BH275 Reactive Integration

REACTIVE INTEGRATION - If you have a dog that has undesirable reactions around specific ‘triggers’, this class will help by integrating various foundation training and behavior modification protocols to help your reactive dog in the real world.

Course Details

This class is designed to help the owner of a dog that is exhibiting behavior that is often described as ‘reactive or aggressive’. These behaviors can come from frustration, anxiety, fear, or over arousal. Many of the topics discussed will also help the sensitive or fearful dog. Regardless of the dogs underlying motivation for their behavior, this class will help the owner to modify the dog’s emotional response as well as their physical one. The handler will learn various training skills and behavior modification protocols to reduce the undesirable reactions and to replace them with more appropriate responses.

Reducing anxiety and increasing confidence using positive reinforcement training and science-based learning theory will get you on the road to helping your dog be a better companion! You will likely be familiar with many of the topics discussed, but knowing how to integrate them into your training plan in with each other is the concept of this class.

Teaching Approach

Information outlined in the syllabus will be detailed in a lecture and when appropriate, a video example. Each student will have a customized approach so that although there is a lot of information presented, it may not apply to each of you and recommendations will be given based on the individual. The initial focus of the course is to ‘reduce the baseline’ before we take the training into the real world. By integrating training from the sport dog world, pet world, behavior world, and even the working dog world, you will build a strong foundation indoors that will allow for progress outside.

Forums will be checked twice daily, and all posts will be responded to by me in detail with or without video support before you post again.

Syllabus

Week One – During the first week, we will identify specific triggers if known, and learn how to manage them appropriately. We will also begin to teach management techniques that by themselves do not directly address the reactive behavior but prevent the dog from practicing the behavior we want to modify. We will also briefly discuss the use of anti-anxiety supplements and medications.

1. Identifying Triggers
• Inside the Home
• Outside the Home

2. Managing Triggers
• Visual
• Sound
• Touch
• Distance
• Olfactory

3. Anti-Anxiety Medicinal Help
• Supplements
• Alternatives
• Pharmaceuticals

4. Management techniques training
• Emergency U-Turn
• Body Block
• Side Switch
• Transport
• Muzzle

Week Two– This week, we want to work on reducing the baseline of anxiety, increase confidence, and begin the process of teaching reinforcement strategies that will provide clarity to the process which will also increase confidence.

1. Increase Mental Stimulation
• Decompression Walks (well managed)
• Foraging/Hunting for Food
• Food Toys

2. Fitness/Confidence
• Cavalettis
• Baby Pool
• Fit Paws
• Obstacle Course
• Food Puzzles

3. Reinforcement Strategies
• Food Marker Cues
• Toy Marker Cues
• Premack Principle
• Personal Play/Touch/Praise

Week Three – During this week we will continue to reduce the baseline by working on creating predictability in their life, relaxation/calmness, and getting them to engage the pre-frontal cortex by getting them ‘thinking’!

1. Predictability/Impulse Control
• Food in Hand
• Food in Bowl
• Putting on Leash/Collar/Harness
• Crate/Gate
• Exiting Door

2. Settle Introduction

3. Alternative Behaviors/Thinking
• Vito Game - Movement Puzzles
• Eye Contact
• Marker Cue Loop
• Hand Target
• Chin Rest
• Leash Pressure

Week Four – This week we will begin to put our basic training, specifically eat or play cues into the process of desensitization and counter conditioning and start implementing various behavior modification techniques to increase your dogs threshold.

1. Generalizing Marker Cue Loop

2. Teaching some Pattern Games
• Up/Down
• Left/Right
• 1, 2, 3
• Super Bowls

3. Applying Desensitization and Counter Conditioning Protocols
• Engage/Disengage
• Marker Cue Loop
• Pattern Games

4. Settle - Add stationary marker cue for counter conditioning

Week Five – We will expand our learned behaviors, add in some more movement and really customize the training plans going forward.

