Do you have a dog who has concerns about particular scenarios or triggers? It’s normal for any given dog to be uncomfortable about certain situations or sentient beings of some sort. After all, humans are as well. As humans, we can avoid some situations/people/triggers that cause us concern. But if those things exist in everyday life and are unavoidable, then most of us would seek help to cope with them. Desensitization dog training is the dog version of this.
There is an abundance of scenarios that a dog may need to be desensitized to. They can include but are not limited to:
- Handling and husbandry tasks such as nail clipping, brushing, and ear cleaning
- Sounds that may cause them fear or defensiveness such as thunderstorms and fireworks
- Strangers entering their homes/sighting such on walks
- Reactivity over other dogs on walks
- Car rides
We need to address each scenario separately and remember that each dog is different.
How to Desensitize a Dog to Handling
I feel that this category of desensitization dog training is the easiest to implement. This involves creating better associations with these tasks as well as allowing your dog to opt out when there is no emergency. Choice-based handling practiced and conditioned on a regular basis can help your dog see that there is no reason to be concerned. For example, with nail trimming, you start by determining where your dog becomes uncomfortable with your touch, as you move from her shoulder down to her foot.
Dog Desensitization to Sounds
Dog desensitization to sounds is a category that can cause much distress for so many dogs. Thunderstorms and fireworks are at the top of the list. However, there are plenty of dogs who are blasé about those two sounds yet will have a meltdown over a garbage truck or a delivery truck. It’s much easier to address the type of sounds that have a tangible source to show a dog. Fireworks and thunderstorms are less so even though the sources are known to us. Dogs have a harder time connecting those sounds to a source. The sounds are also unpredictable and that makes them untrustworthy to dogs, who generally do enjoy predictability.
Counterconditioning can help with both types of noise categories. This means that you start pairing the planned presentation of the noise with something that your dog likes a LOT. This can be food or it can be play. How this is implemented will be different with each time of noise. Obviously, you can’t plan for thunderstorms or your neighbor’s loud fireworks display. But you can use recorded sounds. For loud noises that may originate in the home such as dropped items, slammed doors, etc. I like Dr. Amy Cook’s “Noise Party” protocol, which is well explained in a Fenzi Dog Sports Academy podcast.
Stranger Danger
How you address this in your home depends on the intensity of your dog’s concern about strangers. We will touch on concerns on the low end here as concerns on the high end truly need a professional on the spot helping you design a protocol for your individual dog. Concerns over strangers on walks are easily paired with reactivity over dogs so see that section for that subject.
If your dog is simply suspicious of those who you invite into your home but is not threatening anyone, the most important thing that you can do is to tell your guests to ignore your dog. That includes both verbal and body language. Don’t face them, don’t talk to them, don’t engage with them. Allow the dog to observe and process their observations.
I like to use a snuffle mat to help a dog self-sooth. This works similarly to how humans use their cell phones in public when we don’t want to interact with others. I also like to teach dogs something called a “Find It” to help them know that it’s OK to use sniffing as a displacement gesture in this context (and on walks!). At some point, the stranger can be instructed to cue the Find It.
Find It is always modified for the individual home and dog. The short version is placing the snuffle mat at a sufficient distance from the door to prevent door rushing but close enough that the dog can see the visitor enter. Use high-value food rewards in said snuffle mat, while also verbally cueing/reinforcing the Find It. If need be, keep the dog on a leash without tension but limiting access.
How to Desensitize a Dog to Other Dogs
I also use Find It to help desensitize a reactive dog to sighting other dogs on walks as well as sighting human strangers (or honestly anything that may concern them while they are walking with their human). In this context, distance matters greatly with keeping your dog under threshold so that you can safely desensitize them with this process.
The first order of business when desensitizing a dog to other dogs is management. This means that you must have appropriate control of your dog’s forward movement so that you can safely handle them. In most cases, a proper front attachment harness that is fitted well for your individual dog is of utmost importance. (See this article for ones that I have personally tested.)
Remember, proper fit is vital to not only give the handler the center of gravity but to ensure the comfort of the dog. Your dog knows when you feel comfortable with being able to handle them.
In some cases, a head halter may be necessary when there is a wide disparity between the size of the dog and the size/strength of the human. If this is an option that you prefer, proper conditioning for such should take place for best results. I rarely suggest these products, but when safety is a necessary consideration, used properly (as with any management equipment!), they are safe for both sides of the equation. I personally prefer the Halti and the Big Dog Styles one (the latter from the U.K.) for better comfort for the dog while still maintaining safety for the human.
Distance and Timing
Now back to desensitizing a dog training, distance is crucial as is timing. Creating better associations with any triggers on walks requires both sufficient distance from said trigger as well as some skill with marking the moment of either first engagement or disengagement on one’s own. I assume that you know what marking means, whether you use a clicker or a verbal marker.
The counterconditioning referenced article above also applies to reactivity on leash. Personally, I like to combine counter conditioning and desensitization (CC/DS) with BAT by Grisha Stewart and the Engage/Disengage game. It gets tweaked for each individual dog’s needs. What works for one dog may not work for another dog.
As with all behavior-modification protocols, it’s imperative that you keep your dog under threshold. That cannot be overstated. This means that you must know your dog’s signs and tolerance levels so that you use distance, high-value food rewards, length of practice, management equipment, and their baseline tolerance level any given day. Taking all of that into account is of vital importance.
If you have any questions about this process, you really should meet with a well-qualified professional first before attempting any of these on your own. Otherwise, happy desensitizing dogs!
