stand in her small apartment . I started tossing treats towards Oliver , using hot dogs I had in my treat pouch . You may be familiar with this technique which is called Treat / Retreat , developed by Suzanne Clothier . The key to this exercise is to use both food and distance to help pups feel that they are safe . Pups can control the distance to the person who frightens them ; the person equals awesome stuff happens ; there is zero pressure to approach the unfamiliar person . Oliver kept barking and eating . I kept it up for about 10 minutes before his barking reduced enough for me to slow down the frequency of treats . Oliver then barked every 10 minutes or so while Jenna and I spoke about Oliver . Once his barking ceased completely , Jenna joined me in the living area and dropped Oliver ’ s leash , per my instruction . I did not engage with him .
We went for a walk around the neighborhood and Central Park so I could observe Oliver ’ s behavior outside as well as with dogs . On the sidewalk , Oliver startled any time he heard a truck or bus or motorcycle — especially when the bus expressed its brakes or when a truck delivery person closed the rear door . Jenna usually talked to Oliver , encouraging him to keep moving whenever he startled to a noise . Oliver also showed discomfort when a person was pushing a cart or trolley . He jumped away as they approached . At the park , Oliver seemed a bit more relaxed . He was sniffing and walking around . We kept our distance from other dogs and people . We walked near a children ’ s playground and Oliver didn ’ t seem to notice them , either . He was more interested in sniffing . His body language appeared more relaxed .
Assessment After the Initial Consultation The plan was to work with a veterinary behaviorist because of Oliver ’ s level of anxiety . Here is the plan we laid out together ( again , for the purposes of this article , we will focus on the elements most directly related to fear aggression towards unfamiliar people ):
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder o Hyper-vigilance o Excessive startle to sudden noises and sudden movement o Noise phobia ( buses , trucks , banging from construction )
• Fearful of the Urban Environment o Oliver is more nervous in busier areas where there is more traffic , specifically the avenues . He was relaxed in the park . o He was also nervous in areas where there is higher foot traffic ( more people walking on the sidewalks ).
• Fear-Related Aggression Related to People ( children >>> adults ) o Intensified upon being startled o I didn ’ t believe Oliver had an issue specifically with children . Oliver didn ’ t have a lot of experience with children in general . I believed it was more about “ stranger danger ,” or fear of unfamiliar people . When we spent time next to the children ’ s playground , when children passed us in close proximity in the park as well as the lobby , and when children came into the elevator , Oliver did not appear overtly stressed . His body language remained the same , he noticed the children and then returned to whatever he was doing . In the park , he didn ’ t even look at them ; he was more interested in sniffing . This was not displacement behavior ; Oliver had been following a scent as we approached the park . Oliver ’ s body and face remained relaxed . o When in the elevator , walking through the lobby , and on the sidewalk , Oliver was comfortable with all the people we saw . No one paid attention to him , so I believe that made the difference for him . He was comfortable passing people on the street . o I also believed that Oliver ’ s anxiety was higher in the city , which made him startle more quickly and trigger more easily . He had less bandwidth to learn how to be comfortable with unfamiliar people in different contexts . City-living made everything harder for Oliver . Dr . Spano prescribed medication to help reduce Oliver ’ s anxiety so that the behavior training program could help Oliver learn better coping strategies while also addressing his specific fears .
CREATING A BEHAVIOR TRAINING PLAN
Step 1
Priorities
● Consider resources
● Safety & Management
Step 2
Tool Selection
● Choose exercises focused on addressing primary concern .
Copyright Barking Brains & Behavior Vets , 2021 . Do Copyright not reproduce Barking without Brains permission & Behavior . Vets © , 2021 . Do not reproduce without permission . ©
Intervention Recommendations Veterinary Behaviorist :
• Medication Prescribed : o PAROXETINE 10mg tablets per day o TRAZODONE 50mg tablets per day
• Behavioral Treatments Assigned : o Relaxation Protocol o Associations on Walks ( reward for auto check-ins , recall , noticing stimuli ) o Get Out of Dodge Exercises ( Emergency U-turn and such ) o Condition positive association to wearing basket muzzle o Desensitize / Counter-condition to new leash o Condition positive association with children ( engage-disengage ) o Going to Safe Zone on Cue / Increasing Duration on Safe Zone o Mock Visits o Condition positive association to unfamiliar people o Pattern Games ( Find it !, Shadow Handling ) o Enrichment : Nose-work / Scent-work
We discussed body language when I went back for our first followup session one week later . I explained how it looked a little different
Step 3
Teaching Skills
● Choose supportive exercises .
Step 4
Assess & Adjust
● Adjust based on life circumstances , context , and dog ’ s feedback .
The APDT Chronicle of the Dog | Spring 2022 31