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t r a i n i n g Help the Handler… Help the Dog
Suzanne Clothier explains how the handler’s behavior, body language and emotional state can affect a dog’s behavior and learning
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While much of dog training seems to be focused on the dog, smart trainers know that handlers can and do affect their dog’s behavior and learning. Masters of body language subtleties, dogs are finely attuned to us, aware of how we move, act, speak, breathe. Many training problems are rooted in communication issues, caused by a handler’s body language and unintended messages.
A dog’s understanding of a handler’s behavior is built on the details of how the handler typically moves, laughs, smiles, speaks, breathes, etc. in familiar and comfortable settings. But under stress, in unfamiliar or challenging situations, things can change. Shifts in the handler signal to the dog that the person he relies on is alarmed, angry, worried, or even afraid. Depending on the dog, this can have significant impact on behavior.
The handler may not notice the changes in themselves, but the dog will. And sooner or later the handler will notice the changes in the dog’s response. A confident dog may be able to maintain their equanimity or even perform well with a Skipping or dancing can be an effective way for a handler to see how a dog responds to more movement and greater relaxation in the joints © Can Stock Photo / Madrabothair stressedout handler. Such dogs are truly gems in their stability and their ability to work under less than ideal support heck out of Dodge before something really bad happens. This has alfrom their teammates. ways struck me as an intelligent response. How long would you stay in a
But often, dogs find the shift(s) in the handler upsetting. When the movie theater if your friends were nervous, vigilant, and worried inhandler seems alarmed, stressed, fearful and/or anxious, the dog may stead of relaxing and enjoying the movie? correctly decide that this is not a good situation. They can respond in a variety of ways. “My, Isn’t This Interesting over Here?”: These dogs offer many signals that they are feeling pressured and worried by the handler’s behav“Goofiness”: Some dogs become clowns, racing around, offering play ior. They tend to move away from the handler, watching from the corner bows, bouncing off the walls, etc. What these dogs know is that when of their eye and sometimes sniffing the ground with intense interest. people laugh, they relax. Handlers are often exasperated by these dogs, The dog is aware and watchful, but also sending signals that he has no particularly if they mistakenly believe the dog is avoiding work or trying intention of engaging the handler. This is a wise response to others to “get away” with something. Do you know someone who tries to de(human or dog) who are overly excited and seen as perhaps dangerous. fuse tense situations with humor? “I’ll Just Wait Here”: Dogs know that there’s nothing smart about “See Ya!”: Viewing the handler’s signs of alarm as a signal that there’s something scary about this place/situation, some dogs decide to get the running quickly and directly towards someone who is clearly upset. Faced with someone who is agitated, alarmed, uptight, the wise choice is to avoid approaching them. The dog may stay put and look away, Dogs know that there’s nothing smart about though still keeping the handler in his peripheral vision. Handlers often think this reflects stubbornness or a refusal to work or perform. In fact, running quickly and directly towards someone the dog is being ultra polite and notifying the handler that their behavwho is clearly upset. Faced with someone who is ior is upsetting and frightening.
How, then, do we help the handlers, and thus help the dogs?
Step 1: Identify how the handler is sending the wrong or mixed message. This requires the trainer to be aware of some of the many ways human body language can spell TROUBLE for the dog: • Orientation. • Tension (throughout body or in specific areas). • Intense staring/focus. • Changes in blink rate. • Tight jaw, compressed mouth. • Facial expressions. • Stiff movements, locked joints. • Leaning or reaching forward. • Clenched hands. • Breathing.
Step 2: Bring the handler’s awareness to these areas. You will need a variety of techniques in your toolbox, but it’s usually fair to say that a good starting point is an exaggeration of the desired body language. Initially this may feel awkward or artificial to the handler. With practice, more subtle, deliberate and intentional body language becomes natural.
As a bonus, dogs are wonderful at providing immediate feedback when handlers make changes. Handlers do love seeing their dogs respond well to the changes, and that’s lovely reinforcement for the human end of the leash.
Step 3: Select specific changes for the handler to make. What is alarming or upsetting or shutting down the dog? Is it movement and gestures? Breathing? Facial expressions? Stillness and tension? While it would be great to turn all handlers into flawless communicators, focus on what handler body language is bothering the dog. Your pet peeves or preferences don’t matter. The dog is the only one who can say, “Yep, that’s right” or “Nope, that bugs me.” Make some changes, and then ask the dog, “How is this for you?”
Making Changes
Relaxed Jaw: People can carry a great deal of tension in their jaws, which affects their breathing in a negative way. To relax the jaw, put the tip of the tongue between your teeth, at first with some exaggeration (as if sticking the tongue out) and then with practice, learn how to keep the jaw soft with the tongue resting against the back of the front teeth.
Exaggerated Breathing: Help handlers become more aware of their breathing in specific situations while training. To bring the handler’s attention to their breathing, have them exaggerate with deep inhales and audible exhales. With practice and increased awareness, the audible, exaggerated breath can be faded to quiet deep breathing – something the dog will notice and appreciate. A calmly breathing handler is one a dog can trust!
