Positive Training for Aggressive and Reactive Dogs E-Book

Annie Phenix

• Herausgeber: CompanionHouse Books
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Seitenzahl: 470

Beschreibung

A comprehensive guide that gives hope to dog owners, this aggressive dog training manual will help you turn your dog's behavior around and solve substantial issues. Featuring cruelty free and positive behavior training methods and exercises with step-by-step instructions and illustrations to rehabilitate unwanted aggression, barking, timidity, fear, reactivity, and other problem behaviors, this must-have guide also includes real-life case studies and interviews with top trainers, behaviorists, and veterinarians. With detailed sections covering an array of topics and how-to instruction – from the five must-have skills your dog needs to learn to the top five ways professional trainers change unwanted behaviors – this resource covers a ton of ground to help your dog develop and live a better life with you. If you're seeking professional guidance to overcome problematic habits present in your rescue dog or learn how to train an aggressive dog, this book is here to help!

Leseprobe

Dedication

For my heart dog, Echo—what a gift you were.

And for Jeff Hebert, the best man in the world. I’m lucky to share this life with you.

Positive Training for Aggressive and Reactive Dogs

CompanionHouse Books™ is an imprint of Fox Chapel Publishing.

Project Team

Managing Editor: Gretchen Bacon

Editors: Sherry Vitolo and Amy Deputato

Designer: Mary Ann Kahn

Proofreader: Kurt Conley

Indexer: Jay Kreider

Copyright © 2023 by Annie Phenix and Fox Chapel Publishing Company, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Fox Chapel Publishing, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review.

ISBN 978-1-62187-199-6

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023931386

This book has been published with the intent to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter within. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the author and publisher expressly disclaim any responsibility for any errors, omissions, or adverse effects arising from the use or application of the information contained herein. The techniques and suggestions are used at the reader’s discretion and are not to be considered a substitute for veterinary care. If you suspect a medical problem, consult your veterinarian.

Fox Chapel Publishing

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Mount Joy, PA 17552

We are always looking for talented authors. To submit an idea, please send a brief inquiry to [email protected].

Printed in China

First printing

Contents

Introduction

1 Why Are Modern Dogs So Troubled?

Our Dogs Feel Our Stress

A Pregnant Mother Passes Stress to Her Puppies

Our Dogs’ Bred-For Traits Don’t Match Their Environments

Our Dogs Need Better Socialization as Puppies

Our Dogs Need Proper Training

■Ask an Expert: Helen St. Pierre

Our Dogs Need More Exercise and Stimulation

■Ask an Expert: Dr. Amy Pike

2 The Most Common Types of Canine Aggression

Fear-Related Aggression

■Ask an Expert: Dale McLelland

Canine-to-Canine Aggression

Pain and Medical Aggression

Resource Guarding

Arousal Aggression

Territorial Aggression

Maternal Aggression

Predatory Aggression

Aggression versus Reactivity and Fear Behavior

3 The Healing Power of Three—the Owner, the Veterinarian, and the Professional Trainer

The Owner

The Veterinarian

■Ask an Expert: Dr. Marty Becker

The Professional Trainer

■Ask an Expert: Mikkel Becker

4 Top Methods Used by Professional Trainers to Address Aggression and Reactivity

Slow Thinking

■Ask an Expert: Dr. Laura Donaldson

Animal Centred Education and Free Work

Dog L.E.G.S.®

■Ask an Expert: Kim Brophey

Management

5 Other Behavior Concerns and Real-World Solutions

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Excessive Barking

Excessive Digging

Chasing

Jumping on People

Pulling On Leash

Separation Anxiety—Behavioral Emergency

■Ask an Expert: Malena DeMartini-Price

Noise Phobia—Behavioral Emergency

6 Raising a Well-Rounded Puppy

Provide Prenatal and Neonatal Care

■Ask an Expert: Jane Ardern

Socialize and Train Early

■Ask an Expert: Christine Young

Continue Working with Adolescent Dogs

Take it Slow with Rescue Puppies and Dogs

■Ask an Expert: Denise O’Moore

7 Must-Have Skills for Your Dog

A Feeling of Safety

The “Check In”

The Reliable Recall

Problem Solving and Resilience

The Ability to Self-Calm

The Look at That (LAT) Game

The Chin Rest

The Bucket Game

■Ask an Expert: Mikkel Becker

8 What Not to Do in the Name of Training

Don’t Punish the Dog

Don’t Have Unrealistic Expectations

Don’t Misunderstand Canine Communication

Don’t Deliver Confused Training

Don’t Terrorize Small Dogs

Don’t Eliminate Your Dog’s Agency

■Ask an Expert: Andrew Hale

9 Day-to-Day Living with a Troubled Dog

Choices: Dog Day #1 versus Dog Day #2

Make Your Dog’s Day Perfect

■Ask an Expert: Lisa Hird

Focus on Play to Reduce Fear

Avoid Food-Related Conflict

Provide Good Nutrition

Research Vaccinations

■Ask an Expert: Dale McLelland

Understand the Importance of the Human-Canine Bond

■Ask an Expert: Kim Brophey

■Ask an Expert: Shay Kelly

Respect Our Covenant with Dogs

■Ask an Expert: Mark Bridger-Pescott

10 How to Find Help for Your Dog

The Questions to Ask and the Answers to Look For

■Ask an Expert: Lisa Hird

11 The Most Difficult Decision—Behavioral Euthanasia

Zemi’s Story

■Ask an Expert: Lee Desmarais

Resources for Owners

Training Academy and Certification Guide

Nutrition Resources

Behavioral Euthanasia and Grief Resources

About the Experts

About the Author

Acknowledgments

Introduction

I wrote this how-to-help-your-troubled-dog book for two audiences. The first audience can’t read, of course, but they need our help. The second and most important audience is you—the caring dog guardian facing a serious canine behavior concern. These very real problems can result in a life-or-death decision for the dog you love—there is a life on the line, and we need to get it right for the dog’s sake.

