Teaching A "Flight" Cue

by Bailey Coldwell

We often talk about using distance to help our dogs decompress when they are feeling big emotions. Dogs can feel scared, over-the-top excited, or a mixture of both. Dogs, like humans, will often choose a “fight or flight” response. It is much preferable for a dog to “flight” (safely) versus “fight”. Today, we are going to talk about how we can help set our dogs up for success by creating a “flight” cue. 

First off, why are we teaching this? Why do we want our dogs to move away instead of just “deal with it”? Eventually, we want our dogs to be able to handle a wide variety of triggers with ease. We want them to be able to see a potentially scary or overexciting person, animal, or other trigger and check in with us without any huge emotion. The truth is, however, most dogs go through a period of time where they are too stressed to be able to emotionally or physically handle something too overwhelming. If we force the dog to remain where they are without helping them decompress, this is where we could see bites or the dog shutting down completely because they are not being given the space they need. We have to help them be able to be in a neutral enough state to be in a learnable state. Encouraging the dog to safely “fly” will help them feel they are safe and have a better option than to react negatively. 

Just like with other dog training cues, we need to teach the flight cue before the dog is already in a scary or overexciting situation. Otherwise, they won’t understand it as well if they are already overthreshold. 

So, how do we teach this? You can start with just being right inside your home. The start of this is similar to how we originally teach a recall cue. First, you need to make your puppy interested in you. While standing with your puppy on a leash, say your pup’s name, a kissy noise, or another attention-grabbing sound, and move a few steps away while showing them a treat. Toss treats on the ground or give a treat jackpot to your puppy. This is where you give tiny treats back-to-back to give continued support. If you choose to toss treats on the ground, it is helpful to give a specific cue that you consistently use that gives your dog permission to eat off of the ground. This helps to prevent the dog from thinking that any time there is food on the ground, it is okay for them to eat it. I say “scatter” as I toss the treats on the ground. I really like using the scatter cue with the flight cue to encourage my dog to keep moving and exploring (away from the eventual stressor). Sniffing is the best thing that we can do for dogs and is a great outlet for stress. The idea is that the end of the flight cue comes with a calming and enjoyable activity to help the dog continue to decompress. 

Once you and your puppy are happily running away together, start to put a cue on this. The cue should be fun and happy. Some options for the cue would be: fly, flight, run, or free. Say the cue and then run with your puppy, rewarding them the same way as described above. 

The next step would be to play around with distance and perhaps go outside. When going outside, start by practicing this in a familiar area, such as your driveway or yard. When you are in a new location, ensure you are rewarding with higher-value treats and rewarding more frequently. Be prepared to use more distance and more guidance with your flight cue if the dog is overwhelmed. You want to get far enough away that your dog is able to willingly come with you and is focusing on you. 

Eventually, you can use this cue anytime that your dog starts to feel tense, but before they react. We want to be mindful of the timing of rewards. Don’t try to treat your dog as they are barking, lunging, pulling, or otherwise showing intense emotions. We want to create distance and then capitalize on the reward when the dog has redirected towards you. The goal is that they will hear you say your flight cue, and it will click with them that distance from the trigger is good and safe. We want them to be able to quickly redirect towards you, despite the situation potentially being scary or too exciting. Ensure you continue practicing the cue at times when there is nothing overwhelming. Practice it in a variety of situations so your dog doesn’t start to feel that every time the cue is mentioned, it is a hard environment. 

This is a good time to mention that it is not a bad thing if your dog physically shows you that they want to use the flight cue themselves. Of course, we want them to do this safely, which is why we encourage them to create distance with you. If they see, hear, or smell something that is overwhelming to them and they start to move away, keep moving and reward them. We want our dogs to feel comfortable creating space for their bodies, and that is what will help them be in a good enough mental state to build confidence, hoping they won’t need as much space down the road. We as people also need space from certain situations in life. I know there have been times when I am around a bunch of people and end up stepping outside for some fresh air. I don’t step outside for fresh air and then avoid entering the crowded space ever again. I often take a break and then am able to come back inside afterward with more of a clear head and able to be more social or productive. I am sure you can also think of times when taking some space ended up being the best option for you. 

When in doubt, create space. We can still do this even if we haven’t created a flight cue. The flight cue, however, will add an extra layer to this to help your dog feel comfortable redirecting sooner. It can become a predictable game and movement for your dog to help bring them peace and connection with you, away from the stress. Reach out to us if you would like more guidance on this.