Obsessive behaviour

[RonOwens]

Hi, 

Now that I've sorted out Penny's recall (many thanks again for your help!), she has one annoying habit that I thought she would grow out of but she hasn't. Our house faces south, and the back door is glass (small panes) and when you open it in the morning, the sun reflect of it and casts a pattern on the garden wall which she loves chasing. It was fun when she was a puppy but now she weighs 64 pounds, she rushes out once you open the door and tries to catch the reflection. How do we break this habit? It is a bit of an obsession with her as when she wants to go out to chase it, she gets a bit anti-social or as we call it "hunting mode". If you go to pet her, she crouches down, lowering her back as if she is getting ready to pounce. 

BWT, her recall is now super and even her obsession with the tennis balls is betting less. A girl arrived in the park with 2 dogs the other day and proceeded to throw a ball for them and Penny stole it as usual, but after a minute, she went back to the owner and let her let her take it back.

Thanks

 

Ron

[Adrienne]

Hi Ron,

Welcome back! 

I am glad to hear Penny is doing so much better with recalls and that her tennis ball "obsession" is lessening! Make sure to protect and maintain your hard work, so avoid if possible putting her into situations where she may feel the need to resource guard, and if she does gets into a situation where in the past she would have behaved otherwise but she behaves well, make sure to mark it and reward generously to leave a positive impact on her.  Sometimes, all it takes is something a bit negative to undo all the hard work.

The reflection of light she's chasing sounds like predatory drive, so just like chasing balls, but in this case, she's after the light. However, a ball she can catch and carry in her mouth, while light is something you really don't get to catch, so it can lead to frustration and sometimes dogs can get even a bit obsessed about it. Many dog trainers have started in the last few years discouraging dog owners from playing with dogs using light beams from flashlights or laser pointers.  While fun to watch, some dogs turn this from a habit to an obsession that is difficult to eradicate. 

Of course, not all dogs become addicted. Some dogs may have a little fun and may soon grow bored of the game. Others instead may be hooked. It takes a certain type of personality and environment for this, just as it happens with people. Dogs who are under-stimulated and under the age of one are likely more susceptible to becoming addicted to lights if exposed at a formative time of their lives. I would therefore discourage allowing her to rehearse this behavior through management and providing more productive activities where she actually gets to get a hold of something rather playing with something that she never really gets to catch. 

So here are some tips that come to mind:

• Avoid taking her out in this area at critical times when your dog is more likely to play with play with reflections.
• If you have reflections in the home, draw the curtains so she can't play with them. 
• Make sure to provide daily mental stimulation. Feed food in puzzle toys, provide brain games, organize sniffing adventures (canine nosework) and fun play sessions and don't forget about training!
• Meet your dog's exercise needs. Take her on walks, engage her in a doggy sport, play with her. 
• Allow her to engage in activities where she gets the reward of chasing and catching (fetch, play with flirt poles, etc)
• Establish a new, highly rewarding routine that surpasses the value of light chasing. Hide kibble in the yard so that she gets in the habit of looking for that once out in the yard, place a muffin game on the deck,  put a liki-mat to enjoy on the grass. Keep these items away from the area where she plays with lights so its easy for her to make good choices. 
• Consult with a dog behavior professional if your dog cannot be distracted from light chasing, has rehearsed the behavior for some time and it's impacting her life in a negative way (like starts looking for light to chase in other places and can't get her mind off of it)

Hope this helps,

Best,

Adrienne