What Movement Means and Why It Matters

When it comes to dog training, people really want simple black and white answers. This is especially true online when shades of meaning are less apparent and follow-up instruction is hard to come by. The end result of this is that ideas that should be guidelines are often repeated as hard and fast rules. It is not uncommon on an online forum to see two trainers with vast wealths of experience directly contradict each other. This leaves the reader not only confused but often in a worse state than they started. Now instead of having no clue, they have two “sure-fire” approaches that are completely incompatible.

Let’s start with the obvious … there’s no such thing as "sure-fire." No matter how much hay a trainer or training guru makes about this method or that method, it’s just not true. People who are selling things understand “easy" sells, complicated doesn’t.

Reading some dog trainers reminds me of the old ads for labor saving devices “Contains only 3 moving parts” the implication that the less complex the machine, the more reliable it is. This may be true for mechanical devices, but it’s not true when it comes to behavior. Behavior is driven by complex factors.

Think about this. If behavior were as simple as most internet dog training gurus promised, why wouldn’t every body have a well-trained dog? Why wouldn’t crime be a problem of the past? The answer is because individuals are always unique. To respond appropriately we have to take the individual into account. What worked like gangbusters on a dog this morning might be met with a big yawn by the dog in the afternoon. No biggie, I read the dog and make appropriate adjustments. The dog decides what training approach works best.

I find that most people will have more success if they understand the principles behind the advice instead of simple rote tactics. It is in that spirit, I wish to address the concept of how to use movement and when to revert to stillness.

When dealing with leash reactive dogs, I will often be asked “What should I do when I see a strange dog approaching? Should I make him sit, turn around, or keep walking?”

The answer is always “It depends.”

I truly believe this is the most knowledgable answer that anyone can give to that question. Anyone who truly understands movement as a principle of training will understand that there are a number of considerations that need to be taken into account. Even if we know the dog well, his reaction to movement in any given situation will vary on a number of factors. This is true of all training principles.

Robin MacFarlane has given us the wonderful expression “Movement dissipates stress” and for the most part I agree with her on this. It is a great foundational principle. For a dog who is subdued due to stress or fear, movement is a great way to help get them out of that state. But for a dog who is jacked up with anticipatory excitement, or engaged in conflict (real or pretend) movement will often make the problem worse.

In socialization classes we use movement as THE primary tool to keep dogs in the right frame of mind, but the most reactive dogs usually end up standing in the center of the room watching instead of moving with the others. Their stationary position enables them to settle down when movement only triggers more reactivity.

Those choices are not contradictory. They both work and they are both based on the same principle.

*Consider movement as a “mood elevator.” Movement increases the dog’s sense of excitement.*

The faster the movement, the more increases the dog’s arousal. So when a dog is constantly on the verge of losing control, less movement or stillness will often allow him to calm himself. Whereas movement will create a competing force. He may be trying to calm himself, but the act of moving is working to increase arousal. This is especially true if he’s moving towards the object of excitement or anxiety.

But with a timid and fearful dog, a dog who is displaying signs of uncertainty or any form of suppressive stress, that same movement effect will make success easier for the dog by increasing his level of excitement.

In both cases, the dog’s mood is elevated by his movement. In the first case, it is elevated to an unstable level and so movement needs to be reduced. In second example, the movement elevates the dog’s mood to a more even keel allowing the dog to explore his situation with more confidence.

This principle is nearly universal and a wise trainer can use it to adjust the dog’s arousal level as needed for the situation. We can increase or decrease the dog’s excitement through the appropriate use of movement. This is why the place command is so popular, it reduces the dog’s excitement through stillness.

There is however, one common mistake people make with fearful or uncertain dogs; they add a “fixed position” such as a sit, a down or a heel. Of these, the heel is generally the least problematic the three, but I find that most dogs do better without having to maintain a specific position. The problem with fixing positions is that often the dog will feel trapped and thereby increase anxiety. This can counteract or even overwhelm whatever calming effect the stillness might have. Moreover, if the handler is using a compulsion method the threat of punishment might accelerate the cycle of stress. So in such cases, I generally recommend stillness without a positional command.

But as in all things, these things are very fluid and the decision to incorporate movement or stillness as well as the amount and direction of movement may change as the dog’s emotional state changes.

So movement generally increases the excitatory cycle, while stillness generally reduces it. But other factors such as fixed positions or past history can affect the overall effect of movement. We cannot simply assume one response and hope for the best. We must start with the general principle and adjust based on the dog’s response … This is what good training is all about.

Understand, apply, observe and adjust. Repeat until good dog = true