Pressure Without Clarity Creates Anxiety
Most anxious dogs aren’t simply weak-minded or overly sensitive. Many are living under pressure without understanding how to find success. Ever been a house guest at like family member’s house or a family friend’s house and aren’t quite sure what you should be doing? The owner hasn’t told you or hasn’t welcomed you fully to make you feel me casa tu casa. It’s the same feeling your dog has only amplified to everything you do.
That’s where it’s up to the owner to lead the way and show what success is.
What Pressure Actually Is
First of all, pressure is not a bad thing. Pressure builds diamonds after all. But unclear pressure creates fear and anxiety. Anything left without clarity eventually becomes overwhelmed. We as people can feel overwhelmed when clarity and information are missing. We can rationalize, process and deduce these feelings. Dogs are operating in survival mode.
Dogs are descendants from wolves, naturally they want to hunt, kill, and eat. Then morph their primal instincts into a member of your household. In a way you’re asking your dog to go against who they really are. Talk about pressure.
Pressure comes in many forms, and we purposely put our dog’s through it. Of course, some are better equipped to handle it better than others.
There’s:
Leash Pressure - Using the leash to apply tension to the collar to teach the dog how to get out of the applied pressure. Once the dog understands how to work with pressure instead of fighting it, life becomes much easier.
Spatial - We can use our space, our presence as pressure in order to correct the dog. Not only using our space but any space that can force the dog into a said behavior. For example a wall, corner or any tight space etc.
Verbal - Verbal is pretty straightforward. The verbal discipline command word ‘No’. Or ‘eh eh’ any vocal deterrent from preventing a said behavior. This is usually followed by a tactical correction. Once the dog knows there’s a physical correction coming the verbal will be suitable on it’s own.
Environmental - This is by far one of the biggest. Here is where you’re taking your dog out into public settings. You’re volunteering putting pressure on the dog usually in an uncontrolled area. Uncontrolled meaning, number of people, other dogs, vehicles, bikes etc. with the expectation your dog will remain neutral and unbothered by their surroundings.
Clarity Matters
Dogs best understand in black and white. Zero and ones. No fractions, no in between. The in between is where confusion creeps in. If you have one person saying one thing and another tell the dog something else, your dog will be torn apart worse than James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause.
That gray area is what holds dogs back from excelling. And it’s what cause frustration to dog owners everywhere. I’m guilty of this. Sometimes we let our dogs do something or allow them to do something without command. My girlfriend lets my dog do stuff when I’m not looking and I can tell later when certain behaviors pop up. The goal is to be a consistent as possible. This actually brings peace to the dog’s mind. That there is a standard default. When they know this, they know their place, their role.
There are modalities you can use to create such clarity. Timing, consistency, direction, fair communication. Without clarity confusion and stress rises and confidence drops.
Mistakes Owners Make
Dog owners may be at the root cause of their dog’s anxiety without knowing it. Not that they mean to but they simply don’t know.
correcting too early
emotional corrections
inconsistency
too much freedom too early
lack of follow through
unclear expectations
The worst thing any owner can do is assume. Assume they know everything. Think about it, nothing ever good happens when you assume. Not saying you need to get a trainer or sign up for any program. But assuming you’re doing everything correctly. Even professionals make mistakes. If you hear one say they don’t, run. It takes responsibility and accountability to admit your mistakes. Ones you know yours, growth can take place. Your dog’s obedience will improve.
Confidence Comes From Understanding
Confidence is built when the dog understands how to succeed. Through accumulated, repetitive, successful actions. When expectations are clear, communication is fair, and consistency exists, anxiety slowly gives way to understanding. Dogs thrive when they know what’s expected of them. Structure brings clarity, and clarity brings peace.
Most anxious dogs are not broken. They’re simply overwhelmed, confused, or lacking direction. As owners, it’s our responsibility to guide them through that pressure rather than leave them alone to figure it out themselves.
Pressure itself is not the problem.
Pressure without clarity is.
