The Dog Bible Q&A
Tracie welcomes any and all questions about cats AND dogs on both her live radio shows. Call in to DOG TALK on Saturdays from 11-Noon (EST) to 800-394-8830 or Wednesdays 8-9 PM (EST) to CAT CHAT 866-675-6675. (You don't need to have Sirius to call in!)
Swimming Pool #2
Thanks for your previous answer confirming what we thought about our two-year-old Papillon’s anxiety at the sight of people swimming in our swimming pool. I’d be very, very interested in learning how to teach Gizmo not to run around the pool’s perimeter barking frantically while we’re swimming, and that he could remain outside with us during our relaxing afternoons in the pool. How would we go about “desensitizing” him to this issue? Thank you again.
From: Judy in Delray Beach, Florida
Hi, Judy. Glad to help.
I had to go to the training advisor on THE DOG BIBLE, Aimee Sadler, to be sure I had the right information for you. Although it’s always difficult to be specific without seeing your dog in action, Aimee agreed that your initial instinct to manage the situation by removing the dog from the anxiety-producing behavior was a good one. But if your dog’s conduct is truly rooted in anxiety or fear and you’re looking to modify his behavior, correction isn’t the way to go, and might actually serve to compound the problem. The most effective route to pursue is counter-conditioning, which will include a level of desensitization by default.
Because you’re looking to create a conditioned response, you might start with distance, say, keeping the dog inside the house with one parent, while the other swims. Until the problem is solved, this should be the only time the dog ever receives food, so that, ultimately, the dog will come to believe that when someone gets in the pool, his food arrives; not unlike the excitement most dogs exhibit when a leash is pulled out of the closet, another conditioned response. You can then try to decrease the distance, depending on the dog’s reaction and progress.
I realize that this solution has its practical limitations -- life does have its constraints, after all -- in which case you might have to rely on a version of management, as you’ve been doing, as your answer. What you should absolutely not do is allow your pet to race around the pool, barking and making himself crazy. That merely rehearses the offensive behavior, and could become a compulsion.
Hope this helps, and that things go swimmingly!
Tracie Hotchner
Tracie welcomes any and all questions about cats AND dogs on both her live radio shows. Call in to DOG TALK on Saturdays from 11-Noon (EST) to 800-394-8830 or Wednesdays 8-9 PM (EST) to CAT CHAT 866-675-6675. (You don't need to have Sirius to call in!)
DISCLAIMER: Please be aware that the advice I give on the air or in emails – or those you see posted here – are not intended to take the place of a veterinarian's advice or expertise. I say this to protect myself from being misunderstood or from your over-reliance on my advice in situations where your pet may be seriously ill and you would mistakenly delay seeking medical intervention. While I am confident in the research-based facts and common-sense advice I can offer, it is never meant to be used at the exclusion of trained, accredited and board certified professionals. But I also have this disclaimer to protect your dog – because what you learn from me is not intended to take the place of medical care or professional evaluation – on the contrary, my desire is to equip you with information that will allow you to enjoy your pets to the fullest, and also to encourage you to seek professional medical attention whenever there are physical symptoms or an overall change in your pet's attitude.
The information contained in the answers posted on this board comes from THE DOG BIBLE: Everything Your Dog Wants You To Know, and from DOG TALK® The Radio Show, broadcast live, Saturdays, from 11-12 noon EST, on your local NPR affiliate. All emails are answered personally and then posted, sometimes in abbreviated form.
