Why Choice is Important for Anxious Dogs

Choice can form the foundation for confidence building in anxious dogs, it’s a relatively simple concept and technique but it can transform a dog’s emotional response. Many of our dogs have little choice in their lives, we decide when they eat, play, exercise, and sleep. We are also the main controllers over their social interactions and their daily experiences. They don’t often have the choice to say “I’d like to go to the woods today, not the park” or “I don’t feel like going to the pub today”.

We have the power to decide exactly what our dogs do and when they do it. Do we ever stop to think about whether they would choose differently?

If you have a dog who suffers from anxiety in any situation, giving them more choices can be hugely beneficial. Having the power to choose can:

• Boost confidence – knowing you can choose to leave a situation will allow you to feel more confident and relaxed.

• Reinforce positive thinking – successfully making a choice which benefits you results in a feeling of positivity.

• Allows for learning – freedom to make your own choices means you learn how to do this and what your preferences are.

• Encourages exploration – the choice to explore a situation or retreat from it can encourage more exploration because you have the safety net of retreating.

It can help to think about a real-life situation to understand this more.

Imagine you’re invited to a big gathering with many people you’ve never met, there will be loud music and dancing. If you were told you must attend, network, participate in the dancing and stay for at least 4 hours, how would you feel? Would you be excited, or feel increasingly anxious and stressed about it?

Now, consider the opposite. The invite is entirely optional, there will also be a quieter room to sit in and plenty of people you know will be there too. You’re welcome to stay as long as you like. You have all the choices available … escape the loud music, or stay and dance, talk to strangers or just to your friends, stay for hours or leave after a few quick hellos.

Most of us would probably feel much more at ease with the second scenario because having choice is empowering. You may not be much of a dancer but knowing you have the choice whether to participate might mean you decide join in. You may not love meeting new people but knowing you can always go back to your friends may give you the confidence to chat with a few strangers throughout the evening. Knowing you can leave at any time, means you can go when you’ve had enough.

This is why CHOICE makes such a big difference in our daily lives and it can dictate whether we feel anxious about a situation or relaxed about it.

For our dogs, if they have lived with very few choices in their lives and this lack of choice has resulted in stressful situations, it can cause chronic stress and ongoing anxiety.

Unfortunately, it can be hard to spot the signs of anxiety and stress in our dogs, especially in the early stages. We may unintentionally continue to limit their choices and cause their anxiety to increase by continually exposing them to stressful triggers.

• Being on a short lead limits choices. If a dog is worried by traffic, strangers, or other dogs, the lead will prevent them choosing to move away. Leading to increased anxiety and stress due to the lack of choice.

• Being approached by well-meaning people or dogs can be scary for an anxious dog or one who lacks experience and confidence in social interactions. Without the choice to move away, they may feel increasingly anxious and trapped.

• Having visitors enter the house can feel intimidating and overwhelming for many dogs, they often have little choice to move away or to feel safe when someone enters their home environment.

• Forceful handling takes away choices too, whether it’s an innocent push off the sofa so you can sit where your dog is sleeping, removing a stolen item from their mouth, or holding them still while you try to brush them. These small acts seem harmless but your dog has no choice and it can lead to aggressive reactions if your dog is feeling anxious.

There are many day-to-day events in our dogs’ lives which we do without ever thinking about their choices. Even something as simple as cuddling your dog, do you ever stop to check that they’re enjoying it or give them the choice to walk away?

How do we give dogs more choices?

Choice does not mean total freedom. Of course we can’t let our dogs do whatever they want, whenever they want, it would be dangerous and irresponsible. They still need boundaries, management and training, but we can think about where choice is important and how to utilise it more to build confidence.

• If your dog is anxious around other dogs or people, advocate for them and make sure they always have the choice and space to move away. Reward and praise them for choosing to move away!

• When walking your dog on a lead, look for signs of stress and anxiety and respond to this. If they tense up near a busy road, respect this and let them change the route so you avoid the road.

• Create a safe place in the home where your dog can choose to go to if they need some space, whether that’s from visitors or the household.

• When handling your dog, always pause and let your dog move away if they choose. If they walk away, don’t force them to come back, take it as a sign that they need a break.

When working with a dog who is anxious, giving them more choices and rewarding their choices can go a long way to building their confidence. Often the best choice they can make is to move away from something they are uncomfortable with and it’s your job to make sure this choice is always available to them.

You can make this easier by using some simple strategies:

• Walk them on a longline to create more freedom for choice. The line ensures they remain safe and you have enough control, but it allows them space to move away from anything they’re worried by.

• Choose locations where space and choice are options. If your dog is worried by traffic, find places where they can watch from a distance and choose to move closer or further away.

• Reward their choices to move away, confidence building isn’t just about getting close to things that scare them, it’s also about confidence that moving away is always an option.

Aggressive and reactive behaviours can develop when a dog feels they have no other choice. If you show your dog that they have the choice to move themselves away, they won’t need to turn to aggression to gain space.

If your dog can learn to trust you to give them choices and you back up their choices with praise and reinforcement, they will be in a much better place to gain confidence and overcome their anxiety.

For an anxious dog, having choice and a secure base are really important. You can become your dog’s secure base by helping them make the choices which empower them and reinforce positive emotions.

Do you live with an anxious dog? If so, get in touch with us at The Hound Spot today and find out how we can help you.