I’m fed up with being called a ‘positive’ or a ‘positive only’ dog trainer. It is usually in the form of an insult as in, “Them positive dog trainers with their clickers and their treats don’t understand what it is like to train a really dominant dog”. It is often used by the proponents of the ‘dominance’ theory of dog training who like to alpha roll and lead jerk to supposedly ‘show the dog who is boss’.

The term is also used by the fluffier unenlightened to describe their own dog training methods, “Oh, I’m a positive dog trainer, I only use positive reinforcement in training.”

Well, let me tell you, you’re both wrong. I work with aggressive dogs all the time, none of which are trying to dominate people. They are usually bright, quick to learn and respond famously to some well reinforced rules – often with treats and sometimes with the clicker. But I also punish them.

Punishment is a fact of life

It happens to us all on a daily basis and our dogs are no different. Little rewards and little punishments are happening all the time.

For example: Ping! As I write this my inbox tells me I have mail. With a little surge of expectation I click on the icon to open the email and find… disappointment at the spam message inviting me to send off my bank details to some scammer. Why was it disappointing? Because I was expecting the latest pictures of my grandchildren’s’ visit to Chester Zoo.

For every upside in life there can be a downside. Not only do we know it, we expect it as well. We cope relatively well so long as the punishments don’t outweigh the rewards so much that we become depressed.

What’s this got to do with training dogs?

Everything. Every time I give a treat to a dog there is also the possibility that I won’t give them the treat. Every time I click I may also not click. If the dog is expecting a click or a treat and I do not fulfil that expectation I punish the dog. Taking away the possibility of earning a reward is negative punishment. It can be an extremely effective way of not only changing behaviour in dogs, but also of communicating that change.

Pushy dogs need rules – but how to teach these?

I have a little exercise that I use to quickly establish rules with pushy dogs, dogs that are used to getting their own way and dogs that other people might label ‘dominant’. I sit facing the dog and place a very tasty treat on the palm of my hand. The pushy dog usually grabs at it. I close my hand to prevent contact. I’m punishing the act of grabbing by taking away an expected treat. After ‘X’ number of attempts (X is directly related to the pushiness of the dog) the dog pauses to think (or for breath) and I reward the pause by popping the treat into the dog’s mouth. Then we start again. Initially the punishments outnumber the rewards, but, as the penny drops, the rewards start to outnumber the punishments and the dog learns that backing off is better than grabbing. Overall I’m punishing more than rewarding, but in a way that the dog understands.

Every time we prevent our dog doing something that it wanted to do we inflict a little punishment. Standing still to teach ‘no pulling on the lead’? Punishment. Painting “Chew-Stop” on the furniture legs so they taste bad? Punishment. Saying “No” when my toast drops on the floor to stop her eating it? Punishment. Put in the crate for jumping at visitors? Punishment.

Not all punishment is acceptable

True, I draw the line at punishments that might cause the breakdown of a relationship, or have welfare concerns for the dog, such as dragging around on the lead, digs in the ribs, hold downs, alpha rolls, scruffing and the like, because I have no desire to have a relationship based on fear (or be prosecuted for cruelty).

What I do want is a relationship based on mutual rules. No one gets everything they want. No one gets their way every time. Teaching a dog that they can earn rewards, be they treats, the chance for a game or our affection, for doing the right thing, has the consequence that when they do the wrong thing these opportunities disappear. Rewards and punishments go together.

Rules are necessary, consistency is vital, firmness can be appropriate, but brutality is not. No one who has a relationship with a dog is a ‘positive only’ trainer. Anyone who says otherwise doesn’t understand dog training.

It brings together leaders in the veterinary, welfare, rehoming, animal training and behaviour therapy fields, and aims to set standards for the knowledge and skills required to be a recognised professional.

The agreed standards will be used to assess the competency of practitioners before they are included on the Council’s national register of animal trainers and behaviour therapists. The details will be publicly available to help people to find an appropriate expert.

The standards will also help those seeking a career in animal behaviour or further developing the skills of those already practicing the profession.

Council chairman David Montgomery said: “The development of the council has been met with widespread enthusiasm and support from professional organisations both in the UK and overseas.”

Organisations supporting the Council already include major charities such as RSPCA, Guide Dogs and The Blue Cross, with interest being expressed from organisations in Europe, Australia and Brazil.

As APBC Chair, David said, “The formation of a regulatory council for dog training and behaviour has been long overdue. For too long the public and their pets have had to put up with poor service from unqualified “behaviourists” and “trainers” – advice that can not only be plain wrong, but can have implications for the welfare of the pet and the safety of their owner.

Registration with the ABTC gives the public confidence that the trainer or behaviourist they choose has met their criteria and I hope that eventually everyone who provides these services will become accredited.”

“Pet owners now have a choice, but it is not a choice between ‘good behaviourist’ and ‘bad behaviourist’ rather a choice between a behaviourist who has proved their worth through independent accreditation and one who has not. Individuals who are not yet accredited have nothing to fear from the ABTC as the Council has systems in place for them to be recognised as working towards the standards for accreditation.”

“Why would anyone not want to show that they are working at the top of their profession, proving that they are providing the best service to their clients? The ABTC is the means for them to do that.”

For further information see http://www.abtcouncil.org.uk/

Pet owners can become confused about the reasons their dogs become aggressive and what to do about it. Promoting public understanding is the important first step in reducing the number of dog bites and the number of dogs that are eventually put to sleep because of aggressive behaviour. This is a one stop resource for anyone who seeks that advice.

Once owners understand the reasons for dog aggression they can start to look at ways to prevent or change that behaviour. They can also understand their own limitations and when to bring in a qualified and experienced behaviour counsellor.

What is dog aggression?

Aggression is a normal part of the way all animals behave. Often people only consider aggressive behaviour in a dog to be a problem when it reaches the extremes of biting, but it can include lesser degrees, such as “grumbling”, growling, snarling, teeth baring and snapping at the air without making contact. Bites too can vary from light touches with the teeth right through to inflicting serious injury.

Aggression is the outward expression of an emotion and can be used to communicate various intentions by the dog. Rather than being something that switches on and off suddenly, aggression is part of a range of behaviours that dogs have available to them to deal with life’s everyday challenges. Many of these behaviours are passive and it is only when the dog changes from trying to avoid a situation, through things like moving away or showing that they are not happy, to actively trying to manage the situation, that we term it “aggression”. When a dog has to cope with a particular feature of its life it has a number of options available to it. Aggression is simply a part of some of those options.

Why are dogs aggressive?

Dogs are aggressive in response to unfolding events. Any dog has the ability to use aggression, but it is always dependent upon what they believe is happening to them. When a dog uses aggression it is almost invariably because it thinks that it is under some form of threat. For example, the threat could be to its personal safety, to take away something (or someone) it values highly, or by preventing it from doing something it really wants to do, which causes frustration. Aggression can be used to control or reduce this challenge. Theoretically every single dog, if pushed far enough, can and will use aggression.

Are some dogs naturally aggressive?

Although it might seem that some dogs are born to be aggressive, it is more accurate to say that they are born with inherited tendencies that might, if not controlled, make aggressive behaviour more likely. As aggression is always a response, usually to a threat, there is no reason why a dog cannot learn alternative responses. If these responses are controlled throughout the dog’s life, starting with breeding from well balanced parents and continuing with learning good social skills as a puppy, there is no reason why any dog should learn to use aggression inappropriately. Because of the way some types of dogs have been bred, some puppies will need more careful nurturing than others to ensure that they do not grow up to use aggression inappropriately.

