Communication: Pressure

This is part of Methods of Communication

In the context of you communicating with your dog, pressure is the application of 'energy', physical or psychological, to influence a dogs movement, either towards or away from the pressure. Pressure has both direction and intensity components. It can be a single sustained 'energy', or continuing moments 'energy'. A dog can [be taught to] comply with pressure, oppose it, or ignore it.

Note: this is unrelated to "pressure" as a common term (e.g. "the rigorous competition training put pressure on the dog")

The two rules of using pressure:

1. Once the pressure is turned on it stays on. Until;

2. The moment the dog responds properly the pressure shuts off immediately.

And remember to P.A.T you dog.

Physical Pressure: Applying pressure by hand or with a tool such as a leash connected to a collar.

Example of a dog complying with phy. pressure:

In a more difficult situation a dog might not sit when commanded. So the handler uses their hand to gently press down on the dogs rear, assisting their communication by command to sit, with communication by pressure to sit. This is called layering.

Example of a dog opposing phy. pressure:

A more confident dog learning a contact side heel could be intentionally pushed away by the handler's leg. So that this dog, wanting to oppose the pressure, learns to lean more fully into the leg, achieving the position.

Example of a dog ignoring phy. pressure:

A dog that pulls on the harness has learnt to ignore the physical pressure of the harness resisting their forwards movement. To teach this dog to respond to leash pressure, you would teach them on a different pressure (e.g. a collar), or establish a new context for them to reassess harness pressure (e.g. developing a work window).

Psychological Pressure: Influencing the dog to react by implication. Such as by changing proximity between you and the dog. Or being louder, or faster, or larger in your voice and body language, and vice versa.

Example of a dog complying with psy. pressure

To encourage a dog being recalled, you move away from them as they approach, so creating space and pressuring them to fill it.

Example of a dog opposing psy. pressure

When encouraging a more confident dog to play, you might move and sound more intensely, to which the dog responds by engaging in the play with more challenge,

Example of a dog ignoring psy. pressure

When helping an anxious dog become more comfortable with other dogs (for example), we may teach them to become neutral when they pass other dogs in closing proximity. That dog would be learning to ignore the pressure of closing proximity with their stressor.