Living with a dog who is exhibiting major behavior problems is enormously stressful but with the right tools and the right professional help, you can resolve or reduce many of these conflicts.

How well do we really understand the dogs with whom we share our homes? Dogs are complex beings with species-specific needs and motivations.

This book asks (and answers) the most important questions facing dog owners right now:

⬪ Why are modern dogs so stressed and what does stress look like in a dog?

⬪ Why are so many behavior concerns showing up in modern dogs?

⬪ What are the kindest and most effective methods to help troubled dogs?

⬪ What are the most common behavior problems and how can we best address them?

⬪ What life skills are most important for our dogs and at what age should we teach them?

⬪ What training methods won’t help the situation?

⬪ What should you consider if behavioral euthanasia is on the table?

⬪ What are our true responsibilities to our dogs and how can we strengthen the canine-human bond?

⬪ Which professionals will help your dog the most and how can you know who to trust?

Dogs are truly a part of the family, and we show it every day by spending tons of money for the very best in vet care, treats, toys, and more.

Over the past 20 years, canine professionals have seen vast increases in troubling behavior in dogs. A large study from the Center for Canine Behavior Studies1 reported that as many as 85% of dog owners were experiencing a behavior concern with their dog. A Finnish study of more than 13,000 dogs concluded that 72% of the dogs showed problematic behaviors such as aggression or fearfulness. I once assumed that the cushy indoor pet life was healthier for dogs than the street life of a community or village dog, and, while it is true that street dogs face serious dangers (like traffic or a greater risk of disease), they have one vital thing in their lives that house pets lack: autonomy. Street dogs can choose where they go for the day, what they do or don’t do, and where they sleep—and the more control an animal has over its life and experiences, the more content it is. Take away all agency and the resulting stress pops up as unwanted behaviors.

As our fast-paced culture has rapidly changed around us, it has also changed dramatically for our dogs. Until the 1950s, most dogs spent much of the day making their own choices about where they wanted to go, when they wanted to nap, and more. It’s much more likely for today’s dogs to have limited choices, being confined in the house or crate all day and having very little stimulation. While dogs are uniquely adapted to living with humans, they are still animals with their own internal, natural desires and needs. Their new restricted lifestyle is safer in many ways (lower risk of disease or injury, of example), but it can also lead to unwanted behaviors.

While dogs are uniquely adapted to living with humans, they are still animals with their own internal, natural desires and needs.

Modern life has changed drastically for our dogs, but we can still be their partners and guides as we walk through life together.

Ignoring a dog’s mental, environmental, or genetic needs often leads to behavior “problems,” which are just expressions of the dog trying to satisfy canine needs.

You are the most important person in your dog’s life. Working with the right tools and professionals, you can make a major difference for them.

Dogs are neither stupid nor stubborn, but they can be stressed, and even in humans we can see that unwanted behaviors often follow stress. Because dogs can’t tell us where their stress is coming from, it is our responsibility to look at their lives from their perspective and use science-backed, compassionate methods to help them. Canine professionals around the world are constantly seeking better, faster, and fairer methods. They are flipping the script—getting a complete picture of the dog’s life before implementing a plan. Rather than asking “why is this bad dog being disobedient,” they’re wondering “what is causing the dog’s stress and what can we do about it?”

Over my 20-year career as a canine behavior consultant, I’ve learned the most from the thousands of troubled dogs I’ve met and their dedicated owners, but I’ve also learned a lot from the incredible professionals I’ve met along the way—from veterinary behaviorists to neuroscientists to ethologists to very skilled dog trainers. In writing this book, I asked some of them to contribute their unique knowledge and they graciously agreed. It is my honor to share this collective wisdom with the one person who can do the most for your dog—you.

Annie Phenix Heber City, Utah

___________

1 Ian R. Dinwoodie, et al., “Demographics and Comorbidity of Behavior Problems in Dogs.” Journal of Veterinary Behavior 32 (July–August 2019): 62–71.

1

Why Are Modern Dogs So Troubled?

If there was just one overriding cause of stress in today’s dogs, we could focus our efforts on that one cause. How I wish that were the case! Instead, there is a myriad of factors that can contribute to our canines’ discomfort. We humans and our fast-paced lifestyles are often at the top of the list, but did you know that stressors can affect puppies negatively even before they are born? In this chapter, we will look at the range of factors that cause a dog stress, affecting their outlook on life and their interactions with people, other animals, and their environment.

In this chapter, discover the main causes of stress for dogs:

Our dogs feel our stress

A pregnant mother passes stress to her puppies

Our dogs’ bred-for traits don’t match their environments

Our dogs need better socialization as puppies

Our dogs need proper training

Our dogs need more exercise and stimulation

OUR DOGS FEEL OUR STRESS

We know from studies that if a dog’s guardian is stressed or anxious, the dog can mirror that stress. A 2019 study published in Scientific Reports1 showed that a dog’s level of cortisol (a stress-related hormone) mirrors the personality traits of their owner.

Many signs of stress in dogs are subtle, like a tightly closed mouth, concern-filled eyes, or a tentative facial expression.

One of the most important gifts we can provide to puppies is ensuring that the mother dog is not stressed before, during, or after delivery. Stress in a mother dog can be passed onto her offspring.

