What do we mean by “choice” and “consent”?
When we talk about consent in dog training, we are not suggesting that dogs fully understand or agree to everything in the same way people do.
What we are really talking about is something much simpler and much more important.
Giving dogs the opportunity to take part, to pause, or to move away, and then respecting what they tell us.
Choice is closely linked to control, predictability, and safety. These are some of the biggest factors influencing stress and anxiety related feelings our dogs experience.
There is a strong body of research showing that a lack of control and predictability is linked to increased stress and anxiety across species (Wiepkema & Koolhaas, 1993; McEwen, 2007).
The reality. How much choice do dogs actually have?
When you consider the day to day lives of our dog’s, it becomes quite clear that they have very little say in most things.
- what or when they eat
- when they go out
- where they go
- who touches them
- how they are handled
- when they go to the vet or the groomer
- If they get to move away from things they’re scared of
And yet we often expect them to cope calmly with all of this.
When control is limited, we often see anxiety, frustration, avoidance, and sometimes defensive behaviour. This is not because the dog is being difficult, but because they are trying to cope in a situation where they feel they have no control (Hennessy et al., 1997; Beerda et al., 1998).
Why choice changes behaviour
When we start to give dogs appropriate levels of choice, something shifts. Things become more predictable and therefore they can feel safer, stress levels reduce and engagement improves.
In simple terms, when dogs feel like they have a say, they are far more willing to take part.
This is what is described as “buy in”.
Building consent into training
Consent based training does not mean the dog makes all the decisions. It means we invite participation, we make things predictable, and we listen to the response we get when we ask.
Predictable signals: Telling the dog what is coming
One of the simplest and most powerful things we can do is let the dog know what is about to happen before we do it. For example, saying “lead” before putting the lead on, or “ears” before touching their ears.
Over time, these signals reduce surprise and increase predictability. The dog starts to understand what is coming next and can prepare for it.
Research shows that predictability alone can significantly reduce stress responses (Bassett & Buchanan-Smith, 2007).
The Counting Game
Using something simple like the Counting Game can help a dog know when something has started and that there is a predictable end. This can help build up a dog’s ability to feel comfortable with formal handling.
You would need 1-1 guidance on this to ensure it works well for you and your dog, but the general principle is simple.
Start counting up, from 1. Whilst I am counting good things happen, treats will be given until I say “Ok”. Over time you gradually use less treats and you work on gentle interactions and handling whilst counting. Always making sure it finishes with “ok” to signal the end the dog begins to understand the pattern. When the counting starts, handling may happen but it is always at a level they can manage and then at the end of the count (when you say “ok”), it’s over.
The predictability helps reduce uncertainty, which in turn helps reduce anxiety. If you feel your dog could benefit from further support with handling, get in touch to give this training plan more context.
The Mat - Opting in and Opting out
Teaching a dog to move onto a mat gives you a really clear way to build choice into training. When the dog steps onto the mat, you can begin teaching them that good things will happen as well as some handling interaction. It stays in their comfort zone but at any point they step off the mat, they are saying they need a break, so handling stops.
This gives the dog a level of control within the session. It reduces conflict and increases trust.
What we often see is that dogs who are given this choice actually choose to re-engage more quickly because they feel safer doing so.
How to build this at different stages
Puppies. Start easy and Start early
Keep handling short, gentle, and predictable. Puppies can get confused and frustrated easily so keep it easy and keep frustration levels down. We don’t want handling to feel irritable.
It is worth thinking of equipment that may touch them that they haven’t seen before, collars, leads, harnesses and even towels and grooming tools.
The goal is that handling becomes something that feels normal and safe.
Adult dogs. Rebuilding clarity
When working with adult dogs, either when revisiting training or an adult dog you have recently taken on, the focus is on securing the foundations. Do this by spending plenty of time in those early stages and building things up gradually.
Introduce the predictable signals as detailed above before touch e.g. “collar”, “ears”, “lead”. Reinforce calm acceptance and always allow the dog to move away if they need to. Never hold the dog in place to “get the job done”, especially if you know you have vet checks or grooming appointments in the coming weeks.
The aim here is to reduce tension and rebuild/maintain trust through predictability.
After negative experiences. Rebuilding trust
For dogs who have had a difficult experience, such as an illness or injury that has required multiple vet checks, you’ll need to work in very small steps. Use clear signals. Reinforce heavily. Respect when the dog opts out.
Progress might look small at first, but it is meaningful. Approaching equipment, allowing brief touch, staying for slightly longer.
The focus is not just on getting through the task, but on changing how the dog feels about it.
Supporting the emotional state
Some dogs will find this process harder than others, particularly if they are already anxious.
Alongside training, it can help to support their overall emotional state.
This might include calm routines, food based enrichment such as sniffing and licking, and environmental support like Omni Dog Calming Diffusers.
Some owners also choose to use nutritional support such as Omni Stress and Anxiety supplements. These are not a solution on their own, but they can help create a calmer baseline, which makes learning and participation easier.
Final thought
Consent based training is not about giving up control.
It is about sharing it in a way that builds trust.
When a dog understands what is happening, feels able to pause, and is invited to take part, everything changes.
They stop just getting through it.
And they start choosing to be involved.
