09/12/2024
I came across this wonderful write up by Robin MacFarlane, which highlights an important aspect of dog training: the role of stress. While we often aim to make training as positive and enjoyable as possible, some degree of stress is not only natural but essential for growth. Just like in humans, manageable stress during the training process helps build resilience in our dogs, allowing them to adapt to new environments and challenges more effectively. This, in turn, leads to greater confidence and a stronger ability to handle real life situations calmly and successfully.
How do you feel about exposing your dog to stress?
This young Weimaraner started a board and train recently. During the drop off, I informed his owner, he'd be living under some different rules at my house than what he'd been used to for the past few months of his life.
He would be subjected to some "healthy stress.”
Among other things, he would be sleeping in a crate at night, learning to walk nicely on a leash, and participate in proprioceptive exercises to build body awareness.
Essentially, he would be learning some problem solving skills and because of it, develop greater resilience.
The first day here he found himself stuck on the opposite side of a pole than the side I was on.
Can you guess what I did?
I did nothing. I stood there, not moving, not applying more pressure to the leash, not coochie-cooing him...I just waited.
It took him about 90 seconds of wiggling, and whining to figure out what to do to get himself free.
Once he did, he was darn proud of himself, prancing about for a few seconds and then we moved on and enjoyed a short game of fetch.
The stress was short lived. He learned how to relieve it and was proud of himself as he discovered his power to problem solve.
We do our dogs no favor by immediately bailing them out of every little problem or struggle they encounter.
So often I hear, "My dog doesn't like the crate,” or "My dog doesn't like to be brushed,” or "My dog won't potty while on leash.”
As a woman who has raised two (now grown) children, I could not have imagined saying to my kids dentist..."well, they don't like having their teeth brushed so we just gave up." 🤣
I have news for you, there are very few dogs that immediately enjoy their crate, or being brushed and bathed, or being restrained on a leash.
It's our job to teach them to tolerate the realities of life in the human world.
For most things the teaching recipe is simple:
A bit of skill, applied over time, mixed by a healthy dose of patient persistence.
If you don't have the skill, the time or the patience, you can pay people like me to do the foundation work for you. It is like having the dentist clean the kids teeth...but if you don't maintain what the professional did, it's not going to become good habits that serve for a lifetime.
The main thing to understand is that stress and learning will be part of life. There is no avoiding it. It is how we learn to work through it that makes the difference.
By taking time to teach your dog how to tolerate some stress and learn to problem solve, you set them up for increased confidence, improved manners and an overall healthier mindset.
