Dog Doc Question 15: How do you cope when your dog is reactive?

Chasing cars, or bikes, or runners, or cats.  Barking at squirrels or cats in the garden.  Chasing or fixating on lights and reflections.  These are all examples of ‘reactive behaviours’.  Dogs are very good at reacting to stimuli in their environment; it is what they are designed to do.  They hunt, they chase, they watch out for danger.  Being alert is what helps a dog to survive.

What we need to ask ourselves is, “Is this behaviour a problem?”  First of all, “Do we think that chasing, barking, or fixating on something is detrimental to the dog?”  If they are chasing cars, then the answer is almost certainly “Yes!”  It is a dangerous activity that can only end badly.  Barking at squirrels might seem like a less harmful activity but there are two problems with this; one, they will annoy your neighbours and two, they can become over-stimulated.

In order to be a successful pet dog, our dogs should be able to cope with living in our world.  This includes cars, bikes, cats and everything else.  We don’t want them lunging and pulling every time they see a car.  We don’t want them chasing all cats, especially not if we have one in our house.

Another question we should ask ourselves, in order to assess whether the behaviour is a problem is “Can I put up with it?”  Again, if it is a barking issue, or a cat chasing issue, then it is your neighbours you need to worry about.  But you might also have behaviours that ‘drive you mad’.  Most people just put up with these behaviours, as a quirk that having a dog brings.  You don’t have to.

Dog reactivity to noise

Here is a video of Aura, showing what happens when we want to use something in the kitchen that makes a high-pitched noise:

I am using Aura because she is the worst, although you can hear Busy joining in.  They definitely wind each other up, but it’s Aura who suffers the most, in my view.  What can we do about it?

Step one: Move to a safe distance

Can you see how agitated she is?  She knows something is going on and she really wants to be there to bark at it and ‘give chase’.  Aura is an obedient dog who is well trained and quick to react to commands.  But you can see here that she is finding it really hard to concentrate.  Poor dog.

Step two: Move closer, but stay ‘safe’

We’ve moved a bit nearer, with one less door between us and the noise.  I felt as though I was torturing her here!  She is really agitated and doesn’t want to do anything, poor girl.  You can see she is trying to pay attention to me but it’s really hard for her.  Can you see her ‘lip licking’?  And can you see her showing the whites of her eyes?  She wants it to stop.  These are what is known as ‘calming signals’.

Step three: Move beside stimulus

Finally, for this demonstration, I move her back into the kitchen.  What I realised in going through this process, is that the other dogs are definitely making her reactivity worse.  She is agitated as much by their noise and excitement as by her own desire to bark and react.  So I have moved them a couple of doors away, where they can no longer hear or be heard.

Result!  Aura is calmer in this clip isn’t she?  Despite the noise still being present, she is more focused on me and is able to think a bit more about what she is doing.  She is making good eye contact with me and is not looking towards the noise.

Step four: The long-term fix

In order to reduce her reactivity to these kitchen noises properly, I need to train this regularly and consistently.  I need to practise with her every time we use something to which she reacts and I need to ensure that I give plenty of praise every time she ‘succeeds’.  Did you notice that when she was a bit calmer I gave several treats and lots of verbal praise?  That’s what we are looking for – the jackpot moment.

You can do this too!  It’s not rocket science.  These clips show how to put simple bits of training into practice.  I have done the different steps one after the other; ideally you should stay on each step until the dog is calm in that situation, then move closer.

This training can be used to ‘de-sensitise’ your dog to anything; cars going by, cats in the garden, the postman coming.  It is literally about how much effort you put in, together with your consistency.

Ask me for Advice?

You are very welcome to contact me to ask for my advice.  I can help you with a variety of issues and problems around getting a dog and suggestions for tackling training issues.  Please let me know if you have found this post helpful?  

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How to re-build your recall – my top tips

DO: Keep using treats

Some people think they only need to use treats when their puppy is little.  Why?  I still like chocolate and I’m 55 years old!  If you asked me to do something and offered me chocolate I would DEFINITELY do it!  Sunny will always come back to me, no matter whom I call, just in case I feel like giving her a sweetie.  Well of course I do!  She’s 11 years old but if she comes when I call, she deserves a sweetie.  Of course it’s not very big, but so what?

