Why Punishing Anxiety Doesn't Work

I have asthma. This causes my airway to swell and narrow, making it more difficult for oxygen to reach my lungs. In turn, I become short of breath, my chest feels tight, and I often wheeze or gasp for breath. It’s an awful feeling.

I have a friend with a heart condition. She has poor circulation and sometimes her heart rate increases and her blood pressure drops. The end result is light-headedness and occasional fainting spells.

I have worked with people who have diabetes. You’re probably familiar with this disease in which the body doesn’t regulate insulin well. Sometimes, the body will either have too much or too little blood sugar, and the person can be rendered confused, disoriented, or even unconscious.

My dog has an anxiety disorder. Her brain chemistry is not balanced, and the neural pathways of her brain are abnormal as a result. When something happens to overload those pathways, she may become hypervigilant, pace, or growl and snap at people.

What do all of these things have in common? They are medical conditions that are the result of a physical problem in the body. What’s more, these conditions manifest themselves in behavioral terms. Whether it’s gasping for breath, fainting, or becoming aggressive, the behavior is not a conscious decision made by the sufferer.

I want to be clear on this last point: none of us choose to act the way we do as a result of our respective problems. Believe me, I hate having an asthma attack, and when one is imminent, there is little I can do to prevent it. I definitely do not choose to have trouble breathing- it just happens. Likewise, my dog is not weighing out her options when she encounters a situation too stressful for her to handle. Her brain releases a cascade of hormones and neurotransmitters which causes her to react in a certain way.

This is one of the many reasons I prefer to avoid the use punishment when dealing with dogs with behavioral problems. Just as we wouldn’t hit people in diabetic comas in order to stop them from having low blood sugar episodes, we can’t stop a dog from having a panic attack by using a collar correction. While it’s true that some behavior problems are just that- behaviors- others can be traced back to a medical problem like imbalanced brain chemistry, pain, or some other disease process. It is exceedingly difficult to know the cause of so-called misbehavior in the heat of the moment.

I’m not saying that we should just shrug our shoulders and allow things to continue as they are. If we do, there is a risk of death. Left untreated, I could stop breathing because of my asthma. My friend could go into cardiac arrest. And my dog could be euthanized if she bit someone.

Thankfully, there is a lot we can do to prevent those behaviors. I take inhaled steroids twice a day and avoid chemical scents. My friend takes beta blockers and avoids activities proven to cause problems. Diabetics often take insulin and monitor their blood levels. And my dog takes medication, receives ongoing behavioral training, and I help her avoid stressful situations.

What’s more, each of us have things that we can do when exposure to triggers are unavoidable. Whether that’s following a carefully thought out exercise regime, a well-balanced diet, or a behavior modification protocol, there is a lot we can do to cope with an unpredictable world.

If something happens to push our dogs over the edge, we need to step in and help them. Trying to train through the situation is foolish; it’s like lecturing a diabetic on the importance of a proper diet when their blood sugar drops. It’s too late for that. Glucose for a diabetic or a rescue inhaler when I have an asthma attack is not a viable long-term strategy, nor is it prevention. It’s a response to an emergency situation. When our dogs growl, bark and lunge, or otherwise “misbehave,” that’s an emergency, too. Get them to safety.

We owe it to our dogs to help them deal with stress. Seek out a professional, whether it’s a medical appointment with their vet or a behavioral evaluation with a qualified trainer. Come up with strategies that will prevent problem behaviors from occurring. Equip them with the tools that will help them in the moment. Know how to respond in a behavioral emergency.

And above all- remember that you can’t shock a diabetic’s pancreas into working. So why would you do it to your dog?

The Future of "Reactive Champion"

As you know, a few months ago I decided that I needed to take a break. I did this for a number of reasons. Part of it was because I was in the middle of a divorce, which was emotionally taxing. Part of it was because I was working on a side project (still am, actually). But mostly, it was because blogging just wasn't fun anymore. In fact, I found it downright stressful. I was blogging on a regular schedule, delivering (or trying to, anyway) high-quality content, and spending large amounts of time doing so. I was beginning to resent it.

I'm glad I took a break. It gave me the time I needed to rest, heal, and reflect on my goals. The truth is, I'm in a very different place than when I first started this blog, relationship changes aside. I was working in a very boring job with very little to do other than write. I had a highly anxious, stressed, and reactive dog. I was very invested in dog sports. And, I'll admit, I felt just a bit insecure, and tried to get some of those needs met through this blog.

