Creating Predictability for Your Dog

Hello, and welcome.

John Bradshaw of the University of Bristol says that if dogs “consistently don't know what's going to happen next, they can get stressed, aggressive or fearful. Dogs whose owners are inconsistent to them often have behavioural disorders."

Dogs who are anxious or fearful might need to feel they have more control in their lives. Going back to a pretty consistent routine, perhaps as you had during puppyhood, may help get them in a more relaxed state as they know what’s expected each day. This can relate to meals, walk times, social interactions, and rest.

Once you’ve reached a more relaxed level with your dog, and they’ve built up their feeling of comfort, only then should you consider making very small deviations from the normal routine - by adding in something they enjoy at a different time to usual.

We can also teach our dogs a new set of behaviours that help them understand what to do in a given situation that would normally concern them. This allows them to create their own automatic predictable responses in relation to triggers that worry them.

For example, one thing you might do is to teach your dog to move away to sniff for a treat on the floor whenever they see something that worries them - be that another dog, another human or traffic. By introducing this behaviour (firstly at a large distance from the trigger) we’re able to give our dogs something that provides a positive predictable outcome - plus the bonus of breaking eye contact with that trigger and keeping their bodies moving / fluid.

You could also teach them to go to settle on a mat or pick up a favourite toy whenever they hear a knocking or the doorbell. These sounds can traditionally create unpredictable outcomes… Will someone be coming into the house? Are they a threat? Or is it just a delivery whereby your dog’s automatic response to bark to warn them off becomes a successful strategy as that human then leaves? By teaching the alternative habitual behaviour pattern - sound = move to bed or toy - we can help our dogs move into THINKING mode instead of FEELING mode.

What do you think? Could your dog do with a little more predictability in their life?

Caroline