Canine consent and using nose targeting to help them say YES!
Look at his happy open face! He’s engaged with you, and looking right at you, with a loose happy mouth (smiling)
In simple terms, canine consent is an agreement between you and your dog.
Under that agreement, the dog needs to clearly understand that there is a choice provided to them, understand what that choice is, and be able or ‘allowed’ to communicate their choice to us. This also means your dog is able to give a sign of ‘permission’ (showing they’re ok with the event or situation) before allowing something to happen to them.
And no this doesn’t mean you just let a dog do what it wants when it wants- canine consent is the relationship between you and your dog, so they will trust you when they do need to do something new or stressful that you’ll be there for them if they’re worried about it.
One easy way to try and find out what your dog’s ‘consent language’ is, especially when they are new in your home, but you can continue to do things like this for the rest of the dog’s life, or as they move from puppy to adult to senior, is this- hold out your hand and if your dog approaches it, it's a good sign she wants to be petted. If she ignores you or moves away, she does not. Now you you have a baseline response showing your dog's consent or not and can respond accordingly. And if she comes over with soft and happy body language, let some fuss begin! But if she stiffens or moves away again, you need to stop too!
And how should you respond?
By NOT insisting the dog allows some fuss, following her into her bed or safe space, or taking the toy/engaging with the toy she’s playing with happily by herself, and resecting her wishes; made clear by her body language. And definitely don’t fuss them when they’re asleep! You could startle them and they can’t tell you they want attention when they’re sleeping.
This goes for visitors too! They should never pursue your dog for fuss, attention or affection if the dog doesn’t go over to them first. And if your visitors refuse to listen to you, you are well within your rights to ask them to leave your home. By refusing to hear your advice and guidelines for approaching your dog, they have legally shown themselves not to be a ‘fit and proper’ person under Animal Welfare Laws to be anywhere near your dog! And if that dog bites the visitor after they’ve ignored you, the dog will be in a LOT of trouble under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991. Even if it’s not the dog’s fault that they bit the idiot who wouldn’t leave them alone and scared them to death…so to protect your dog, you will need to show or prove your visitor ignored your instructions on how to engage (or not) with your dog, and caused the risky situation with their behaviour. (The same applies to children, resident or visiting, dog sitters and walkers, and people who run home boarding or doggy daycares.) You are your dog’s advocate, (their voice) to ensure all the people around them are safe for the dog, and knowledgeable in how to approach your dog. Yes, it is this serious!
If they feel more secure on a slip lead or collar and lead, put them on first. If not maybe it’s best they meet a visitor on a walk (if good with walks and not nervous or overexcited) or from behind a stairgate first where they can retreat to a bed/safe space, and not feel cornered by a strange human looming over them.
You and your visitor(s) can also use soft and gentle cue words in a simple sentence so she links word sounds with your actions, for example: ‘you want cuddles?’ Or ‘you want some love?’ Make them questions, not commands.
Use the same words with her till she knows them, and make sure ALL the family and your visitor(s) know what the cue words are, so as not to confuse the dog. Most dogs are capable of understanding 150-450 words even when said in different tones, but give them a fair chance by using words they know in this situation. So choose your cue words well- make them count and do not only use cue words in loud high pitched tones, as they will create (over) excitement even if you’re using them in normal conversation (e.g. ‘walk’, ‘park’ and the like) and they may get so stressed that they do not want to comply with the cue. This is called ‘poisoning a cue’ and should be avoided at all costs. A lot of ‘trainers’ who claim to use positive reinforcement (see our blog ) poison cues for dogs but make it worse by allying the cue with some form of punishment as well if the dog gets it wrong. Avoid such trainers at all costs too!
from Dogs Disclosed Canine Knowledge Sharing Service on Facebook
When should you try and ask for consent with dogs?