If dogs do not have the right kind of experiences at any time in their life, they can learn that aggression can solve problems for them. Once learnt it can become the dog’s first choice of ways to solve problems. This kind of dog may appear “naturally” aggressive, but they are actually responding to the combined effect of the learning experiences they have had over their lifetime.

Are some breeds of dog more aggressive than others?

There are inherited ways of behaving that are particular to some breeds or types of dogs that make it more likely for individuals to grow up to use aggression where others would not. Because no two dogs are exactly the same, individuals will differ too. For example some breeds are intentionally bred to be more reactive and some to be “wary of strangers”, which might make them more likely to be defensive if approached. In every breed there will be individuals that use aggression inappropriately and others that will not.

Aggression is not a single characteristic, however there are breeds of dogs that have historically been used for specific purposes, such as for fighting dogs or other animals, or for guarding. Whilst these breeds may not be any more likely to show aggression, because of their physical and temperamental attributes if they do show aggression it is likely to have more serious consequences. Persistence in attack coupled with strong jaws can cause serious injuries.

Guarding breeds have been selected to show aggression when threatened, but the levels of threat always have to be learned through experience. If you were to take a puppy from a very defensive guarding breed and bring it up correctly, it would not necessarily show aggression except in the most extreme circumstances. If you were to take a puppy from the least defensive breed and bring it up badly, it could very well turn out to be extremely aggressive in all kinds of circumstances.

What are the signs of aggressive behaviour?

Each individual dog will use aggression in the circumstances that they believe it to be appropriate and they will use the degree of aggression that they believe to be appropriate for each encounter. What they believe to be appropriate will depend on what they have learned previously. Averting or reducing a challenge can be done in many non-aggressive ways. It is only when the dog believes that these will not work, or that aggression will be more effective, that it will be used.

Dogs communicate mainly through body language. They have a wide range of non-aggressive signals and postures that they exhibit when they want us to stop doing whatever it is that they do not like. These “threat aversion” or “threat reduction” signals include gestures that show they are uncomfortable, like yawning, lip licking, averting their gaze, turning their head away, dropping ears, crouching, low wagging or tucking their tail under and rolling over on their back. These are sometimes termed “submissive” but the intention is the same as aggression – to stop whatever is happening – and if they don’t work the dog may escalate its communication more actively.

More active signals may still incorporate “submissive” parts, but will include things like the baring of teeth, narrowing of eyes, raising of the hairs on the neck and back, shifting of weight to allow escape, growling, snarling and sometimes barking or snapping. These signals will become more and more active if the threat does not reduce, as the dog believes that the only way they can ward off the danger is through force, and they can end in biting.

Some dogs’ communication is hampered by the way they look, for example a dog with a short tail may not use it very successfully and a dog with a lack of facial expression, low hanging ears or lots of hair may have difficulty making itself understood. Some dogs learn over time that the more subtle gestures do not work – people often do not pay them much attention – and so go straight to the more obvious ones such as bites. Some dogs may feel that the danger in front of them is so threatening that they have no time for “small talk” and have to go straight to the top.

All of these dogs may use aggression without the smaller communication signs that we recognise and because of that it may not be easy to predict when they are about to bite.

So, whilst many dogs give off lots of warning that they are not happy with the situation and if you do not leave them alone they may bite, a few other dogs appear to bite unpredictably. The “unpredictable” bites are simply the result of the dog deciding the lesser signals are not appropriate for the circumstances. (See also FAQ How do I know if a dog is about to bite?)

My dog is aggressive, what should I do?

Sit down and work out the circumstances that caused the aggression so that you can avoid them in the short term. What you do next depends on when, or towards what or whom, your dog is aggressive. Some dogs will only be aggressive in one context and others will show aggression in lots of contexts. The more often and the more contexts in which your dog is aggressive, the more difficult it is likely to be to treat. For example if your dog defends high quality food, such as bones, with aggression, but shows no aggression over ordinary food, you may be able to deal with it by simply not giving it bones. However, the use of aggression can escalate quickly and the more that dogs use it the more they are likely to use it in the future, so getting help early is crucial.

Aggression can be a sign that your dog is not well. Illness can cause grumpiness and intolerance, so it is essential that you have your dog checked by a veterinary surgeon. If they are given a clean bill of health your veterinary surgeon will be able to refer you to a qualified experienced dog behaviourist (see FAQ Where to go for help) who will be able to guide you through changing your dog’s behaviour.

If you temporarily need to deal with a dog that is being aggressive towards you, please see FAQ If a dog shows signs of aggression towards me, what should I do?

Should I tell my dog off when it is aggressive?

No. Telling a dog off will be seen as a punishment, as will smacking, ‘scruffing’ them by the neck or pinning them down. All of these will be seen by the dog as very threatening. Aggression is a dog’s response to what they think is a threat. When your dog is already in an aggressive frame of mind, telling your dog off or otherwise punishing it will make it feel even more threatened and will bring it directly into conflict with you. It may even make the dog direct a much greater level of aggression towards you. They may go from growling to biting because they can see no other way out of the confrontation.

Punishing a dog for showing small signs of aggression, such as growling, may stop it. However, if they have no way of showing that they feel under threat they will hide their emotions until they cannot contain them any longer, resulting in what appears to be “unpredictable” aggression, where the dog misses out all the lower communication and goes straight to biting (See FAQ What are the signs of aggressive behaviour?)

Changing an aggressive response is all about understanding why the dog feels that way and then changing that feeling, not about telling them off for the way they feel.

Are male dogs more aggressive than female dogs?

Both male and female dogs have the ability to show aggression but the statistics show that “entire” (not neutered) male dogs are more likely to show aggression than female dogs or neutered males. Unfortunately this isn’t the easy answer it might appear to be.

Entire male dogs are likely to be more competitive over things they value than are either females or neutered males. They may be more confident in their ability to control things they think are important and that may lead them into conflict in situations in which their owners expect them to defer, or do as they are told.

For example if a puppy regularly muscles their litter mates away from food, they may form the idea that they can take food whenever they want. This may lead them to think they are entitled to any food that is on the floor. Because they control their litter mates, they expect to control other similar situations as well. If they then fail to control food, because their owner stops them, the frustration and anger they feel may turn to aggression, leading them to use aggression to defend food they have “found”. In their view they are defending something they believe is theirs.

Whilst it is entirely possible that female dogs and neutered males may show the same behaviour, the extra competitiveness of some entire males make them more likely to do so. (Also see FAQ Will neutering my dog make it less aggressive?). Male dogs are not more aggressive than females, but their competitive tendencies might bring them into conflict with their owners more, which may result in aggression if not handled properly.

Will neutering my dog make it less aggressive?

This really depends upon the reason that your dog is aggressive. As seen in FAQ “Are male dogs more aggressive than female dogs?” neutered male dogs are less likely to show aggression, but this is probably because they do not learn to use it in the first place. Once aggression is learnt as a response to a situation, neutering a male dog (also called “castrating”) is unlikely to have much effect. Castrating dogs before they start to show aggression may well reduce the future likelihood of some individuals becoming aggressive, but once they have learned that aggression is a successful response, the learning does not go away. There is also strong anecdotal evidence that neutering a male dog can actually make some forms of aggression worse.

