This piece first appeared in the March 26, 2024 edition of our newsletter.
One of the most important aspects of playgroup and behavior modification is the way there is always a first time for every behavior. Not all antecedents or distant antecedents are obvious to the human eye until after a behavior occurs. It is not always easy to predict how behavior may shift in response to a consequence. As caretakers of large populations, it can be impossible to be knowledgeable of all interactions the animal has, and whether they were appetitive or aversive. Stay in the moment and read the behavior that is being displayed. Avoid assumptions or relying on past behavior to always predict current behavior.
A dog who has previously engaged appropriately in play may not always engage appropriately with every dog and on every day. Some variations in behavior are due to internal triggers. Pain, fatigue, and illness are all internal components that can cause a change in behavior but aren’t always visible to the human observer. External triggers can include loud noises, unpleasant odors, a stressful event earlier in the day, a stressful new neighbor in the kennel area, the other dog behaving inappropriately, a stranger observing, etc.
Instead of slipping into what you assume to observe, stay in the moment and read what the dog is actually displaying. Don’t be too quick in assigning motivations or ‘giving the dog a chance’. Read the behavior that is actually being displayed and act accordingly. Sometimes this means switching play partners or putting a dog away and trying again at a later date.
Sometimes that first data point is the beginning of a trend for a dog actually finding playgroup aversive or unhelpful to their overall stress. Change in behavior is also why we recommend offering dog-dog introductions multiple times to dogs who opt out of their first introduction. Some dogs want nothing to do with others, but others just need time to adjust or the right pairing to say yes to.
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