14/06/2024
🅵🅰🅲🆃🆄🅰🅻 🅵🆁🅸🅳🅰🆈!
Learned Helplessness in Dogs
ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪꜱ ɪᴛ?
Learned helplessness is when your pup becomes so discouraged by repeated negative experiences that they give up trying to escape or avoid them.
Scientific Evidence Source - This condition was first identified by psychologists Martin Seligman and Steven Maier in the 1960s through experiments with dogs.
ᴡʜᴀᴛ'ꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀᴜꜱᴇ?
• Repeated Bad Days: Constantly facing unpleasant situations they can’t control. Usually caused by old school dog training methods such a checking collars, over use of corrections and military style raising of dogs.
• Training Confusion: If training feels like a rollercoaster, your dog might feel like nothing they do makes sense.
• Ruff Abuse or Neglect: Dogs in tough situations with no escape can get stuck in this mindset, just like humans.
ᴋᴇʏ ꜱɪɢɴꜱ:
1. Eeyore Mode: Your dog becomes super passive, lying around like a furry couch potato.
2. Doggy Depression: No more tail wags, playtime, or happy barks. They might lose interest in food too.
3. No Initiative: Even when there’s an obvious way out, they just don’t take it. It’s like they’ve decided, “Why bother?”
ꜰɪxɪɴɢ ɪᴛ:
• Positive Vibes Only: Use consistent, positive reinforcement. Treats and belly rubs for good behaviour!
• Safe Haven: Create a predictable, safe environment. No surprises (except maybe surprise treats).
• Baby Steps: Slowly introduce situations where they can win. Success breeds confidence!
• Pro Help: Don’t hesitate to call in the experts and if they tell you corrections are needed, run a mile.
Bottom Line:
Learned helplessness is serious, but with some love, patience, and a sprinkle of cheeky positivity, you can help your dog regain their zest for life. Do not believe the crap you watch from people who call themselves 'reactive dog specialists' and show before and after videos of the dogs being marched around near other dogs, seemingly fixed of their problem... but, this is not a solution and it is certainly not fixed, the issue is buried deep and bubbling up waiting to explode and probably will get worse. Reactive dog training takes time, effort and patience to change emotional responses, not to suppress them.
I was encouraged to write this post due to a fair few recent clients who have been on the end of horrendous bad advice, which of course created a very unhappy dog and owner.