Imagine what our dogs have been dealing with. According to the American Psychological Association, 78% of Americans reported that the coronavirus was a significant source of stress in their life,2 but Americans and many others in the world had been deeply stressed for a long time before:3

⬪ More than three quarters of adults reported symptoms of stress

⬪ 284 million people worldwide have an anxiety disorder

⬪ Job stress costs United States industries more than $300 billion a year

Imagine being a vibrant, curious eight-week-old puppy and landing in a home where stress is rampant. It makes me exhausted just thinking about it. As UK trainer and behaviorist Shay Kelly has noted, “when we see ‘bad’ behavior in dogs, it is very often an animal’s desperate attempt to meet their own needs.”

A PREGNANT MOTHER PASSES STRESS TO HER PUPPIES

Puppies can feel the negative effects of stress even before they are born. We know that stress in utero can have life-long effects on humans, and it’s the same for dogs—puppies’ brains and hormonal and nervous systems develop before birth. If the mother dog is stressed while pregnant, that stress can be shared with her puppies.

When a mother dog’s cortisol level is extremely elevated, an enzyme that would normally neutralize cortisol in the placenta becomes overloaded, and some of the cortisol is passed to the developing puppies, influencing the type of world their brains will expect to encounter.4 A healthy puppy’s brain can afford to spend energy on healthy growth and exploration, but a frightened, stressed puppy’s brain spends most of its energy on fear responses. While behavior experts can help reduce your puppy or adult dog’s behavior concerns in many ways, we can’t change a brain that was born in a high state of fear using behavior modification alone.

Providing the necessary support to mother dogs and keeping them stress-free is important in developing healthy, happy puppies.

A world of behavior problems can be thwarted if we all appreciate the importance of safe, secure environments for mother dogs. The American Kennel Club (AKC), as well, has called for more prenatal enrichment and less maternal distress:

Pregnant dams can face two types of stress: negative or distress, and positive or eustress. Both types of prenatal stress have long-term effects on puppies. Pups whose dams experience distress during pregnancy are more likely to be reactive, anxious, and irritable as adults, with dysfunctional stress management systems, lower intelligence, and shorter attention spans. Conversely, puppies whose dams have enriched pregnancies are more likely to be calmer and more stable adults, that learn, breed, and digest better.5

Breeding dogs is a big business with a lot of money involved. Puppy mills (inhumane mass breeding facilities) can produce more than two million puppies a year. Puppy mills are not set up to ensure the well-being of mother dogs or their puppies. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) notes that tiny cages, filthy conditions, poor vet care, no grooming, no walks, no playing or petting, non-stop breeding, sudden separation, and stressful transport all make puppy mills massively harmful. If you wanted by design to acquire a puppy that has experienced stress in utero, stress for the first few weeks of life, and stress in transport, get yourself a puppy mill puppy. It is the perfect arrangement for creating dogs with big, serious behavior problems that even the best behaviorists may not be able to help.

The average cost of a purebred puppy is around $1,300 and a show-quality puppy can be 100 times more expensive than an average dog of the same breed. There are many incredibly responsible dog breeders, and I have shared my life with many well-behaved purebred dogs, but breeding a well-balanced, good tempered, healthy dog is not easy. Just ask the experts who study and breed service dogs—they specialize in creating such dogs yet as many as 50% of puppies do not “make the cut.” (Chapter 6 contains information on how to properly breed healthy, resilient dogs and includes an interview with a world-recognized breeder.)

Providing everything a mother dog needs to birth physically and emotionally stable puppies is a hard endeavor that eats into a breeder’s profit (because of the testing and veterinary care involved). Think about all the books and advice available for human mothers and how careful most pregnant women are. To create resilient puppies, we need a similarly high level of prenatal care for mother dogs. Dogs in a perfect world would be bred first for temperament and second for conformation to breed standards and performance abilities. Unfortunately, breeders mostly seem to be doing it exactly backward—and dogs and their exasperated guardians pay a high price for it.

Stress reactions and behavior problems in dogs won’t change on the large scale until all dog owners refuse to purchase dogs from puppy mills and irresponsible breeders. Updated laws are needed to protect the health and well-being of parent dogs and their puppies. It is not the bad breeders who suffer—it’s the dogs and their caring owners that must face the music.

OUR DOGS’ BRED-FOR TRAITS DON’T MATCH THEIR ENVIRONMENTS

Years and years ago, when people began keeping dogs, dogs had jobs to do and were selectively bred based on what they were good at: guarding their owners’ homes, herding other animals, hunting for food or vermin, and the like. Fast-forward to today, when most dogs are kept as pets: they are still hardwired to do these jobs but find themselves more often on the couch than out in the field or on the farm. What the dog has been bred for matters in terms of their mental and physical needs, and this holds true for mixed breeds as much as for purebreds. (You can get your dog’s DNA analysis from several companies; I use Embark: www.embarkvet.com.)

DNA tests are useful tools for owners of mixed-breed dogs. A simple swab can help you determine what natural drives might be “coded” into your dog’s DNA.

In personal discussions about one of her recent studies, Dr. Erin Hecht of Harvard’s Department of Human Evolutionary Biology has said that “different breeds of dogs have different brain anatomy.” Dr. Hecht and her fellow researchers looked closely at what influences brain anatomy in dogs. They discovered that as we have bred dogs over time, we have actively reshaped their brains. The study found huge variations in brain structure depending on the breed of the dog. That Border Collie and that Jack Russell are both family pets, but inside their brains they have the framework to perform the specific jobs for which we bred them (although they’d still need training and early exposure to enhance those traits).

Only 20–40% of your dog’s behavior is genetic. The rest is shaped by the surrounding environment.

