Trigger Stacking and Buckets

If you have a reactive, anxious, nervous or difficult dog, you might be familiar with trigger stacking and the concept of buckets.

Trigger stacking is when a dog is exposed to either a lot of triggers all at once, or multiple triggers in a short space of time leading them to stacking on top of each other. Like carrying lots of plates. One plate is easy, two plates fine, maybe 3 but how about carrying 5 or 6. What is the plates are massive or you have a two small plates but then you are asked to carry a serving platter as well. But what if you had time to get rid of the two small plates and take them to the dishwasher before being asked to carry the serving platter, this is much more managable.

Triggers for a dog can be anything and they are unique to your dog. For some it is seeing other dogs, for others it is people. Might be cyclists. Could be noises children or people coming into the home. The postperson putting letters through the door or you being out of the house for a little longer than usual.

For Roo, her triggers are typically; people and cyclists, offlead dogs running at her and lots of noises outside our house. It can also be going to new places with lots of new smells.

Trigger stacking doesn't have to just be negative, a new place or lots of excitment increased their arousal which in turn gives them less space to cope. Thinking hyperactivity, you dog has been to a new place, so much fun but then they turn into a nightmare zooming around, being mental. That is too much excitment and it can be a bad thing.

The idea of the bucket is that the bucket starts empty. You go for a walk, your dog sees another dog (if that is there trigger) and some water goes in their bucket. Further along the walk, an offlead dog charges at your dog. Now a lot of water goes in their bucket. You finish the walk and later that day, someone knocks on your door to have a chat. More water in the bucket, now your dog is going mad and barking. Why? There bucket is now full and overflowing. That night, they go to bed, some water comes out of the bucket (but it is still 3/4 full). You go out for another walk, a person walks by and your dog again goes mad. Why? The bucket is full again.

Each trigger will add to their bucket, some more than others. Once the bucket is full though things that do not usual set off your dog begin to. You need to learn to manage their bucket.

How? Calming activies and time off. Chewing is a great way to get some water out of the bucket. Lots of rest and sleep. Sniffing and enrichment type activites; snuffle matts, find it games, scent work etc. The best of all, time off. Give your dog a day off. No walks, no training just rest and relaxation.

We try to give Roo a day off once a week and after stressful/busy days, we will give her a few days off. After her holiday, she had a whole week off. No leaving the house. We practice our lead walking indoors and in the garden, we work on basic commands and some trick training but no chances for any big triggers. She needs an empty bucket before we can try again.

This all leads into threshold training, how you keep them in that good space before the bucket overflows and how you help make their bucket a little bit bigger.

Forever Hounds Trust have a great handout on trigger stacking, you can find it here.