Learning to wear a collar, lead and/or harness
Learning where their safe space is and not bugging them when they’re in it
A good food routine- dinner time/treats. Never take their food away unless they’re eating something that could harm them and always try to divert with something more exciting/that smells better.
grooming- brushing, bathing, removing tangles and nail trims
going to the vets- giving medications and injections; medical procedures and exams; or physical therapy/massage done by the vet or you
And
let’s not forget as we have said in other blogs- walks; human centred locations like ‘dog shops’, doggy daycare, dog friendly cafes and the like
visitors to the home, or people they meet when out and about
new dogs or other animals
And if your dog repeatedly ‘says’ no, then address what might be concerning them, such as a noisy/stressful environment when they have no training or instructions, or ‘jobs’ they should do in such situations. It could even be pain restricting their ability to get into position (e.g. sitting) or do that thing (get in the car, stand on a vet table). But most importantly, and most of common of all, it may be that they do not understand what you are asking.
So training needs to be consistent and clear in all sorts of situations, so the dog has a chance of keeping the water in their stress buckets (see our stress blog) low and has a clear set of steps to help them understand what they need to do in a given situation. Or to reinforce/check they are OK with things they already do. For example: you may chose to train the dog to sit while putting on their harness. It is important that your dog always has the option to walk away from these interactions if they need a break.
‘Nose targeting’ (or leading a dog with smell, either with a treat or ensure they are familiar with the smell of their harness, or to the place where you keep grooming supplies, or bathe the dog and they touch it with their nose to show their interest) is a good idea and starts by leaving the harness or brushes or bath towel by them so they get used to the smell of them and are allowed to touch them with a nose or paw (supervised of course in case they chew them).
And a sign of consent language could be your dog showing you a cue, such as going to where their harness is and touching the drawer or stand where they are with their noses, sitting down or being vocal, or requesting a brush by tapping the grooming box or going to the area where you groom your dogs, and sniffing happily around in that place.
So how do I ‘nose train’ a dog?
Dogs want to sniff everything, as they experience most of their world through smell, and your hand is no exception. So, start training touch using your flat hand. (You can expand the behaviour to objects once your dog has the basic idea.) By using something a dog is really good at, you can help them to make sense of their world as well as show you when they want to do something.
Using a clicker or cue word like ‘Yes’ or ‘Good’, ‘Nose’, ‘Boop’; their name but as a question (raise the pitch of your tone at the end of their name, for example: Toby? or Emma?) or even ‘Yay!’ in a soft happy tone, can be extremely helpful to communicate to your dog exactly what they’re doing right. Note some dogs can ignore or be scared of clickers, so cues and a special nose training tone are often better things to use.
The following steps will teach your dog to nose target:
Hold your flat hand, palm out, an inch or two away from your dog. And ask any visitor you have or new person you meet to do the same! This can be a good distraction behaviour for dogs that tend to jump up to say hi as well. (If your dog starts to do this well then their behaviour changes and they sniff intently at your hands and won’t stop, if you’ve not just eaten or held a treat in your hand and not washed them, they may be detecting a hormone change in you, your stress levels- as we talk about in the sleep blog- or even an illness!)
When your dog sniffs your hand, click or use a positive cue word at the exact moment their nose makes contact.
Then praise your dog or offer them a treat directly in front of your open palm. This placement of the reward will emphasise to your dog the movement or ‘job’ they are being rewarded for.
Repeat the above steps until your dog is enthusiastically bumping your palm with their nose.
Add objects (toys, collar, lead, harness, bed/safe space etc)
Train in different locations keeping distractions (other people/dogs/birds/squirrels/strong smells/noise such as passing traffic) to a minimum.
And never rely on ONLY food for obedience, the hunger hormone can interfere with their stress levels and divert them from their ‘job’ they’re trying to do. You can add recall training to this by combining nose touching your palm briefly when they come back to you. Some breeds are dog have been bred to ‘follow their noses’- in such dogs, ensure they are not getting obsessed by smell (constantly returning to the area or item and expecting a reward, pawing you all the time for nose training, or other similar over-repetitive behaviours). Dogs who are likely to get nose obsessed (in fact any dog) could learn to tap a bell, a buzzer board that says a word or words like ‘Yes’ or ‘Out’ or ‘Good’ (yes, they exist!) or toy that makes a sound to show they want something from you instead.
When your dog has a reliable nose target (your palm) from a few inches away, you can add a verbal cue like “Touch” to show them you want to try nose training. Say the cue right before you present your hand, then click/use a quick touch/fuss, praise, and reward when your dog touches your palm.