Female dogs show less aggression than male dogs in general, but neutering a bitch will not affect aggression unless it is driven by female hormones, for example nest guarding in false-pregnancy. Again there is evidence that neutering a bitch can make some forms of aggression worse.
If your dog, either male or female, is not showing any signs of aggression, neutering them may make them less likely to show aggression in the future, but there is no guarantee. If your dog is already showing aggression you need a professional behavioural opinion as to exactly what the cause is before considering neutering as an option (See FAQ Where to go for help).

Will playing rough games with my dog make it aggressive?

Studies show that there is no connection between playing rough games with your dog and aggression, but one way that dogs use to test their ability to win competitions is through rough games. If your dog plays rough games with you they are less likely to inhibit their behaviour towards you at other times. If your dog defers to you, obeys you when you ask and you are happy with your relationship, there is no need not to play any type of game. If your dog is showing aggression, particularly towards you or other family members, playing rough games may well be contributing to it.

Playing rough games does not cause aggression, but it can give your dog an unrealistic impression of their ability to control you, which can lead to a lack of consistency in your relationship, which may cause aggression in some dogs. If your dog is already showing aggression towards family members, playing rough games is likely to make them worse.

My dog is aggressive and I’ve been told to assert my dominance over it. Should I do this?

Relationships with pet dogs are far too complicated to be defined as simply either dominant or subordinate. “Asserting dominance” is an outdated concept that modern behaviourists do not think is an appropriate way of interacting with our pets. If your dog is aggressive you may well need to adjust your relationship to take them under your control, but this should not be done in the confrontational manner suggested by “asserting dominance”. Things such as “staring them out”, shaking them by the scruff, rolling them over, holding them down, “Alpha rolls”, holding their jaws, smacking, or any form of physical punishment, at best may do little good and at worst will severely worsen aggression in your dog. Even less brutal interventions thought to support dominance, such as “making them eat after you” or “standing in their bed from time to time” have little basis in science and are unlikely to have a positive effect on aggression.

I have a new puppy. What should I do to prevent it from becoming aggressive?

Unfortunately breeding from parents that show aggression and the effects of very early upbringing could establish a tendency to use aggression before new owners even see their puppy.

Assuming you’ve done the right thing by researching the kind of dog that fits your lifestyle and buying from a reputable source, you will have been to see the puppy with their mother, brothers and sisters and established that they are happy and contented. From birth, the puppies should have been regularly interacting with people in a normal family environment, not shut away in a barn or shed. Always try to see a pup in their home well before the day on which you pick them up, so you can walk away if the conditions aren’t right. Remember, you could be caring for this dog for the next twenty years; don’t make the mistake of choosing one that has had such a bad start in life, as, without specialist help, they are more likely to be aggressive when they grow up.

Having got your puppy home you need to gradually increase their exposure to all the different things that they will experience as they grow up. This is often referred to as “socialisation” and one of the best ways of starting out is to enrol in a puppy class where the environment is tightly controlled. Your veterinary surgeon may be able to advise you of puppy classes in your area run by a properly qualified person, where you can get extensive advice on avoiding aggression in the future. Puppy classes are not legally regulated, so you should make sure that you choose someone who has real qualifications. This is a crucial time in your puppy’s development and a badly run class could damage them for life. (See FAQ Where to go for help)

I have a new child in the family/on the way. Will my dog become aggressive?

There is no reason for a dog to become aggressive because you have a new child, but children bring with them a huge change in your circumstances that may have an effect on how you relate to your dog. You may not have time to walk them as much, or be hampered by a pram when you do; lack of sleep might make you a little less tolerant and maybe a little grumpy; you may not be able to cuddle your dog as much because you have a baby on your knee. None of these things may have a direct impact that causes aggression, but they may make your dog more unsettled.

It is a good idea to prepare your dog for the changes before they actually happen, so you can gauge their reaction. Dogs that have no experience of children and babies may take longer to adjust than those who are familiar with them.

Bring out the cot and pram before baby comes home so your dog can get used to them, and you can play CDs of the noises that babies make (crying could be quite worrying for a dog that has never heard it before). When baby comes home, don’t exclude your dog but allow them to see, hear and smell the new arrival, under strict supervision of course, so they can understand more easily that there is nothing to be worried about.

It is also a good idea to teach your dog to go and sit on a “day-bed” (such as a blanket or cushion) where they can relax out of harm’s way. The bed should be in the same room as you, but away from where you will be busy with baby. Train them to sit on the bed or give them a chew when they go there, to give you freedom to attend to baby when you need it.

The little noises that babies make and their uncoordinated wriggling actions can remind some dogs of prey, so it is vitally important never to leave dogs unattended with babies, no matter how safe and friendly you may think they might be. (See also FAQ Why do dogs bite children?)

If a dog shows signs of aggression towards me, what should I do?

Firstly, discontinue whatever it is you are doing. Aggression is the dog’s way of warning you to stop.

Secondly stand still. Movement towards an aggressive dog may be interpreted as a threat, and movement away may make the dog bold enough to bite. Stand still and take stock of what is happening. If the aggression stops, think about what caused it and avoid doing the same thing again. If it is your own dog and you are stuck in the situation, try to distract them with something positive, such as picking up their lead, or asking them to sit for a treat. If it continues, or if it is a strange dog, see FAQ What should I do if a dog attacks me?

If this is your dog, you probably need professional help because you have not been able to prevent this happening, so you are unlikely to be able to improve it. You may well be too close to the problem to take a detached view. (See FAQ Where to go for help)

Is it possible to predict if a dog will be aggressive in the future?

There are factors that make it more likely that a dog will use aggression in the future which can be used to estimate the likelihood that they will do so in particular circumstances. For example if a dog has bitten their owner the last nine times they have tried to take a bone away from them, the likelihood that they will do so on the tenth attempt is very high. With a detailed history of how an individual dog has behaved in the past, a professional dog behaviour counsellor may be able to estimate the likelihood of whether the dog will be aggressive in similar circumstances in the future. This is not the same as being able to predict aggression. Almost all of the relevant factors depend upon knowing what has happened in the past. Without these precise details it is impossible to predict future aggressive behaviour.

Dogs use aggression in response to what they see as a threat. If the dog has never felt sufficiently threatened, they may never have felt the need to use aggression. When a sufficient threat arises any dog may decide, there and then, to use aggression.

In dogs with a history of aggressive behaviour it is possible to estimate the chances of future aggression. In dogs with no history of aggression, or an unknown history, it is virtually impossible to be certain.

How do I know if a dog is about to bite?

Most dogs will give plenty of warning that they are going to bite. They may give “leave me alone” signals like licking their lips, yawning, turning their head or trying to walk away; they may be even more obvious with signals such as raising the hair on their neck and back, growling, snarling, showing their teeth and barking. Do not make the mistake of thinking that a wagging tail means they are friendly – a wagging tail can mean lots of things, including “I am about to bite”! The most obvious signal will be a snap at the air in front of you, which is not a “miss” but a warning that the next one will make contact.

“Unpredictable” biting is never without a cause, but the reason may be hidden from us by the dog’s previous experiences. Biting is usually the last thing a dog wants to do, but they can learn that it is the only way out of a situation. Such a dog may learn that in a certain situation it is useless to try all the other signals, because they have never worked before, and may go straight to biting as a guaranteed way of reducing the threat. Alternatively the threat may be so sudden and close that the dog feels it has no option other than to bite. (See FAQ What are the signs of aggressive behaviour?)