Things have changed so much since then. I'm in a much better place in so many respects: vocationally, emotionally, physically. Maisy is, too. In fact, Maisy is doing so awesome that the name of this blog is a downright lie now.

All of this means that the nature of this blog must change.

Unrelated picture is unrelated. Courtesy of Sara Reusche.

First, I'm keeping the name, and the focus on reactive dogs. I teach reactive dog classes and I do private behavior consults for Paws Abilities Dog Training, so this only makes sense. I will continue to write educational posts, reflections on training and relationships with our dogs, and seminar reports. However, I'm also going to share more Maisy stories, even if they don't underscore any particular point. I love my dog like crazy, and I want to share that with the world. I may or may not share more about my personal life... we'll see.

Second, I'm dropping the schedule. I will now post when I want instead of on set days. I'm told this is terrible for increasing page views and all that, but frankly, I figure that if readers have hung in there with me throughout my break, they'll probably be okay with this decision. I'll have some fairly regular posts at first. I need to get you all caught up on Maisy's life over the past couple months, have a few things that never got posted, and have some new insights and ideas I want to share with you. I hope to finish my Shedd Animal Training Seminar series, too, but it may take awhile.

Finally, I'm going to spend less time making sure the blog is “perfect.” No more endless editing and polishing before the post goes up. No more worries about how the type is justified, or the placement of pictures. Or heck, even how well the pictures relate to the post. Sometimes I just have a cute picture. Less perfection also means there will likely be more humor and even an occasional swear word. I'm sorry if this offends you (truly!), but I want my writing to be more authentic!

Okay, that's it! I'm excited to be back, and relieved to have found ways to reduce the self-imposed pressure of blogging. Let's see where this wild ride called life takes us!

Happy Gotcha Day, Maisy!

I'm coming out of hiatus temporarily (sorry, it's going to be another few months before I'm posting regularly again) to wish Maisy a happy gotcha day! That's right, six years ago today, I brought this little cutie home with me:

Snow is fun!

Late February 2007

What is this stuff?

Late February 2007

Now, of course, she looks something like this:

 

Photo courtesy of Megan.

Yes, this one was on Facebook over the weekend, but it cracks me up! 

Photo courtesy of Megan.

Maisy, happy and confident with other dogs!

To say that Maisy is the best thing that ever happened to me might sound dramatic. But it's also true. She has brought so much happiness and love in to my life, both directly, and through the people I've met because of her.

Here's to many more years together!

On Hiatus

I hate to do this, but I need to take a short break from blogging for awhile. I'm in the middle of another writing project, and it's taking up a lot of my time. I'm also teaching a lot; I'm starting six hours of back-to-back classes on Saturdays and have been doing some private dog training consults as well. And of course, I have my regular full-time job, too! Something has to give, and unfortunately, it's this blog.

I will be back. I have a lot to share with you all- the rest of my notes from the Shedd seminar, and then the Kathy Sdao seminar I went to last month, and then next month I'm seeing Denise Fenzi again! I also want to write more about how moving went with Maisy (which was, yes, quite a few months ago!). So. Lots of plans, just not enough time.

I hope to be back around the beginning of the new year. Until then, here's a Maisy picture to hold you over!

(Mostly) Wordless Wednesday: Taking a Breather

Here's another shot of Maisy at A Dog Spot. Good dog play always features some short breaks, and here you can see that Maisy, the little brown dog to the left side of the photo, and Trout the North American Yodelhound doing just that. I can't tell you how wonderful it is to know that Maisy will be happy and confident whenever she's staying at A Dog Spot.

Half-Time Break!



If you live in Minnesota, Maisy urges you to Vote No!



So we're about half-way through the Shedd seminar series- whew! I feel like I've been writing about it forever. (And once I'm done with them, I have to write about the Kathy Sdao seminar I went to!) Anyway, since the Shedd entries seem to have taken over the blog, I figured it would be nice to take a little half-time break to update you on all things Maisy.

As you may remember, Maisy and I moved about three months ago. She has settled in beautifully, and is back to her baseline level of functioning- maybe even better! She has simply blossomed, and I'm often amazed at how well she's doing. If I didn't know better, I'd think she was a "normal" dog!

Maisy and I have been filling our days with lots of walks around the neighborhood and exploring the hiking areas down by the river. We have both been enjoying this a great deal, and it's really allowed me to see just how well she's doing. On several occasions, we've been rushed by friendly-but-rude off-leash dogs. Where this used to be the stuff of nightmares, lately Maisy has taken to play bowing at them! I just about fell over the first time.

