For many humans, the holidays are a time of merriment, increased socializing, and stress as we celebrate with friends and family, host holiday gatherings, and rush around to complete our never ending to-do lists.
Humans often forget how these factors might impact their pups, perhaps only realizing once in the thick of Thanksgiving that their pup is trying to herd the children and might be having a hard time.
Most dogs are creatures of routine and comfort, and when something is different in their lives, like their routine is off or unfamiliar people are in their space, this can bring up big feelings and be very challenging for them for a variety of reasons.
Consider, for a herding dog, bred specifically to be a "chaos coordinator" and to round up and control perceived chaos, they likely interpret crowds of people with lots of movement as something that they need to address, as this is a genetically ingrained behavior in them. For many humans, when they choose to get a cute little Corgi or an adorable and fluffy little Australian Shepard for example, they forget that these dogs are bred with a job that may potentially be going unfulfilled (this is largely individual and based on if you as an owner provide enrichment and outlets to satiate their genetic needs.)
Add feeling like one's needs are not satiated + a change in routine + a perceived increase in chaos and you just might have a recipe for disaster at your holiday celebration.
Some things you might consider to set your dog up for success before your next holiday bash:
1) What are their genetic, biological needs?
Are they a guardian dog who might have difficulty having strangers in their space? Are they a herding breed who might perceive the need to control the chaos and nip at the kiddos ankles to round them up and make them behave? Are they a scent hound who might really struggle with the increased smells of the holiday meal and the likelihood for humans to drop things they may be able to capitalize on? Do they have a high prey drive that might be triggered by your cousins' teacup Yorkie they brought to dinner running across the house?
When you know your dogs breed and what their job is meant to be, you can proactively satiate their needs in order to set your dog up for success.
An example: Penny Grace, my personal dog, (a APBT, ACD, Coonhound, Chow, Lab mix,) has a pretty significant prey drive.
In order to proactively satiate this need, I allow controlled chasing of squirrels in safe environments, we play fetch, and she is given a variety of puzzles that allow her to tear and shred and mimic some of the prey sequence.
The combination of doing these activities regularly means that when it is NOT time to chase squirrels or other perceived prey, she is easily able to leave it alone and be more focused and engaged with me because her needs are met.
2) Ensure their traditional needs are proactively satiated:
Well before guests arrive, has your dog had adequate exercise? Mental stimulation? Enrichment? Affection? Eaten/ Drank? Is in good health? No pain/ discomfort you're aware of? Ensure your dogs needs are met before guests begin arriving to set everyone up for success.
3) Know your dog's boundaries and preferences and use this knowledge to set them up for success:
In the human world, some humans have really ridiculous beliefs about our dogs, one of which is that they "should" be able to get along with every person, and every dog, in every situation. Not only is this far from the truth, but it is legitimately disrespectful and potentially dangerous to make this assumption.
No human loves all other humans, and the same is true for dogs.
Similarly, some humans have very clear, significant physical space boundaries while others may have more flexibility or even appreciate touch.
Every dog, like every human, is an individual and has individual preferences and boundaries which should be known and respected.
For example: Penny Grace isn't super excited about being pet often times, especially by strangers. While she tolerates it and is compliant, this is not something she seeks out or enjoys. Knowing this, I can advocate for her space and her boundaries and ask others to not approach us or touch her unnecessarily.
If I was unaware of this preference of hers and did not advocate for her space, it is very likely that she would eventually feel the need to communicate and advocate for herself independently. This can look like anything from lip licks, yawns, turning or moving away, growling, or even a warning bite asking for space.
By me choosing to advocate for her proactively and not allow the unnecessary touching, I am able to build her confidence in general, but also her trust in me and our relationship that I have her back and I will advocate for her.
Often times when a dog "bites out of nowhere," there were a million small communication signals that were missed along the way. And because the dog was likely quiet, submissive, and compliant previously, the humans in their life missed the discomfort and boundaries that were being communicated.