What causes a dog to attack?

Dogs can attack for a number of reasons, but all can be traced back to the basic threat (See FAQ Why are dogs aggressive?). It is important when viewing this to do so from the dog’s perspective. Dogs can feel threatened by lots of different things depending on what their breed was originally developed to do and their upbringing. Dog breeds that were originally bred to be guards may be more inclined to attack if they feel their territory is threatened. Even if we know the postman does not pose the same threat as a burglar, the dog treats them the same. Dog breeds that were originally bred to retrieve game may be more inclined to defend things they have in their possession, whether it is their own toy, or something they have “stolen”. The threat may even come from trying to stop them doing something they enjoy. Dogs that have had bad experiences, for example of being attacked by other dogs, may feel threatened by new dogs they meet. Dogs may even attack because they are hurt or in pain.

What should I do if a dog attacks me?

See FAQs My dog is aggressive, what should I do? If a dog shows signs of aggression towards me, what should I do? and Where to go for help..

The dog is almost certainly attacking you because it considers you to be a threat in some way. There are two main priorities to ensure your own safety: firstly to physically protect yourself and secondly to reduce the threat to the dog so they stop the attack. Using strategies that combine these two priorities will afford you most protection.

Stop moving towards the dog

If you are at home, stand still (see above FAQs). If you are out walking, jogging or cycling and a dog approaches you, you have probably inadvertently entered what it considers to be its territory. If it runs towards you but is not barking or growling, it may just be checking you out and after a quick sniff to determine you are no threat may leave you alone. Stand still and let it sniff. Do not try to touch it, or make sudden movements, but speak reassuringly. Keep standing still and it will lose interest and leave. If it is barking or growling, it considers you a threat that must be dealt with and will be unlikely to leave.

Stay calm.

Indoors, or if you are walking or jogging, stand still and face the dog, slightly angling your body away from them. Keep your body relaxed and on your back foot. You want to give the impression you are leaving calmly. Do not try to shoo away, hit or kick the dog as you will be increasing the threat, and will increase the possibility of a full attack. Talk to the dog calmly in a pleasant tone of voice. Tell it you mean it no harm and that you are leaving. If you are cycling, dismount and place the bike between you and the dog. This allows you to slowly wheel it far enough away to remount. Do not try to outpace the dog as this may encourage it to chase you.

Get something as solid as possible between you and the dog.

Indoors this may be furniture, a chair, coffee table or even a cushion. If you are delivering something to the house it may be the parcel, a bag or your coat. If you are in the street or park it may be a bench, a lamppost or litter bin. If cycling, use your bicycle as above.

Watch the dog.

But do not stare into its face. Turn your head slightly to one side and downwards. Watch it very carefully out of the corner of your eye.

You may need to move, either behind something or to get away from the dog.

If the dog does not press home its attack, walk slowly backwards or sideways. Do not let the dog get round behind you; keep moving gently so that you continue to present a half side/front view of your body. Do not make sudden movements or run, just walk slowly away from the dog. It is not likely to pursue you very far. Keep walking and talking up to the point at which the dog loses interest in you. Try to place more solid objects between you if you can, for example move from table to sofa, or from lamppost to litterbin. If you must get past the dog, try to circle round, keeping at least the original distance between you.

If the dog does press home the attack.

Try to hold something between you and it, such as your briefcase, bag or coat. Fend off rather than try to fight back. Very few dogs press home a serious attack and after a snap-bite they will be content that you are leaving. Do not scream or yell. If you know there are people within hearing distance, call to them for help. Stay on your feet and do not corner yourself. Continue to walk slowly away, backwards or sideways, looking down and sideways, talking reassuringly, fending off if necessary and aiming to place solid objects between you as you leave.

How can dog attacks be avoided? (See also FAQ Why do dogs bite children?)

Firstly by choosing a puppy sensibly and bringing it up correctly you will be able to minimise the aggression it is likely to show. However, although most dogs go through their entire life without ever showing any signs of attacking anyone, every dog has the ability to attack if they believe the circumstances warrant it.
Secondly, by knowing the dog. Have they shown signs of aggression before? Are they generally grumpy or even uncharacteristically grumpy today? Do they dislike particular things such as being leant over or disturbed in their bed? Are they intolerant of children or of hands reaching to their food bowl? Do they have a toy that they really like to keep? Every dog has preferences that they may be prepared to defend. If you know exactly how a dog is likely to react in a situation, you can avoid or cut short any aggression by controlling the circumstances. Although this may not be an ideal long term solution for a dog showing a high risk of aggression, it will prevent injury whilst you seek professional help (see FAQ Where to go for help).

Finally, dog attacks can be avoided by paying attention to what the dog is doing. In circumstances where the dog might think there is a threat, there will usually be warning signs (see FAQ How do I know if a dog is about to bite?) The dog will often try to remove itself from the situation, or otherwise avoid the threat in some way, before resorting to attack. Pay close attention to their body language. A slight stiffening of posture may be the first or only clue. Only by taking notice can you hope to understand what the dog is going to do next. Canine communication is a language like any other. It needs to be learned so you can effectively understand your dog.

Why do dogs bite children?

Young children are far more likely to be bitten than any other population group and anyone is far more likely to be bitten by a dog owned by their own family than a strange one. This puts children in the highest risk group of being bitten by their own family’s dog. Because children’s faces are close to dog height and their skin is so fragile, any bite they suffer is likely to have very serious consequences.

Most dogs are considered part of the family, and children quickly understand that. What they may not understand is that they are a different species. Children tend to treat pet dogs as their peers, just like their friends and brothers and sisters. They hug them, try to cuddle them, pick them up and scold them. Children express their affection for their family and friends through very close facial contact, often kissing. Much of this is exactly opposed to dog social behaviour. A dog never hugs or tries to confine another dog, and looking closely into a dog’s face is usually a threat. Children, especially toddlers, are still quite clumsy and can inadvertently stand on feet, fall on top of, tug ears, hair or tail or otherwise hurt a dog. From the dog’s point of view, children do not use standard adult human communication. They cry at high volume, yell, shriek, crawl and run about unpredictably, waving their arms and throwing toys.

Dogs can find it hard to understand children, and even harder to ask them to back off. If adults have difficulty telling when a dog is about to bite, children just don’t understand that their pet wants to be left alone when they want to play.

Children should never be left alone in the same room as a dog and should only be allowed close contact with them under competent adult supervision. Dogs should always have a ‘place of safety’ to retreat to if they need to get away from a child. If that is their bed, then children should be taught never to approach the dog in their bed and supervised to ensure they don’t.

There are ways of introducing a dog to children and babies (see FAQ I have a new child in the family/on the way) and ways of teaching children how to relate to dogs that can help to minimise the risk of bites (for further details see The Blue Dog http://www.thebluedog.org/), but there is no substitute for proper adult supervision.
Never allow your child to approach a strange dog or one you do not know to be friendly towards children. Children think that all dogs will act like their own and the most pleasant looking dog may not be comfortable with an unknown child approaching them.

If a dog bites a person or another animal, should it be put to sleep?

There is no rule that states a dog should be automatically put to sleep if it bites a person or other animal. Legally, if certain conditions are fulfilled, the person in charge of the dog may be brought before a court and may be ordered to have the dog put to sleep, although this is by no means inevitable.

