F*ck, my dog bit someone, now what?
Sans legal advice, here's my guideline for living your best life post- bite.
Yes, it exists– an empowering, wonderful, and fulfilling life for you & your dog after they’ve done the unimaginable– biting another person or dog (or maybe even you). We can’t change the past, so the only direction to go is forward. The best thing we can do is learn and make changes for a better future.
#1: Acceptance
Whether you’re reading this because your dog has actually bitten someone, or your dog is reactive and you’re worried a bite may happen– we must come to terms with who our dog is and use our immeasurable love for them like fuel. Big changes need to happen, and you’re doing great already! I will always push for everyone to work proactively rather than reactively, but we are all on a different path. There is probably a good chance that you didn’t even see that bite coming– that unforeseen *event* is in itself, hard to accept. You may feel heartbreak, betrayal, shock, sadness, or even anger! These are all reasonable emotional responses, but facilitating change as a result of these feelings is essential.
A question I get in all sorts of canine cases is “How long does training take?”
Here is another concept we must accept:
Honey, this is forever.
There may be a start date, but there is no true end date. This is a lifelong journey and our goal is to give them the best life possible, and in order for that to happen, we can’t have a “quick fix” mindset.
Accept that there will be no more dog parks.
Accept that your dog may no longer act as the welcoming committee when people come over.
Accept that saying hello while out for a walk (aka leashed greeting) is just a no-no.
Accept that some of the things we view as “fun” or “exciting” for our dog is probably coming from a *somewhat selfish* personal POV, not what your dog actually needs or enjoys.
Most importantly, accept that you can do this. Cracking down on training and setting boundaries is mentally taxing AF, but you are more than capable of conquering this.
#2: Muzzle Up
If you haven't already, it's time for fido to get comfy with a muzzle. My favorite brand is Baskerville, and you’ll want to go for the basket style. Basket muzzles allow for optimum freedom while staying safe– they can pant, drink water, and take treats. This style means that we can confidently go for long walks, have training sessions, and go out places with it on longer- term. Start by following my muzzle conditioning video guide, or any of the other many muzzle conditioning how- to’s that are out there. Proper conditioning is so crucial because we want wearing the muzzle to be enjoyable, but normal for our dog. If you can afford the time to make this a bit of a longer process- do that! Pick one of their meals each day to use for this process to ensure the exposure stays consistent.
Now, having a muzzle doesn’t mean we can just start going about their life like before… but muzzled. The muzzle is here to have that extra bit of safety if there is a chance they could come in contact with someone or something they could bite.
#3: Control of environment
This is going to sound a bit obvious, but yes, we have to limit their exposure to stressors around them that’ll put them over threshold. We can’t avoid all triggers all the time (that's just plain unrealistic), but we can surely manage it at first when applicable. The idea is to reduce how often the unwanted behavior is rehearsed in order to have more successful outcomes later.
We can think of “threshold” like a pot of water on the stove. When our dog is comfortable, relaxed, and care-free, they are well under threshold– this is the water in the pot before it even starts to get warm. When the pot begins to heat up and little bubbles begin to form, this is equivalent to our dog facing a minor stressor: the dog, just like the water, is facing a minor stressor, but is still under control. They are able to listen, follow routines, etc. As the heat increases and the water starts to simmer we see those tiny bubbles creeping up the sides of the pot to escape at the surface. Similarly, this is the point where our dog begins to creep past threshold. We see an animal with increased tension, potentially some fixations, and their ability to follow commands is decreasing. At this point, we may still be able to intercept and de-escalate, but we have to act quickly. Then comes boiling water; the dog is now over- threshold. At this stage there's barking, lunging, pulling uncontrollably, or even attempting to bite. When we reach the boiling point, our dog is no longer maintaining that healthy mindset, and it’s time for a reset.
Let’s discuss cool-off time. Think about this: you pull a boiling pot of water off of the burner. It’s HOT and it’s going to be that way for a while. A dog over threshold takes much longer to “cool- off” and get under threshold enough for us to be in tune with them. Water that was just put on the stove is easier to cool off than that rapidly- boiling water, so it is in our best interest to work preventatively rather than correctively.
To compliment this analogy, we can think of triggers as the dial to stove heat. Low level triggers may be a simmer setting, whereas a strong trigger, or even stacking triggers can be like a RAPID BOIL setting. All the elements are creating a different outcome for our dog.