Because dogs are individuals, you can come across Border Collies who aren’t interested in sheep and Jack Russells who don’t dig up the flower beds every day. What you often get, however, are countless dog owners frustrated with family pets that are simply expressing their genes (in ways that don’t work with their owners’ lifestyles). We don’t put Basset Hounds on huge ranches and expect them to round up 2,400-pound bulls. Heelers on the other hand make excellent cattle wranglers but they don’t hold a candle to a Basset Hound’s single-track, rabbit-hunting brain. When someone adds a toy dog to their home, they shouldn’t expect a guard dog (although someone might want to tell that to Chihuahuas). Toy dogs have literally been bred to be “comfort dogs” since 1500 BCE, but you’d be surprised how many calls behavior consultants get from surprised owners whose toy dogs have acute separation anxiety. When we bring a dog into our lives, we give little thought to what the dog’s brain was designed to do and expect the same level of obedience and relaxation from every dog. This dynamic sets up a perfect storm for frustrated canines and humans.

Dr. Jessica Hekman (www.dogzombie.com) studies the genomics of behavior in pet dogs at the Karlsson Lab at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. She says that 20–40% of any personality trait in a dog is influenced by genes and the rest is shaped by the environment. “Personality is influenced by both genetics and environment. The two influences work together in very subtle and nuanced ways. The environment is a subtle thing. It can be in utero influences. It can be things that happen when the puppy is tiny, it can be interactions with other puppies in the litter.”

A Border Collie has within its genetic code a drive to work 8–10 hours a day as a hard-working farmhand. Genes matter.

While genes are vitally important, she points out that a dog’s environment is key to whether the genetic programming shows up. “Genes and the environment intersect, and the environment is critical. We know that children who have bad childhoods cannot handle stress as well as those who had cheerful childhoods. Early life stress makes animals less resilient.”

“Early life stress makes animals less resilient.”

—Dr. Jessica Hekman

The importance of enrichment and environment to animal development has been demonstrated in rats. Studies have proven that when their environments are rich, rats’ brain weights, sizes, and even number of neurons increase. Those things do NOT generally increase if an animal is not given enrichment, particularly when it is young. Studies have also repeatedly shown that enrichment creates rats that demonstrate more complex behaviors, improved concentration, memory and attention, superior learning, improved performance, and reduced emotionality.

Resiliency in dogs makes for a much more enjoyable life, not only for the animal but also for those sharing a life with them. Do you want a dog who can bounce back after a stressful event? Or do you want a dog who reacts with teeth bared or tail tucked, trying to bolt at every new thing introduced to its environment?

OUR DOGS NEED BETTER SOCIALIZATION AS PUPPIES

I am thrilled that puppy owners are becoming more aware of the dire need for puppies to receive proper socialization at an early age. There is, however, some confusion about what entails good socialization and how/when it should occur. In this section, we’ll look at the key socialization stages for puppies and how owners can make the most of these time periods to raise puppies into happy, confident, and well-adjusted dogs. (Also see the section on canine enrichment in chapter 9 starting on page 207.)

The most critical time to help a puppy feel safe with exploring the new world outside the womb is at the breeder’s house. Puppies begin to explore their environment around three to four weeks of age. A breeder can make the difference, creating either a resilient, happy dog or a timid, anxiety-ridden dog. At three weeks of age, puppies generally haven’t entered what is commonly called the “fear period” or “sensitive period.” Something that may scare them at seven weeks old might not even warrant a glance when a puppy is three weeks old.

The most important time for puppies to begin safely exploring their world is around three to four weeks of age. At this point, most puppies will show more curiosity than fear.

The fear response in the brain begins to develop between five and eight weeks, and you should be highly aware of what your puppy’s brain is doing during this period. You need to ensure that all new experiences are calm, safe, and short. Puppies that are “backyard-bred” dogs miss that all-important sense of safety at the most critical times, as do puppy-mill dogs and purebred dogs who are not raised in the home with quality human interaction. A well-rounded puppy will be one that is lucky enough to be born inside the home and tended to with as much care as a human infant. As their young brains continue to grow and make predictions about their world, it is crucial that new experiences be associated with positive feelings rather than fear.

It’s important for your puppy’s new experiences to be linked with positive feelings and memories, not fear! Make sure they feel safe and secure as they explore.

Intensive socialization is most effective up to four months of age, though the dog, of course, will continue to learn throughout its life. We cannot stop biology, no matter how hard we try or how much we may want to, and it is impossible for behavior consultants to take your already-troubled adult dog, reset his brain to “puppy settings,” and redo all of his early life experiences. There are no do-overs. We can use force-free methods to help him adjust, but what is done to the brain as it forms is done.

The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) knows that puppy socialization is vital—it has even posted a position statement about this topic on its website (you can view it at www.avsab.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Puppy-Socialization-Position-Statement-FINAL.pdf). According to AVSAB, the primary and most important time for puppy socialization is in the first three months of life and it should be the standard of care to safely expose the puppy to as many people, places, stimuli, and environments as possible (without causing overstimulation or fear) even before all vaccinations are complete. There are secure ways to socialize your puppy (which I discuss in chapter 6), but a qualified trainer can be the gift of a lifetime for helping you socialize your new housemate.

OUR DOGS NEED PROPER TRAINING

Currently in the U.S., there are no national (or local) certification requirements or education standards for dog trainers. Anyone can claim to be a dog trainer or even a behavior expert, regardless of their knowledge and experience. Add to this the well-intentioned owners who train their dogs themselves based on outdated methods and ideas, and you can see how dogs are at a disadvantage when it comes to learning about behavior and interacting with the world around them.

Further, there is a longstanding, bitter divide in the dog training profession. Many of us—myself included—commit to training without the use of harmful protocols or tools. Other trainers (they sometimes refer to themselves as “balanced trainers”) claim that some dogs “just need a firmer hand” and that aversive tools like shock collars, pinch collars, chains, spray bottles, and more are needed to train a dog.