Maisy has also been more social, interested in meeting people we encounter. Surprisingly, she's even been interested in greeting children. She hasn't always liked kids, and has even snapped at a few in the past, so I've been very, very cautious. Still, Maisy has been so clear in her desire to see them that I've allowed a few interactions with some of the more polite children. I've been blown away by Maisy's relaxed and friendly greetings.



Are you a friend?



She's also shown a lot of curiosity about unusual things in the environment. Unexpected items have always unnerved her in the past, but lately, she's been bravely investigating novel objects. Halloween offered many such opportunities, and while she's still not quite sure what to think of oversized inflatable spiders and life-sized scarecrows, she's willing to have an open mind!

So, all in all, Maisy is doing wonderful, and I'm just absolutely thrilled with her recent behavior. I hope you're all doing well, too!

Shedd Animal Training Seminar: Preventing Boredom

People sometimes criticize zoos for having habitats that are small and boring. They feel bad for the animals, worried that they don’t have enough to do. This is a valid concern; zoo animals do sometimes show stereotypic behaviors like pacing, which is why Ken spent time telling us about what the Shedd does to provide variety for the animals in their care.

Training

Training is a wonderful way to provide interesting experiences for an animal. Not only does it give it something to do, it provides social interaction and mental stimulation. Ken believes that this is one of the most important reasons for training zoological animals (and domestic pets, too!).

In addition to training an animal regularly, the sessions can be set up to provide variety for the animal. That is to say, the training sessions should not all be the same. Obviously, you can work on different behaviors, but you can also change up where the session is held, the length of the session, the speed at which you train, who is working with the animal, and who else is around (either other animals or humans), but not participating in the training.

The reinforcement process can provide a lot of variety too; not only can you provide different types, numbers, and sizes of reinforcers, but you can also switch up the reinforcement schedule. Secondary reinforcers can also provide a lot of interest.

Finally, don’t forget about informal sessions- having regular “play” sessions in which a trainer interacts with an animal can be incredibly valuable. These are interactions that are not contingent on the animal’s behavior (beyond the rules needed for safety), and can be the animal’s choice in what to do.

Enrichment

Enrichment is about helping to make an animal’s habitat species-specific. That is, it should allow the animal to engage in more natural behaviors, and make their home interesting. Having multiple habitats can provide variety for the animal, and the Shedd does a nice job of providing their animals with a number of different locations in which to live.



This penguin has a number of objects to stimulate interest.



But even if there is only one habitat, there is a lot that can be done to prevent boredom. Environmental conditions can be changed: the amount of sunshine/lighting can vary, the temperatures can be changed, and different substrates can be provided. For water animals, water currents can be adjusted to provide interest.

The way the habitat is configured should allow the animal to engage in species-appropriate behaviors, whether that is climbing, jumping, running, or swimming. Habitats can also be rearranged, moving items around to provide new stimulation.

Social interactions should be considered. The Shedd will sometimes have all of their animals of a particular species living together, and sometimes they will separate them into smaller groups. They will also switch who is in each group on a regular basis.

Enrichment devices or toys can also provide a great deal of interest. Simply providing a variety of different, rotating toys for the animals to explore can do a lot to prevent boredom. Food-dispensing objects can be used at meal times. Items with different colors, sizes, textures, and smells are encouraged.

A Word of Caution
At this point, Ken cautioned that animals need to be okay with variety. If they have lived a very sterile, regimented life, too much variety can be actually be stressful. Ken encouraged us to introduce variety slowly in order to help the animal get used to it.

That said, variety and consistency are not contradictory concepts. Consistency is often hailed as important, especially for anxious or reactive animals. Ken pointed out that consistency is meant to give the animal security and confidence, while variety gives it a reason to be engaged in its environment. He compared it to a game. The rules remain the same, but there are different leagues, teams, and players.

What About Our Pets?
Preventing boredom is important for our pets, too. Pets that are bored often find ways to entertain themselves, and often in ways that we humans don’t particularly care for. Barking, chewing, and digging are great examples of problem behaviors in dogs. The solution, of course, is to provide them with some kind of enrichment.

Ken’s principles can be applied to our dogs. Whether you participate in dog sports or just teach them silly tricks, regular training can be a great way to help provide interesting activities for our dogs. We can also switch up how, when, and what we feed them. Rotating their toys is helpful, as is bringing home interesting objects and encouraging them to explore. Take them new places, even if it’s just a different route on the daily walk. Be creative!

What do you do to provide new experiences for your dogs?