Student Appreciation: Gibbs

Object Lessons in Trauma, Habit, and Recovery from a Reactive Dog

Meet Gibbs!

Gibbs is a driven, whip-smart German Shepherd who adores his human mom. Responsible by nature, stalwart Gibbs appointed himself as his owner's loyal bodyguard in the early days of their relationship, a duty he has carried out with solemn dedication ever since. As a casual observer, you would be forgiven for describing Gibbs as a serious dog. But it was the goofy, puppy-ish side he revealed in private that most endeared his owner to him. The pair would go on to form an incredible bond.

Gibbs has had some very frightening experiences in the past, and he still grapples with anxiety and hypervigilance in the present. He struggles to understand that he's safe now - that there are no threats to drive away anymore.

True to his breed, Gibbs has always had strong instincts for herding and guarding. But when trauma kicked Gibbs's nervous system into overdrive, his normal instincts accelerated, boiling over into explosive bouts of reactivity.

Gibbs needs helps learning to keep his mouth to himself when something startles him or triggers his herding instincts. Gibbs's reactivity and difficulty managing every day occurrences such as receiving visitors had long been a concern to his owner, but she knew he wasn't looking for a fight.

However, a nip to her 8 year old sister during an animated family Game Night left Gibbs's owner not only distraught over her loyal and affectionate pup's alarming behavior, but scared that it could happen again.

Dogs like Gibbs feel like they need to watch their back 24/7, constantly on high alert for the next threat. Any small noise - a bird chirp, distant bark, passing car - signals potential disaster. A stranger walking by the window? Better issue the sternest warning until he leaves, just to be safe.

So he reacts. And reacts. And reacts again. Ten strangers pass the window, ten warnings - even though his nerves are shot and he's exhausted from springing up from his bed.

And barking at passersby is normal dog behavior, so it doesn't seem that bad. Just a dog doing what dogs do.

Until one day, some mundane event presses too hard on an already stressed dog's natural instincts.

It's a normal, sunny afternoon. A dog is tucked cozily into one of his usual spots, and his favorite small human is playing innocently nearby. He watches her with intent interest, her frequent mad dashes and wild movements tickling some deep part of his canine brain.

Suddenly, she's dashing past his spot. With the response-readiness so characteristic of his breed, the dog's drive shifts instantly into high gear. Thousands of years of breeding to create the perfect herding dog - ever-ready to pursue and control wayward sheep - coalesce into a single instinct: Stop that small creature! Enforce order! Act now!

He nips before he even has time to think.

This is what happened to Gibbs.

Sometimes, it's tempting to condemn the dog who bit. We reach for labels, a means of totalizing a scary and confusing occurrence; we say that this is simply a "bad dog" or that they are "mean."

Luckily, Gibbs has a loving, determined mom who never forgot how capable he truly is. Giving up on him wasn't an option - she decided they would try training.

The right training approach for Gibbs had to be as unique as he is. Early efforts to help him settle by teaching him to still his constantly moving body proved ineffective. Our message of "Don't worry, just rest!" was not well received. Gibbs's bright, eager eyes and the steady twitch of his tail seemed to say, "But I'm ready to work! What am I laying here for?"

Re-analysis soon yielded a more helpful direction. We quickly learned that action, pattern, and predictability - and not encouragement to still his body - is what Gibbs needs right now.

After just a couple months of diligent work, Gibbs is learning to lower his defenses. He's finding his confidence, and learning that not everything demands an instant response.

Gibbs's training story started at the intersection of trauma and instinct. So, it's fitting that this is where we return as we near this chapter's close.

Trauma turned Gibbs's instincts against him, warping them into dangerous impulses which threatened his family and security. But love, training, and his owner's belief in him have made those same instincts into his greatest assets. Gibbs's incredible drive and focus can work for him, helping him engage with the right things and stay grounded when the world feels chaotic.

Best of all, Gibbs still lives at home with his mom and family. We think Gibbs is just as happy as Mom is that he gets to stay.

Gibbs has achieved so much in the face of significant challenges. But Gibbs isn't done. There's still so much more he can learn.

And Gibbs is always up for a challenge.