Science does not agree that harsh training methods are better for dogs. Several recent studies looked at how training methods affect a dog. They showed that it does matter how a dog is trained—it matters a lot. One 2020 study6 came to this conclusion:

Our results show that companion dogs trained with aversive-based methods experienced poorer welfare during training sessions than dogs trained with reward-based methods. Additionally, dogs trained with higher proportions of aversive-based methods experienced poorer welfare outside the training context than dogs trained with reward-based methods. Moreover, whereas different proportions of aversive-based methods did not result in differences in dog welfare outside the training context among aversive-based schools, a higher proportion of aversive-based methods resulted in poorer welfare during training. … Critically, our study points to the fact that the welfare of companion dogs trained with aversive-based methods is at risk, especially if these are used in high proportions.

It makes no moral sense to punish a dog for exhibiting canine behavior, even when we don’t like the behavior presented. This is not to say that Rover is entitled to eat out of the trash can or knock down your senior parents. Of course, we should train for polite in-home behavior, but we can effectively guide our dogs without resorting to pain. Pain, fear, and force most often create new problems or make the existing problems even worse. Many national and international organizations have released position papers regarding the various training methods. For example, the AVSAB has a three-page position paper endorsing reward-based motivational training.7

Some trainers use aversive tools like shock or pinch collars, but evidence shows that these methods often cause greater harm.

This paper notes that aversive dog training can have acute effects like “stress-related behaviors during training, including tense body, lower body posture, lip licking, tail lowering, lifting front leg, panting, yawning, and yelping” and long-term behavior problems like “aggressive behavior towards people and other dogs, and anxiety-related behaviors such as avoidance and excitability.” In other words, if you want to make your dog anxious and miserable, apply force and make your dog fear you. If you want more effective training that results in higher obedience levels and a happier dog, use reward-based training.

Don’t Set Unrealistic Expectations for Your Dog

Dogs have been so ubiquitous in our lives that until very recently, we haven’t spent much time thinking deeply about them or their specific needs. Yes, we buy them cute doggie coats, cool collars and harnesses, expensive food, chewy treats and toys, and comfy beds, but are those things even on a dog’s must-have list? Are we providing the right environment for dogs to safely express their unique and necessary natural behaviors? We know 80% of the world’s dogs roam free, so are our in-home pets actually our captives? Zookeepers spend vast amounts of time working hard to ensure that their captive animals have proper enrichment. Shouldn’t we do the same for our dogs?

If this book achieves nothing else, I want it to turn the conversation about dogs on its head. We know dogs are amazing creatures who bring incredible joy to our daily lives. One reason we get so upset when unwanted behaviors show up is that we think of our dogs as our best friends and bad behavior shows us that we’re failing our friends. We fail dogs in many of the same ways we fail ourselves: we are in too big of a hurry, we want it all and we want it NOW, we are so focused on achieving and acquiring that we have no time left to feel gratitude for what we DO have.

Dogs are frustrated. We expect perfection from our dogs—we want our dogs to be quiet, not chew on things, not jump up to say hi, not run in the house, and not play too roughly. We ask them to join our families and want them to love our friends and only bite bad people that try to hurt us (and we expect the dog to magically know the difference). We also demand that they love all other dogs even without training and adequate early exposure to safe dogs. We spend a great deal of our time with dogs telling them “NO” and “DON’T.” We put enormous expectations on them, and they often manage to deliver, at great costs to themselves. But dogs are often set up to fail—we allow puppy mills and backyard breeders, purchase dogs because they’re popular, cute, or fit into a “designer” category, and don’t prioritize breeding for good health and solid temperaments. We are breeding problems into our dogs and then expecting them not to surface.

We buy a ton of fancy toys and accessories for our pets, but does all this stuff actually serve to meet their needs and enrich their lives?

Trainer and Behavior Expert Helen St. Pierre Discusses Why Dogs Are So Troubled

This interview has been included in its entirety.

Behavior expert Helen St. Pierre has 20 years of experience working with many different dog breeds and operates a senior dog rehome and rescue nonprofit.

▸Many dog trainers note anecdotally that they are seeing more troubled dogs than ever before. Are you seeing this in your work as well?

Yes, I am overwhelmed with how many more difficult dog behavior cases I am seeing on a daily basis. Reactivity, separation issues, aggression, and hyper-arousal are just a few of the main concerns I get called about every day.

▸What in your professional experience are some of the top reasons we are seeing so many troubled dogs in our modern world?

Expectations of our pet dogs have increased dramatically, I think in part due to social media pressure and the images, videos, and reels we now see of dogs doing things that we have decided are the standard of what “good” dogs should be. On top of that, the lack of standardization in the behavior and training industry means that the public has a lot of outdated, misinformed (even if well-meaning), and unregulated information to sift through that is often contradictory. As a result, dogs are often over- or undersocialized, trained with techniques or methods that do more harm than good, and when you couple this with the massive increase of people acquiring dogs, it’s not surprising we are seeing what we are seeing.

The other side to this of course is where a lot of dogs are coming from. The demand for certain breeds or mixes has created an industry of people capitalizing on the demand and producing animals that are not genetically sound physically or behaviorally. The rescue industry is also in this same boat: though not breeding purposefully, many dogs are not being vetted, evaluated, or regulated properly, so many dogs are going into ill-prepared homes.

Reactivity and aggression are the two main issues Helen encounters with her clients. Dog owners have to be willing to put in the time, effort, and patience to work on adjusting these reactions.

▸What kinds of behavior problems are you seeing the most of?

Reactivity and aggression are my two main complaints from clients, as well as the usual adolescent dog struggles. Although the reality is that the behavior problems I see the most are on the humans’ part, not the dogs’: lack of understanding of canine development, history, and ethology, not to mention the required patience and time it takes to raise a dog that is nice to live with.

▸What top three things do you wish potential dog owners knew about how to help a troubled dog?