DON’T: Use rubbish treats

The one in my photo here might not look very exciting but my girls like them.  If they weren’t brilliant at coming back and/or didn’t think much of these treats, I would use something else.

Top treats can include:

• cheese – mild cheddar is not too crumbly, nice and cheap.  Cut into small cubes
• sausage – ordinary cooked sausage, cut small
• frankfurters – I slice up quite finely and then cook in the oven for a while. This dries them out so them are easier to handle and last longer
• liver cake – if you must.  I never do, but people swear by it: liver cake recipe

Whatever you use, it should actually be a reward for your dog.

DO: Be exciting

Why exactly would I return to you if you are boring?  What I am doing over here is much more interesting.  Smells!  Dogs!  Rabbits!  What are you offering?  Hmm, no thanks.

You must be AMAZING!  Look what I’ve got!  Look at my toy!  Do you want it?  Come and get it!  Here it is.. here… or here…

DON’T: Shout at your dog

It’s really not a good idea.  They may never get over it.  Dogs are sensitive creatures; they do not like it when you are unhappy.  If you have several dogs and children, try shouting at one of them (or your other half, even better). What happens?  Everyone disappears!

Yes I know it’s incredibly annoying when they don’t come, but were you exciting?  Did you have yummy sweeties?  Did you offer to play?  Or have a toy?  No?  Well that’s your own fault then.

I’m not even going to mention any kind of physical reprimand.  All that does is make your dog hate you.  Not a top plan.

DON’T: Chase your dog

What a brilliant game that is for your dog!  Yay!  Chase me, chase me!  You can’t catch me though, obviously.  Can you hear your dog laughing?  I can.  Hilarious.

DO: Run away from your dog

Turn and leg it.  Seriously.  This is the time to get on a turn of speed.  And if you can add some excited shouting, such as “Come and see what I’ve got!”  “Sweeties!”  Then you might get their interest.  This is much more likely to work than standing still.  Or chasing them.

DON’T: Wait until the end of the walk to call them back

It’s been a lovely walk but now it’s the end.  Oh you’re not tired and you don’t want to go home yet?  Well too bad, I’m in charge.  Or am I?  When I’m walking the puppy on her own, I might call her back to me twenty times during a 20 minute walk.  These days, walking her with the pack, I only call her back to me 10 times per walk.  “Ounce come”.  Be excited to see her.  Give her some praise.  Feed her a sweetie or two.  Every day, every walk.  She automatically comes to me at the end of the walk.  It’s no big deal.

DO: Use a clear, simple command

“Ounce come”.  Don’t stand still repeating the dog’s name over and over again.  You sound like a wally.  (Unlike when you are running away, shrieking in excitement, when you look AND sound like a wally.)   The more often you say the dog’s name, the less likely they are to wonder what you want.  Be clear, be positive, be firm (but not boring).

Dog Doc Question 14: What happens when the puppy stops coming back?

Oops.  Ounce is nearly 7 months old now and this is often when the trouble starts.  She is more or less fully grown (although she will fill out and might creep up a bit more in height).  She is also becoming more mature, which mainly means that she is a bit like a teenager; she thinks she knows best!

Collies are excellent at anticipation – they believe they know what you are going to do before you do.  This is what makes them so great for herding, as they can think like the shepherd and anticipate what the sheep will do.  However, it is a bit of a nightmare for us as we have to try and stop them rushing off.  Basically, she realised we were about to cross the road so ran over it, giving me a heart attack.  I then had to call her back over it so that I could get them all together and make them wait, crossing in a controlled manner.  The road is only 3m wide at that point and it’s pretty quiet, but of course I want to manage it.

I called her back, got her to me and then told her off for running away. Big mistake.  Huge.  She then gave me a filthy look when I called her again, a few minutes later.  She was then saying to me “You told me off, so I am NEVER coming back to you again.”  Lovely.