What is more important is how much danger the dog may be in the future. To know that will require a full understanding of why they bit. Some dogs may be so dangerous that the only safe option is to put them to sleep, but the majority of episodes of dogs biting can be both explained and controlled. A professional pet behaviourist will have the qualifications and experience to tell the difference between dogs that can be changed and the ones beyond help. (See FAQ Where to go for help)

How will a professional pet behaviour counsellor stop my dog being aggressive?

Properly qualified and experienced dog behaviour counsellors or behaviourists will examine the circumstances in which your dog is aggressive in minute detail. They will be able to work out why your dog is acting in this way and the range of options available to deal with it. These may include ways of changing your relationship with your dog, training specific exercises and changing the ways that your dog reacts to some stimuli. They will show you how to implement these changes so that you can control any future causes of aggression. Because each dog and owner are different no two interventions will be exactly the same and, although they may follow the same scientific principles, ways of changing each dog’s behaviour will be tailored to the individual circumstances (See FAQ Where to go for help).

Where to go for help

It’s important that you use a behaviour expert with the appropriate knowledge, skills and experience to treat your pet. Anyone can call themselves a dog behaviour expert, but many do not possess up-to-date knowledge or the necessary skills required to treat pets with behaviour problems.

Inappropriate or outdated advice or methods may adversely affect your pet’s welfare and even make your pet’s behaviour problem worse.

For any behaviour problem involving aggression, it is important to have your dog checked by a veterinary surgeon. Aggression can be a sign that your dog is unwell and any good behaviourist will want to rule this out first.

The Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC) represents animal behaviourists who possess the appropriate skills, knowledge and abilities and have at least a relevant degree and two year’s experience or a specific postgraduate qualification and one year’s experience.

The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour (ASAB) accredits Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourists (CCAB). CCABs will have an Honours or higher degree in a relevant subject, attendance at appropriate specialist courses, and at least three years of regular clinical experience.

APBC and CCAB behaviour experts will work to identify the cause of the behaviour problem and then develop structured treatment plans that are suitable for you, your pet and your circumstances.

Because APBC and CCAB behaviour experts offer a high standard of professionalism their work is covered by many of the pet insurance companies when referred by a veterinary surgeon.

For information about puppy classes, contact one of the recommended ASAB/APBC behaviourists for advice.

Find an APBC behaviourist – visit: www.apbc.org.uk

Find a Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourist – visit: www.asab.org

The information within these FAQs has been provided by David Ryan, Chairman of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC). The advice offered in these FAQs is recognised by the ASAB Accreditation Committee as reflecting good practise by those working in the field of clinical behaviour in companion animals.

The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour (ASAB) is the leading professional society in the United Kingdom for the study of animal behaviour. The Society recognises that the general public and others seek professional advice about the behavioural problems of animals. Certification, which is administered by the ASAB Accreditation Committee, is the means by which ASAB demonstrates to the public and to other professions, such as veterinarians, that certain individuals meet the educational, experiential and ethical standards required by the Society of a professional clinical animal behaviourist.

Behaviour and training problems are often directly linked to the expression of normal behaviour patterns of the domestic dog, but what is “normal” domestic dog behaviour?

This one day seminar explores the true nature of dogs, how their inherited patterns of behaviour contribute directly to their ability to cope with modern life, why training and behaviour problems develop and the principles that can be applied to change those behaviours for the benefit of dog and owner alike. Including case studies, anecdotes and the opportunity for audience discussion.

On 24th March 2012 at Woking College, Surrey – for further details and booking please contact Suzanne Rogers http://www.learningaboutanimals.co.uk/

The same principles work for any size dog or person. A full explanation of how to stop a dog jumping up is contained in my new book Dog Secrets.

Why Won’t “Dominance” Die?

Many leading animal behaviourists are concerned that the “dominance” model of pet dog behaviour continues to survive, despite the accumulating evidence that it is at best unhelpful and at worst highly detrimental.

It is easy to see why trainers and owners alike are fond of the concepts of “pack” and “dominance” in relation to pet dogs. A pack means we’re all part of the same gang. “Dominance” explains our respective positions in that pack. We live in a pack with our pet dogs and they either dominate us or we dominate them. To be at the top of the pack with total dominance would make you the “alpha”, with all the esteem that entails, therefore dogs will strive for dominance unless you beat them to it. It’s a neat explanation.

Except that none of it actually bears scientific scrutiny. Prof Richard Dawkins described self replicating ideas as “memes”⁽¹⁾ that live in our minds and pass from one to another through no reason other than their popularity, or catchiness. Some are harmless, like that annoying song you keep humming long after you’ve decided you hate it, but others can be positively harmful, like the idea that combined MMR jabs cause autism, which continues to prevent many children benefiting from the protection they provide.

The “pack” and “dominance” theory of domestic dogs is a harmful meme. It prevents many owners understanding their dogs, causes untold misery for both and is perpetuated by well-meaning but uninformed dog trainers around the world. It is proving extremely resistant to extinction.

Origin Of Dominance Theory

This meme originated in the “dogs are wolves” theory in the late 1960s. It was spawned in the pond of genetics from the premise that if a dog is the same species as the wolf they must behave identically. The perceived wisdom at the time, emanating from L. David Mech’s book, The Wolf: Ecology and Behavior of an Endangered Species⁽²⁾, was that wolves pack and dominate each other, therefore dogs must also pack and dominate each other. The theories of wolf and dog “dominance” and the “alpha” firmly entered the imagination of not only the public, but also the scientific community. As a police dog handler in the 1980s I regularly tried to “dominate” my dogs using the best available scientific model.

However, as science advances our viewpoint changes and in Mech’s case, as he points out in his 2008 article Whatever Happened to the Term Alpha Wolf?⁽³⁾ more rigorous examination of wild living wolves revealed that their social behaviour was centred on the family unit, built around cohesion and co-operation, not conflict. A fight for pack dominance would mean striving to displace one parent in order to mate with the other. The model of the wolf’s supposed fight for dominance and alpha status was replaced with one where parents and older siblings guide and lead younger offspring in order to enhance overall genetic fitness.

In 1999 Mech published Alpha Status, Dominance, and Division of Labor in Wolf Packs⁽⁴⁾, in which he corrected his earlier mistaken ideas. He happily reports that in the 2003 book Wolves: Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation⁽⁵⁾ written by twenty three authors and edited by Mech and Boitani, the term “alpha” is only ever mentioned to explain why it has been superseded.

Studies Of The Domestic Dog

At the same time, studies of the domestic dog have also moved on. It has been well established that the social behaviour of the domestic dog is unlike that of the wolf. The domestic dog is a neotonised version of the wolf-type ancestor, a specialised variant that evolved into a newly formed environmental niche to scavenge the domestic waste of human settlements. These adaptations removed the need to operate as a true wolf pack and consequently there is little collaboration in hunting or in care of offspring, but much more cooperation with strangers, dog or human. Although dogs congregate in groups around resources, they do not form packs in the cohesive family way that wolves still do.

The concept of “dominance” itself has never been a quality of an individual, but the product of a relationship. Ethologists label an animal dominant over another once there is a trend towards the second animal deferring in encounters between the two. I can no more be born dominant than I could be born chairman. Because I can never be dominated if I don’t allow myself to be, dominance can only be the result of deference by others.