Management and training go hand in hand. Without adequate management, a dog will continue rehearsing behaviors that the handlers don’t like. So, before training can begin, management has to be implemented. Understand that all dogs are individuals. Respecting and listening to your dog’s needs and personality, regardless of what the human wants, is the only way to truly start working together as a team. Enrichment is key. Dogs are not made to live sedentary lives. We cannot expect animals that we keep in captivity to conform to our lifestyles because it’s what we want. We need to treat them more as a privilege than a right.

▸How would you describe what a perfect day would look like for a newly adopted dog who is showing signs of anxiety or reactivity?

Bring them home and give them a safe place to observe their new surroundings. Let them settle in and leave them alone. Offer them food, sit beside their space, and read a book to them out loud. Talk quietly and softly, and only interact with them to take them out for the bathroom. Wait until the dog decides to be your friend rather than forcing friendship on the dog. Remember that the dog is the only new thing to the house, but the entire house is new to the dog.

When Stress Is Too Much: A Look at Thresholds and Exposure to Triggers

Like us, dogs can strongly react when they are pushed over their thresholds. Generally speaking, when dog trainers bring up thresholds, it’s in the context of behavior modification work with dogs showing anxiety, stress, fear, or aggression. It can also apply in dog sports, obedience training, and trials, however, as well as in doggie daycares and dog parks.

What is a threshold in this context? It’s the distance at which your dog can see, hear, or smell a trigger that is unique to that dog while maintaining emotional control (the dog remains unbothered). A “trigger” is whatever the dog decides is of great concern—something that it feels could be a threat to its well-being. Triggers can be other dogs, cars, loud vehicles, skateboards, children, trash cans, low-flying airplanes—really the sky is the limit.

“Under threshold” is the lovely spot at which your dog can see, hear, or smell something that might regularly trigger a strong reaction, but the dog is able to stay calm, either because of behavior modification work or because the dog perceives the trigger as being at a safe enough distance. “Over threshold” is the point at which the dog’s emotional state changes—the dog displays behaviors like barking, lunging, drooling, panting, or attempting to escape the situation.

Many dogs have a self-appointed “dome” of space around them in which they feel safe even if their triggers are in the vicinity (think of a person’s “three feet of personal space”—many dogs are in the 10–15-foot range). Every dog is different, however. I have worked with anxious dogs that at first need an American football field between them and their trigger to even begin behavior modification work. This depends on their life experiences, age, health, and genetic influences, and on how the human handler deals with their over-threshold reactions. Punishing the reactions, for example, often worsens the situation and does nothing to assure the dog that they are safe from the threat. The handler adds fear, and the dog associates the trigger with punishment, making it feel like even more of a danger. The best methods are behavior modification and the other smart, effective, force-free methods discussed in chapter 4.

Cats and other small animals are triggers for many dogs (and vice versa). Lunging and barking are a few common signs that your dog may have hit their threshold.

Oblivious pet owners can also quite easily push an anxious dog over threshold without trying (sometimes it happens to a dog on every walk). Most of us become deeply embarrassed or frustrated by not being able to control our dog, feelings that then affect how we treat our dog. Repeated exposure to triggers also elevates stress hormones, which take hours or even days to come back down. If you are walking your fearful dog every day, and every day a trigger gets too close (such as other dogs being walked nearby), your dog’s system never has a chance to come back down from that highly stressed state. The dog may not even demonstrate a dramatic display of stressed behavior. Dogs can be very subtle in their responses and it’s usually only the over-the-top responses that make owners pick up the phone and call the professionals for help.

The number one thing an anxious dog needs is to be given a sense of safety in its home and in the world. For this reason, I sometimes suggest an owner stop walking their dog in public for one to six months. I ask them to first focus on increasing their dog’s sense of safety at home, then tackling the world at large. Some owners come to learn that their dog is perfectly happy with their well-designed home life and don’t want to venture into the outside world. I often suggest taking breaks from dog sports, doggie day cares, and dog parks at first for the same reason—it takes a highly social and well socialized dog to enjoy these types of potential canine chaos.

Another concept dog trainers talk about a lot is “trigger stacking.” Trigger stacking is when stressor after stressor after stressor affects a dog throughout the day until the animal hits their limit and goes over threshold. Their responses will often be sharp, loud, extreme, and even hysterical (a human example would be experiencing an ugly case of road rage after staying up all night with a sick child, worrying about your mother in the nursing home, then spending your whole day putting out fires at work).

Some dogs are triggered by common things they might experience on their daily walk (including other dogs just walking calmly nearby). This daily exposure can create a constant feeling of anxiety and high stress in the dog.

We often don’t pay enough attention to the triggers that cause stress to our canine housemates. An over-threshold event can seem to “appear out of nowhere” to the owner, but the dog could have been building up to it for days (maybe a loud thunderstorm on Thursday, a sick infant in the home screaming all day Friday, kids on bikes flying past him on his Saturday walk, and a loose-leash dog barreling into him on Sunday). The dog’s nerves could be “shot” after all of these stressful experiences, and when on Monday the owner accidentally drops a glass, the dog might explode into a HUGE reaction. It is crucial for owners to be aware of their dog’s threshold levels and be on the lookout for possible trigger stacking.

OUR DOGS NEED MORE EXERCISE AND STIMULATION

Whether an energetic sporting dog, a more docile companion breed, or any mix in between, all dogs need a certain amount of physical activity and mental stimulation, which will vary from dog to dog. Whatever their background, dogs are meant to expend their energy in constructive (not destructive!) ways. As pet owners, we must provide these opportunities for our dogs for their overall well-being.

Every single dog needs and deserves mental and physical stimulation every single day.

