All of us, dogs and people, have a Window of Tolerance. The term refers to the level of stimulation that an individual's nervous system can safely tolerate at a specific time.
Having a good day? Your Window of Tolerance is probably wide open. You can handle unexpected setbacks and solve problems without feeling overwhelmed. Your comfort zone feels expanded.
But on one of those days when nothing goes right, and you reach your tolerance capacity, your Window narrows. You're on the edge of overwhelm, and the next small frustration is big enough to send you "over the edge".
Your dog's Window of Tolerance operates just like yours. If your dog is highly sensitive or anxious, you'll probably notice day-to-day variations in how they respond to their stress triggers. The same trigger may cause an instant fight-or-flight response on one day, and on another day the dog takes it in stride.
Your dog's "bad days" can be confusing and frustrating unless you know why they're happening and the best way to relieve your dog's stress.
Trigger stacking refers to stress responses that pile up over a short period of time, so that there's not enough recovery time for the dog before the next trigger is stacked on the pile. How high does your dog's trigger stack have to get before they exceed the capacity of their Window of Tolerance?
What you can do: Pay attention to your dog's encounters with potential stress triggers happening in sequence over a short time. For example, you may have someone unfamiliar to the dog doing some work in the house. A while later, you receive a delivery. Then your dog senses and reacts to something outdoors that you don't see or hear.
Things are piling up too quickly for the dog. Your role is to bring relief. You can help your dog by giving them the time and place to recover. Dogs' nervous systems are naturally equipped to bounce back by discharging the stress chemicals built up in their bodies.
To recover, dogs need a safe recovery place at home where they can stay as long as they want without interruption. A dog may choose a bedroom, a closet, or his bed to decompress. Maybe your dog chooses to stay close to you while he releases stress.
Avoid common mistakes that make things worse for your dog. It's human nature to fix problems. However, the dog is the only one with the capacity to gradually release the chemicals produced by his nervous system and still activating a fight-or-flight response. To do this, dogs need distance from additional triggers and a quiet place to feel safe.
Unfortunately, some caregivers with the best intentions follow the wrong advice. They may have been told the dog is being difficult or stubborn, and so they "fix it" with more exposures to the stress triggers, along with discipline and forced compliance.
Why does that approach make things worse for the dog? This approach focuses on the wrong problem: behavior. The root cause of the behavior is the dog's capacity to tolerate accumulated stress. Behavior is how dogs express an unmet need. More exposures deny the dog recovery and the ability to meet their needs. As stress increases, the dog is forced outside his Window of Tolerance. But the dog has discovered that a fight-or-flight response doesn't get results; they hit the wall of learned helplessness and give up. This is the freeze response.
Freeze is a more dangerous condition because its chief characteristics are immobilization and depression. The dog becomes still and quiet, leading to the mistaken belief that they are now compliant and the discipline has fixed the behavior. Yet, if this condition persists, dogs experience debilitating chronic stress, impacting their health, emotional well-being, and lifelong welfare.
Choose compassionate action and unconditional presence. These are powerful antidotes to an anxious dog's stress. Although it may feel like you're doing less, the opposite is true.
Compassionate action is making the most healing choice for your dog. Listen to your intuitive intelligence. If it feels wrong, reject it immediately. If your body tells you it's right, accept it immediately. Trust yourself!
Unconditional presence is being an advocate on your dog's behalf. Your relationship must be based on your dog's trust that you will protect and guide them unconditionally. Your attuned presence tells your dog that they can count on you for loving support no matter what.
Do you want more details about how you can implement these practices in your everyday life? Even if you've watched them before, I recommend watching the three videos called "What Caregivers of Sensitive Dogs Need to Know about Window Barking." Although the topic focuses on the behavior of barking at windows, the principles for taking action apply to any stress response.
Watch the free video series: https://www.marilynmele.com/what-caregivers-of-sensitive-dogs-need-to-know-about-window-barking
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