Preferences will become established in repeated encounters, but pet dog relationships are far too complicated to be defined through a simple, “one individual dominates another”. A smooth relationship is one in which each knows the other’s preferences and defers accordingly. This is often described in terms of resource holding potential⁽⁶⁾, but the important aspect of it is that it is emergent, not the result of pre-programmed “dominance”.

What we are witnessing in so-called “dominant” dogs is natural behaviour that has been modified through learning. Sometimes this behaviour is competitive in nature, but the majority of so called “dominance-related” problems are simply dogs behaving in a way that conflicts with owners’ expectations.

These conflicting behaviours are the result of the dog trying to secure something they know is going to have a positive emotional benefit – to facilitate a reward or avoid something unpleasant. How we deal with the way those emotions are satisfied determines our relationship with our dogs.

Individual dogs can be placed anywhere along the bold/shy continuum that exists in all species. In shy individuals behaviour that does not meet owners’ expectations is likely to be tinged with fear and in bold individuals the behaviour is likely to be joyously unrestrained. Most dogs’ behaviour will be a complex mixture of these two extremes.

Pet-ification

That complexity is increased because our pets do not continue to live in their original state as peripheral scavengers. They have been refined through selective breeding for specific purposes such as hunting, herding and guarding. By enhancing traits present in the original stock, humans have created dogs whose emotional balance depends on being able to fulfil their desire to exhibit these inherited predispositions, at least to some degree.

Although the working traits of these types are reduced during “pet-ification” – the breeding of more amenable individuals that are more suited to life as a pet (witness the current “pet-ification” of the Border Collie from a working animal) – the breeding stock continues to throw up specimens in which the original working temperament is strongly represented. This may be a predisposition to chase moving objects, to nip heels, to use aggression to solve conflict, to hold something in the mouth, or any other working breed disposition. The need to perform these behaviours, and their dissatisfaction when they are unable to do so, can steer pet dogs into conflict with their owners.

Family life can also be remarkably inconsistent for a pet, and dogs may focus their efforts on resources that are extremely important to them, but not necessarily to the owner. Lack of consistency proves to the dog that they are capable of deciding the outcome of many, albeit small, interactions. Add in the effects of either a bold or shy character, and other inherited predispositions that need to be satisfied, and you have a dog that can be extremely resistant to their owner’s efforts to control their behaviour.

If, as was the case when I was a young police dog handler, this behaviour is labelled as “dominant”, the perceived solution is to out-dominate the dog and bend them to your will. This often involved things like rolling them over and holding them down, or shaking them by the scruff. In dogs where the lack of compliance is motivated by frustration at being unable to fulfil inherited needs, or  where the motivation is fear, such as when the dog has developed a fear of being left by the owner, applying misguided ideas of dominance will increase that frustration and fear, and with it the probable use of aggression. Less confrontationally, standing in the dog’s bed to show them who is in charge will do little to prevent them barking when the owner is on the telephone, but it similarly fails to address the underlying emotional issues.

Dominance – The Meme

Scientific enquiry shows us that the “dominance” model is unsubstantiated. A recent paper from Bristol University⁽⁷⁾ is the latest to try to illuminate the construct if not for the general public, then at least for the professionals still left using it.

So why then does it persist? In part it is the “catchiness” of the meme sticking in the mind. In part it is also because, whilst the majority of practitioners at the highest levels are aware that it is inaccurate and unhelpful, and sometimes positively harmful, some are still advocating its use.

It could be that there are vested interests in continuing to promulgate “dominance” – books and DVDs to sell – and a reluctance to change one’s standpoint from the embarrassment of appearing to have been wrong. However, this shouldn’t stand in the way of informed change; as Keynes famously said, “When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?”

In part it is because there are still papers being published that profess to be able to examine the concept, such as a recent offering from Cordoba University⁽⁸⁾. There was a more recent article in Veterinary Times⁽⁹⁾ pleading for the practice of evidence based medicine. The reasoning applies no less to the behaviour modification of pet dogs, and the Cordoba paper is a good example of why. Critical evaluation shows that it starts from an assumption, “Dominance aggression is the most common form of aggression…” and then compounds the error by allowing pet owners to define it in their dogs through the choice of two photographs of “dominant” and “fearful” expressions. Out of a total of thirty references only eight are post 2000, and four of them are the own author’s. The paper’s data analysis is also basic and shows associations rather than causation, but nevertheless some professionals feel able to use it to prop up their views.

In part it persists because it is still “seen to be working”. It makes good television to go head to head and dominate a dog.

Unfortunately, television is not real life and tends to show short interactions where the dog is forced to submit. It is not impossible for a “handy” owner to repeatedly force their dog into submission either, but these unpleasant and unnecessary measures are not how most pet owners want to live with their dogs. Lamentably the high profile of these programmes means the on-screen warning “do not try this at home” is often not heeded.

The final and probably most important reason for the persistence of “dominance” is because the debunking of the myth is relatively new. It is generally said to take twenty years for new science to permeate the public conscious, but now its time has come. More and better research is being conducted and more practitioners are, like Keynes, changing their mind as the facts change. More members of the public are actually seeing that there are better alternatives, and more and more people are realising that whilst the meme might be “catchy” it isn’t actually very satisfying.

“Why Won’t Dominance Die?”

The use of the model to explain dog behaviour is dying. If memes can be said to have an independent existence, we are witnessing the death throes of this one as it struggles to hang on to what little life it has left, existing only in the minds of the most stubborn or self-interested. As the groundswell of informed opinion moves against it, there will eventually be no hiding places left.

References

1. Dawkins, R. (1989) The Selfish Gene (new edition). Oxford, Oxford University Press.
2. Mech, L.D. (1970) The Wolf: Ecology and Behavior of an Endangered Species. Minnesota, University of Minnesota Press.
3. Mech, L.D. (2008) Whatever happened to the term Alpha wolf?
   http://www.wolf.org/wolves/news/iwmag/2008/winter/alphawolf.pdf accessed 29th September 2009
4. Mech, L.D. (1999) Alpha Status, Dominance, and Division of Labor in Wolf Packs. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 77(8): 1196–1203
5. Mech, L.D. & Boitani, L. (2003) Wolf social ecology. 1–34 in:  Mech, L.D. & Boitani, L. (eds) Wolves: Behavior, Ecology and Conservation. Chicago, University of Chicago Press.
6. Parker, G.A. (1974) Assessment strategy and the evolution of animal conflicts. Journal of Theoretical Biology. 47. 223–243.
7. Bradshaw, J.W.S, Blackwell, E.J. & Casey R.A. (2009) Dominance in domestic dogs—useful construct or bad habit? Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research. 4 (3) 135-144.
8. Peres-Guisado, J. & Munoz-Serrano, A. (2009). Factors linked to dominance aggression in dogs. Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances. 8 (2) 336-342.
9. Elsheikha, H.M. & Rossano M.G. (21st September 2009) Evidence-based approach is wise. Veterinary Times.

Note: An edited version of this article first appeared in the Veterinary Times Vol 40 No 7, 22nd February 2010 under the title “Dominance meme: out-lived extreme?” David Ryan

There is no mystical “secret” to training dogs, as professed by some dog trainers. Dog training and owning can be perfected through simple yet effective methods that are well known to science. Illustrated by real life examples of how they have helped others, Dog Secrets explains how understanding these methods can make you a better dog trainer and have a more rewarding relationship with your dog.

If you’ve enjoyed David’s talks, articles, or first book, you should check out his  book today.