Recognizing your dog’s threshold indicators and knowing what makes them simmer or boil is crucial for environmental management. Sure, we can’t constantly shelter our dogs and simply keep them away from any and all stressors forever. This prep for the “real world” comes through the thing that we know comes next: Training.
#4: Structure and Engagement
Now that we have an idea of how our dog interacts and is affected by the world around them, we can set up intentional training sessions to expand their threshold. We’re going to start close to home, if not even in the home! First and foremost- boundaries! We’ve all heard the “No furniture, more place/ crate time, hand-feed meals, no dog parks…” and it's used a lot for a reason! Structure has to be a priority in order to set expectations, build trust, and get in- tune on a base- level. If your dog is pushy, insecure, or has never dealt with this kind of structure– this is especially necessary for them.
“Engagement” is just another way to say that you & your dog are super in-tune with each other. We can practice a multitude of activities– all of them being focused on your dog giving you their undivided attention. We want this beautiful, healthy drive from your dog to work for you and love it. Think of any activity that revolves around eye contact, recall, following, or even just having structured fun & 1:1 time with them. Here is where hand- feeding is crucial. Instead of their meals being a passive action of just mindlessly munching out of a stainless steel bowl– we make it active. Throw that kibble into a treat pouch and get to work! If your dog is new to the crate, use one meal for crate time, and one for hand- feeding. This isn’t necessarily about “earning” their meal, but doing more with it. We must remain the most relevant thing in our dog’s world- and so getting these basics down is key to making them choose you effortlessly.
#5: Training
The methodologies will differ from case to case, but first I’m going to talk about good ol’ positive reinforcement. This will almost always begin with a very high rate of reinforcement**, and lower as they get better.
Here, we’ll assume our dog knows the basics, has a strong marker** association, and you two have built a decent rapport with engagement. We’re going to start with a riff off of my favorite R+ activity “the good choices game” through exposure- based training. This is where your dog watches the world around them from a healthy distance away (always with an escape route). Remember, our goal is to stay under threshold here. Let’s say you’re placed in your front yard, your dog is on a leash, and you have their kibble or high- value treats on the ready. The second your dog notices a trigger, you mark and immediately reward so long as they’re under threshold. There's a few ways we can follow this up. If it's an extra challenging trigger, I would mark and reward as I run backwards a little to encourage following and create even more distance from the trigger (helpful if your dog reached that “simmering” phase of threshold). With or without adding the extra distance, the high rate of reinforcement comes in as the trigger begins to approach and eventually pass. We mark and reward abundantly in a short period of time to emphasize those tiny moments they’re staying under threshold and not reacting. This golden window of opportunity is where magic happens! As the activity progresses, you’ll be marking and rewarding less often so we can prolong their compliance in those moments. For example, within a 20- second period, we start with marking and rewarding 10 times, and then work to 8, then 5, then 3, then 1.
The leveled- up version of this is where the dog looks at a trigger, and then looks at you immediately after *chef’s kiss*. The best way to achieve this is with a big emphasis on “auto- focus” exercises (found in my “come when called” blog) in combination with exposure- based training. This exercise in particular is unique not only because of its abundance of positive reinforcement, but because your dog doesn’t physically do a whole lot. Another fantastic independence- building way to continue this exercise is increasing distance between you and your dog. This acts like a “test” to see how they genuinely respond, and even allows them to make those challenging choices without being glued to you. Do so by giving those same exercises a try while a foot or two away from your dog & increase as they get better.
Almost always, my #1 tip for passing a trigger is DO NOT STOP! But here, it's the world that is passing by your dog, and movement away is optional.
I’m going to make a big ol’ 180 here and flip it to positive punishment. Here, we are talking about discouraging the act of them looking at a potential trigger. It is typically in our best interest to make sure our dog knows what the right thing to do is before we begin to punish what we don’t want– but this isn’t set in stone. Disagreement with our dog’s behavior is natural, but creating clarity is also a basic requirement for good communication and relationship building. If I’m going to add something like “stim” on the e- collar in order to disagree with fixation, it is usually because we have a solid “heel”, and rubber- necking to look at another dog or person isn't allowed when we heel. If the dog is under threshold, and has a clear job that they’re working on- I will stim for fixation (a tad higher than their basic working level). Adding something like stim on the e- collar with a reactive dog must be handled at the correct timing and levels, so I highly recommend having professional help while working with this concept.
