Earlier I wrote about being “over threshold” — an emotional state that is intense and overwhelming enough that learning is almost impossible. Dogs that display aggressive behavior on leash often enter this state, and a key part of modifying this behavior is not letting them get there. (Or at least not letting them get there too often.)
The key to systematic desensitization and counter-conditioning (CC&DS) is presenting the triggering stimulus (usually an approaching dog in this case) without letting things get out of hand. I usually tell clients to think of it as a sliding scale of one to ten: one is asleep, ten is biting something with intent to harm. When working CC&DS we want to be somewhere around the middle: the dog needs to be aware of the stimulus but not over threshold. (The threshold is not ten. Where it is, and where the right level to be working is, varies from dog to dog and situation to situation.)
A common complaint is that a dog goes over threshold so suddenly that it is impossible to predict. Their dog shows “random” or “sudden” aggression, and working CC&DS is not possible.
Aggressive behavior is rarely, if ever, random or spontaneous. In the case of on-leash aggression, we already know the trigger: other dogs encountered when on leash. The only real question is the specifics. On approach? On recede? From behind? Bigger dogs? Smaller dogs? White dogs? Black dogs? All dogs, all the time?
There is always a specific trigger or, more accurately, a specific set of triggers. There’s also always at least one visible sign before a dog “explodes” into an over threshold aggressive display.
Figuring out these signals requires a good working knowledge of canine body language. For example any of the following could be an indication that a dog is becoming anxious:
- Ear carriage. Ears may go back against the head, or may start to orient forward.
- Tail carriage. Between the legs? Up straight in the air?
- Panting.
- Lip licking.
- Stiff body posture.
- Piloerection. (Raised “hackles”)
The indication is there. A big part of the trainer’s role in helping someone deal with a fearful or aggressive dog is teaching her to read her dog and take control of a situation before things get out of hand.
Photo Credit: geyergus
I teach people to watch for the critical distance–the distance at which the dog tenses or begins to show the very early signs of aggression and then to back off and being work there.
The biggest challenge many people have is the failure to identify not only the triggers but also the distance at which is at the lowest level or the non-reactive distance.
The single thing that has helped me the most in identifying Mason's body language that precedes an event is a journal. It encourages a person to make and record observations. Over time I've found it useful in four main ways:
1) It helps identify those subtle things that Mason might do at distance that precede an event.
2) It helps identify when I'm focusing too much on one aspect of his body language. For example. Hackles are an obvious sign that are easy to focus on. If my observations are only about hackles, than it begs the question: what other aspects of his body language am I missing So on the next walk, I might actually ignore the hackles, and start looking for other things that Mason might do. While it helps to read books about body language, it's just like any other subject: practice makes perfect.
3) It helps identify issues and behavioral problems of my own that might, at the least, not be helping. How was I feeling that day. Did I jerk on the leash prior to a reaction. After several days of bad walks, I realized that I tend to walk with a very stiff or tense upper body and fairly fast. When I slowed down and made an effort to always present a very relaxed upper body, Mason seemed much more willing to allow dogs to pass with out incident (at least at 50 feet). This may have been coincidence, but I tend to carry a lot of tension in my shoulders which is probably not a good thing in general.
4) And finally, it helps me see progress when progress might not be so apparent. This is process, at least with Mason, is very slow. And sometimes it feels like we're not getting anywhere. But if I look back at my journal entries from two months ago, I can easily see that indeed we have made some progress, however small.
That's a great point and one that I was debating going into this time or saving for another post. I think a lot of “sudden” or “unprovoked” displays are often dogs that just have a very long critical distance. I have a neighbor with a Westie whose distance is “how ever far away the other dog is.”
A journal, especially one that tracks both ends of the leash, is a great idea!
Yes, this is the post I should have had available to me 20 years ago. Thank heavens there’s so much more information out there for people with reactive dogs.
My salvation with Shadow was when I finally realized that I needed to manage the situation so we didn’t encounter too many dogs at one time. When I adopted her, I walked her right before work–when every other person was walking their dog through my neighborhood while dropping their kids at the elementary school.
And I think Bryan’s suggestion of journaling is a good one. Sometimes we think so much about the dog, we forget to see our contribution to the problem.
It was a nightmare!
Once I started getting up at 5 a.m. for walks, we were able to manage the few interactions much better and eventually build up to walking close to “prime time.”
It’s nearly impossible to read body language as quickly as dogs offer it when they’re surrounded by stimuli on every side.
Once again, another great post from you Eric. With all that I have to read, and it’s a lot, I really look forward to your posts. And being able to read a dog’s posture is essential in figuring out what his next move is.
This is very helpful to me, because while on our walks, my dog reacts aggressively toward loose dogs approaching us sometimes, but not all the time. I’ve yet to find the common bond. Does my dog prefer male or female dogs? (not always easy to determine, given the situation). Is it more to do with the loose dog’s particular temperament? Or maybe size? (she seems to do well with puppies, but she also liked a golden retriever.) Or maybe my fear level is translated (ie: I don’t get too worried about the cute little pomeranian, but I tense up at the large aggressive looking dog dragging a broken chain!). We have a lot of loose dogs in my neighborhood.
Hey, nice to see this post! Neighbor dog is just a twit, much to the dismay of the neighbor. Poor little thing is just completely unaccepting of other dogs, and while we manged to get within a couple of feet over time to chat, that’s when her dog tried to bite mine. I noticed signs building, pacing behind her legs, panting, staring at my dog, ears forward, body stiff. I kept maneuvering Tashi behind me to protect him, Reactive distance is, as you mentioned, is as soon as the dog can spot another dog, so the tension in the animal must have been overwhelming and she (the dog) exploded.
Another thing to look for is when the dog “suddenly” closes his/her mouth.
I have seen this both with my own dog and other dogs- they will walk around with their mouth open, and when something worries them, one of the first things they will do is close their mouth.
As for identifying which dogs trigger a reaction- a thing to look for is a similarity of body language.
For example, after being attacked by two different Pugs, my own dog is somewhat weary/worried around Pugs (but not aggressive).
Yesterday he met a new English Bulldog for the first time, and initially he was worried about him as if the Bulldog was a Pug (he relaxed after a few moments and there wasn’t a problem).
Thinking about it, it makes lots of sense: the body language of Pugs and Bulldogs is very similar, due to their physical build- both of them have that “snoring/rasping” sound when breathing, both have a tail curled high behind the back that doesn’t move much, and both have ears set high that look almost erect (although they are floppy).
It may or may not be related, but I also find Pugs and Bulldogs harder to “read” than other breeds.
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One thing Lilly does … in addition to moving her ears forward and closing her mouth … is to take 3 steps forward. Always three. If I can catch her before those steps and get her to look at me, change heel sides, whatever … then I can usually get her past other dogs (even if THEY are barking and lunging at us) with out issue.
Glad I just found this post. My coworker just adopted a 6 month old German Shepherd and whenever he is on a walk and spots another dog he relentlessly barks. It doesn’t seem to be any kind of aggression, but just curious barking. Any suggestions to stop this now before he gets any older?
Thanks,
Jason
More on this topic will be coming soon. It’s difficult to describe in a short answer. There is some information here though.