Similar to a human, a dog will only communicate quietly and subtly for so long before they get tired of being ignored and disrespected and feel the need to communicate more loudly and clearly. Keep in mind that from your dogs' perspective, their communication is clear and valid, even if you didn't necessarily notice their eyes flick to the side and become a wide whale eye, indicating they were overwhelmed and uncomfortable, THEY know what they meant and what they said and they don't understand why you/ other humans are not responsive and respecting of that communication. It's our job as the more intelligent species to learn their language and respect what we are being told.
4) Consider what is best for YOUR individual dog:
For many dogs, the kindest and safest thing to do to set everyone up for success is to give them their own safe space during holiday celebrations where they can go and be away from the festivities. Dogs rarely like a lot of commotion, energy, and excitement, especially for prolonged periods of time.
If this is coupled with having strangers in their space or even perhaps being in an unfamiliar space themselves, this can exacerbate big emotions and difficulty navigating holiday celebrations. Whether during the holidays or not, every dog should have a "spa space" that is a human free zone where they can go to decompress and be alone.
As autonomous beings, dogs deserve some time to be alone without any need to be perceived or cued by us. This might be a crate, a play pen, a bathroom. a closet, a bedroom, etc. that has been made comfy with a blanket/ bed, good, dog safe smells (like lavender or an Adaptil plugin for example,) with soothing music or a white noise machine.
You want to ensure this is a positive, enjoyable place for your pup to be, where they are able to enjoy quiet time and perhaps a high incentive chew/ lickmat/ snuffle mat/ etc.
By coupling the space with an enjoyable, self-regulating activity like those mentioned above, you can give your dog the opportunity to use their skills to self-soothe.
Don't assume that your dog will remove themselves when they are tired and overstimulated- they will not!
Envision your dog as a 2-4 year old toddler and remember that kiddos this age (of both
species) need support from their guardians to do things like remember to eat healthy, maintain a routine, use their skills to cope with challenging situations, and to be given nap times/ down times.
If you conceptualize your dog emotionally and mentally as a 2-4 year old child,(which is what research suggests is accurate for most dogs,) this can help you remember to do things like remove your pup and give them space when they seem overstimulated or distracted. Or perhaps you notice they haven't napped all day and are being a terror, you might realize this is a good time for a time.
Remember YOU are the manager in charge and it is your job to set your dog and everyone in their life up for success, during the holidays and everyday!
5) Create and maintain predictable patterns and routines to build confidence and stability:
Anxiety largely comes from the fear of the unknown and a sense of lack of control. Knowing this is true in both humans and dogs, we can create routines and predictable patterns for our dogs to help decrease anxiety and build their confidence.
Some examples: Meals, Bathroom Breaks, Exercise, Enrichment, and other daily occurrences:
Maintain consistent meal times, (preferably in a time frame to prevent rigidity)
Breakfast 6-8AM Dinner 5-7PM
For every meal, have the same procedures, behaviors, and expectations. Example, as you prep their meal, you ask your dog to Place so they can practice building impulse control and stay out from under your feet.
If you bring your dog out 4 times a day, keep these outings in the same window of time as often as possible. (6-7AM, 12-1PM, 4-5PM, 8-9PM for example.)
Pattern Games:
Teach your dog a pattern game like the "1,2,3," game. Simply count out loud "One, Two, Three!" The moment you say "Three," deliver a high incentive treat to your dog's mouth. Repeat this 10-15 times total and practice the game 3-5 days in a row, beginning in low distraction environments and adding challenge by bringing the game to more distracting environments to help your dog realize.
Ultimately we want them to immediately look to you and get excited when they hear you say "One...." because they have learned the pattern so well and know the expectation and reward. You can then utilize this pattern game in a variety of settings and situations to get your dog to engage with you, to help them ignore distractions, and to create some predictability and sense of control in a situation that might otherwise feel a little scary or overwhelming. (Example: Your reactive dog sees another dog a distance away and begins to tense up. You begin to count "one.... " Your dogs eyes snap to you and you have the opportunity to praise and reward as you keep playing the game and maintain their attention on you, rather than the approaching dog.
