Dog Training, Obedience, Agility - Karyn Garvin and Associates

Most of us have heard the analogy that the crate is to a dog what the den is to the wolf and that dogs love their crate like their own private den. This may be true for some dogs but not when the dog is claustrophobic. Claustrophobia does occur in dogs as well.

Claustrophobia is defined as a fear of confined spaces. Dogs, like people who suffer from claustrophobia, experience panic and an acceleration of their heart rate. People will sweat while dogs instead will pant and drool. I have known numerous customers who said that at first, they had thought that their dog had urinated in the crate when in fact it hadn’t; there was just that much drool.

We must recognize, as pet professionals, that some dogs are claustrophobic. Once this truth is acknowledged we can begin to prescribe the right choices for managing the pet’s behavior in the owner’s absence.

Containment phobia, the sister to claustrophobia, is different. Containment phobia is defined as a fear of being trapped. It is the inability to move freely from one environment to another regardless of the size of the space that frightens them. This is very likely connected to an animal’s genetically pre-programmed survival instincts which includes the fear of being caught.

A dog with containment phobia that is locked outside in the back yard with no one home may destroy the house trying to get in, or jump the wall, or destroy the fence or gate trying to get out. This same dog is capable of equivalent damage when locked inside a house and attempts to escape to the outside. It is not the size of the space that frightens them, but being trapped or contained in an area. Dog owners and pet professionals have often nicknamed the escape behavior artist the “Houdini” dog.

Treating Phobias

A phobia is an irrational fear. It is not based on a real threat or danger but on an imagined one. The symptoms however, are very real and very unpleasant for the pet that experiences them.

There is a lot of debate and discussion among scholars on the cause of phobias. It is an important debate because it provides a direction for treatment. If a pet has a learned fear of something, the fear may be cured by confronting it repeatedly and using desensitizing techniques, along with counter conditioning efforts. However, when the fear is inherent, it may not be possible to cure it.

Thunderstorm Phobia in Dogs

Thunderstorm phobia in dogs is seldom learned behavior; rather it is passed down genetically from generation to generation. A fear of thunderstorms doesn’t usually appear until after a dog turns 6 months of age. Often, a dog owner will relate the story that the first time he noticed the dog panic was when a car drove by and backfired. Shortly thereafter, the owner noticed that the dog had a fear of thunderstorms. Did the dog learn to fear loud noises? More often than not the answer is no. This dog had the genetic predisposition to thunderstorm phobia, and the car backfiring triggered the onset of the phobia.

Pet professionals understand and accept thunderstorm phobia in dogs. We understand the dog’s desperate attempts to escape that can result. We don’t blame the owner for the condition. Desensitization techniques typically fail, and obedience training has no impact on eliminating the phobia. It can only be used to distract and redirect the dog under the circumstances. It’s the behavior problem we dread, because we know there is little we can do. We cannot manage the source or the stimulus which is the weather. Drug therapy is often prescribed which can be very helpful in softening the trauma experienced by the dog.

The Profile of the Containment Phobic Dog

Breeds

It is present in all sizes of dogs from toy to giant. The smaller dog may not choose fence jumping or attacking windows as an escape route for obvious reasons.

Age of dog

Phobias tend to show up with age. Containment phobia, just like thunderstorm phobia, will most likely begin after six months of age.

Some of the calmest and best-behaved dogs suffer from containment phobia. Often, this is the only behavior problem the owner has with this dog. It can also coexist with the whole hosts of other temperaments that we see in dogs.

The condition is permanent

This is an inherent trait and the dog will not outgrow it.

Mild to severe cases

The dog’s responses to containment phobia, at first, may seem mild, but just like thunderstorm phobia, containment phobia will become more severe with repetition and age. It is not the age of the dog that makes the experience and the dog’s response more violent. It is the repetition of the experience that comes with age.

Early signs

Early signs are claustrophobic reactions when left in a crate. Dogs that are claustrophobic will not always experience containment phobia. However dogs that suffer from containment phobia are almost always likely to show early signs of being claustrophobic. This same puppy is also more likely to scramble to jump over a gate when contained in a room.

Destroying exits when contained in a room. This could include: doors, windows, window coverings such as curtains blinds, etc.

When sufficiently contained in the back yard, destroying the house trying to get in

99% of this dog’s destructive behavior is targeted at barriers that prevent the freedom to move from one environment to another, namely indoors to outdoors and vice versa.