Now you can add distance. Start by moving your hand a few inches farther away. Build up to several feet. Try moving your hand higher or lower, closer to your body or farther away, and so on.
You can also combine ‘jobs’ like sitting or lying down to nose training, but don’t do it till they have got the hang of the nose trainingFinally, add distractions. Start with small diversions like another family member being in the room, or they can join in the nose training once they do it pretty much every time (but do not all call her at the same time!) try the same ‘game’ in the garden’; and build up to larger distractions like the dog park. This can help to distract them if they meet a reactive or over friendly dog (or human!) as you gently remove them from the stressful situation.
Nose training can also be added to other jobs and expressions of consent, but only once they ‘get’ the nose touching exercise
Going to sit on a mat or small platform
offering a chin rest
lying down on their side
offering a paw
What is the stress factor in dogs?
If the dog doesn’t want to nose train at the time, or keeps not wanting to engage with you at all, it could be a sign they are stressed or have done too much training that day and need a break. Or you’re trying to combine too many tasks, or trying to teach them too quickly. Keep it simple is the key, and reinforce daily, even with dogs that have been in your home for years. If they don’t nose touch, or turn away, or go back to their beds, they are telling you ’no’ or ‘not right now’.
Always try and listen to them when they say ‘no’, for a healthy, flexible relationship with your dog. Factor in (take into account) what stress they may be under whenever you engage with your dog. If you don’t, chronic stress (stress left ignored or not reduced over time) damages the hippocampus which leads to a dog being unable to put fear into context or know their humans will help them when they are scared; fear can become generalised so they react with nerves or anxious behaviours (shaking, barking, hiding, toileting in the house when they usually go outside well) to everything you do with them.
Let them say ‘no’! They are not being ‘naughty’- they are telling you they are scared and need support and understanding from their humans!
Just like in humans, stress impacts not just behaviour, but the whole animal, especially the immune system and the brain. It damages the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus, impairing learning and memory, and makes the amygdala more reactive, increasing responses of fear or anxiety. During development from puppy, it can literally change how the brain is ‘wired’. And it can start in a puppy even before they are born, if their mum went through stressful times while pregnant. Left unaddressed, you may see digestive issues and even heart problems, so it’s vital you learn your dog so you can resolve stress behaviours when they are smaller and easier to manage, divert, desensitise and countercondition your dog while they can look past being ‘scared’ and see the reassuring routine you are providing instead.
So the ‘stress factor’ is tied very closely to the stress bucket idea we talk about elsewhere in the blogs. And when asking them to do something, or trying to train them, never do it when they have recently shown stress behaviours like not wanting to touch noses, or turning away/walking away from fuss, attention or play. Use and supervise their need to be away from it all by directing them to their beds or safe space and reward them for going there to process.
Having these comforting routines and them knowing that if they can’t cope, their humans will take this into account, and delay the training/walk/visitors (for an hour, day or longer) as well as remove them from stressful situations, or remove the stressful thing, then your dog will trust you more, and love you without fear. As time goes on, and you learn each other better, their ‘consent language’ and ‘non consent language’ usually becomes more and more clear and can only help to have and maintain the best relationship with your dog and the world around you and them.
FURTHER READING
On canine consent and why it is important https://aggressivedog.com/2023/02/22/what-is-consent-based-handling/
On ‘poisoned’ cues https://www.dogpartners.ca/the_poisoned_cue#:~:text=A%20poisoned%20cue%20occurs%20when,poisoned%20cue%20quickly%20becomes%20unreliable
On ‘nose targeting’ https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice/training/tips-tricks/target-training
For more on stress and how dogs show it, please (re)read the following blogs: Stress- canine transfer shock model and mono bonding body language model https://lorasluck.org/blogs/f/stress-you-and-your-dog
And Stress- Body language in more depth including the hill of reaction model, walks and the weather https://lorasluck.org/blogs/f/what-is-my-dog-trying-to-tell-me
Podcast by Dr. Kristina Spaulding on The Stress Factor in Dogs https://petharmonytraining.com/episode42/ On how many words dogs can learn https://vcahospitals.com/shop/articles/how-many-words-do-dogs-know#:~:text=Studies%20show%20that%20the%20average,non%2Dcareer%2Ddriven%20counterparts