Also available as download at http://www.lulu.com/product/file-download/dog-secrets/6303683?productTrackingContext=search_results/search_shelf/center/1

Available from Apple iTunes to download at http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/dog-secrets/id443872804?mt=11

Dogs evolved from wolf-like creatures about 10-12,000 years ago, by exploiting the new ecological niche formed by the permanent habitations of human agriculturalists. When some humans moved from hunter-gathering to a more settled farming community, their waste products became an exploitable food source. In order to take advantage of that niche, proto-wolf/dogs had to stay long enough to consume more calories than extreme fearfulness cost through running away. The proto-dogs with less tendency to run away when humans appeared prospered at the dump, whilst the proto-wolves ran away.

Dogs domesticated themselves by natural selection through breeding together with other dogs that also didn’t run away from the dump.

We know from experiments with silver foxes that breeding together less fearful individuals (those with “reduced flight distance”) results in paedomorphosis: the retention of juvenile characteristics into adulthood. As well as increasing “friendliness”, paedomorphosis has a number of allied effects: floppy ears, curly tails, piebald coats and the tendency to bark.

Undomesticated canids rarely, if ever, bark. Most close-to wild canid communication is through marvellously animated body language, posture and expression.

The physical shape of domestic dogs impoverishes their body language compared to their wilder relatives. It is further diminished by breeding dogs with squashed and wrinkled faces, pendulous ears, drooping dewlaps, tightly curled tails, hair over their eyes, solid coloured coats, undershot and overshot jaws. We breed them like this. We breed dogs that find it very difficult to communicate in the way their fellow canids would understand it. This comparative lack of expression makes it even more difficult for them to communicate with another species; especially one that isn’t watching them most of the time.

Most scientific experiments place domestic dog barks into about six groups of communication: fear, anger, frustration, loneliness, pleasure and excitement. If a dog spontaneously barks, it will be for one of those reasons.

A recent study developed a computer programme that could distinguish these groups of barks from each other, but only with a 43% success rate, which sounds quite poor, until they tested the same barks on human listeners, who could only tell them apart 40% of the time. This is a spectacularly poor method of communicating, if it is effective only 4 times in 10.
But what does barking do for dogs? It makes us look at them. It adds emphasis to their more usual canine communication.
We have undoubtedly selectively bred guard dogs to enhance their tendency to bark, but perhaps we’ve unconsciously bred all dogs to use barking as a method of drawing attention to their body language.

If our dog stares at the front door, body stiff, eyes wide and lips curled, would we know that a car had pulled up outside if they didn’t bark as well?

• If dogs didn’t live with us they wouldn’t have developed the paedomorphic tendency to bark.
• If we hadn’t impoverished their body language they wouldn’t need to bark to tell other dogs that they are excited or angry.
• If we paid their real communication more attention, they wouldn’t need to shout to make themselves understood.

Dogs only bark because they live with us.

Why be Afraid?

To appreciate what is happening to dogs that are afraid of fireworks we must examine why they are afraid.
Firstly, some dogs are genetically more prone to anxiety. They are genetically less confident than others and may have a predisposition to acquire specific fears like noise phobias.

Secondly, the fear of loud bangs and the accompanying flashes of light is a normal adaptive behaviour in dogs. All species have their own version of fear of the unknown and we are all pre-programmed to be afraid of anything not familiar in our environment.

Fear of fireworks is normal dog behaviour. It serves to stimulate a response to take the dog away from the threatening noise and flashes.

Afraid of What?

To understand how to combat the fear, we must look at exactly what dogs are afraid of, from their point of view.

The first time dogs are frightened by a specific stimulus their senses go into overdrive. They have a heightened awareness of everything around them, caused by arousal of their sympathetic autonomic nervous system, sometimes known as the “fight or flight” response. Because of this hyper-vigilance, they are starkly aware of things associated with the feared stimulus and can generalise the fear to them as well.

With firework phobia this causes the dog to include all the other sensory aspects of fireworks in their generalised fear. So, although the noise is the most relevant part of the feared stimulus, dogs will incorporate other parts of the composite stimulus, including light flashes, the smell of fireworks and the sound wave vibrations carried through the ground. Each one of the parts of the composite stimulus contributes to the building of the whole fear. It may be that your dog has also picked up on other aspects that are not necessarily otherwise linked to fireworks, for example the particular place where they first heard them.

The Problem

Dogs have three basic strategies for dealing with fear: hiding, running away or fighting. However, you can’t fight firework noise by biting it; home is the safest place you can be, so there is nowhere to run; and even if you hide, you can still hear it!

When fireworks frighten them, dogs don’t know when the next bang is going to happen and have no way of coping with the fear it causes. They can’t predict it, control it, or escape it.

This becomes a major source of anxiety for many dogs, resulting in symptoms ranging from depression, through panic attacks, to aggression. Dogs that fear fireworks may also generalise that fear to other noises, becoming oversensitive and generally noise phobic.

This can reduce their quality of life and also place severe stress on their owners.

The Solution

There are two parts to the solution. The first is to have a strategy in place so that your dog is better able to cope when fireworks go off, and the second is to place “fireworks” within the scope of things that are normal in the environment, so they no longer cause fear. Remember we are always dealing with the composite stimulus, which may differ from dog to dog as each one has picked up on the individual parts most relevant to them.

Part One – Anxiety Reduction

A month before the fireworks season starts:

On the day of the fireworks:

When the fireworks start:

DON’T:

DO:

Part Two – Desensitisation and Counter Conditioning to Firework Noise

The processes of desensitisation and counter conditioning are used to help dogs with specific fears like fireworks.

One of the reasons that dogs become afraid of fireworks is that they only happen for a short period each year. They don’t have time to understand that the noise is doing them no harm before it stops, only to start again the next year. If firework noise happened all year round, dogs would eventually be able to understand it actually does no harm. It would become a normal part of their environment.

Before starting a programme of desensitisation and counter conditioning, the strategies outlined in part one must be in place for your dog to cope if there are unforeseen firework noises (like a neighbour unexpectedly having a party).

Desensitisation

This is a matter of introducing the feared stimulus at an intensity that is insufficient to cause the fear reaction. It means that we need to make the firework noise very quietly, so your dog just notices it, but does not react. First we need a recording of firework noise; play it at the lowest volume, possibly in a different room if the player volume doesn’t go low enough.

If your dog displays a fear response, it is too high and we are making the problem worse. The idea is that it should become unimportant background noise. Only play the CD when there is someone in the house, so you can monitor your dog’s reaction, but the more often it is played, the faster the programme can progress.

Slowly, over the next months, increase the volume very slightly each week, but never high enough for your dog to be worried about it. If there is any kind of fear reaction, stop immediately and reduce the volume back two weeks.

Counter Conditioning

Your dog currently associates firework noise with fear. The fear is conditioned to the firework noise. The idea of counter conditioning is to associate the firework noise with an emotion other than, and incompatible with, fear.

To do this, turn the recording up slightly when your dog is feeding. Eating is incompatible with fear, so if we are able to adjust the volume so that your dog is able to hear it, but still wants to eat, the firework noise will become conditioned to the pleasant emotion of eating instead of fear.

Likewise turn the recording up when playing games with your dog. We want the noise to predict having a good time, so it should be loud enough for your dog to hear and then do its favourite thing. If your dog doesn’t like to play games, save some favourite food treats (something very special, not just ordinary food) for the times when the recording is increased.