Good News, There’s a Cure

There is a cure for the destruction of home and property, not to mention the damage the dog may be doing to itself in the process. There is a way for the dog and the dog’s owner to live happily ever after.

The environment must be modified, because it is, indeed, the environment that is triggering containment phobia in the dog. That is great news! When a dog suffers

from thunderstorm phobia there is nothing that can be done to control the weather.

Every home environment and every dog is different. Precisely what needs to be done at one home can vary from the next. However, in all cases, the remedy is twofold. First, give the dog freedom of movement and second have consequences in place for the escape behavior. It is also very important that the modifications to the environment occur simultaneously. We have to support the dog in making the right choices in the owner’s absence.

First, the dog has to be given the ability to move from one environment to the next and back again when it chooses. Freedom of movement from indoors to outdoors is the ideal solution. (In very mild cases, this is not always necessary.) At most homes this can be done by installing a dog door and teaching the dog how to use it.

Secondly, when the dog panics and goes to a location, be it the door, the window or a fence, it is with the intention of using whatever force is necessary to bypass it. The dog is seeking the reward of escaping at this location and instead it has to find a consequence. It also has to be a safe consequence of substantial force for the dog to decide “Oops! This is not an option.”

The beauty of the electronic correction is that it is safe and effective. The dog soon learns that everywhere is safe except for those places where it once tried to exit. It has a sense of freedom and is also rewarded for making the right choice by avoiding negative reinforcement.

When used properly the electronic correction can be the best solution for dogs that display phobic level reactions. When a dog is hysterical and its adrenaline is flowing, the consequence needs to be substantial to be an effective deterrent.

I recommend the Invisible Fenceâ Brand solution. The dog owner will have a qualified person to install the system and support with the training. There is also a pet containment GUARANTEE! That in itself should be worth it for most dog owners.

Invisible Fenceâ Brand is the leader in pet containment technology. It is the brand most referred by veterinarians. This solution offers consistency and with owner receiving proper instruction this also minimizes the likelihood of human error. There are both indoor as well as outdoor solutions which can combat all escape artists tactics.

Each situation is different, but with a knowledgeable behaviorist, and a qualified Invisible Fenceâ Brand professional working together there will be a happy ending.

The remote electronic training collar was never designed to be used for escape behavior. I have known dog owners who thought they had the problem solved with a remote, but it was just a matter of time before the dog regressed, tried to escape again and there was no consequence in place because the owner wasn’t there.

or loved ones. Feelings of loss and frustration are a result of love and attachment.

Separation anxiety is related to the relationship between the dog and owner, so there are several things that an owner can do differently to reduce the level of frustration and unruly behavior that occurs when the owner is gone. I would also be the first to agree that separation anxiety is without a doubt the leading cause of misbehavior in an owner’s absence.

Unfortunately, Containment phobia is almost always misdiagnosed or mislabeled as separation anxiety. Professionals frequently jump to this conclusion as soon as they hear that it only happens in the owner’s absence. In this case, it happens when the owner is gone because that’s when the dog is confined to one area. The dog doesn’t panic being shut in when the owner is home because it knows that when the owner is there it will be let out. The dog has learned that it can rely on the owner’s ability to unlock the door and provide freedom of movement.

Another distinguishing difference is that 99% of the containment phobic dog’s destructiveness is associated with escaping. Destruction that occurs as a result of separation anxiety is more often directed at household items such as pillows, books, furniture etc. Dogs typically do not injure themselves in the process because this is an anxiety rather than a phobic reaction.

There are many techniques that work effectively to treat separation anxiety that will fail miserably with a dog that has containment phobia. The misdiagnosis of this condition leads to inappropriate treatment, devastation of the dog owner’s property, and very likely the death of the dog.

I sincerely hope that this report will help to shed light on the differences between separation anxiety and containment phobia and will save lives in the process.

www.karyngarvin.com

The Interview For The Containment Phobic Dog
Copyright © 2008 by Karyn Garvin

The following is a sample script of a conversation between a dog training behaviorist and a dog owner. The dog owner has called for help as she has a dog that is destructive when she’s gone. It lays out a typical scenario of questions and answers that lead the behaviorist to conclude that this dog suffers from containment phobia.

The story usually begins with a phone call:

Dog Owner: My dog is destructive in the house when I am gone. If I can’t fix this problem fast, I may have to get rid of him because he is destroying my home.

