From Spinning to Self-Regulating: Kaya’s Journey to Calm

From Spinning to Self-Regulating: Kaya’s Journey to Calm

You’ve tried everything. The endless walks, the new toys, maybe even a special diet. But still, your dog struggles with anxiety, turning everyday situations into a whirlwind of stress for both of you. You dream of calm walks, confident greetings, and a happy pup who can relax by your side. If this sounds familiar, you’re in the right place.

At Summit Dog Training, we believe in empowering adventures for dogs and their humans through positive reinforcement. We know firsthand the challenges that come with a dog who struggles with big emotions, and we're here to share how we helped Julianne and her sweet Mini Aussie, Kaya, transform their lives.

Ready to see how positive reinforcement can help your dog thrive? Contact the Summit Dog Training team with your dog training questions today!

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From Spinning to Self-Regulating: Kaya’s Journey to Calm

Meet Kaya, a Mini Aussie with a heart full of big feelings. When Julianne first came to Summit Dog Training, Kaya was a whirlwind of excitement and anxiety. She struggled with self-regulation, often "spinning out of control" in various situations. Life with Kaya before training was a constant challenge. Julianne described her as, “a ball of constant anxiety with destructive tendencies and uncontrollable on walks.”

Julianne's goals for Kaya were clear: 

1. A dog who could focus, even with distractions like other dogs, people, or fast-moving vehicles.

2. Kaya to be able to self-regulate her anxiety and not have to rely on Julianne 100% of the time.

3. For Kaya to be able to walk calmly on a leash. 

The Summit Dog Training Approach: Tailored Support for Big Feelings

At Summit Dog Training, we understand that every dog is unique, and their training journey should be too. For Kaya, we designed a comprehensive training plan utilizing several of our key services, focusing on building her confidence and teaching her valuable coping mechanisms. Julianne engaged in both group classes and individualized guidance to address Kaya's specific needs as she grew from a young dog to a confident adult:

• Private Lessons: First, Julianne utilized Summit’s online private lessons for guidance during Kaya’s transition of being adopted and in a new routine. The first step in every training journey is asking for help! During our online lessons together, we learned more about Kaya’s behaviors and assisted Julianne with management ideas in her home while they settled in together. 

• Smells Like Teen Spirit: This Level 1 group class is specifically designed to help adolescent dogs navigate their "teenage phase" with confidence and self-control. For Kaya, this was crucial in addressing her over-excitement and anxiety, teaching her foundational behaviors like polite greetings and how to handle "big feelings" in various environments.

• Loose Leash Walking: In this Level 2 group class, we worked with Julianne and Kaya to teach Kaya to walk politely on a leash, fostering a more relaxed and connected walking experience. 

• Agility Foundations: Agility is a fantastic way to build focus, body awareness, and a strong bond between dog and handler. The foundational skills and mental stimulation that come from agility work provide a structured outlet for Kaya's energy and help her learn to channel her excitement into productive tasks.

• Educational Workshops: Julianne also took initiative to teach herself how to support Kaya by attending multiple workshops and events at Summit Dog Training. 

The Transformation: A Calmer, Happier Kaya

The dedication of Julianne and the expert guidance from the Summit Dog Training team led to an incredible transformation for Kaya. Today, life with Kaya is dramatically different and much more peaceful:

• Anxiety under control: Kaya's anxiety is now manageable 95% of the time! She has learned invaluable self-regulation skills, demonstrating a remarkable ability to process her feelings.

• Calm and collected on walks: Loose leash walking is now the norm, making walks enjoyable for both Julianne and Kaya. The pulling and lunging that once made walks a struggle are largely gone.

• No more destructive behaviors: The pacing, indoor accidents, and destructive chewing are a thing of the past. Kaya no longer needs constant supervision to prevent unwanted behaviors.

• Polite greetings: While she still gets excited when people visit, Kaya has learned to sit for greetings, allowing for calm and enjoyable interactions instead of jumping and overwhelming guests. 