I spent the next hour trying to re-train the recall, practically from scratch.  I had to turn away from Ounce, with the other dogs on lead and walk away, so that she would follow.  I had to entice her nearer to me and then be actually thrilled that she had come back to me (this is extremely difficult to do when you basically want to kill them).  I had to persevere, leaving her for a few minutes then trying again, repeating the whole rigmarole with the other dogs being called in and rewarded, then put on lead, then a change of direction, then being thrilled that the pup came back.

What a palaver.  Of course it was all my own fault.  You should never call your puppy and then be cross with it.  Even just a cross tone of voice is enough to undo all your hard work.  If she ran across the road then it was my fault.  I have to anticipate that she will anticipate and make sure that I either put her on the lead, or convince her I am going a different way until I know it is safe.

What have I learned?

Lesson learned:  ALWAYS PRAISE THE PUPPY!  Border Collies in particular have what is referred to as ‘poor bounce back’ which means they are unforgiving; you tell me off and I will hate you forever.

Fortunately for me she has forgiven me and today was able to come for a sweetie every time, even with the others all running about.  I’m lucky that I spent so long working with her before I put her in the pack and that I still spend time training her on her own.  Very often when they are in a pack they stop looking at you and just refer to the next one up, which means you have very little chance of getting them back.

When should they go off lead?

I saw this as a question on a social media group for Border Collie owners.  In light of what I have said above, you might think that it is better to wait until they are older before you let them off lead at all. WRONG!  You absolutely MUST let your puppy off lead from day 1 of their walks and then work like crazy on the recall. Have a look at Ounce on her first walk – Puppy’s first walk (so sweet!).  I can’t imagine starting that process so easily with an adult (or teenage) dog, can you?  At the very least, I would have to have a long line.

65ft 20M Dog & Horse Training Lunge Lead. 25mm – 1″ Wide. Very Strong (Purple)

This is basically like a piece of rope around twenty feet long.  You put the puppy on one end and stand on the other end.  Let him go off for a wander and then call him back after a few minutes.  If he doesn’t respond, give a gentle tug on the line to attract his notice, then call and reward.  Do NOT pull him back to you – he has to want to come back.  The line is for your security, that’s all.  Please DO NOT chase your dog, you will not teach him to come back to you that way!  He must want to come back to you on his own.

Ask me for Advice?

You are very welcome to contact me to ask for my advice.  I can help you with a variety of issues and problems around getting a dog and suggestions for tackling training issues.

If you want to know more, why not FOLLOW ME?  Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.  Please CONTACT ME if you would like help with a specific topic?  And feel free to COMMENT if you want to tell me what you think?

What should you consider when puppy buying?

How do you choose the right dog for you? I was watching a drama on TV last night where a couple who worked long hours decided to get their daughter a dog because she had been pestering for one for ages.  They wanted to cheer her up, so they found an advert for a dog that someone didn’t want any more.  They went into the house, chatted to the man for a few minutes, then the dog appeared and they told the girl she could have it.  Then they took it home.  Is this the correct way for puppy buying, do you think?

Step 1: Assess your current life

Think about your lifestyle, as it is now.  It’s no good thinking you would like to get a dog so you can go on long walks, if you don’t ever go on long walks now.  You must like walking first.  It’s not about hiking in the hills on a daily basis, but you should at least prefer being out to watching TV and you should have some level of fitness.  You also need to be able to cope with a bit of rain, or wind, or sleet, or snow. Dogs don’t care about the weather, but they will be very disappointed if you don’t take them out for a walk every day.

If you work full time, what provision are you prepared to make for your dog? Can you take your dog with you to work?  Are you prepared to pay someone to come in and spend time with your dog and/or walk them for you?  Or do you have a friend, neighbour or family member you can persuade to have your dog for some of the time?

Do you currently have spare time?  Time when you are sitting around doing nothing much?  Or are you able to give up something you currently do?  Dogs take time, no matter how good they are.  I’d say at least 1-2 hours per day, EVERY DAY.

Step 2: Assess what kind of dog you would like

What about holidays?  Where do you like to go?  How long for, abroad or in the UK?  What will you do with a dog when you go away?  Of course there are kennels, but you might not want your dog shut in a cage for a fortnight.  There are good boarding places available, but this costs more and they have less availability.  Again, friends and family can be invaluable, but don’t make assumptions, discuss it with them.

