I’m currently working with a dog that has been shutting down during lessons. This was one of the issues I was hired to address.
Imagine a situation where you are using a treat to lure a dog into a Sit. For most dogs, they will look up at the treat, their bottom will sit on the floor, and you pay the dog with that same treat. Easy stuff. Normal dog.
Imagine a similar situation where you are using a treat to lure a dog into a Sit, but you slightly delay giving the dog the treat for the correct response, or you casually say No if the dog is delaying, or you move the treat ever so farther from the dog when it is starting to Sit… and the dog just slumps emotionally, walks away and hides under the coffee table, or goes and hides under the bed in a bedroom, and now won’t take any treat at all. That’s this dog.
Dogs like this are tricky to work with and fix. Small mistakes on the part of the trainer or owner cause immediate setbacks. So, the technique needs to flawless. Further, you must repair the relationship the dog has with the owner, and vice versa. In this case, the owner is a first-time dog owner, with no experience with dogs at all. Mistakes were made early on in puppyhood, and that blew the dogs confidence, and the dog’s relationship with the owner.
In such cases, I must help the owner to learn to read their dog, to exercise precise technique, and to build a different relationship that is healthy and fun. We’ve made good progress, and today’s lesson was the best I’ve seen since the first time we met. The dog worked for a good 30 minutes before tiring out. There were a few mild shutdowns, but we got the dog back into a positive mood state each time. I complimented the owner on the work they’ve been doing. And today was the first time the dog came over to me for some happy petting.
Some dogs are soft; very sensitive. Some are soft to environmental influences… slippery floors, loud noises, various obstacles such as stairs, etc. Some dogs are soft to the handler, easily crushed by even the mildest mistakes. I assume with every dog that they are going to be soft in both areas as I get to know them. I can always dial back a hard dog, the opposite of these types. But it is harder to work with and turn around very soft dogs.
Those first few days home can set these dogs on the right path, or not. It starts with housetraining and socialization. Lots of owners make mistakes in these areas and pay the price later when their dogs start going the wrong way as the months progress.
Do you have a dog that shuts down? You probably need professional coaching to help your dog be happy and responsive, and to have a good relationship with you.