Sooner or later, everybody caves to pressure...peer pressure, family pressure, time pressure, guilt pressure. Pressure can show up as physical, emotional, fear of rejection, fear of judgment, avoiding embarrassment, etc.
Most people hate external pressure from others, but even more than that, they hate the pressure they put on themselves.
It's natural to resist pressure. It threatens autonomy and self-determination.
What does pressure have to do with managing your dog? A lot.
Because we live in a culture that prioritizes human convenience, we have expectations that put unnecessary pressure on dogs. We label dog behaviors we don't want as misbehaviors, even if they're things dogs do naturally. Barking, digging, chewing, sniffing, chasing, and jumping are intrinsically reinforcing for dogs. Even though dogs must adapt to life with humans, it's still possible to reach a solution without pressure and force.
Research shows that lasting behavior changes occur when the individual is intrinsically motivated, that is, the change itself brings a feeling of satisfaction and well-being. You can force a dog to comply, but compliance isn't consent. The external pressure produces resistance, and so the behavior change is dependent on the presence of the pressure.
Psychology and neuroscience provide the key to getting lasting behavior change in dogs without relying on coercing changes through pressure and force. Before they can learn, dogs must first believe that they are safe and believe they can trust their caregiver to keep them safe.
Caregivers can establish a felt sense of safety and trust in their dogs by following parenting principles that build strong bonds between parents and children. The following A-Stack Steps summarize the compassionate approach to preparing a dog to adopt lasting behavior change:
- Acknowledge the dog's current behavior without judgment
- Appreciate the emotional need at the root of the behavior
- Accept the dog's emotional state and meet them where they are
- Accommodate their unmet need by leading them back to emotional safety
- Ask what would bring relief and allow the dog to choose to engage with a trusted caregiver.
[Click below to download the A-Stack PDF]
Behavior modification that uses pressure or force, even in the name of positive reinforcement, undermines a sense of safety and trust. When you link a behavior you want your dog to do with their well-being and agency, they're more likely to choose what you want because now it feels like what they want too!
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