2+2=7-Trigger Stacking

All dogs require a balance between stimulation and exercise and getting the balance right can mean the difference between frustration and success in training.

It can be particularly important when training  young working breed dogs that have a lot of drive and energy: they need a lot of mental stimulation but also need to be exercised with caution while their body is still developing.

Feeding from puzzle toys provides easy brain work on a daily basis as does going for a “sniff walk”. Sniff walks are especially useful when you need to keep your dog on a long line because you don’t have reliable recall, you are around livestock or wildlife or your dog is recovering from a clinical procedure or injury.

However, even the best-laid training plans can be scuppered by the real world because there are so many things that happen over which we have no control.

Travis and I had such a day this week. We hopped a bus to meet a friend in an area where Travis’ less-than-perfect recall could be catered for. So far, so good. Then in quick succession, Travis:

1 Saw another dog running around a green

Again, so far so good. Instead of his usual frantic, excited barking (often misunderstood as aggression) he exercised a great deal of self-control and was rewarded with a treat.

2 Encountered another dog

…which got on the bus. Already a confined space, it didn’t help that the handler allowed her dog to ram its nose in Travis’ face before she sat right next to us. However, the self-control was still in effect and Travis remained settled and quiet (with the help of another treat) until…

3 A garrulous woman got on the bus

This was much harder for Travis as he is extremely people-orientated. I will give her her due, she didn’t try to touch him, but just the fact that she was paying us a lot of attention was enough to make Travis quite roused. Fortunately we alighted shortly after.

4 We saw lots and lots of small dogs on the walk to the park

Small dogs (and small dog owners) are what I worry about most with Travis. He can become very excited when small dogs run and especially if they squeal. Even when I am standing right next to him, it can be like trying to catch an oiled eel. Often I end up with a bunch of guard hairs in my hand and no dog. Having given up on loose lead walking on the way to the park, we were immediately confronted by an off-lead French bulldog that ran up to Travis then snapped at him. I had to ask the owner to catch him as she seemed oblivious to the situation.

All this amounted to trigger stacking – a situation where multiple situations push a dog into a state of extremely high arousal. Often this is discussed in the context of fearful behaviours, but it can happen with any kind of excitement.

The small dogs left eventually and Travis was able to have a good play, running with the dogs that were happy with his play style, playing with a ball and having a good sniff, but the bad effects lasted all day. It was very hard to get him to settle and rest when we got home. In fact he didn’t really sleep for another four hours. I am planning a day where 2+2 = 4, but who knows what the world will deliver?

Next week: Travis Gets Sheep-ish

If you need help with recall or being round livestock and wildlife, you can book a Reliable Recall Workshop or Country Canines Course. If you have a more serious problem such as fear reactivity or similar, then book a behavioural consultation.