Article about nothing!

Teaching my dog to do nothing was a game changer when it came to bringing her out and about with me. It meant we could hang out without her reacting to her surroundings but it was more difficult than you’d think!

These dogs share similar instincts as wild dogs and wolves who needed to be on high alert at all times for survival. This inherited instinct can make for a busy animal if the right training is not put in place.

Having said that, your dog can only truly be taught to do nothing if they have a routine that includes breed appropriate exercise and a balanced diet. Some dogs struggle to turn off even after exercise or when their humans arrive back home. Lack of sleep and consistent anxiety can lead to behavioural issues so being able to relax even around stimuli is essential.

My collie is prone to staying alert, her inability to relax makes her cranky and erratic. As a working breed she sometimes doesn’t understand that she is not required to work but her instincts tell her to be ready for anything. We now apply a repetitive routine so she knows what's coming, exercise leads to a chew or food and then it’s time to relax and this is repeated throughout the day. I make sure her arousal levels are appropriate for the activity at the time.

When I say ‘arousal,’ I don’t mean the human kind—I’m talking about arousal levels in dogs. Picture a spectrum, on one end is calm, drowsy and relaxed. The other end of this scale is over arousal which comes across as agitation and overstimulation. Overstimulation is common in dogs due to their senses being so amplified compared to humans. It can display itself as excessive barking or whining, frantic jumping or mouthing, an inability to focus and erratic panting.

Take a step outside, and think about what you can see, hear and smell. On this sunny South Wairarapa day, I can hear cicadas and the sound of rush hour traffic rolling off the hill and into Featherston. My backyard is filled with bees, butterflies and birds flitting around the garden, and the smell of a neighbour's barbeque wafting in my direction. On top of the cars and cicadas, your dogs can hear higher-pitched sounds that are inaudible to us.

They can hear bat signals during their mating season and electronic devices like your fridge freezer. Dogs can hear up to around 60,000 Hz, while humans can typically only hear sounds up to 20,000 Hz. Imagine how overstimulating that must be, and that’s before the siren for the volunteer firefighters goes off.

Dogs also see and hear the world very differently to us. While they lack the colour palette and sharpness of our eyes, their night vision and field of vision allow them to detect movement in low light and perceive a wider area around them. Dogs are great at spotting movement, even when it’s small or far away, which is why they’re often alert at the slightest motion and pay attention to every sound.

Dogs have about 300 million olfactory receptors in their noses compared to 5-6 million in humans. The olfactory bulb which processes scents in the brain is 40 times larger in dogs. They are also able to process different layers of scents; if someone walks down the street, a dog can differentiate between the scent of the person, the dog he’s walking and animals that have been in the area. These abilities are especially useful for spotting prey or detecting potential threats. Although these heightened senses make an efficient hunter, these superpowers make the world around your domesticated dog a very overstimulating place. In turn this makes doing nothing incredibly difficult!

To start teaching your dog to do nothing, begin by sitting on a Wairarapa porch or a deck with your leashed dog. I recommend bringing a book, a refreshing beverage and you will need time.When working on this, your focus should be on patiently waiting for your dog to offer the desired behavior. If your dog reacts to their surroundings, calmly give the "down" cue again. This teaches them that remaining calm is what you want.

It's important that you don’t immediately cue or correct them right after a reaction. Wait for their arousal levels to decrease, and then you can gently re-engage. The more consistently you do this, the less time it will take for your dog to understand, and the faster you'll be able to get them to a calm state.

This training relies on your ability to stay calm and to assess your dog's arousal level. Your dog experiences the world differently to you and I, and for a dog being able to be in the world listening and not reacting is a skill that can be taught. Be patient with your dog, they’re learning in a highly stimulating environment.

Remember, doing nothing is hard enough with our human ears and eyes. Imagine what your dog is seeing, smelling and hearing.

If you need help with training and behavioural issues, don't hesitate to get in touch with Mahu Mutts, we would love to hear about your dog!