Understanding Trigger Stacking: A Key to Calming Down Your Reactive Dog

Is your dog seeming more reactive towards the end of your walks?

Is your dog suddenly humping you in the evenings?

Does it feel like your dog randomly becomes a toothed tornado?

Then they may be displaying the effects of trigger stacking.

Trigger stacking occurs when multiple stressors or triggers build up, overwhelming your dog and leading to behaviour we don't tend to like.

If you've ever heard the phrase "the straw that broke the camel's back", then you already know a bit about this phenomenon. You've also probably experienced it yourself!

If you've ever cried or shouted out because you've spilt your coffee, or you dropped a mug and it smashed all over the floor, you're unlikely to be upset just because of that one thing. You're much more likely to be lashing out because lots of little things have happened over the course of the day, and you're feeling like you're at the end of your tether.

It's easiest to think of your dog's brain as having a bucket inside their brain. Anything that causes an emotion acts like water, and fills up this bucket. If it's a big emotion, it will fill the bucket more: a smaller emotion will fill it less.

For example, it's a windy day outside, so your dog is struggling to pick up where smells are coming from. This might fill the bucket a little.

But then they see their arch nemesis, the dog that lives three doors down, and they start barking and lunging at each other. That will fill up the bucket a lot (possibly all the way).

These experiences are additive, so lots of little things can add up to fill the bucket, just as one big thing might.

If the bucket is big enough to hold all of these feelings, then your dog will appear pretty cool, calm and collected.

The issues start when the bucket becomes full, or even overflows. This is when your dog is at their emotional threshold, and you're likely to see some undesirable behaviours.

When a dog reaches this point, they can exhibit a range of behaviours, including:

• Barking and lunging: Your dog may be seeing more things as potential threats when their bucket is full, so this is them trying to scare them away. They may also be more prone to frustration when they feel like this, and bark because they want to get closer to something but can't (i.e. they're on their lead).

  
  

• Nipping: Many dogs, especially adolescents, may start to jump up and nip when they're having Big Feelings. This isn't them trying to cause harm, but simply trying to burn off some of that adrenaline that's coursing through their bodies.

  
  

• Biting: An escalation of barking and lunging, this can be a defensive response or a sign of frustration. If your dog is biting, this is a serious concern and we would recommend you book a free guidance call as soon as possible to get help.

  
  

• Humping: This behaviour can be a displacement behaviour, often triggered by stress or anxiety. It's very commonly seen as a result of trigger stacking.

  
  

• Shutting down: Your dog may withdraw and become unresponsive.

What Causes Trigger Stacking?

Several factors can contribute to trigger stacking, including:

• Environmental Stressors: Loud noises, unfamiliar places, or crowded environments can trigger anxiety. Consider all of their senses - what they've seen, heard, smelt, tasted or felt.

  
  

• Physical Discomfort: Pain, illness, and inflammation fill up a dog's bucket, leaving less space for other things (a.k.a the dog is less tolerant).

  
  

• Poor Diet: A poor diet can negatively impact a dog's mood and behaviour, effectively making their bucket smaller. Making sure your dog's diet is complete and supporting a regulated blood glucose level through the day is a great starting point.

  
  

• Lack of Sleep: Sleep is pivotal to helping dogs regulate and process their emotions. If your dog isn't getting enough sleep (which should be at least 50% of their time), they're going to become trigger-stacked more easily.

  
  

How to Help Your Reactive Dog Calm Down

When it comes to calming down the trigger-stacked reactive dog, we need to minimise what's flowing into their bucket, as well as supporting things flowing out of the bucket.

First, think about what may be adding to their bucket. Reduce your dog's exposure to these things for a few days, so they can better regulate themselves in the short-term.

Longer-term, consider how you can adjust your behaviours to stop their bucket overflowing again. This may be through reducing how often or how long you walk for, changing how you play with them, or changing how much you do with them in a week.

Then consider how you can help your dog's bucket to empty. This is different for each dog, but you can download our free worksheet to understand how to best help your dog with this.

By understanding the concept of trigger stacking and implementing these strategies, you can help your reactive dog manage stress and anxiety, leading to a calmer and more balanced life - for both of you.