Stress in Dogs: Displacement Behaviors and Solutions
Your dog spots the neighbor's cat on the other side of the fence, rushes to the bars, crossing himself, fully aware that it won't work. Frustrated barking echoes and then falls silent. The yak is now digging intensely against the edge of the fence. The next day, the same thing happens, but instead of digging, he starts scratching.
Days pass and the situation repeats itself. Over time, the yak starts chasing his tail, in other contexts, without the cat even noticing. What is happening? Three different things happen and exemplify three concepts in ethology. Let's sort out the mess.
Understanding your dog's purposeful behaviors
Let's start with the digging. The young man in the example manages to keep his head on straight. The stress has not completely taken over yet. The motivation to chase the cat is strong and dogs are problem solvers. Digging out feels like a good idea. When it fails, however, frustration grows. Stress will accumulate over time if the dog continues to be exposed to the situation. Getting used to it is not next as instinct is strong and the cat that triggers shows up sporadically and also runs. Dogs are predators and some are naturally highly motivated to hunt.
What are deliberate acts in dogs?
Once the dog realizes that digging out is not possible, stress increases. The frenetic scratching is an act of survival. The dog is in a conflict situation between conflicting stimuli, the motivation to chase the cat and the fence that prevents it. The will cannot be fulfilled and instead the energy takes a seemingly illogical direction and results in a completely different behavior. We humans can start straightening our clothes in a conflict situation for the same reason. A deliberate action is always triggered by an external stimulus, but has no goal. Deliberate actions can also appear more logical, like redirected behaviors. Suppose a reactive dog wants to pounce on another dog, but is prevented by the leash and instead stabs its master in the leg. We humans may pound our fists on the table when we argue with someone we are angry with but do not want to hit. An impeded outlet leads to the thought act being redirected towards something else. Some deliberate actions have been saved by evolution because they were a smart strategy. An illogical action has been given a survival value. Usually, these are behaviors that have managed to avert conflicts, fights and thus the risk of injury or death. Sniffing the ground during a tense encounter is an action that was probably an act of aggression from the beginning, but is now seen as a calming signal, as the effect is that the other dog comes to its senses and also sniffs the ground. There is a communication in that which has been beneficial. However, not all deliberate actions can make that journey as it has no beneficial effect, like scratching.
The explanation behind dogs' acts of exuberance
What about the tail chasing? The dog in the introduction ended up chasing its tail in other contexts, without the cat being present. At first glance, you might think that these phenomena have nothing to do with each other. But they absolutely can be. Because this is an act of abundance. Acts of excess are expressed when an inner motivation is extremely strong without an adequate outlet. The behavioral need is redirected towards another stimulus (other than the cat), the tail. The dog is given an outlet for hunting behavior but the goal is certainly not natural or healthy. There is a frustration even behind acts of exuberance. Another example is a male dog humping the sofa cushions when the neighbor's bitch is in heat. An act of exuberance is not triggered by a direct external stimulus but is performed when an internal need boils over.
Effective strategies to address stress behaviors
Deflecting acts of aggression or excess may work for the moment but is not a long-term solution. If you are unlucky, a chain of behavior is practiced: chase tail - master brings chews/jump in eights in the yard - master fetches the leash. Training a counterproductive behavior, such as the dog jumping up on a rock or performing a trick when the dog meeting that triggers is approaching, is also just a way to train a desirable outcome that prevents the outcome. However, the situation is not resolved in depth. You can silence for the moment in this way in emergency situations, but you should know that it is the only thing you do. Ignoring acts of exuberance/overthinking will not help either, as these acts are often self-reinforcing. The dog feels less bad for performing them and therefore the yipping will continue despite you standing with your back turned and pretending it's raining. Whether you care or not does not affect the dog's motivation to perform the action. The same goes for different ways of interrupting the spinning, tail chasing or scratching with a loud noise, a jet of water or stomping on the ground. The dog may be interrupted for the moment, but that is also the only thing that happens. Even if you guide the dog into a desirable behavior afterwards, the cause of the stress has not changed.
Long-term solutions to reduce stress
The long-term solution lies in meeting the dog's pent-up needs or adjusting the environment so the dog is not triggered. If fear, insecurity or anger is the reason behind the attacks, the emotions need to be addressed and behavioral therapy needs to be implemented to help the dog feel differently. You need to be proactive and keep an eye on your dog's stress bucket so that it is not filled to the top, ready to spill over. The dog also needs to be trained in good stress management techniques. If a dog exhibits acts of exuberance/overthinking frequently, it indicates prolonged and high stress. This can develop into compulsive behavior and eventually stereotypies. A stereotype is when the dog performs these acts repetitively, almost ritualistically, for a large part of its waking hours and without a noticeable trigger. It is a very serious condition. Mental illness has become a mental disorder. Therefore, we should take acts of aggression seriously and always help a dog with the underlying causes that cause it to boil over.
What causes idling in dogs?
Idle acts are similar and can also result in compulsive acts. An idle act is an instinctive and natural behavior that the dog performs out of the blue, without being triggered. An example is dogs that bed in the air in the absence of bedding in the crate, or dogs that bury their chewing bone and put their nose over the hiding place as if they were pouring over dirt, even though there is none. Another example is dogs wandering in packs of eight in the yard when there is no exercise. Wandering is a behavioral need in dogs and if it is not met, idle actions can take over. Outside the fence is the freedom that is unattainable, tempting but unattainable. The desire to move turns into sad eights. This too can develop into stereotypies that indicate severe mental illness. These deviant behaviors come from the need to behave naturally. Therefore, enrichment is an important part of dog management.
Written by: Caroline Alupo
Caroline Alupo is Petli's co-founder. She has a master's degree in ethology and is also a trained dog trainer and dog psychologist. She has 19 years of experience as a professional dog trainer. Read more about Caroline here.
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