Aggressive Dog Clicker 101

Foraging:

Foraging is an activity that helps a dog produce dopamine in the brain and get them familiar in the environment. 

Sniffing activates something called the Seeking System portion of the dog’s brain- which is also the portion of the brain that is responsible for releasing the chemical dopamine, the feel good chemical. An increase in dopamine can boost mood, motivation 

and attention and helps regulate learning and emotional responses. 

Clicker Loading: 

Once the dog has had some time to smell, get the seeking system activated then start introducing treats. The owner is going to click the clicker, pause, show the dog the treat and then give the treat. Repeat this process. Click, pause (look for the dog to seek your attention) then give the treat. Do this a couple times and then let the dog go back into foraging the environment. Make sure that you keep these sessions short so you can make sure that the dog doesn’t go over their threshold. Give it around 3 minutes then let the dog go for a walk and sniff. Again activating that seeking system. 

Recognizing If the dog is Over Threshold: 

When looking to see if a dog is being pushed over their limit here are the things to look for:

1. Over excitement (jumping and mouthing)

2. Being distracted to the point where you can not keep their focus

3. Shutting down or freezing 

4. Zoomies (dog zooms around in a frenetic manner)

5. Inability to take a treat. Change the environment to allow the dog relief and the dog may be more comfortable enough to take food again. This is where you can allow them to forage again to release that dopamine. 

Take home Notes: 

1. Practice clicker loading in a familiar environment i.e. the backyard or in the house. 

2. Avoid possible triggers during this time. During this time we are stacking dopamine in the dog’s brain. Avoiding the things that cause the brain cortisol. 

3. Every dog is different. Depending on the owner’s schedule. I would do 1-2 weeks before the next lesson. This depends on the level of severity of the aggression. 

After Lesson:

The dog returns to the car and you can chat with the owner about protocols at home. This gives the dog time to latent learn and decompress after their learning session. Keep the music quiet during the drive home and then when the dog gets home chill for a little bit then back to decompressing in the crate.