Reactivity & Trigger Stacking
Explore key reactivity concepts of triggers, trigger stacking and thresholds with Head of Training & Behavior, Karishma Warr MA. CPDT-KA
What Are ‘Triggers’?
Why do some dogs find walks so overwhelming? We can begin by asking the question: what is a ‘trigger’? A trigger is any stimulus that could potentially make your dog feel stressed, fearful, frustrated or overexcited. This varies from dog to dog, but can be things like...
A dog barking in the distance
Distant sounds
Vehicles passing
Skateboarders
Cyclists
Children
Sirens
Novel/strange objects
Being approached by a stranger
Direct eye contact
Being reached for by a stranger
Passing by a dog on leash
Some dogs are sensitive to all of these, while others are only sensitized to some. Remember - your dogs have a far better sense of smell, and hearing than you so there are a lot of potential triggers you can’t even perceive!
Trigger Stacking & Thresholds
“Trigger stacking” occurs when dogs encounter multiple triggering stimuli in succession, without sufficient time to decompress in between. Think of each trigger as a drop in a dog’s ‘stress bucket. As they walk, the bucket fills - flooding their body with with adrenaline and cortisol and heightening sensitivity and lowering self regulation.
When the stress bucket fills up to the brim and overflows we may see behaviors that are very out of character. Often, for reactive dogs, they look like lunging, barking, and inability to eat or respond to known cues: we call this going over threshold. Dog’s that are over threshold are not being ‘naughts’ or ‘stubborn’, their bodies are flooded with stress hormones and they are unable to perform any other behaviors than the ones they are displaying.
Trigger Stacking & Chronic Stress
Studies of human subjects have shown that it can take roughly 60 minutes for cortisol levels to decrease by half after one stressful event. This means that if your dog is encountering multiple triggers on a walk, their cortisol levels are not being given any time to come back down to normal levels. These excessive circulating stress hormones, over long periods of time, can push dogs closer to their “threshold," creating a ticking time-bomb of stress that could blow at any minute: ‘the straw that breaks the camel's back’ springs to mind here.
These excessive levels of cortisol can take a lot longer to come back down, meaning that you may even see ‘overreactions’ for a day or two after a series of trigger stacking. Because of the frequency of triggers in the urban environment, and the popularity of ‘walks’ as a primary form of exercise, we see many dogs slipping into chronic stress states. This following video by Donna Hill overviews the concept of trigger stacking and chronic stress nicely.
Physiological Signs Of "Trigger Stacking"
You may see mild to extreme behavior relating to trigger stacking in your dog. Some dogs have sensitivities to specific triggers - which immediately filling their bucket upon sight. While others find multiple triggers mildly stressful - and their bucket slowly fills over the course of a walk.
Severe Stress Signs:
Lack of appetite
Unresponsive to cues
Hypervigilance
Sound sensitivity
Excessive startle
Jumping and climbing up the handlers legs
Extreme or frantic leash pulling
Whining and barking
Reactivity
Aggression
Mild Stress Signs:
Panting
Stress ‘smile’
Wide eyes
Facial tension
Stiff tongue
Excessive scavenging
Leash biting
Difficulty focussing
Hyperarousal or over-excitedness
Leash pulling
So How Do We Help Our Dogs?
Teaching dog’s who are sensitive to environmental stimuli coping mechanisms is key to seeing unwanted behaviors around triggers reduce. This could involve educating their guardians in any of the following areas:
Engagement & attention games
Flight training
Pattern games
Play therapy
Sound and visual trigger counterconditioning
Relaxation training
Canine body langauge
CCA’s signature 8-week Feisty Fido online coaching program empowers YOU with the skills to change your dog’s behavior