There are two categories I like to put training into: Active and Passive.
Active means we are setting out to train, whereas passive is more real-world and natural.
An active session would look like us grabbing the treat pouch & other tools, then going somewhere to train heel/ recall/ run through their cues. Most times, scenarios are simulated or planned, and we have a desired game- plan.
A passive training session would be more like hanging out at a coffee shop, spending time on place, or even riding in the car (treats and gear are still handy, of course). We can train in that moment, but it is mostly our dog plainly existing and accepting their surroundings in a passive manner.
Things like going for a walk are almost like both. Here, we are acting with intention, but the act itself can be very passive and routine. We’ll have our “in the moment” times like if a trigger approaches, or we do a down/stay while we pick up after potty time.
Having a balance of both of these types of training sessions is important so we get in simulated practice, and real- world practice. The things we rehearse in a training session may not play out the exact same when the actual moment happens. Maybe we practice knocking on the door, associating it with place, and even opening & closing our front door while they hold place— and then real people actually come over and it all seems to go out the window. So what can we do next time?
The goal is to simulate their most challenging moments and break them into easy, digestible training sessions.
Instead of just learning heel and hoping it’ll prevent dog reactivity, I’d do this:
Build up a solid heel with duration/ distance.
Incorporate moderate distractions into heel like walking places with more foot traffic, physical obstacles, or different sniffing opportunities.
Get an “off- leash” simulated heel down to proof that reliability when you're not holding a leash. (I like to opt for a long line dragging behind, or no leash in a safe fenced- in area.
Create drool- worthy engagement:. Recall, chasing games, eye contact activities…
Seek out opportunities to train with other dogs in- sight, starting with less frequent sightings (like your neighborhood) Think of something more broad like the “good choices game” I mentioned before.
Put it all together and seek out opportunities to train around dogs and get more specific with expectations like heeling the whole time. This could be in your neighborhood, or even outside a dog park when it's a little more slow.
Repeat, repeat, repeat!
#6: The other side of the leash:
There are two ends of the leash, and you may already be aware that it's both sides that need work.
To everyone who has said the words ``I know it's ME not THEM”... Well, you’re halfway right.
We must take this responsibility seriously, but also with a grain of salt. You’re not to blame for every “wrong” thing your dog has done. We don’t speak dog, and we aren’t all professionals– and when seeking one out, there's an infinite amount of conflicting advice on training “the right way”.
The human side is complex– we are emotional and insightful. Our mind is our biggest cheerleader, and our biggest enemy.
The concept of “your dog feeding off of your energy” is so deeply and wildly relevant, but not understood enough. In practice, displaying an exemplary mindset for your dog to mirror is easier said than done. Doing your morning meditation and mindful breaths won’t guarantee a reaction- free day, but that mental prep is putting you on the right track. As I briefly mentioned while talking about practice; there is a difference between being prepared for the unknown/ having a game plan, and letting the fear of the unknown take over. We can be prepared for a reaction without approaching every interaction as if we expect it. Relaxing your shoulders, adjusting your grip on the leash so it's not wrapped around your clenched fist, and even calming your breathing can be little ways we show our dog that you got this.
There is this vicious cycle that happens when we let the stress of our dog’s potential performance take over.
The fear of the unknown is suffocating enough in our personal life– now we add the weight of an unpredictable animal into our care? Understandably, the downfall of our mental health is inevitable.
Just like we want to take small steps with our dog, we must do the same for ourselves. Making this a digestible process is so very important. When flooding yourself with so many training tasks on top of your already full plate, we may set ourselves up for failure. Think of all those fad diets, or going crazy hard at the gym the first day of the new year… sure we are motivated and really good at first, but things fall off track for a million reasons.
Here is where your approach to training can very much determine how we take these baby steps.
#7: Connecting with a trainer
Finding a professional to work with after a bite case is a must.
Much like seeking out a new doctor or therapist, finding the right trainer for you may take some looking around. Your learning style, budget, or honestly just the “vibe” you are attracted to are all things to take into consideration. Social media is your BFF, so take a good look at their content across multiple platforms. Some red flags to watch out for are excessively “show- offy” trainers that just have short clips of a dog doing some flashy obedience or tricks with 0 educational content. Watch out for trainers that have mostly content with them just criticizing other trainers or owners. It is best to avoid trainers with hard guarantees like “off- leash guaranteed in two weeks”, or promising to cure your dog’s aggression in a short period of time. Your dog can most definitely still have a bite case even after the most extensive training program.
