11/16/2019
Catch It Early, Correct It Easily
Contrary to popular belief, most dogs do not go straight from “calm/relaxed” to “protective/aggressive” without a 'build up'. Many dog owners insist that, when triggered, their dog always goes immediately from 0 to 100. But, usually, they are just missing the dog's subtle body language changes. Usually at the start to a 'build up': (1) the dog's ears perk up and point forward, accompanied by a laser focus on the potential target of its agitation; as well as, (2) a stiffening of the dog's entire body. These signs can tip off the owner that the dog is getting ready to blow up, providing an opportunity for a corrective measure to prevent it. As soon as you see these signs, especially if your dog starts to focus in on a potential trigger, a correction should be immediately applied, like a tug on the leash. If the owner doesn't recognize (or pay attention to) these subtle changes (they are easily missed) and the dog gets agitated, the opportunity for a 'teaching moment' is missed. If you can regularly 'catch it early' and 'correct it easily', your dog will learn correct behavior and no longer be sent into an agitated state.
© K-9Lingo 2019
