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Yes, being on the same page and consistency is very important, especially with some sensitive dogs. Any inconsistencies can trigger uncertainty, confusion and even anxiety. Yes, if you're having to hold her back she's definitely over threshold-either too close to the TV or the stimuli on the TV are too intense for her to handle. She's not ready for that level yet. You husband is not technically totally off the mark. I mean, I can see his good intent in wanting to tackle the issue by trying to expose her to as many animals as possible hoping that she gets bored. Most likely, he's getting impatient of progress not being made as hoped and the "one step ahead and one step back" dance. Sounds like what your husband is hoping to achieve is habituation. Technically, this can happen in some cases, but it comes with risks. Nerdy info coming..... In its most simple definition, habituation is the process where dogs, other animals and people get accustomed to specific circumstances. Habituation is a process that happens in all parts of our lives, and is ultimately a form of learning. In other words, habituation is a learned response to repeated stimuli-like living near an airport and gradually getting used to hearing airplanes. Habituation therefore results when repeated exposure to a stimulus decreases a dog's sensitivity to it. Hence, habituation helps the body adapt to things in their environment. When dogs are exposed to stimuli or situations, a stimulus-response situation presents where the stimulus elicits a response and excites multiple areas of the cerebral cortex. Repeated exposure to the stimulus leads to almost complete extinction of the cerebral cortical response—basically, habituation occurs as a result of synaptic depression, leading to lowered chances for transmitter release at appropriate synapses within the habituating circuit. A classical example of habituation in dogs is dogs who reacts to certain noises. For instance, a rescued dog may be startled by the noise produced by a dishwasher, however, after several exposures, the dog habituates to it. Or a young puppy may struggle with wearing a collar, however with time, he habituates to it after wearing it for a while. Yet, habituation isn't perfect and it has some flaws. -Firstly, how fast and at what degree a dog habituates may vary based on several variables such as the intensity of the stimulus, its duration and its frequency. You may therefore have steady, incremental progress, increased reactions initially followed by non-reactions, or ups and downs. - If exposure to a certain stimulus is withheld, the original response tends to return after a decrease in it, leading to a phenomenon known as "spontaneous recovery. " It can therefore happen that a dog reacts to something he showed sign of habituating to a day or two later, with the reaction possibly returning to nearly the same strength as it was prior to habituation. However, once exposures return on a routine basis, the magnitude of the response will likely decline. -The more intense the exposure to the stimulus, the slower and more complicated the process. For example, a military working dog who is exposed to a running helicopter engine for the first time at a too close and intense range, will yield a more intense reaction which puts a dent in the habituation process. -Presenting another strong and intense stimulus may result in recovery of the original response (dishabituation) although even exposure to a weak stimulus can sometimes produce the same effect. - If certain responses that are supposed to decrease are even occasionally rewarded, then habituation will become difficult. Habituation therefore works best for exposures to mild or moderate stimuli, not too intense or overwhelming. -Habituation is highly specific and doesn't fair well with subtle changes. Sokolov’s studies have shown that subtle changes in the intensity, duration, rate of repetition and association with other stimuli, may result in recovery of the habituated orienting response. It therefore works best with stimuli that are stable. -On top of this, prolonged and overwhelming exposure may lead to hypervigilance, exhaustion, and increased anxiety. Habituation is therefore not ideal for cases involving stimuli dogs perceive as threatening. Therefore, when a dog is repeatedly and passively exposed to a new stimulus, it can lead to two different outcomes, a good one and a bad one. The good one is habituation, where the response towards the stimulus decreases over time with the dog getting used to it. The bad one is sensitization, where the response towards the stimulus increases over time. You can get a dog habituated to a stimulus through flooding or desensitization. Through flooding, the dog is exposed to the stimulus in an intense way causing the dog to go over threshold and react to it. At a certain point, the dog may eventually habituate to it. This can be a counterproductive process as it can be stressful and dangerous too. It is typically not recommended. Through desensitization, the dog is exposed to the stimulus in small, graduated steps, ensuring the dog doesn't go over threshold. This is a more controlled process, and much safer, leading to less stress on the dog. Habituation therefore may work in young pups (during the times they are most malleable), using exposures to very mild stimuli that are rather regular (not much variability) and no responses should be occasionally rewarded. So to recap, just exposing Esther to the TV with animals playing all day with not intervention is not likely to give the desired results. She may habituate to certain animals that are quiet or slow moving but may becomes sensitized to others. Also, allowing her to lunge at the tv will provide the occasional reward as her seeking system is activated, and this makes the behavior more habit-forming and ingrained Veterinary behaviorists rarely suggest flooding procedures. They instead suggest desensitization likely along with counterconditioning ( especially if there is a fear element) or differential reinforcement, reinforcing alternate or incompatible behaviors that are on the opposite spectrum of reacting to the TV (like lying on a mat, looking at animals without reacting). So not just passively keeping the tv on and hoping for the best, but doing gradual exposures. When training is not done, the dog is kept away from the TV. Thanks for the mini course on construction terms! Very interesting, they certainly have some colorful terms! Hope you get better by the day! Best, Adrienne

I feel your pain! We have a rescue dog with a pelvic bladder, and she is highly insecure. Not a good combination! The first day we had her home she had 21 accidents. I'm going to go through the initial list we all check, and ask some questions that might help Adrienne with her response. Is he neutered? Have you, or your brother, taken him to the vet to ensure there's not a medical reason? Is he in a crate during the day, or does he get to roam? Limiting his space when you're not around to take him out could help him hold it I don't promise - Esther will have accidents regardless, but that's just a medical thing. I leave a pee pad in her kennel and she's learning how to hit it with about a 95% accuracy these days, and she's stopped eating them If he goes in the same general area, try putting pee pads in those areas. Then you can move them closer and closer to the door over time. I bought reusable pads from Chewy because we're in for a lifetime of this. Between washes I spray them down with Febreeze because as they dry they can get to be quite potent https://www.chewy.com/green-lifestyle-reusable-dog-pee-pads/dp/323446 I bought the 34 x 36 because she tends to walk while she's watering our floor so it catches more At under $32 (autoship discount) it has been well worth the investment, saving money And the environment. They're also more durable than the paper variety. Esther used to pee on them, then proceed to rip them up so the mess was far worse than no pad Rescue Remedy is another item I rely on to keep the flow under control. Approximately 1 drop per 10 oz of water seems to work for us. https://www.chewy.com/rescue-remedy-stress-relief-pet/dp/135502 You may even be able to find this at a local store if you can't wait to get started An enzyme cleaner will be needed to get the uric acid out of your flooring to reduce repeat offenses. I haven't found one more effective than another so Nature's Miracle or some such will do the trick For puppies it's about 20 minutes for water to work through their system. Taking him out Right after water won't give him enough time to cycle it through so you might want to keep your eye on the time, then take him out a minute or two before that. I went so far as to set a timer for Esther. This one is said with a major caution, and it's important to check with a Veterinarian before implementation. I do meter Esther's water. She is offered 8 - 10 oz every time she's peed, and after each meal. This is because I know in the summer she needs 50 - 70 oz per day, a little less in the winter (based on a number I arrived at with our vet after doing a water test and ruling out things like diabetes, kidney stones, and spay incontinence). Restricting water can be dangerous for their health, which is why it's important to come up with a number with the assistance of a veterinarian. It could also be a temporary solution for y'all, where it's another lifetime thing with us. That's all I have off the top of my head. Welcome to the forums!