There are plenty of great tools to help you with this.  The absolutely best thing to do is to go to Crufts Dog Show and visit the hall with the Discover Dogs at Crufts display.  They basically have every dog breed you can imagine on display, with real life examples of the dog for you to see and usually touch.  There will be a breeder there, willing to talk to you about their dog and why it is wonderful.  You can easily compare all the different types of dog.  Alternatively, go to the Discover Dogs Show Event in London, in November.

These days of course most people want a ‘designer dog’.  This means a crossbreed, or mongrel.  It is fashionable to give these dogs new names, to demonstrate that they have been purposefully ‘created’ rather than just randomly allowed to happen.  Most of these have ‘poo’ in the name, because they are a poodle crossed with something else.  BUYER BEWARE: Just because it has a funny name does NOT mean it will be an ideal dog for you.  I’ve already talked about some of the health issues in this article Crossbreeds and health

One way to choose the right breed for you is to go through a questionnaire, such as the Find A Dog one the KC website.  I don’t think these are perfect, as I can’t get it to select Border Collie for me!  Perhaps the best thing is to choose a breed based on a dog you know.

Step 3: Find a Breeder when puppy buying

I’ve already talked about this at great length, so won’t be boring about it now.  Look at the KC website and contact all the Assured Breeders  then apply to be on their waiting lists.  NB: Be prepared to WAIT FOR YOUR PUPPY.  It’s not a toy, it takes time to produce a dog.

Here’s a quick reminder of some of the questions to ask your breeder:

1.  How many dogs do you have?  Can I see them?  Where do they live?  Good breeders might have a number of dogs, but they will be part of the family.  They might spend some time each day in crates or runs, but should be in the house for most of the time.
2.  How many litters do you have per year?  How many does each dog have?    How old are they when they have the first litter?  And the last?  A litter of puppies is extremely time consuming (or should be!) So the more litters you have, the harder it is to spend time cuddling the pups.  Dogs should have no more than 4 litters each, between the ages of two and eight.
3.  Who is the sire?  Why was he chosen? How closely related is he to the mother of the litter?  What is the in-breeding coefficient? Stud dogs should be from good lines, fully health tested and with a good temperament.  They should be similar in breeding to the bitch without being too closely related.
4. What health tests have the parents had?  Can I have copies of these test certificates?  If the correct tests have been done for the breed, copies of these tests should be given to you as part of your puppy pack.

Buy the Workbook

The Workbook – A Year With Your Puppy is available to buy. This book is a hands-on, interactive book for you. It will help you survive the first year with your puppy, but also act as a memento of that time and the journey you have been on. You can write notes and stick in pictures of your puppy throughout the year. Lovely! Find out lots more by looking at the Contents page.

Remember..

Please CONTACT ME if you want to know more about me and my dogs?  And feel free to COMMENT if you want to tell me what you think. 

NO PUPPIES AVAILABLE

Dog doc question 12: How do you manage your dog’s seasons?

Six of my seven dogs have been girls and I’ve never had a problem with them coming into season.  This is the term used to describe their fertile period.  With dogs, this is approximately every six months (but can vary from dog to dog) and it lasts for three weeks.  They may come into season for the first time at any time from the age of six months (although usually not till around their first birthday for collies).  The bigger the dog, the later they mature and the longer the gaps may be between seasons.

You can tell they are coming into season because they may become clingy and seem a bit fed up.  They start to get a bit possessive over toys and might take these into their bed.  Sometimes a bitch will scrabble at their bed when in season.  I usually become aware of a bitch ‘marking’ a bit more frequently when they are out on a walk, peeing at shorter intervals and more often.  She might lick herself after going out in the garden.  They can smell differently to you, if you are cuddling up on the sofa – it’s not horrible, just a change.  If you have a look at their vulva, it will become a bit swollen and more open.

The main indicator is that they will bleed.  Spots of blood should appear on the floor – dark red and about the size of 5p coin.  If you point it out to the dog she will usually lick it up and it’s quite good to make them aware of it.  Of course you will clean it up yourself as well; remember cold water is the best way to remove blood from soft furnishings.

