Go Dog Training

HARD-EYES vs. SOFT EYES

What do these terms mean?

The following photos show the same dog on the same couch.  However, in one photo the dog is comfortable and not showing signs of aggression.  In the other photo the dog is clearly uncomfortable.  Trainers that are working on aggression issues often use a technique called Desensitization & Counter Conditioning .  To do this effectively, the dog needs to be kept BELOW THRESHOLD.  The appearance of any stiffening, in either body or eyes, is a sign that the threshold has been brushed or plowed over.

In the photo below Eddie's eyes are soft and his body is relaxed.  The white of the eyes are showing evenly around the whole eye.

The following photo shows Eddie giving clear signs of discomfort with a person or thing (or the person/thing's action, movement, or proximity).  In this photo the head and body are stiff, the eyes are hard (also known as whale or shark-eye).  Notice the clear presence of the white crescent on the inside of the eye.  Eddie is also puckering his mouth and starting to snarl (raise the lips).  His threshold has been breached!

Eddie is a couch guarder.  The first photo was taken only moments after I asked him to get on the couch (not his yet because he just got there).  The second photo was taken after I walked away (relinquished shared possess of the couch) and then returned 10 minutes later (he had enough time to get comfortable and claim the couch as his).

The treatment for Guarding is NOT punishment.  I would not want to teach Eddie that my return to the couch predicted punishment or other yucky things.  This is bound to start a vicious cycle.  Instead, the treatment for a guarder like Eddie is to teach him that my approach to the couch is safe (did not breach his threshold) and followed by good things.  Desensitization & Counter-Conditioning should be done by a certified trainer who can advise you on management options to be followed in between training sessions.