Let's Get Happy

Intro to Happy Thoughts

When dogs are fearful, or when we want to be proactive to ensure they like something, we use a special learning system: classical conditioning. To keep things simple, we call this association learning, but it is also called Pavlovian or respondent conditioning.

If we are helping your dog who is fearful, our goal is to create a positive conditioned emotional response to replace negative emotional responses like fear. Here is how it breaks down:

Positive: the association makes the dog feel happy
Conditioned: something the dog learns
Emotional: related to feelings
Response: the type of thing learned

We will call a positive conditioned emotional response a +CER or "happy thoughts."

How do we know that the dog has replaced negative thoughts with happy thoughts?

The sight of “it”—the item, place, or person—which used to be scary now causes your dog to happily anticipate good things… in our case: treats.

Association learning is the reason your dog gets excited when you pick up the leash and gets a bit sad when you pick up your briefcase and keys. For this training, use your dog’s favorite, delicious food, choose something special for happy thoughts training.

What are some signs that your dog's association to something has changed?

Instead of stiffness, growling, running away, hiding, trembling, or other stress-signaling body language, your dog may:

Have a goofy relaxed face
Happily wag the tail and look to you in anticipation
Have a wiggle butt
Wiggle the body from the shoulders down
An end to the stress signalling body language
Give body language that is similar to when doing or receiving favorite things or playing favorite games

The Rules

Association learning is trickier than training sits and stays. Learning the rules will help you get it right. Here’s how to do it.

Your dog must see the item, person, or place before s/he gets the food. This is the most important rule! If your dog already knows treats are coming, the item, person, or place has no tip-off value, so no clear association will be developed.

Every time s/he sees the item, person, or place, it must be followed by the delicious food. 1:1 ratio.

You’ll take measures to ensure that it’s really clear to your dog that the item, person, or place is the best and only thing that predicts this special treat.

How to Implement the Rules

Your dog must see “it” (the item, person, or place) first. If “it” is a tool like an otoscope, present it for your dog to see and sniff, let her drink it in for 2-3 seconds and then start happy talking and feeding. If “it” is a place, head into the place and allow your dog to sniff and be there for 2-3 seconds and then start happy talking and feeding treats. If “it” is a person, let your dog see them for that oh-so-important 2-3 seconds before you start to happy talk and feed. Think of it this way: When your dog sees something, she’ll ask herself: what does that mean to me? Then and only then you answer the question: Food treats and happy talk.

Every time your dog sees “it”, provide treats. Keep “it” hidden to your dog outside of training. Don’t leave the otoscope out on the counter where your dog can see it. Don’t go to the vet without the treats. And if you accidentally show your dog “it”, start happy talking and find something delicious to give her!

“It” is the only thing that predicts treats. Is anything else tipping your dog off that food is coming? Are you reaching into your treat stash before she sees the instrument? Don’t! Are you rustling in the treat bag? Hold off! Are you putting on a treat pouch just before you start training? Don’t! Instead, wear the loaded treat bag during the day without giving any, so it loses its predictive value.

The version of “it” a fearful dog sees must not cause any fear. If a dog is scared of the otoscope, start with only the ear cone, and then the handle, and then the whole otoscope. If your dog is fearful of the vet’s office, start out in the parking lot (or even down the street!). Over multiple sessions, you can move closer, and then into the vet’s office itself. Slow is the new fast with fear. You’ll get there if you go slowly.

Remember to use a special treat that you only use when developing a happy association.

Using Association Based Training Plans
How many repetitions of each step?

Stay on step until you see evidence of Happy Thoughts

Repeat each step if your dog appears neutral when she sees “it”. So if you pull out the otoscope and she shows no anticipation, keep training at this step. If she goes into the vet’s office but stands around neutrally, repeat this step again.

If you see fear/discomfort make it easier

If your dog shows any signs of fearfulness or discomfort, drop back a step. Depending on your dog, you may see her ears go back, her tail go down, or she’ll leave or take the treat but with a harder bite. She might yawn, hunch, and not eat. If your dog has a history of fearfulness about “it”, be very conservative. You’ll get to the end point faster if you go at her pace. Drop back as many steps as needed to see no fear at all.

If you see evidence of Happy Thoughts - progress

Go to the next step when your dog clearly shows anticipation of treats in the two seconds between her seeing “it” and her getting treats. For example, if you pull out the otoscope and your dog looks directly at the hand you always feed her with, and drools a bit, you know she’s anticipating treats and you can move on. If you go to the vet and your dog pulls through the door, wags or dances happily, you know you can move on to the next step. This is dog-specific, so you’ll need to watch and learn your own dog’s behavior here: happy snuffling? An intense stare and a thumping tail? Drool and a head snap?

The content of this page includes original content and content adapted directly from the CER instructions from Husbandry Project by my alma mater: The Academy for Dog Trainers.