Hey Pup Parents,

It’s been a little bit since I last connected with you all here. Time flies faster than a dog chasing a squirrel when you’re enjoying life, doesn’t it? Life is good, and I’ve been soaking up the warmer weather with my dogs, reveling in the extra outside time the late sunsets provide us. Fernando had his first dip into the water, and I think with a few more splashes over the summer, he’s bound to become quite the swimmer. Unfortunately, he also faced a health hiccup—a large, baseball-sized abscess formed on the side of his jaw, likely a relic of an old dog bite that wasn’t properly cared for. There’s a noticeable scar that marks the old wound, but thankfully, a round of antibiotics seems to have cleared up the problem. Meanwhile, Chester remains his happy usual self, keeping spirits light around here.

Continuing on the theme of unexpected twists, this past month presented a learning opportunity with Fernando that’s as insightful as it is challenging—a behavior resurgence. Behavior resurgence is the reemergence of a previously extinguished behavior, in Fernando’s case, hesitancy when passing through doorways to come back inside. This sudden step back was a bit frustrating for both of us, but with patience and a carefully crafted training plan, we managed to work through it. I’m happy to report that we’re now back on the other side of this issue, leaving it firmly in the past where it belongs.

Behavior resurgence is an intriguing phenomenon that can occur with behaviors previously reduced through extinction - a method that involves removing the reinforcement of a previously reinforced behavior or allowing a previously conditioned association to diminish. To illustrate, consider a common scenario: your dog has learned that jumping up garners valuable human interaction. Deciding to change this, you might stop acknowledging your dog when they jump up, effectively using extinction to eliminate the behavior. Initially, this seems successful—the jumping stops. However, a few months later, perhaps when you come home filled with excitement, your dog might revert to jumping up as enthusiastically as before. This is a prime example of behavior resurgence, a potential side effect of using extinction.

Behavior resurgence isn’t limited to operant conditioning; it can also occur with classical conditioning, where behaviors are linked through associations. Take Fernando’s initial nervousness about entering a home, for example. Given his past, it’s likely he spent most of his life outdoors, leading to an association where crossing the threshold into a house was perceived as frightening—a conditioned response. Because leaving Fernando in the backyard to sleep was not an option, I circumvented his fear by carrying him inside. Over time, this approach led to what is known as classical extinction: Fernando gradually learned that the interior of the house wasn’t a threat, diminishing his fear as the association with the threshold being scary weakened and eventually disappeared. He happily began coming inside on his own.

Everything seemed resolved for about eight weeks, with Fernando confidently entering and exiting through the back door without hesitation. However, just when it appeared we had fully overcome the hurdle, we encountered a resurgence of his previous behavior. Suddenly, Fernando became hesitant and avoidant of coming near the back door once again. The return of this behavior reminded me that when relying on extinction to eliminate a behavior, it’s not uncommon to see such resurgences.

Typically, when addressing behaviors through classical conditioning, we aim to prevent the dog from becoming overly stressed (going over threshold) and use food or play to shift their emotional response to the stimulus. However, in Fernando’s situation, this approach was impractical as it would have required leaving him in the backyard for an extended period while I worked on altering his emotional response to living indoors in a house. Consequently, I opted for an alternative method by carrying him into the house, which facilitated the process of extinction, helping to gradually reduce his fear associated with the previous negative experiences of entering indoors.

The thing about behavior resurgence is that it’s a normal and expected occurrence in this case. To address it, I chose not to manage the behavior with leashes, although it was certainly an option. Typically, I could have taken him out on a leash each time we went to the yard to ensure he came back indoors and reinforced the behavior. However, knowing myself and the lifestyle I prefer, consistently leashing him for yard visits didn’t seem feasible. Instead, I adapted by allowing Fernando the freedom to decide when to come back indoors. This often meant leaving the back door open for 30 minutes to an hour and continuing with my regular indoor activities. When Fernando did choose to come inside, I would reward him with food for several minutes, reinforcing his behavior and building an association that coming inside was a good thing. The only exception was during the last evening potty break, where I used a leash to manage his behavior efficiently, ensuring I wouldn’t have to stay up late waiting for him to decide to come indoors.

During my time off, I often left the back door open while I moved in and out of the house, engaging in spring gardening activities. Although I was genuinely enjoying the gardening, a secondary benefit emerged from these actions: desensitizing Fernando to my movements between the yard and the house. Initially, Fernando was wary whenever I entered the yard; he seemed to assume that my presence signaled an attempt to coax him back inside, which he was reluctant to do. However, by repeatedly going in and out as part of my regular activities and not focusing solely on him, Fernando gradually began to feel less anxious about my movements and no longer perceived them as a trigger to return indoors.

Another strategy I implemented involved conducting training exercises near the threshold. I would go into the yard and near the back door, engaging Fernando in a series of his favorite behaviors. He truly enjoyed these sessions, and they were instrumental in building a positive association with being near me and the threshold.

Fast forward a few weeks, coupled with a great deal of patience, and Fernando is now comfortably running in and out of the house again without any hesitation. He behaves just like any dog might, waiting patiently on the other side of the door, eager to come inside the moment it opens. His recall from the backyard has significantly improved; he often reaches the door even before Chester, who historically had always been the quickest.

I hope this explanation has helped you understand what behavior resurgence is and why using extinction alone to eliminate a negative behavior in your dog can have unintended side effects. It’s never my first, second, or third choice for modifying dog behavior. Instead, I advocate for a thoughtful approach that includes antecedent arrangement, desensitization, and counter-conditioning to triggers, coupled with positively reinforcing the behaviors you want to strengthen.

Have you ever experienced a behavior resurgence with your dog? It’s not a sign that they are stubborn or hardheaded but rather an indication that extinction was at play, and you’re now seeing the potential side effects. A solid understanding of behavior science is crucial for effectively guiding your dog’s behavior.

Meanwhile, I’ve updated my blog with a variety of new posts covering all aspects of dog behavior. Topics include co-regulation, mastering the art of walking on a loose leash, teaching a solid stay, exploring dog agility, and ensuring safe car rides. Check out these insightful resources here.

Additionally, I’ve opened my books for a limited number of consultations for new clients for mid-July and August. If you’re interested in personalized guidance and support, please click here to schedule your consultation.

Thank you for being an integral part of this community and for your unwavering dedication to understanding and improving your dog’s behavior. If you have any questions about specific behavior challenges or would like to share your own experiences, please don’t hesitate to reply to this email. I look forward to hearing from you and continuing our shared mission of helping our dogs thrive. Until next time, ✌🏻❤️🐶.

Warmly,