1. Differential Reinforcement - Alternative Behaviors
• Settle
• Hand Target
• Chin Rest
• Whatever you got!

2. Parallel Walking
• Add Cavaletis
• Add feeding stations/toys

3. Circle Walking
• Leash Handling
• Using response to leash pressure

Week Six – Finalizing a customized training plan for each Gold spot. Using the skills learned that are necessary for your specific situation. Applying what you’ve learned!

Prerequisites & Supplies

This class is very comprehensive and will take the beginner through all the necessary stages of management, foundation skills, and behavior modification protocols. The advanced handler will be able to go further in depth with the concepts presented.Supplies (will depend on student) Management tools - window coverings, crates, long lines, Enrichment items - cardboard boxes, snuffle mats, lick mats Training equipment – Martingale or no slip collar or harness, 6-foot leash, long line, mat, target stick, high value treats, toys if applicable

Sample Lecture

FITNESS & CONFIDENCE BUILDING

Over the last 5 years or so, it seems that physical exercise has gotten a bad wrap! I’m not recommending heart pounding, tongue dragging, muscle fatiguing daily exercise, but it is beneficial for training and behavior modification to have a ‘fit’ dog. We aren’t going to focus on speed, quickness, and power, with advanced strengthening and endurance. But we do want to focus on primary strengthening that includes balance and stabilization, cardio, body awareness, and flexibility.

This is important since fitness will create lower cortisol and stress hormone levels; improved cardio which in turn improves circulation which distributes necessary hormones and nutrients. It also helps to eliminate waste that leads to aggression.

Knowing how to move and control your body can also help build confidence. Being confident can influence competitive performance and overall well-being. Allowing a dog to take risks by exploring novel environments and stimuli can help in the process of building confidence.

Cavalettis

Many dogs don’t realize that they even have a rear end! So, I often start with teaching the dog to simply lift their feet over a low bar. We can even add complexity to that by lifting just one end of the bar, or even putting them at different angles. PVC is your friend!!! Of course, be careful that you are NOT asking your dog to step too high.

Baby Pools

Not only can stepping into a baby pool full of water, balls, or bottles give the dog a novel experience, but if you add food into it, you can even influence the seeking system and initiate some problem solving! All great things to help build confidence and some dexterity.

Novel Obstacle Exploration

Not everyone has access to hiking trails, forests, fields, or safe places for their dog to explore. But there are plenty of things you can do to facilitate giving your dog the opportunity to investigate novel things. Although you can use food to encourage them, as in the puppy video below, many dogs are curious enough on their own to interact with novelty. Allowing your dog the ‘agency’ to explore and investigate novel stimuli allows them to have some level of control in their environment and be able to make choices on their own.

Search Puzzles

Another great way to give your dog the opportunity to explore and experience and conquer scary things is using search puzzles. You can set these up by letting your dog simply hunt for food, or by using a specific target odor.

Balance Equipment/Strengthening

There is a myriad of canine exercise equipment out there, but you can easily use things from around your house to give your dog novel experiences and even challenge their proprioception. Using bean bags, sofa cushions, step stools, tree stumps, broom sticks, cardboard boxes, plastic bags, etc. you can give your dog some footing challenges that can also improve their dexterity.

Cardio

Although we will be covering using toy play as reinforcement later in the class, there is something about some nice aerobic exercise to get your heart pumping and reap the benefits of cardiovascular conditioning. In fact, some dogs really NEED this type of activity to better cope with things in their world. Remember, the effect of the activity isn’t about the activity, it is about the effect! Using a good ole’ game of fetch, swimming, or even using a treadmill can get the heart pumping. Of course, you need to check with your veterinarian if you have any questions about your dog starting a fitness program. There are also other classes here at FDSA that can help you!

Instructors

Karen A Vass-Deeds

Karen Deeds, is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant through the International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants (IAABC). She is the co-owner of Canine Connection in Ft. Worth, TX with her husband, Bob Deeds, a retired Federal K9 Handler on Texas Task Force I...

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