So, while we tend to have busy lives full of work, appointments, and errands, what do our dogs have to occupy their days? In reality, not that much. It can feel to trainers like people get a dog and expect it to sleep all day, wait patiently for a single 10-minute walk, then sit quietly the whole rest of the night. How B-O-R-I-N-G. Some dogs may have mind puzzle games or good things to chew on, but how much time do these really fill? Dogs have serious energy requirements. Some active dogs—such as herding dogs and always-ready-to-go Huskies—have a very high need for mental and physical stimulation. Other breeds such as pugs or Maltese may need less stimulation, but they are not stuffed dogs—they still require mental engagement. The amount of stimulation needed changes from dog to dog, but every single dog needs and deserves mental and physical stimulation every single day.

Dogs who do not get enough daily stimulation will seek ways to alleviate their boredom and frustration. The unwanted behaviors caused by a lack of engagement run the gamut from excessive barking to OCD-type behaviors. A lack of stimulation and exercise also raises obesity levels in dogs (something that continues to rise year after year). Just like in humans, obesity leads to many health concerns, including heart problems, diabetes, and inflammation.

Compared to a human’s busy day, our dogs just don’t have that much to do. Many bad behaviors can grow out of this boredom.

If you do an internet search to find out how much exercise your dog needs, you’ll find a range of thirty minutes to two hours, but, as with everything, it depends on the dog. Some dogs, in fact, get triggered on every single outing and their stress hormones are always elevated, so too much or the wrong type of stimulation can be the cause of their behavior issues. The information on the internet neglects to explain and talk about the merits of different types of stimulation. For example, I am a big “nose work” enthusiast—sniffing makes the dog brain happy and tends to tire out a dog much quicker than a long run. We have an obligation to find the types of activities that engage and stimulate our individual dogs.

I am not here to shame anyone—instead I want to inspire owners to ask probing questions about the quality of their dogs’ lives and highlight modern solutions. Dogs need our help—and we can help them. Helping begins when we take a hard look at the dog’s environment and whether that environment is truly serving the dog. If it isn’t, we need to first ask ourselves how we can improve that environment, rather than expecting and demanding that they adapt to an unadaptable landscape.

For the first time in a long time, I feel optimistic that people are asking the right questions to help dogs live alongside us in a way that makes sense for both species. New solutions and insights are being explored every day, and I am so excited to share these new concepts, training protocols, and success stories with you throughout the rest of the book.

It’s important to find activities that work with your dog’s personality and drives to help keep their minds and bodies active. This could be going for a run or a hike, but it can be as simple as using interactive toys and mats or trick training.

Veterinary Behaviorist Dr. Amy Pike on Common Behavior Problems in Dogs and How to Work with a Veterinary Behaviorist

This interview has been included in its entirety.

Dr. Amy Pike is one of less than 100 board-certified veterinary behaviorists around the globe.

▸What are the most common types of troubled behavior you are seeing in dogs?

Fears or phobias and aggression are the two most common types of behavior problems that I see in canines. If I had to break it down to the two most common diagnoses, it would be fear-based aggression toward unfamiliar people and fear-based aggression toward unfamiliar dogs. A close third would be separation anxiety.

▸What in your professional experience are the top reasons we are seeing so many troubled dogs?

The level of expectations placed on the canine species we share our homes with has evolved over the years I have been in practice. We used to treat dogs like dogs—they did dog things, and we understood this as the dog just being a dog. Now, owners tend to treat dogs more like human children. While this has been good in some respects with owners now investing much more into the care and welfare of their pets, it has come with some unrealistic expectations of their pets, as well. For example, I constantly hear from owners who say that their dog should never growl at or bite someone. I explain how aggression is merely a behavioral strategy, and that while this is an unwanted behavior from our standpoint, it is a very normal behavior for a dog to employ when they are scared or lack control over their body or environment. When the owners understand the emotional underpinnings of aggression, it makes more sense to them why their dog feels certain ways about things (ways that human kids do not).

I also think that the rescue and no-kill sheltering movement has shifted things in our world, as well. When I was first in practice 20 years ago, shelters and rescue organizations would not have adopted out many of the patients that I see get adopted out on a daily basis. If there was any inkling of aggression or behavior problems, either historical or present in the shelter, the animal was euthanized. Again, this is one of those shifts that is really a double-edged sword. Many of the pets that would have previously been euthanized, if placed in the right environment and ensuring their needs were being met, could have easily been adopted out. Unfortunately, the shift, in some cases, has gone too far the other way, and I see animals adopted out that are downright dangerous, impossible to live with, suffering with emotional disorders, or are simply adopted into the wrong family or environment.

Many modern dog owners treat their dogs like human children, without understanding the important ways a dog’s emotions and reactions differ from those of a human child.

▸Can owners schedule an appointment directly with a veterinary behaviorist or are most appointments referrals from other veterinarians? What do veterinary behaviorists need most from dog owners before and during an appointment?

Owners can absolutely schedule an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist directly. However, most of my clients come from referrals from their veterinarian or trainer when it is realized that the problem goes above and beyond something a general practitioner or a qualified trainer can handle.

The biggest thing that I ask of my clients is open, honest communication. I need them to tell me if they may have reacted to their dog in a way that was not ideal (for example, hitting or yelling at the dog, shocking it for performing certain behaviors, etc.) so we can not only discuss how they can modify their own behavior in the future, but also understand why things may have worsened after that response. I also need them to be honest with me about how much time and financial and emotional effort they can put into a treatment plan. If they have already reached their breaking point for rehoming or behavioral euthanasia, it is important that I know this so I can appropriately support them as well. And while I ask that honesty of them, I am also honest with them—if this pet can no longer live in their home or truly needs a better environment to thrive, I will tell them that.

▸Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the future well-being of our pet dogs?