In my experience the blood is not really an issue, but then I have lived with animals for almost my whole life, so am used to bodily fluids being deposited in my living space!  Some people find it a nuisance though and I understand you can buy some dog pants to help.

Walking with your dog in season

Once you have realised your dog is in season, you need to be more vigilant with them when you are out walking.  They usually become fully fertile around day 10 of their season and remain so until day 17.  At around this time you may notice that they become far more interested in other dogs than usual.  Your bitch might be really flirty, going up to other dogs and trying to engage them in interaction.

You don’t need to worry too much about this, (most dogs are neutered after all).  I also find that Sunny starts to ‘range’ a bit more than usual, which I need to be aware of, but she will still come back when called. You DO need to worry if your bitch starts lifting her tail when another dog is around, as this indicates the height of her fertility.  She stands still, with her tail curling up and over her back, saying “I’m ready, come and get me!”

Occasionally, I have met an uncastrated male on a walk when one of my girls is in season.  It is a bit daunting to be followed by such a dog, as they can be very persistent.  I might find myself shouting at them and trying to chase them away.  They are never aggressive, as they are much too interested in what they might be getting!  Of course in that situation I pop my girl on the lead and shove her between my legs if necessary.  Lots of people stop walking their bitch when she is in season, but that always seems such a shame to me – it’s not their fault after all.  As long at I feel I can still control my dog, I will take her out.

After around ten days, you should start to see the blood spots becoming paler, often described as ‘straw coloured’.  Some people use this as an indicator of fertility but it’s not a hard and fast rule.  You can take them to the vet’s for an ovulation test or take their temperature, but of course most people should not be mating their dog anyway, so it’s not important.

Phantom pregnancy

Another issue to be aware of when having an unneutered bitch is that they may have a phantom pregnancy after their season.  Typically, this will be a few weeks after their season.  Again, you will see their behaviour change, with them hoarding toys or food, scratching at their bed and hiding in corners.  You will probably want to get them checked out by the vet, not least to ensure that they are not in fact pregnant.  Then you will need to monitor them and wait for normality to return.  Phantom pregnancies are not common, nor particularly damaging to the dog, but can be a nuisance.  This will usually cause you to choose to have the dog spayed.

I will talk about when to neuter your dog in the next post – I’ve written enough for today!

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Question 8: What should you worry about with your obsessive dog?

If you have ever watched your collie chase the reflection of your watch face up the wall, while you laugh hysterically at your idiot dog, this post is about you and your dog.  I don’t know to what extent other breeds of dog do this, but I know most collies obsess about something.  Whether it is barking in a ridiculous way at possible squirrels in the garden or something else, collies love to fixate.  Here are some other examples of obsessive behaviour:

• demanding you throw the ball/toy a MILLION times
• barking at the doorbell/someone going past
• chasing the cat
• chasing cars
• barking at/chasing cyclists and runners
• chasing lights
• chewing furniture/walls
• ‘digging’ on the floor, as well as actual digging!

Sounds delightful doesn’t it?  Most collies don’t do ALL those things, but most do some of them.  Does it matter?

Collies are masters of self-stimulation.  That doesn’t mean quite what you think :p It means that they will find ways to amuse themselves.  It’s what we do when we are sitting waiting for something – we get out our phones and play a game or look at Facebook.  Collies do it too, only they aren’t able to manage a phone so they find a toy, or a light, or a squirrel or…  Something, anything to occupy their brain.

How to tackle obsessive behaviour

First of all, is it actually a problem?  If it’s a way of your dog keeping themselves occupied when they are left alone, or distracted when they can’t do something (such as at agility, when waiting for their turn), then it might be better that they shake a toy or chase a ball or follow a light than that they do something more destructive.

However, any obsession can become all consuming and take away mental energy from something more positive.  It can also result in your dog becoming so fixated on shaking a toy that they are not able to listen to your instructions.

The solution is easy in theory, less so in practice.

