How to Use Systematic Desensitization on a Dog

Systematic desensitization is a behavioral therapy technique used for individuals suffering from anxiety that is provoked when the individual is exposed to a certain stimulus. This behavioral therapy is often used by psychologists in the treatment of phobias.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Start out in a relaxed atmosphere with your dog calm and relaxed. Your dog should be well-practiced at basic obedience commands. The best place to practice this is not going to be your home because the dog can become territorial so try a friend's home or a park, anywhere the dog is comfortable but does not have many distractions.

2. Leash your dog, with the collar tight-fitting but not choking. Be ready to hold on tight to your dog because there may be escape behaviors displayed but there also may be fear aggression. If it is severe, do not try this without a professional behavioral therapist.

3. Keep your dog focused on you. To do this take a treat and hold it close to your chest and say "focus." This will center the dog's attention to you. Gradually bring the stimulus that elicits the fear response into the area, without bringing the stimulus close to the dog; this will only increase the fear and elicit a fight or flight response.

4. Choose the threshold and keep the stimulus no closer than the threshold. Then use basic obedience commands to focus the dog's attention. Grant treats only when the dog is not shaking, tensed, or trying to escape. End that session by removing the fear-eliciting stimulus and now take the dog for a walk or a car ride to remove the tension further. Be sure to remove the stimulus only when the dog is not eliciting a fear response.

5. Try the above scenario again the next day, but this time bring the fear eliciting stimulus a few feet closer. Understandably the first time the stimulus may have been 50 feet away or more; that is fine. This takes time so, simply bring the fear eliciting stimulus a few feet closer.

6. Each day, gradually bring the fear-eliciting stimulus even closer, but don't rush this. Systematic desensitization takes time, if the dog is rushed it will only worsen.

7. Now after several trials of this your dog should be able to at least walk by the stimulus without eliciting the fear response. Try the desensitization in a different scenario, or generalize, so that the dog can begin to see that in many different places the fearful stimulus may exist and it will not hurt the dog.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not to expose the dog to any fear eliciting stimuli except during the desensitization.
• If your dog is not improving please don't push it. Call a professional behavioral therapist.

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