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© Can Stock Photo/evdohaspb Dogs may find shifts in their handler’s behavior upsetting so that if the handler seems alarmed, stressed, fearful and/or anxious, the dog may decide that the current situation is not a good one
Singing: When you sing, the breathing pattern changes for the good. The sillier the song, the better, since giggles help further relax you. The simple alphabet song (ABC…) or nursery rhymes are easy and fun. As a bonus, many folks automatically move with little bounces while singing silly songs. Flexion of the joints and relaxed bouncing movements are not threatening to most dogs, no matter how the handler may sing off key.
Soft Eyes and Blink Rate: Intense stares, hard/focused eyes, a slowing or absence of normal blink rate – all are used by dogs to warn or threaten. Many handlers frown and stare when concentrating, which can be alarming to the dog. Work on blinking in a calm, regular fashion, with your jaw unlocked, while breathing deeply, with a tiny head tilt and loose joints and a smile. Your dog will let you know how pleasant he finds that version of you!
Head Tilt: In both dogs and humans, a tilt of the head is a nonthreatening gesture that indicates no harm meant. Exaggeration of the head tilt is key to handler awareness. With practice, handlers will find that the tiniest tilt of their head will be clear to the dog.
Joints Relaxed: A truly friendly greeting involves flexion of the joints; a threat or warning has a lot of stiffness and tension in the joints. Handlers often unconsciously hold great tension in their jaw, back, neck, arms, legs and pelvis. To free this tension, move in relaxed exaggerated ways, like the Scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz, until practice and awareness help develop the habit of flexion and relaxation.
Skipping and Dancing: Skipping or dancing is a great way for the handler to see how the dog responds to more movement and greater relaxation in the joints. Skipping is viewed as childish by most adults, and giggles usually accompany this return to childlike movement. Dogs often love silly handlers!
Go Sideways: For humans, a straight on, frontal approach to others is often considered to be confident and polite. Unfortunately, in dog language, the same approach can be threatening, whether subtly or overtly. A slight turning of the body sideways to the dog is useful for handlers who may, without realizing it, be pushing dogs away or even frightening or overwhelming a sensitive dog.
Core to the Dog: When in a tense situation, the handler needs to orient their core to their dog’s shoulder. When the handler aims their hips and core to the dog, this orientation can send a powerful message: “The incoming thing/person/dog is not even worth my full attention, but I am aware of it.” For handlers of reactive dogs, this simple “core to the dog” technique can be immediately put to use long before they have mastered other aspects of helping their dog.
Soft Hands, Small Gestures: Fine motor control reflects arousal and emotional state. When a handler is tense or excited, they tend to use large gestures and have tight hands. A tight hand prevents a handler from using fine motor movements, resulting in large, often jerky movements. Soft hands permit fine motor movements and softness through the handler’s body (and mind!). Teach handlers effective leash handling so they can remain soft as they work with their dogs.
Videoing the handler before and after, being sure to include the dog’s behavior and reactions, can help handlers see themselves in new ways. There is no one specific starting point. Typically, as you help the handler work on one area of their body language, others automatically fall into place. It’s a lot like dominos!
Help the handler, and you automatically help the dog. Help the dog, and you’ll have a far happier handler. n
Suzanne Clothierhas been working with animals professionally since 1977. Currently based in St. Johnsville, New York, she is well respected internationally for her holistic Relationship Centered Training™ approach to dogs and the people that love them. Her background includes training, instruction, behavior modification, kennel management, temperament assessment, physical assessment and conditioning, early puppy development, class curriculum development, obedience, agility, Search and Rescue, conformation, breeding and more. Since 1991, she has taught workshops and seminars on a broad range of topics throughout the United States and internationally for a wide variety of groups from training clubs to international conferences in 11 countries. An award-winning author of multiple books and DVDs, her book, Bones Would Rain from the
Sky: Deepening Our Relationships With Dogs (2002) has received widespread praise from every corner of the dog world, including twice being included in the Wall Street Journal's list of Top 5 Dog
Books. She has served on the American Humane Association’s Task
Force for Humane Training, the AKC Agility Advisory board, and is currently a consultant for Frankie & Andy’s Place, a senior dog sanctuary in Georgia. She has also developed multiple assessment tools -
CARAT™, RAT™ (Relationship Assessment Tool), as well as puppy and adult dog tests. These tools have been used by guide and service dog organizations, therapy dog groups, AAIA organizations, shelters and rescue groups, and trainers. In her work as a consultant to guide dog schools, her Enriched Puppy Protocol™ served as the structure for the updating of their puppy raising programs. Since 2007, more than 10,000 puppies have been raised in programs built around The Enriched Puppy Protocol™. Meanwhile, with fellow trainer Cindy Knowlton, she developed CCC: Connection, Cooperation & Control™, a puzzle-based program that builds joyful relationships between handlers and dogs. Her newest program, FAT -
Functional Assessment Tracking™, helps caretakers assess a dog’s well-being day-to-day as reflected in physiological, cognitive and social aspects.
