How a simple "goldfish mindset" can help your dog work through fear-based behaviors and get dog training back on track.
I've been training dogs for about the last 20 years, and one thing is consistent: about half of the dogs I train have some form of extreme anxiety, and of that group, about 70% are reactive during walks or when guests arrive. So how do I use a "goldfish mindset" to help these dogs work through these behaviors? Learn my simple trick for working with reactive dogs.
The Piloting Method of dog training that is used by us here at Darwin Dogs is dependent upon 2 key drivers. When working through your dog's behaviors, it's important to:
2) Control the situation.
When you're struggling with a dog who has fear reactivity, controlling a situation can make a simple walk in the park feel like a trek to the summit of Mt. Everest. You may feel you need to resort to using shock collars or prong collars, which only increases your dog's anxiety.
That's why I recommend using a Goldfish Mindset when trying to control a situation you're faced with your dog.
Lemme explain.
Your Dog is Reacting to Their Fishbowl
When I was little, I won a goldfish by playing some stupid game at the local fair. Yes, now I know better, but 10-year-old me thought it was the greatest thing. My parents had to go out and buy a fishbowl and basic needs for this "free" fish. I don't even remember everything we had to get, but I do remember one thing.
I was warned not to dump the fish into the bowl. I had to float the small bag with the fish into the larger fishbowl full of water. At the time, I had no idea why, but now I realize it was to allow the fish to gradually become acclimated to the temperature of the water, rather than just forcing the poor thing to deal with the sudden shock of the abrupt temperature change, as it can kill a fish.
What if we treated our reactive dogs the same way?
Rather than just dumping them into whatever situation was causing them to panic and become reactive due to fear, we gradually allowed them to adjust to their surroundings, similar to that goldfish? What if we became more intentional about the stressors we put our dogs through, and actually had a plan?
Your Dog's Anxiety and How It Affects Behavior
Begin to think of the small bag of water that the fish came in as a small, safe area—an unknown entity. The bowl was too big, or rather, contained too many small shocks for the fish to safely acclimate to immediately. If I had put a few drops of water into the bag, it would have been no big deal; tiny changes that could be adjusted immediately by the fish. But too many small adjustments or sets of stimuli = One Catastrophic Change, or at least in the eyes of your fish or your dog.
All dog behavior is (generally) composed of two major drivers: level of impulse control vs. level of anxiety. Low anxiety and low impulse control can cause a dog to be jumpy and waaaaaay too friendly.
High impulse control plus high anxiety is what I see with the puppy mill rescues I work with: they're shut down and stuck in a never-ending game of The Floor is Lava.
Reactivity (or aggression) is actually low impulse control combined with high anxiety.
In other words, the amount of stimuli they've been presented with has made them lose their damn minds, and now they're lunging and barking at other dogs or people, or growling and snapping at people walking by your house. It's all just too much for them, and they hit their panic button.
How to Fishbowl Your Dog's Behavior
Helping your dog through dog reactivity doesn't mean taking your dog for walks where there are a lot of other pups, and simply hoping they learn to adjust and accept. That's too much like just dumping my goldfish into the bowl and hoping the shock doesn't kill them.
However, the fish has to leave that baggie at some point, and your dog has to leave their protective bubble as well: you can't expose them to zero dogs.
So where do you even start?
Start Your Dog Off Small
You can't work with your dog at the park if your dog is still dragging you on the leash even when there aren't any dogs around. In other words, start at the very beginning: leash work. Gradually build up your skills. The usual trajectory I follow is
Inside the house on a leash.
In the backyard.
Up and down the driveway.
Doing a "pendulum" back and forth on the sidewalk in front of the house.
Going around the block over and over.
Heading out for a walk.
For some dogs, we hit step 5 pretty quickly. For others, we spend some time at step 3. But it's okay to stay at your present step until both you and your dog feel mostly confident to move to the next step.
I have a client who I will call out by name because she's fantastic: Michelle. She was struggling on walks with her 6-month old puppy Jolene. Now Michelle had been an absolute rock star during our dog training sessions: brilliant, fun, and dedicated to whatever task she set her mind towards.
Which was why I was shocked when she texted me out of the blue that she was struggling with walking Jolene.
The final straw was when Michelle was trying to squeeze in a walk with Jolene between other appointments. She had to pick up her car from the shop, which was only 1/2 mile away. Perfect opportunity to walk Jolene with her and multi-task.
Jolene saw that her mom was fixated on a destination and time constraints instead of leash training, and used the opportunity to launch every bit of fire and brimstone her little body could muster. The "walk" was a disaster.
I came to their house for a dog training session and talked to Michelle about starting to walk Jolene indoors as a warm-up. She gave it a go.
The first lap inside was brutal, with Jolene pulling all her usual shenanigans. But the second lap had marked improvements, it was, well, very calm. Very controlled.
Michelle had simply given Jolene time to acclimate to the fishbowl before adding new stimuli. Michelle admitted she thought it was pointless to walk her puppy inside the house, but she then saw the beauty of it.
So rather than starting your reactive dog off by merely dumping them into the new fishbowl, let them have a bit of a warm-up.
Your job is to tell your dog what the goal is. Your dog will tell you how long it takes to hit that goal together.
Sorry, there's no shortcuts here.
You can't bribe your dog with never-ending treats into believing that the other dogs aren't a threat. Also, what happens when you run out of treats?
Also, if you're electrocuting a scared and reactive dog with a shock collar, to "train" your dog not to be afraid of other dogs passing by, help me understand your goal. Is it to make your dog more afraid of your wrath than the other dog?
Your dog's anxiety is fear of the unknown.
And as I'm fond of saying, your dog isn't giving you a hard time, your dog is having a hard time. Add unknown elements gradually.
When Your Dog's Training is 2 Steps Forward, 1 Step Back
If you feel like you're making great strides with your dog's or puppy's behavior, only to take steps back, it's time to fishbowl. By taking smaller steps, and adding less stimuli, you are less likely to have to deal with the inevitable fallout.
If you take too big of a bite of your PB&J sandwich, you're going to choke.
If you walk too fast on ice, you'll slip and fall.
If you immediately try to hit a home run without tagging first base, well, you know what I mean.
Slow down (both literally and figuratively), and you won't experience the whiplash of 2 steps forward and one step back.
Having Trouble with Your Dog's Behavior?
Many dog owners struggle to handle their dog's behaviors, which led us to create the Piloting Method of dog training, focusing on simple and effective techniques based on trust.
Because every dog deserves to be the Best Dog Ever.
If you think it's time to consult a professional dog trainer who specializes in behavior as well as dog training, find out more about our services in the Greater Cleveland Area here.
For those outside the Northeast Ohio area, canine behavioral coaching is also available. Explore our coaching packages here.
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