Create Safe Spaces with Predictable Expectations:
In addition to creating a 'spa space' for your dog. where they are able to decompress and be alone, you want to ensure that there are clear boundaries and expectations around this space. At no point should humans have their hands in the pups' crate/spa space, no other dogs should be allowed to enter the space or utilize any of the bedding/ toys/ chews in that safe space area, and children should keep a wide berth. Our goal is to help Fido feel confident that they can be in this space safely.
Clear communication;
One of the biggest mistakes we humans make is forgetting that our dogs do not speak English and then we begin barking a bunch of cues at them. (Dogs communicate through body language and there is some research that suggests they may communicate amongst themselves telepathically.)
Dogs do not know what anything we say means, until we teach them through our training.
Keep your cues simple, straightforward, and one word as often as possible.
Do not repeat yourself- this teaches your dog to not listen the first time and can be very confusing if they are legitimately trying to obey you and you continue to repeat yourself as this requires their brain to restart trying to comprehend what you've said. (Imagine this similarly to when you are the in the middle of a task and someone asks you a question. You ask "What?" and as they're talking, your brain is playing catch up, only for them to continue repeating themselves. You may become frustrated or more confused by the interruption as they repeat themselves. If your dog is busy/distracted and you start repeating cues to them over and over, you are not giving them the opportunity to comprehend what you've said and then execute the behavior.)
The cuing formula:
Name + Cue= Behavior
Behavior= Mark the behavior with your Marker Word of YES!!! + Reward with a treat.
Example: "Penny: Come!"
::Penny looks at me and begins to move towards me::
"YES!!!! Good Come! Good girl Penn!" (continue praising while they return to you as this is a more complicated and elongated cue here,)
When she returns to me, Reward with a treat and Release "Be free!"
Consistent behavior/ expectations: DO NOT change your expectations for your dogs behavior, for any reason, but especially when another human and/or dog showed up! This is one of my biggest pet peeves personally and I think it's because it's something I've struggled with myself.
You see an owner and dog strolling, doing their own thing, and for some reason, they see you and/or your dog, and they begin to yank at their dog, snap cues at them, attempt to get them away or to do something they weren't just being asked to do just before they noticed you.....
Your dog does not understand why your behavior and expectations changed.
They are confused, attempting to comply, and you are likely becoming more insistent and frustrated while they appear to not obey.
While I understand why this happens from a human perspective, (most often desire to appear a certain way to others, or beliefs that they "should" be a certain way with their dog when another is present,) it is truly unfair and confusing to your dog.
To them, you are simply inconsistent, confusing, and a poor communicator when this happens.
Notice if/when you tense up or change your behavior, what was the trigger? What can you do to work through that emotion and trigger without negatively impacting your dog? If, for example, another human is suddenly present in your vicinity and it does require you to change something about your behavior or communication with your dog, how can you do this while still maintaining calm, clear energy towards your dog?
Knowing that we humans often change our behaviors when other humans are present is another reason it may make most sense to put your dog in their personal "spa space" BEFORE guests arrive. This will enable them to get involved with a soothing activity and to settle into their space while you can give your focus and attention to your human guests, rather than to attempting to manage Fido.
When planning your social calendar this season, consider how you can set your pup up for success in advance. Practice these skills, games, and routines in advance of needing them so that your dog is easily able to comply and settle around distractions when you need them to. Keep in mind that dogs do not generalize well, so while your dog may have a good Place cue when you are home alone with them, by simply adding 2 new people to the space, this may be just enough for your pup to be a little confused about the expectation. Practice and practice often!
How do you set your dog up for success during social events?
Have you read our "Guest Greeting Protocol" as another option?
Check it out here:
Keep in mind that ALL dog training is about helping you and your dog live more happily and cohesively, together. If you need some support in making that happen, reach out for a consultation!
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