Avoid your big- box pure positive stores like PeSmart or PetCo, as the experience of the trainer may vary, and legally they may not be able to accept working with an aggressive or anxious case. Can a pure positive trainer work with reactivity? Sure! Just be on the lookout for things like suggesting medication right off the bat, focusing on distracting more than working through the issue, stopping the moment you see stress, or even using tons of affection during reactive moments.
Consultation calls and a more detailed application process can be some green flags that show the trainer wants to get to know you before diving into their services offered. A well- versed trainer will have a balanced approach and you’ll see their passion and knowledge through their content. We love supporting small businesses (if where you are is anything like Orlando, there's TONS of amazing trainers here!), but if a larger facility is more your vibe, that's okay too!
There are two main types of training formats you’ll see:
Private Lessons: This is a more intimate format where it's you, the trainer, and your dog. Private lessons will include the trainer showing you and your dog new materials and you’re all learning it for the first time together. That means there's plenty of real- time troubleshooting and potential back and forth with how exactly to do that new thing. The owner is new to all these little yet important training intricacies– especially timing. Getting your timing down, understanding canine body language on a deeper level, and opening your eyes to the abundant training opportunities around you is like learning to dance. At first, it's clumsy, weird, and there are mistakes made– but soon enough you find your flow and it's beautiful.
When the trainer is away, they’re still your support system, but you are personally managing all those moments in between lessons.
Typically, you’re given 1-3 new concrete tasks or “homework” assignments to work on with your dog, and you can break these things up into weekly goals.. I personally love to provide my clients with written recaps they can reference as needed– and most trainers should have some sort of resource like that (videos, blogs, e books).
Weekly private lessons can make it hard to see a large amount of progress on a day- to- day basis, which is why seeing the big picture is key!
Board & Train: This format is where your dog is dropped off to stay with the trainer long- term, usually around 2 weeks all the way up to 6 or 8 weeks. B&T’s are usually viewed as a “fast- track” of sorts because the trainer is taking care of everything on the dog side, and while they’re away, you prepare for their return! The trainer should have a general go- home guide and/or follow up lessons to ensure you and your household are ready for your re-structured training approach. Every moment the trainer is with your dog, they’re habitually catching those little things that a new owner may not catch. Trainers can fine- tune behaviors with the e-collar, or reward at the very second a good reaction is in its prime. Board & trains can be great because during your go- home session, you are learning with a dog that already has a solid knowledge of the things you need to work on. You are learning the intricacies of walking them in a heel instead of you learning for the first time at the same moment the dog is learning for the first time.
Upkeep is what’s most important! Many people assume their dog will just be a perfect factory- reset version of themselves that requires no additional follow up. Maintaining routine and boundaries as directed is imperative to keeping up with your training goals and your dog’s needs.
The only thing I wouldn’t suggest jumping into right away with a severely reactive dog is group lessons. The environment can be a bit too overwhelming for you both, leaving you and the dog flooded with excess stress. Group lessons can really put on the pressure when you’re new to training and having 1:1 time with the trainer can ensure you focus on what's necessary for you and your dog at the moment. After some sessions or a boarding, you can always ease into a group lesson so long as the trainer sees that as a good fit!
Regardless of your choice between private lessons or board & train, your trainer should be your #1 cheerleader. Through the downs big & small, we’re your support system. If I haven’t stressed it enough, I’ll say it again– training never truly ends! This is where having that cheerleader is essential for your own motivation and reassurance. Reactivity is no easy feat, and although you as the owner are involved either way, your approach to training style can make a huge impact on your experience and outcome.
As of tying this, it's newly 2024. There's an outpouring of motivation in the air, but we’re aware that starting any type of training can feel defeating. You’re doing great, and know that you and your dog are far more capable than you realize. Have faith, take a breath, enjoy the journey, and act with love. You're a damn powerhouse, and you’ll conquer this mountain.
Xoxo,
Hannah, Mind your Canine LLC
**Rate of Reinforcement: How often the dog is being rewarded for something in a given period of time.
**Marker: A word or sound (usually “yes” or the click of a clicker) that signifies the exact moment the dog did something right. The second the correct behavior is done, the marker word/sound is used. (i.e.: ask the dog to sit and as soon as their bottom is on the ground, you mark)