1. Catch it.  Spotting what is going on is the first step.  Realising that they always do that, or that they persist in doing something, can help you to see that it doesn’t need to be like that.  It is entertaining watching your dog chase lights, but after a few hours, it really ought to stop.
2. Distract it.  Simply, ask the dog to do something else.  Engage that huge brain in an alternative activity.  Playing with you can help to make them think.  Ask for simple commands to be followed and reward with some play and/or treats.  Provide toys to play with so that the house is not being chewed, or the cat chased, or whatever.
3. Reward stillness.  I generally expect my dogs to be calm when I am calm.  Because I am present in their lives and yet generally still (working on my PC), they learn to settle.  If I had a dog that was fidgeting around me, I would encourage it to lie down and then reward.
4. Contain it.  If all else fails, put the dog in a safe space for some down time.  Usually dogs are happy to go into a crate if they are fed in there and their bed is comfy. It should be completely covered, so that it is a comforting, quiet space.

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Question 7: When is the right time to get another dog?

One or two – which is easiest?

I think there are a number of factors to consider when thinking about a second dog.

Positives:

• Much nicer for the first dog to have a companion.  Unless they are like my first one and don’t really like other dogs, most will much prefer to have another dog to interact with regularly.
• Less separation anxiety.  Usually, multiple dogs won’t mind being left and are less likely to be destructive.  However, sometimes one dog will teach another the bad behaviour :-/
• Easier to train.  The second dog does learn from the first and will therefore come back more easily, or learn basic commands.  However, there can be problems with this as well…

Negatives:

• I would never sell two puppies to one home.  They play together all day long and are very ‘self-contained’.  This means that it is really hard to get their focus and to have a bond with them as individuals.  You absolutely have to take them out separately, every day and train them up to have any hope of controlling them and even then, they will easily ‘gang up’ and run off. Similarly, two dogs close in age can be a challenge, which needs careful management.
• As I’ve said, not all dogs get on.  When bringing a puppy home, the first dog can be jealous and grumpy, snapping at the puppy when it tries to play.  This needs to be carefully managed and sometimes the older dog never gets over it.  Many people give up after a while and return the puppy, because they realise that it is just making the other dog miserable.
• Two dogs is twice as much work – at least.  Twice the hair, twice the poo, twice the mud, twice the chewing etc.  If you have more dogs, you need to cope with a dirty house or really love cleaning!

Build it up slowly..

Start with one dog.  Most people do, anyway.  I started with a ‘rescue’ of sorts, as she was re-homed by my mum, aged 8.  When she was 11 years old, I got a puppy.  Rue wasn’t that impressed, she was too old and set in her ways.  She didn’t want to play, or mother him and she had preferred being an only dog.

Buzz was fine on his own for a few years – I liked having just one dog again.  Easy to transport, less to worry about, not so expensive etc.  When he was 8 years old, I got Sunny.  He was thrilled!  Bless him, he adored her.  Such a contrast to Rue.  Sunny was never that fussed about him, but of course she never knew any different.

When Sunny was three years old, I kept Luna.  Now I had three dogs – aged 11, 3 and a pup.  However, by that stage  I was used to working around dogs and family life.  I was my own boss and could manage myself and my dogs pretty well.  I remember when Luna was a few months old they caught a rabbit between them – Luna flushed it, Sunny chased it and Buzz caught it.  He was a great rat-catcher too. That was when I started to realise that three dogs is a pack.  Harder to transport and manage, more work all round.

I had always planned to keep a pup from Luna’s litter, which meant that two years later I suddenly found I had FOUR dogs – oops!  Sadly, this was for a short time only, as by this stage Buzz was riddled with arthritis and in constant pain, despite strong medication.  Within a few months I was back down to three – much more manageable.  By this stage I was a ‘breeder’ and knew that I would end up with more dogs eventually.  Now I have FIVE and I LOVE IT!

How many is too many?

I once rejected a home for a puppy because they had ten dogs already, in a small house and garden.  I know that many people probably think that five is far too many, but over the last few years I have become friends with many ‘dog people’ and I now know lots of people with lots of dogs!  In fact in my book group, which has nine members, we own 23 dogs (and two people don’t have any 😉 )

Personally, I think it comes down to space, money and time.  You need at least two of these, in my opinion, to cope with lots of dogs.  I also feel that having plenty of dogs is absolutely fine, as long as they are all in  with you, not kept in runs in the garden.  However, most breeders end up with dogs piled up in crates or out in runs for some of the time.

