Great dogs who start out at the top of the scale at 90% (showing signs of being super friendly, gentle and nonreactive) may drop down by 20%; but will still shows signs of being a well behaved and gentle dog. Although they may have suffered cruelty or abuse they continue to be trusting and continue to love even those who have harmed them. That is because their levels were so high to begin with that even by dropping them down by 20%, they are still well above the zone of concern. The “zone of concern” is the portion at – and below 20% – on our scale. This means that if your dog is at, or below a 2 out of 10, he falls into the zone of concern. In this area, the dogs are genetically pre-programmed so that their maximum will most likely never become more than 40%, or 4 out of 10 on our scale. This does NOT mean that the dog is beyond help or that the dog should be euthanized. Far from that! But this does mean that for those dogs and their families, rescues, fosters, and adopters they need to be aware that they may have the potential to drop down to zero or remain in the bottom 20%. Please note that this does not mean that 20% percent of dogs are affected and belong in the zone of concern. Rather, it means that from birth and genetics this group of dogs is individually noted as more difficult to rehabilitate.
Everyone knows a dog who is the best dog in the world until it bites or attacks. These dogs are often misdiagnosed as having been abused. And, sadly, the unfortunate truth is that all too many animals in our country have been abused. Dogs in the “zone of concern” are the ones who must be monitored and attended to for life since they always have the potential of dropping down to zero at the wrong moment. Many of these dogs benefit greatly from routine since they are more comfortable knowing their job, or lack thereof.
Remember that although obedience can be a fun and enjoyable pastime for you and your dog, it is not designed for – or successful in – changing actual behaviors. It is particularly important to note here that dogs in general, but particularly dogs on the bottom 50% (5 or below) should never have any type of training that includes shock collars, throwing items or objects at the dogs, or squirting the dog in the face. Do not yell or scream at the dogs as punishment. Remember a dog at 50%, which is completely normal, can through abuse, neglect or ridiculous “training methods”, be forced down to 30%. This can become a reactive and potentially dangerous dog. Techniques that you would not use on your own child or loved one should NEVER be used on a dog. Imagine if you were walking into your front door and a lawn dart came whizzing past your head, striking a dart board just to the side of your front door. You learn that your spouse has just taken up the sport of lawn darts and plans to practice one day a week by throwing the dart at the board. Your loved one promises never to hit you. This continues for a few months. Since your front door is now riddled with holes from the darts, your spouse decides to give up the sport and take up tennis. Think about how long it will take you to stop ducking your head and being anxious when you walk into your home.
