FE205: Focus Games

Energy Levels and Interactions

We often talk about the energy levels that both the trainer and the dog bring to their interactions together.  If there is an obvious mismatch then there will be problems.  

There are two extremes when we have issues related to energy levels:  

The first is a dog who may be distracted, confused, or uncertain.  This dog often responds by slowing down and disengaging from the trainer.  He may sniff, scratch, avoid eye contact, and no longer respond to cues.  This dog is bringing less and less energy to the trainer/dog interaction.  

The second is the dog who becomes more active and possibly even frantic when uncertain or confused.  This dog may display frustration by whining, jumping, and reacting quickly but without thoughtfulness.  These dogs seems to push you to do more, faster.  This type of dog is bringing increased energy to the trainer/dog interaction, but it is not very useful energy.

Both of these issues will lead to problems with your dog’s capacity for learning, playing, and training.  Whenever you see a noticeable change in energy levels from your dog it’s helpful to consider the reasons why.  Usually, these changes are related to feeling pressure from the trainer, lack of clarity in training,  overwhelming distractions in the environment, or some combination of these.  If you attempt to change your dog’s energy level without addressing the reason for this issue then you are highly unlikely to be successful.  

Rating energy levels:

Think of the energy levels you and your dog bring to each interaction together on a scale of 1-10.  A 1 means no energy and a 10 is the highest level possible.  If there is too big of a difference between those levels then the interaction is not going to go well.  We will rate the dog’s level of energy and then work on changing ours by one level in the direction we want the dog to move.  If we stay at the same level as the dog then nothing changes.  But if we try for too big of a change all at once we are lumping and there is too big of a mismatch for us to have anywhere to meet.  

What is an ideal?  Probably a 7.  Lots of useful energy but below the level of being frantic.  Each dog has a different baseline to start.  Some dogs are just naturally less energetic and low key than others.  And some are at the top of the scale most of the time.  In these cases thinking about moving them slightly towards moderate is a good step in the right direction.  

Of course, an ideal energy level depends on the setting and the activity.  You’ll want more energy for agility than for stationary exercises.  During ring performances your dog’s energy levels will often need to move up and down very quickly between exercises or activities.  

Let’s use the example of the dog who seems to be checking out and shutting down.  This dog’s energy level may be a 3.  You have probably heard or been told that you need to raise your energy levels to keep your dog engaged.  The phrase “be more interesting than dirt” comes to mind.  Unfortunately, in attempting to apply this advice you may end up doing more harm than good.  If you come barreling in like a clown on crack at a level 9 you will just manage to freak out your dog and push him even further down the scale because now you are acting very weird.  

So instead of trying to be the best party on the planet it makes more sense to level up by one and go for a 4.  Add just a touch more energy to the interaction to make it seem appealing, but not so much that your dog feels overwhelmed.  

Many trainers take responsibility for bringing all the energy to the interaction.  But this won’t lead to long-term success.  If you have to provide the energy for both you and your dog then your dog has no part in this process.  He will simply stop bringing anything to the table.  You will find yourself working harder and harder and getting less and less in return.  It’s a trap you want to avoid.  

What about the dog who gets high and frantic very easily?  I have a dog (Zen) who would like to live in the land of 9.  He wants everything in life to happen faster and is always looking to make things happen if there’s a lull in activity.  Common advice here is to be totally and completely calm and quiet; basically move down to a level 3.  But that causes more problems that it fixes.  To Zen, this means I’m basically ignoring his needs for more action and activity, so he will get even higher and more demanding because clearly, I’m not paying attention.  

If I want to move Zen into a lower level so that he’s more likely to become thoughtful and precise then I have to meet him close to where he starts and move him down gradually.  So if Zen’s a 9 I need to come in at 7 or 8 with my energy.  I’m taking it down just a bit, not coming in as a polar opposite, which is a terrible mismatch.  

Location, location, location:

It is likely that changes in location lead to fairly predictable changes in the energy level that your dog displays.  This partially explains the commonly heard lament “but he does it perfectly at home!”  Yes he does.  At home his energy levels, distractibility, and emotions can be quite different than they are in other settings.  

Training in a variety of locations is often recommended, and it is very good advice.  But it’s important to keep a close eye on how those locations impact your dog’s energy level.  If you see a dramatic change then it’s important to ask yourself if you are trying to train in an inappropriate setting for your dog at this time.  

This is all easy to talk about in theory, but much harder to put into practical application.  

How, exactly, do you raise and lower your energy levels?  

Think about how you conduct and present yourself while interacting with your dog.  Do you move quickly or slowly in general?  Do you flow smoothly from one thing to the next or are there breaks, stops, and starts?  Are your actual physical movements choppy and rapid or slow and smooth?  

Are you jumping up and down, clapping, patting your leg?  Is this something you really need to be doing?  Are you a cheerleader?  I can tell you that it will seem to work for a while, then it will become necessary, then it will stop working.  Don’t fall for it!  

What about your voice?  Some (many) trainers are unconscious chatterboxes while they train.  This is a problem in many ways, but it is particularly important if your voice conveys your stress or anxiety to your dog.  When we become concerned our voices change; we usually talk more, faster, and at a higher pitch.  Slowing that down, keeping your voice steady and low, and minimizes unnecessary language are all helpful here.  Going from chattering to total silence is likely to be a problem because it’s a drastic change from the norm, but minimizing your verbal excess is not a bad idea at all.  

Many trainers are particularly likely to overuse their voices as a verbal connection, especially when their dogs are off-leash and/or at a distance.  Often there is lots of chatter and lots of repetition of cues.  

Something else that I see trainers do often is unintentionally drive their dogs away from them (mentally if not physically as well) by too much intense focus and eye contact.  When we get nervous and worry that our dogs won’t stay engaged we start to look into their faces longer and harder.  Imagine if a friend did that to you without warning.  It would feel creepy and intrusive.  It certainly wouldn’t lead you to want even more contact with them at that moment.

Another thing to consider is personal physical space.  When we worry that our dogs are not engaged we tend to move closer to them, or force them closer to us with a leash.  Instead, allow your dog a break and some space to decompress and relax.  Forced closeness does not equal focus.  Forced closeness increases your dog’s desire to escape and/or avoid you.      

One helpful bit of advice for you in a training situation is to first control your breathing.  Take a few long full deep breaths.  This will slow your nervous system and help you consciously check yourself.  Our breaths tend to become short and shallow as we get nervous or anxious.  This often leads to a flood of negative stress hormones being released and our emotional state takes a turn for the worse.  Some dogs are VERY sensitive to your emotional changes, so now you and your dog are in a negative stress spiral together.      

So how do you know when you’re doing it right?  

Ask your dog!  

Look at your dog’s responses.  Is your dog checking out less and less often?  Is your dog more relaxed and less frantic?  As with all training our dogs are a direct reflection of our interactions with them.  In this case we are looking not just at behaviors, but at indications of emotion and arousal.  These are more subtle and easy to overlook if you don’t know what to watch for.  This moves into the territory of being able to read your dog accurately.  When you are good at this you can often tell something is “off” quite early in the process and make adjustments before major issues develop.  

Videotape your training and watch the videos as an unbiased observer.  It’s hard to remember what happened during a session, and we often “remember” incorrectly.  Video doesn’t lie.  Watch what you are doing right before your dog’s energy level changes.  Look for patterns.  Watch how your dog’s attitude and behavior changes in response to your attitude and behavior.