A trigger is anything that makes our dog react strongly in response to its presence or proximity. It could be a sound, sight, smell, touch, person, animal or inanimate object, or it could be something familiar in a strange context. Each trigger on its own may cause the dog to become concerned, but if two or three triggers are added together, or stacked, it results in a dog who goes over threshold, from thinking… to reacting.
Our story starts with our shy shelter heroes, Hercules and Hank, who had finished out their day with a good run in the play yard. I leashed them up and planned to walk the thirty feet to the training office, where they typically spend the night. They have gotten better and better on leash and can make the short trip with tails wagging high, confident that chew toys, soft beds and lots of love await them.
We eagerly approached the stairs leading to the front door, when I noticed two strangers blocking the entrance.
Rather than risk Hank and Hercules becoming spooked as the door opened, I calmly moved them off to the side, where I planned to wait until the “coast was clear” and we could try again. The dogs followed me nicely, despite the fact that their routine had been interrupted, but as I walked away, the office window was pushed up, and the boys’ beloved trainer stuck her head out the window to say hi and offer assistance.
Neither Hank nor Hercules knew that a window meant that there is a room behind it, and they had never seen a human pop out of a wall before. They both became uneasy (Hercules more so than Hank) and I again started to move away from the building so we could regain our composure and wait (some more) for the people to leave.
As I turned away, a Very Very Humongously Large FedEx Truck roared into the parking lot, completely unhinging the dogs, and giving me real cause for concern that Hercules would back out of his harness before I could comfort him and help him calm down. As we tried once more to retreat, the strangers finally(!) decided to exit the building, but stopped to admire the cringing, wild eyed Hank and Hercules, who where now straining to get away.
Although we finally had our clear shot to the front door, at this point, neither Hank nor Hercules could voluntarily walk the short distance to safety. Their tails were tucked and they were pulling away from the very place that historically offered so much comfort and happiness.
I took a deep breath and asked them to follow me one more time, and we painfully inched our way back to the office. The stairs caused a panic as did the volunteer standing inconspicuously in the corner, but Hank and Hercules ultimately made it to their sanctuary with some encouragement from their favorite head trainer waiting at the door. The good news is that once they realized they were safe, and that their best dog friend was waiting in the office to say hello and wrestle, they shook off their fear, explored their domain and quickly regained their equilibrium.
It took me far longer to recover than it did for Hank and Hercules, but the fact that they could be so resilient after being so afraid just moments before gives this totally true tale a happy ending.
Have you and your dog been caught in a similar situation that was caused by trigger stacking? Tell us your story.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock / Roman Tiraspolsky
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