• Improved barking control: Her barking is much more controlled, and Julianne has developed effective strategies for calling her away from distractions like people walking by the fence.

Julianne's heartfelt testimony speaks volumes about the impact Summit Dog Training had on their lives:

"Summit is extraordinary!!! I’m not sure where I’d be had they not been there for me. The trainer's expertise in working with dogs with trauma and high anxiety is absolutely incredible! Every trainer we worked with gave me more skills to use. Thanks to Summit, Kaya has learned how to deal with her feelings and has become a wonderful dog!!! I am forever grateful to them for all of their help. I find myself recommending them often to people I run into on our walks. Thank You!"

Your Dog’s Adventure Awaits!

Kaya's story is a beautiful example of how positive reinforcement training can empower dogs to overcome challenges and truly thrive. It’s about more than just teaching commands; it’s about understanding your dog’s emotions, building trust, and providing them with the tools they need to navigate the world confidently and calmly. We believe that with the right support, dogs can learn to manage their "big feelings" and enjoy a more fulfilling life alongside their human.

If you’re a dog parent facing similar challenges with your furry friend, know that you’re not alone, and there is hope! Imagine enjoying peaceful walks, confident greetings, and a deeper bond with your happy, well-adjusted companion.

Ready to start your dog’s transformation journey? Whether it's a specific group class or if you're seeking more personalized guidance, contact the Summit Dog Training team today to discuss your training needs and discover how positive reinforcement can help your pup live their best life!

Reactivity on Walks

Supporting Your Leash-Reactive Dog

By Benah Stiewing

A dog who barks, lunges, and experiences elevated stress when another dog or person appears during a walk is a difficult habit for you and your dog to experience. The word “reactive” is a label we use to describe a certain set of behaviors that dogs exhibit

under specific conditions, such as exposure to a “trigger” like another dog or person. Since we all might have slightly different visions of what a “reactive” dog looks like, below are some of the behaviors that might put your dog into this category. Having a dog who displays any of the below behaviors is stressful at best and extremely emotionally draining at worst for both you and your dog. 

• Fixation on the trigger (orienting towards, unable to turn away)

• Pulling toward the trigger 

• Hard staring (no blinking, jaw stiff, often includes a freeze as well)

• Barking

• Lunging

• Snapping / Biting

Though your dog’s reactivity may be frustrating and invoke anger from you or folks on the receiving end of their reactive behavior, it’s important to understand that your dog is having a bad time, not being bad. All behavior is affected by what comes before it (antecedents) and what comes after it (consequences). Understanding this sequence can help us understand why your dog does what they do, and how we may successfully modify undesirable behavior, like leash reactivity.

• Antecedent: whatever happens BEFORE the behavior. (e.g. trigger entering the

  environment, a cue that you give, etc.)

• Behavior: whatever observable actions the dog takes following an antecedent (e.g.

  whine, bark, lunge, respond to your cue, etc.)

• Consequence: whatever happens AFTER the behavior. (e.g. the trigger leaving the

  environment, the trigger getting closer, the dog being pulled from the environment, you

  delivering a tasty treat, etc.)

• We can visualize the whole sequence like this: Antecedent → Behavior → Consequence

To understand how to modify behavior and change the reactivity we see in our dogs, it is helpful

to think about what consequence the dog might get out of the behavior they are currently

choosing. What function does the reactive behavior serve for the dog? If a dog’s behavior functions in a way where the consequence is advantageous to the dog (i.e. it is something the dog wants), the behavior is more likely to occur again in the future. For example, if your dog barks at another dog on a walk, and what your dog really wants is for that dog to go away, when the other dog walks away with its human, your dog will learn that the most effective way to achieve their goal is to bark at dogs that make them uncomfortable.