You need the right number of dogs for your life.  I know that now.  Now that my sons are grown up, my dogs are my life and therefore I need quite a few.  Lucky me.

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If you want to know more, why not FOLLOW ME?  Then you will receive an email when there is a new post.  Please CONTACT ME if you have a problem you would like me to talk about?  And feel free to COMMENT if you want to tell me what you think – what is the right number of dogs to have?

Question 6: What can I do to help my dog cope with fireworks?

If you have ever had a dog who is terrified of loud bangs, you will know how agonising it can be.  They pant, drool and whine.  They are restless and fidgety.  They refuse to be placated and can even be quite aggressive.  They might hide under furniture or in corners.  Or they might scrabble at doors or carpets, trying to escape the terrifying monster.

It’s really hard to know what to do.  We want to reassure them, but they don’t really want to hear it.

When I first went to training classes with Sunny, I remember being told very clearly “Don’t make a fuss if something scares your dog.  If you cuddle them and fuss them, you are drawing attention to their fear and ‘rewarding them’ for wanting your attention.  Just ignore them and they will realise there is nothing to be afraid of.”

I do understand where this advice is coming from.  If you are anxious about your dog being anxious, they will become more anxious, because they are feeding off your anxiety!  I see this most often when we are out walking and we walk past someone whose dog is ‘nervous of other dogs’.  They have the dog on the lead and are gripping hold of it.  Or they might even be clutching the dog to them – I’ll protect you!  Even if they are just holding the lead though, the owner’s anxiety is being transmitted down that lead to the dog.

It’s a vicious circle; the dog is afraid so you become afraid, so the dog thinks “there must be something to be afraid of” so becomes afraid.  This ‘transmission of emotion’ also happens with horses, as anyone who has been nervous about riding a horse will tell you!  Another example is when you are faced with a dog you don’t know and aren’t sure about – you know that they can ‘smell your fear’.  In fact it is true; dogs (and horses) can smell fear and will react accordingly.

Getting back to the fireworks then, how should we tackle it?  If we completely ignore it, we are not helping the dog to cope with it, we are just being mean!  What we need then, is a strategy to positively develop coping behaviour for the dog. There are a number of ways we can tackle this:

Physical or Practical Solutions

• Provide alternative noise to counteract the bangs, such as a loud radio playing
• Use a Desensitisation CD for dogs
• Provide a safe place for the dog to go into, such as a dark corner with a comfy bed or blanket
• Shut curtains and move the dog away from the bangs if possible
• Put the dog into a Thundershirt
• Give the dog medication, obtained from your vet, or buy some calming tablets

The Training Solution

Distraction is a crucial factor in persuading your dog that there is nothing to worry about.  It’s not about ignoring them when they are afraid, as about ignoring their fear – making light of it.  If you can clearly project to them that you are perfectly fine with whatever is going on, in fact you think it’s time to have a game, then the dog may be able to move past it with you.  You need to be convincing!  But if you can get their attention on you and persuade them to play fetch, or do tricks, or even just a bit of rough and tumble, then they are less likely to be thinking about ‘that scary thing’.

This works if you are out and another dog goes past.  Thinking to yourself “that’s not an interesting dog, playing with you is much more fun” will help to encourage your dog to ignore other dogs.  They won’t feel the need to protect you.  This also works for bangs and loud noises.

Not just fireworks

It is useful to enable your dog to cope with loud bangs, not just for when the fireworks are around, but for all sorts of other things.  Thunderstorms are an obvious one, but also bird scarers, gunshots, hot air balloons, cars backfiring, starter pistols etc.  In fact if you want your dog to become a Pets As Therapy volunteer, they will need to cope with someone dropping something loud beside them.

Eventually, we want a dog who is secure and confident enough to find loud bangs and flashes a bit boring.  Don’t think that you cannot cuddle your dog if they are scared, just make sure that you are not afraid of their fear!

Please note: I am not a qualified dog behaviourist or trainer.  I have owned border collies for many years and raised a number of puppies, so I am an experienced dog owner, that is all.  Information provided here represents my opinion, based on my experience.

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