Over Threshold = No Learning!

Jun 10

TANTRUMS

You’ve seen that kid in the store throw themselves on the ground and scream that they didn’t get the candy or toy they really wanted. Or they don’t want to leave the playground. When you see this, as a parent, you know you have to wait it out. There is no learning going on during this tantrum and we need to wait until the child is calmer before we talk to them about what happened.

This is the same for when dogs or puppies go over threshold and need help calming down before they can process anything.

Dogs are in survival mode when they are over threshold and their bodies are just trying to stay regulated. Their sympathetic nervous system is in overdrive and will react in certain ways. This is where the common phrase “FIGHT or FLIGHT” comes into play. The sympathetic nervous system is in charge of keeping the dog safe during an altercation. So the dog will either run or fight off a danger. There are actually two other paths the dog could take: FREEZE (to make themselves less of a threat) or FLIRT (overexcited to engage). We as the owner need to help them turn on their parasympathetic nervous system which focuses more on REST & DIGEST. This is why you see a lot of dogs will not take a treat when they are over threshold, their system is not interested in that during this “tantrum”.

For puppies this looks like barking at you, pulling on the leash, zoomies and other tantrum-like behaviours. When the puppy is in this state, we need to first bring them down to a calmer level and then continue training. A lot of times, these tantrums arise due to overtiredness or overstimulation. Make sure your pup is getting adequate sleep and don’t stay too long in overly exciting places. Also, try to limit play with another dog to about 10 minutes to reduce the risk of the puppy getting overextended and not knowing how to calm themselves. Use a bed to practice PLACE after play time and maybe give them a chew bone to help decompress.

Trying to put your dog into a SIT or DOWN position while they are in this heightened state will become frustrating for both you and the dog. Use distance to get them away from what it is that they want and offer an alternative (toy, bone, treat) when they choose to follow. I also find that a fun game of scatterfeed (tossing treats on the ground) helps to do the trick or using your movement to run away from the distraction to get your puppy engaged with you.

CALM DOWN first then LEARN!