier and healthier and better adjusted to the world around them so that they can get out and do more.

How are you helping your dog unleash their full potential? Let me know if you found this helpful. Please be sure to subscribe for more videos on Youtube and leave a comment on this blog page.

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