Control gives us confidence

For anyone who is anxious, having control makes us feel safer & more confident. A lot of us are anxious about various aspects of training or living with our dogs.

If we train our dogs a lot, and they can respond to a lot of cues: sit when we ask, go to a bed when we ask, eat a cookie scatter when we ask, maybe look at us or jump up on a bench when we ask.. then we can control their reactions right? Maybe.

If you know you can toss a treat or cookie scatter at your dog any time and they will eat, then it is tempting to use this anytime you see a potential conflict heading your way.

But what is the point of training?

The whole point of training is to teach our dogs how to make good choices on their own... without our help.

So once you have those skills, whether it is a rock solid sit, jump into your arms, eating cookie scatters... ease off. Wait. Wait until your dog actually needs your help.

Watch your dog

Watch your dog's body language. Are they already sniffing? Are they glancing at that trigger then looking away all on their own? Praise them. This is when you keep food out if it.

There are many reinforcers in the world, not just food. Feeling safe, feeling in control of their interaction with that trigger, and feeling empowered to control the space between them and that scary/exciting/frustrating thing are all very powerful reinforcers.

You don't need food. Food can actually distract your dog and increase their arousal, increasing the likelihood of an adverse reaction.

Don't help your dog if they are already making good choices.

Keep your food (or toy) for training new skills and for helping your dog when they actually need your help. Let your dog make good choices. There isn't much that feels better than watching a previously very reactive dog see conflict approaching and chose to go sniff instead! Be sure you give your dog the space to make those good choices. =)

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Considering joining the next Deep Dive?

This is my super popular mentorship program in which I spend 8 weeks with a small group of people struggling with similar issues. This Deep Dive focuses on dogs who fight at home. Because this is a custom experience and I get to know each of you and your dogs intimately, space is limited to only 6 people.