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Recently an ad popped up in my Facebook feed from an online trainer that promised "Service Dog Level Self Control".  Maybe you've seen it too?  First of all, as a long time Service Dog Volunteer and a Puppy Raiser I know that those dogs have had hundreds of hours of training (it's not a simple 4 step process!) and second, even with all those hours and expert training, not all the dogs develop "service dog level self-control", in fact not all the dogs the start a training program go on to become service dogs. Training is only one factor of many! Over the next few weeks, I'll highlight several of the factors that impact our training efforts. Some of these factors we have a lot of control over, some of them we have some control over and a few of them we have very little control over.  But in all cases these factors impacts the training experience for our pets and for ourselves.  Understanding these factors gives us a much better chance (a) being realistic in our expectations and (b) getting the most out of our training sessions. Stay tuned the next article drops in a few days

When I was in college studying psychology and behavior, we learned the Acronym ABC for the way in which behavior change takes place.  ABC stands for Antecedent, Behavior, and Consequences. Unsurprisingly, it turns out that this way of looking at behavior change is woefully inadequate and leads to a lot of frustration for dog trainers and pet families because it FAILS to account for a whole host of factors that impact a dog’s behavior beyond just the antecedent or “the thing that came right before the behavior”.  "H PRIMER" my attempt to account for some (hopefully many) of those factors.  It’s not as catchy and easy to remember as “ABC”, but the main takeaway is that if your training is not getting the same results as another trainer with another dog it is likely because your dog has a different set of "H PRIMER" factors. Some of these factors we have some control over and others we will have to learn to work around.  For instance, we can’t change a dog’s instincts, we will have to work around them, but we can change a lot about the environment, and we can help shape the dog’s personality and moods.  And of course, relationships are important and something that we have a lot of influence over.  

If you have ever painted a house, you recognize that the Primer is what underlies your desired paint color.  The Primer impacts the final results of your paint job.  Obviously, my acronym is not perfect, so I had to add a random "H" for Health.  But Health couldn't be left out!  Some studies indicate a significant number of serious aggression and anxiety issues have some form of health or pain component.  

H PRIMER  stands for 

(H)ealth

P(ersonality)

R(elationship)

I(nstinct)

M(ood and Emotions)

E(nviorment)

R(einforcement History)

Over the next few weeks we will look at each factor separately.

In early July my well housebroken miniature poodle started having accidents in the house. Not only that but some of those accidents happened when she was fast asleep!  This was very unusual behavior, and I was concerned.  My first action was to take her to the vet.  Her blood work and urine analysis turned up normal and together the vet and I determined that the culprit was a few things.  

• You may have noticed, I said this started in early July.  We had a very active thunderstorm season this year and when there weren’t storms there were fireworks.  Anxiety was definitely a part of the picture.
• But, health and development were still a part of the picture.  Piper is 14 soon to be 15, and while her liver and kidney are functioning great, her bladder is still showing the signs of age. Hormones and a weak sphincter muscle are part of the cause.

Both of the factors contributed to Piper’s issue. As the thunderstorm/ fireworks of July decreased so did Piper’s housebreaking problems.  Knowing that there is a medical component helps me know that I need to prepare for the future.  In addition there are medicines and herbals that can help.  For now, a few changes to our daily routine (and the end of thunderstorm season) are enough. 

Lots of behavior problems have a medical component.  Remember, dogs can’t tell us in words when things are wrong.  Instead, it shows up in anxiety and aggression.  Research indicates that between 30 and 80% of aggression cases have a hidden pain component!  And allergies are known to contribute to unexplained anxiety.  Sometimes a dog refuses to sit not because of a training problem but because of hip pain (or in the case of my 7 month old puppy who just went into her first heat, because things feel weird and different!) When unexpected behavior shows up it’s often important to consider the health and the developmental stage of the dog.  It’s not all in the training.

Have you ever though about your dog’s personality?  I mean beyond saying, “This dog is soooo stubborn!”  How about your own personality?  Have you considered how your own personality changes your dog’s behavior?  (Spoiler alert, some research indicates YOUR personality might influence your dog’s behavior and their stress levels even more than their own personality!) Lets start by looking at the human side of personality.  The most commonly used personality scale in psychology is the “BIG 5”.  Here they are: 

Extraversion (which relates to where you get your energy—from being with other people or being alone) 

Agreeableness (cooperation) 

Openness (willingness try consider new ideas and experiences) 

Conscientiousness (goal oriented-ness) 

Neuroticism (tendency toward anxiety or depression) Now for the Dog Side. There are a few assessments for Dog personality.  

My favorite and the one most used in research is the Dog Mentality Assessment (DMA).  The different measures are meant to closely relate to the Human “BIG 5”.  Here they are: 

• Aloof- sociability* (the degree to which dogs seek engagement with people),
• high arousal- calm* (how much dogs are watchful and easily aroused by their environment),
• novelty avoiding-curiosity* (how interested dogs are in novel objects and distracting stimuli),
• Seriousness-playful*
• Aggressiveness- Placidness*

 And it includes an “over-arching” factor that impacts all the others: 

• Shyness-boldness**

For the most part research show that good fit between dog and owner personality impacts the training picture.  The BIG 5 trait that most impacts clearly impacts the dogs stress level is #5.  If the owner is experiencing anxiety or depression, it’s likely the dog is too. Which goes to show the importance of taking care of own mental health! It impacts you and those around you (including your dog)!

Another BIG 5 personality trait that is shown to have a big impact is coconsciousness—and maybe not in the way you would think!  It turns out that conscientiousness is negatively correlated with improvement in some behavior issues—possibly because conscientious owners can sometimes be too goal oriented and not allow for the dogs own personality.  Remember, each dog is an individual and training will proceed differently for different dogs! 

**This particular article contains a lot of science.  Want the references?  Send me a message and I’ll pass along the citations**