Like in the desensitisation phase, increase the volume a little at a time, taking care never to stimulate a fear response. The increases should be so slight that your dog isn’t even aware of it happening.

Progress

Once your dog is able to experience the recording at what we would consider a normal volume, start playing it out of the context, both in the desensitisation and the counter conditioning phases. Play it at very low volume in the car – play it louder if your dog is excited about going somewhere.

Play it at random times and volumes – there is never any harm in lowering the volume occasionally. Play it at times when your dog expects to have fun. Make the noise a reliable predictor of positive emotions.

Other Parts of the Composite Stimulus

Vibrations: –
You can desensitise and counter condition the dog to the effects of vibrations travelling through the ground by taking it for walks near a road used by heavy vehicles, or a railway station. If your dog is nervous of heavy traffic, stop occasionally and give food treats, or walk towards an exciting destination.

Flashing Lights: -
At times other than when the recording is playing, switch off the lights and play a torch beam around the darkened room whilst counter conditioning your dog with food or games. If your dog is extremely fearful of the light, only slightly darken the room and use a small torch, building up to a bigger stimulus as they desensitise.

Firework Smell: -
Likewise, you can desensitise and counter condition your dog to the smell of fireworks by collecting some spent ones in a box (make sure they are totally spent) and placing it near to them whilst they are eating.

Finally

Bring all these individual parts of the composite firework stimulus together, slowly and carefully – we still do not want to stimulate a fear response!

Bring out the spent fireworks, turn up the volume on the recording, switch off the lights and play the torchlight round the room. This is the nearest thing we can get to simulating the full firework experience. Try to do this regularly, so your dog gets used to it being part of the environment, otherwise we are back to square one.

This programme is extremely protracted and the best results are from owners who take great care in administering it meticulously. Each dog is individual but even in the easiest cases progress will be measured in months, rather than day.

Photo Credit: parvindersingh

“Stop!” – How to control predatory chasing in dogs

To get your dog to come back every time, you have to be more interesting than anything else on earth. A tall order perhaps? Yes, but certainly achievable.

Let’s start with how your dog perceives you in everyday life. Are you the apple of their eye, or can they wrap you around their little pad? Does your dog consider that you are someone to look up to, or do they ignore you when they feel like it? Do you provide affection when they demand it; can you be provoked into a response whenever they try hard enough? Do you have to repeat commands? Is their response variable depending upon what they are doing? If your dog thinks that they are controlling your relationship, they will not pay attention when you ask.  If they can take what you provide whenever they want, why should they come back because you say so? What’s in it for them? The answer should be “affection” or at least “attention”. If the answer is “nothing”, then your dog doesn’t value your affection and attention sufficiently, and you may need to re-examine your relationship.

Once you have your relationship on the right footing, you might just find that your dog pays you more attention generally and is far more inclined to come when called anyway. You might need to do no more than that for a better recall!

Most dogs, however, will benefit from learning a new set of rules about coming back when called and it isn’t rocket science, or a ‘secret’, just plain ordinary training that all dogs can understand. To do that you will need to understand how dogs learn so that you can implement the training in a way that will work quickly, and work for you.

The first stage will be to teach your dog what ‘come’ really means. It means ‘if you come here you will be rewarded for it’, and like all dog training it is best started in a place with no distractions. Indoors is best to achieve fluency before generalising to the outdoors and this training is one of the best games you can play…

The Recall Game

To teach Sandy to come back, and have fun doing it, you will need Sandy, two or more human players and some tasty doggie treats.

• Ben takes hold of Sandy’s collar and holds it tight with one hand.
• Maisie shows Sandy a treat and runs away into another room.
• When out of sight, Maisie calls Sandy’s name and the chosen recall word – how about “Come” or “Here”?
• Ben lets Sandy go and she rushes into the other room to find Maisie.
• When she arrives, Maisie takes hold of Sandy’s collar and then gives her the treat (and cuddles and praise).
• After Sandy has eaten the treat (small ones so she just gets a taste and wants more!) Maisie continues to hold her collar and Ben shows her a treat.
• Ben then runs away to another room and calls whilst Maisie holds her.
• When she runs to Ben, he too takes hold of her collar before rewarding her.
• Turn it into a game of hide and seek, moving each time, so Sandy has to really look for the hidden person to get the reward.
• Play for as long as Sandy really wants the treat (stop before she gets too full up).

The recall game teaches Sandy to come when called, and not to mind her collar being touched, because both things predict a nice outcome. When Sandy is really good at the recall game, play it in the garden, or on walks.

The Dark Side

It’s understandable that people get very frustrated and angry when their dog doesn’t come back when called. However, when their owner is angry, a dog can tell from their body language and tone of voice that all is not well, and will be even less likely to want to go back to them. So, how do we go about convincing the dog that you are the best thing on offer? By never punishing a dog when they return, no matter how long you have been waiting, shouting and worrying, and always rewarding the dog when they come to you, however long it takes. Punishing includes smacking or hitting, shouting or berating, frowning or scowling, or even just ignoring.

Things to Make Your Dog Want to Come Back

Even if you have played the recall game and your dog is very good indoors, you will still have to compete with distractions outdoors. These are some things that you might consider to help keep yourself the most interesting thing on offer:

Rewards – Rewards can be praise, food treats, playing a game or with a toy, or cuddles. Use a high value reward for coming back outdoors. If you use dog biscuits indoors, use sausage outdoors.

Get Attention – If you haven’t got your dog’s attention, they won’t come. Use your dog’s name, clap or whistle (high pitches are more attractive to dogs than low ones); use exciting tones; crouch down to dog-height; lie on your back and wave your legs in the air if necessary, but get your dog’s attention!

Feedback – Once they start to come, praise, praise, praise. They’re not here yet, but they’re heading in the right direction!

Unpredictability – Don’t be a predictable bore on your walks.
Hide behind a tree or in a gateway; your dog will come and find you! The relief from the anxiety of losing you and the praise you heap on them will be a huge reward.
Run away. Just run in the opposite direction and your dog will come with you (it might be missing out on something). Both of these strategies will encourage your dog to keep one eye on you, as they don’t know what to expect.

Practice – Practice recalls on walks. Randomly call your dog, give them a reward and send them off again. Call them, clip on the lead, reward them and let them go again.

Think about the times when you call your dog. Home-time, end of the walk, to stop it meeting another dog/person, to stop it chasing something, to stop it eating or even sniffing something. From your dog’s point of view, being called often predicts the loss of something. It is an event that they associate with a negative outcome. You can change that by introducing positive associations.

Play – Playing games of any kind on your walks is a sure-fire way of keeping your dog’s attention. Practising some obedience is fun if there is a reward in it and it helps to increase your dog’s positive view of a recall.

Don’t grab – your dog as they run past. This won’t teach them anything except to give you a wider berth next time. Wait until they voluntarily come right up to you, take hold of their collar and reward.

Failsafe – If you really have no confidence that your dog will come back off the lead, you can practice on lead at first, or you can attach a long line (strong washing line?) to your dog’s collar and tie the other end to something sturdy, then play the recall game in a field. When your dog is very good at that, untie the other end of the line and play with it dragging on the ground. Your dog will still feel under control, but is free for a gallop (you can catch the end of the line in an emergency). As your dog becomes more dependable, cut the line in half, then half again and eventually there will be no line at all.

Conclusion

The more positively your dog views you and the keener they are to interact with you at any time, the more likely they will come back whenever you call them.