I am highly optimistic about the future well-being of our pet dogs. I think the newest generation of pet owners is more highly committed to their pet’s welfare than ever before. Not only that, but they are much more open to seeking care from a veterinary behaviorist and including psychotropic medication as a part of that treatment plan, to the benefit of our anxious canine companions. I am also seeing a big shift away from aversive training techniques in the up-andcoming generations—they may not understand the specifics as to why we want to avoid using those techniques and tools, but their brains, their guts, and their hearts tell them to not use these methods on their beloved family members.

▸What do you love most about your work?

The connections I get with the families. We joke that we often know our clients are pregnant before their own family does because we get involved helping to prepare the pet for the impending change. We hear about kids graduating from college, heading off into the military, or the sister-in-law who won’t move out of their basement, etc. To be such an integral part of that pet’s life is such an honor that my clients grant me each and every day. It’s why I get out of bed every day.

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1 Ann-Sofie Sundman, et al., “Long-Term Stress Levels Are Synchronized in Dogs and Their Owners.” Scientific Reports 9, 7391 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-43851-x.

2 “Stress in America™ 2020,” American Psychological Association, created October 2020, https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2020/report-october.

3 See the following article for more relevant statistics and links and references to primary sources: “Stress Statistics 2022: How Common Is Stress and Who’s Most Affected?” SingleCare Team, medically reviewed by Scott Dershowitz, LMSW, CMC, updated April 26, 2022, https://www.singlecare.com/blog/news/stress-statistics/.

4 Jessica Hekman, “How a Mother’s Stress Can Influence Unborn Puppies,” Whole Dog Journal, published October 20, 2014, updated September 23, 2021, www.whole-dog-journal.com/puppies/puppy-health/how-a-mothers-stress-can-influence-unborn-puppies.

5 Gayle Watkins, PhD, “The Perinatal Period and Puppy Development,” American Kennel Club, published September 24, 2018, https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/dog-breeding/start-even-younger/.

6 Ana Catarina Vieira de Castro, et al., “Does Training Method Matter? Evidence for the Negative Impact of Aversive-Based Methods on Companion Dog Welfare,” PLOS ONE 15, No. 12 (December 16, 2020). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0225023.

7 You can read this statement at www.vet.osu.edu/vmc/sites/default/files/files/companion/behavior/avsab-humane-dog-training-position-statement-2021.pdf.

2

The Most Common Types of Canine Aggression

Dogs present a vast array of behaviors. Trainers will tell owners that “any dog can bite,” and that is true (all dogs have teeth!). Any dog can also dig, bark, growl, and exhibit predatory behavior, depending on the circumstances. Aggressive behavior is probably the most troubling to owners, since it is frightening and can be dangerous. In this chapter, I’ll discuss common types of canine aggression and how humans contribute to it (in many cases unknowingly), and I’ll explain the differences between aggression, fear, and reactivity, which can be difficult to decipher.

We are the judges of what is acceptable behavior for our dogs and what is not, but the question quickly becomes: do we have enough in-depth understanding of canine behavior to judge their actions? Most of us readily agree that biting and harming other dogs or humans is unacceptable. But what about a dog who bites to defend herself from being kicked by a person? Or a dog who gently “mouths” your hand but never bites? How about a terrier who’s a “good dog” for ridding the barn of rodents and snakes but also chases and tries to kill chickens? How does the dog know which animals are off-limits? She doesn’t—it’s our responsibility to teach her the difference.

Further, our behavior changes as our environment changes, and the same thing happens to dogs. In fact, I believe dogs are affected by this even more than humans, because dogs have less control over their circumstances. Imagine moving to a new town: moving is stressful for humans, but all a dog knows is that suddenly he’s in a different place and doesn’t know why. His home is no longer his home, and everything is new and scary again. Is it so surprising that a dog might show a fearful or aggressive reaction?

In this chapter, learn about common types of aggression and the difference between aggression and fear:

Fear-related aggression

Canine-to-canine aggression

Pain and medical aggression

Resource guarding

Arousal aggression

Territorial aggression

Maternal aggression

Predatory aggression

Aggression versus reactivity and fear behavior

Dogs require time and training to learn how to appropriately act on their instincts. A working terrier, for example, needs to be taught that chickens should be protected, not chased.

This Border Collie might look aggressive to some observers since he is showing his teeth—but body language must be taken in context. He was simply yawning when this photo was taken and not showing any aggression.

According to the Merck Manual of Veterinary Behavior, canine aggression accounts for 70% of the caseload for referral practices. It’s interesting, but sad, that this is the number one behavior concern and that many owners don’t understand it very clearly. So what exactly is—and is not—aggression?

Many “aggressive behaviors” that owners report, such as lunging, barking, or growling at approaching dogs or people often come from a place of fear or frustration. When a dog uses this kind of behavior, she is, in effect, letting us know how uncomfortable she is. Often, before displaying these “big” behaviors, she’s already tried to let us know about her discomfort in subtler ways, using canine language. If these “whispers” don’t get our attention, the dog raises her hackles and looks threatening.

Such behaviors are often reinforced by how the dog perceives the results. For example, you’re out for a walk with your dog. Another dog and owner are walking toward you, your dog starts barking, and the other person and dog cross the street (whether or not because of your dog’s barking). Your dog will infer that it was her behavior that made them go away. She will have learned that barking “works” to get rid of the trigger. While we may see this as aggressive behavior, it’s simply a “trapped” on-leash dog protecting herself in the way she thinks works best.

Dogs show so many types of aggression because we put them in “unnatural” environments in which they feel the need to protect themselves. Some dogs also get a stronger dose of predatory-response genes, and still others have been selectively bred to be protective. In fact, some American Kennel Club breed standards specify that dogs of these breeds will be “wary of strangers.” Now, a dog that is “wary of strangers” does not sound like the ideal family-friendly dog, yet so many of these breeds live with families and are expected by their owners to not show these innate behaviors (unless there is an actual threat to the family).