Behaviorist: I would like to schedule a private lesson with you at your home so that I can see first hand what’s going on, and we can design a training program to provide you with solutions.

{An appointment is scheduled, and the behaviorist goes to the home for a lesson not knowing what kind of destruction is taking place.}

Dog Owner: I’m so glad you could come out right away. I have to go to work on Monday, and I can’t continue leaving this dog at home. He’s destroying my house.

Behaviorist: Let’s begin by your showing me what the dog is destroying.

Dog Owner: I’ll start with the laundry room. We have been putting him in here

with the door shut. Look at what he does! The molding is destroyed next to the door,

the door is destroyed, and he has even dug up the tile in front of the door.

Behaviorist: Did you ever try leaving him in this area with a dog gate, instead of closing the door?

Dog Owner: Oh he jumps right over dog gates and has since he was a puppy. When he was a puppy we limited him to the kitchen area instead of giving him the run of the house, and he would jump right over the gate.

Behaviorist: Did you ever try using a crate?

Dog Owner: Sure, the breeder told us to use a crate, so we got one right away. He

hated it!

Behaviorist: How do you know he hated it? What did he do?

Dog Owner: Well at first we had him take naps in it if we were home. That went fine. The breeder also suggested that we try to feed him in there so that he would have an additional reason to like his crate. We did that too! Since he would jump baby gates, I tried leaving him in the crate for short periods when I went to work. I would come home at lunch to let him out. He would have no part of it. He chewed through the first plastic crate in two days. Then we bought a metal crate. Do you want to see what he did to that?

Behaviorist: Sure

Dog Owner: Look at this! He literally bent the bars. That, of course, took him a few days. The first day I came home for lunch he had defecated in the crate, which is something I was told dogs never do. The next day, I thought he had urinated in the crate but it was drool. Then he started tearing at the metal bars, and I was afraid he was going to hurt himself so we just started leaving him outside. We have a nice big back yard, and it’s all walled in.

Behaviorist: Good! Why don’t you show me the back yard?

Dog Owner: Look, it’s almost half an acre! You’d think he would be happy, and he was fine for a while. Then he started trying to dig out under the gate. You can see where he’s scratched it, so my husband poured cement under it. The next thing we knew he started jumping the 6-foot wall, so we can’t leave him outside anymore. He doesn’t go anywhere; he just jumps the fence and waits by the front door. However, animal control came by and gave us a citation.

Behaviorist: Let’s go back inside, and you can show me what else he’s destroyed.

Dog Owner: We have been leaving him in the laundry room when we are gone, but last week, somehow, he managed to open the door, attacked the blinds at the front window, attacked the curtains by the kitchen window, and scratched up the front door. That’s when I called; we just can’t go on living like this.

Behaviorist: How old is he?

Dog Owner: He’s going to be a year and a half this month. It just doesn’t make sense to me. What’s the matter with this dog? Dogs are supposed to love their crate, and he hates it. Dogs are never supposed to soil in their crate, and he did. We have never scolded him in the aftermath, we know better than that. We exercise and walk him everyday. He has everything a dog could want.

Behaviorist: How is he when you’re at home?

Dog Owner: He’s the perfect dog. My husband and I both just love him, or we would never have put up with all of this. He’s as calm as can be. He’s good with people and great with our grandchildren.

Behaviorist: Did you ever put him through obedience training?

Dog Owner: Oh yes, my husband and I both went through training with him, and he took first place. He is really just an angel except when we leave him.

Behaviorist: Where does he sleep overnight?

Dog Owner: He usually sleeps in our room. He has the run of the house overnight, and he never destroys anything. When he was a puppy, he never even destroyed shoes or anything else. He’s just the perfect dog, and I don’t know why he’s so destructive when we are gone.

Behaviorist: One last question, what do you do with him when you go out of town, or do you ever go out of town?

Dog Owner: Well one time I tried to leave him with my son, and he jumped his fence. As a matter of fact, my son tried leaving him inside too, and he scratched up his door. He won’t have him back, so the last time we left we put him in a kennel. He did okay, but we noticed he chipped his teeth somehow while he stayed there. I can’t imagine how that happened.

It’s the Pet Professional’s Turn

What would your diagnosis be? Can you fix the problem almost overnight? The answer is yes you can if you can identify and know how to work with containment phobic dogs.