This is important to understand because a critical key to behavior modification is to prevent rehearsal of the undesirable behavior. The more the behavior is practiced (and reinforced), the stronger the behavior will become. To prevent undesirable behavior, we need to understand your dog’s threshold. Threshold is the term we use to describe the point at which a dog transitions from a comfortable state of mind to a more distressed mental state, in which we see outward behavioral symptoms of their discomfort (i.e. reactive behaviors). Before we are able to effectively modify a dog’s behavior, we need to recognize situations that cause them to become distressed and work to prevent them so we can keep our dogs comfortably just below that threshold level while we teach them new coping skills. 

Things that can bring a dog over threshold:

• A separate event that has caused the dog stress recently - i.e. a thunderstorm during the night before or a recent vet visit.

• A trigger becoming more intense and/or coming closer to you - i.e. dog walking towards

  you rather than away.

• The dog being tired / hungry / thirsty (like at the end of a walk)

• Encountering multiple triggers in a row / at the same time - this is called trigger stacking.

The goal threshold for training sessions with our reactive dogs fluctuates at the borderline between their comfort-zone (no reactions) & over-threshold (big reactions), and well within their comfort-zone. We want to give our dogs exposure that will help them learn, and then contrast that exposure with easy recoveries at a distance where they feel as comfortable (and non-reactive) as possible. Initial learning (such as foundation skills like focusing on you, responding to basic cues, etc.) is best done well below the comfort-zone threshold line. If you are trying to teach your dog new skills for the very first time at or above their level of comfort, this will be very difficult. Start by rehearsing good behaviors and skills in practice areas where your dog feels most comfortable, like your living room or your backyard.

Our goal through behavior modification is to create a different set of behavior patterns for our

reactive dogs that fit better into our human expectations of appropriate canine behavior. In order to help our dogs do this, we need to set them up for success with some environmental management. This means facilitating situations where our dogs can be successful and guiding them, through our training, to make better choices. Management comes into play to prevent our dogs from rehearsing the unwanted behaviors until the dog has a better behavior built up to replace the reactive behavior. Pushing your dog into uncomfortable situations just because they haven't reacted yet is not necessarily setting them up for success. They don’t need to cross their threshold to learn!

Management ideas:

• Cross the street or duck behind a car if a dog is approaching and you won’t have the space you need for your dog to be successful.

• Install visual barriers on your windows and play white noise so your dog can’t practice their reactivity in the home.

Behavior modification is the process by which we teach our reactive dogs a different set of

feelings and, most importantly, behaviors about situations they would typically default to reactive

behaviors. To help change your dog’s current association to the sight of other dogs, we provide VERY HIGH VALUE treats (think diced chicken, liverwurst, and hotdogs) when your dog is in the

presence of other dogs (or other triggers). Over time, and with proper desensitization, your dog will learn to associate the presence of other dogs with yummy things. Your mantra should be “good things happen for my dog when other dogs are around!” We would prefer if the presence of another dog was a happy, exciting event for your dog. Our goal is for your dog to see another dog and immediately look to you as if to say, “Yipee! I see another dog! That means I get chicken, right?!” No barking or lunging, just an excited, expectant look on your dog’s face.

Behavior modification is a complex task, and if you are struggling with leash reactivity we  recommend seeking the support of a certified trainer. This post barely skims the surface of all the components that could be part of a leash reactivity training plan! Consider starting with our Reactivity in Dogs Webinar that dives deeper into the complexities of this behavior, and how we may support our dogs in developing different behaviors around their triggers.

If you want additional support for you and your dog, we offer in-person Group Classes and Private Lessons for reactive dogs  in Fort Collins, Colorado and Chatham, New York, and virtual coaching right in the comfort of your home. As you work through your dog’s leash reactivity, it’s vital to remember that your dog isn’t giving you a hard time, they are having a hard time - the more we can understand this, the better we may serve our dogs.

Summit Dog Training offers group dog training classes & private lessons in Fort Collins, Colorado, as well as online self-study courses & online private lessons for education on how to live the best life with your dog!  If you are looking for more training support, please don’t hesitate to contact us! We’d love to help you and your dog get ready for any adventure.