Why Dogs Need Freedom Of Choice: Improving Behaviour, Confidence & Wellbeing

By Norma Jeanne Laurette ​

Introduction

​When we talk about agency in dogs we’re talking about something very simple. Does the dog have any choice in what happens to it? Agency means the dog understands that its decisions can change the outcome. If a dog chooses a behaviour such as moving away, sitting or lying down and something predictable occurs as a result, with repetition the dog learns that what it does changes what follows. This is an example of operant conditioning because the dog operates on its environment to produce a desired result. This basic cause and effect learning is what creates a sense of control and autonomy in their own lives, and is a direct result of clear, consistent consequences that the dog can both predict and influence R1 R2. 
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When dogs have this kind of control over their own lives, they can make good things happen for themselves, resulting in a more confident, resilient and less stressed dog. When they have no choice, when their actions are ignored, punished or constantly dismissed by their people, dogs quickly learn that trying doesn’t work and instead end up living a life of learned helplessness. Stress levels rise, coping skills fall apart and anxiety issues become much more likely R3 R4. 

A lot of everyday dog handling unintentionally takes away their agency. Think about the fearful dog being dragged into a crowd on a short leash, there’s nothing it can do to feel safe. Pulling away doesn’t work and trying to hide doesn’t work. But if you listen to the dog and allow it to increase its distance from the crowd, it will quickly calm down. What about the reactive dog trapped on a pinch collar? The dog lunges to either increase or decrease distance only to receive a painful correction. In both cases, the dog learns the same lesson, that nothing will work. The dog ends up either shutting down, becoming even more reactive or aggressive R5.

Once you become aware of it, you’ll see this everywhere. The small dog passed around in spite of all the obvious signs of distress. The puppy forced into the bath or having its nails trimmed while panicking. The adolescent dog forced to heel nonstop and never allowed to stop and sniff. The message to the dog is always the same – your behaviour has no impact on what happens to you. Over time, that loss of control erodes trust and often presents as shutdown behaviour, compulsive habits or defensive aggression R6. 

The good news is that restoring agency doesn’t require complicated training methods, it’s all about allowing your dog small, intentional choices. Let your dog choose between two toys, offer a treat in your left and right hand and allow it to decide which it wants. Let your dog walk away from being stroked or use a long line to give it to control over where it goes and how quickly it moves.

This doesn’t negate our resource control rule to ignore demands, which serves the purpose of teaching self control and reducing behaviour problems, instead it’s an intentional practice designed to nurture confidence and emotional wellbeing. For more information about resource control see our first book Blueprint To A Happy Dog. 

A good way to instil autonomy is to teach cooperative care. Cooperative care refers to teaching dogs that they can choose to participate in handling, rather than being restrained or forced through procedures. Skills such as resting its chin, voluntarily putting its nose in a muzzle or remaining stationary for grooming all work the same way – the dog controls whether or not the interaction continues. As long as the dog maintains the behaviour, handling continues but if the dog pulls away, everything pauses while you wait for the dog to decide whether or not to proceed. This turns care and grooming into a cooperative process rather than a struggle, and teaches the dog that it has control over its comfort and choices.

An example of this is the chin rest, which is a cooperative care behaviour used during handling, grooming and medical care. The dog is taught to gently rest its chin on a person’s hand, arm, lap, or on an object such as a towel or foam block. The chin rest serves as a clear signal of consent. While the dog’s chin stays in place, the handling continues but if the dog lifts its head, the handling stops. The chin rest isn’t about obedience – it’s about communication. When the dog is willingly complying, the dog feels more comfortable and less stressed because it knows it can stop it at any time.

The chin rest is commonly used for procedures such as nail trims, ear and eye care, brushing or light grooming, veterinary exams or injections. Because the dog can opt out at any time without consequences, the chin rest gives it control over what happens to its body. Over time, this reduces fear and builds trust, since the dog learns it doesn’t need to struggle or escalate to be understood and respected. A chin rest is a simple way for a dog to say, “proceed” with what’s happening to it and “stop” just by moving its head.

So what happens if the dog is constantly saying no? In cooperative care training, the goal is never to push the dog until it gives in R11. If a dog consistently opts out of handling or grooming, this is valuable information that should guide your next step R12.

Dogs will say no for one of five reasons R12. 

1. It’s not ready
2. You’re moving too fast
3. The steps you are taking are too big
4. You’re causing pain or discomfort
5. The situation is too emotional for the dog causing stress, anxiety or fear, or triggering past memories of unpleasant experiences

When this happens, the appropriate response is to stop the procedure and switch to preparation mode instead of trying to force the dog to comply. Preparation involves teaching foundational skills without performing the full care procedure. This is accomplished by breaking down the tasks into very small, non-threatening increments, while building pleasant associations, which motivate the dog to willingly comply R13. This is an example of desensitization and counter conditioning because you’re not only gradually exposing the dog to the stimulus, you’re also changing its emotional response. For more information about reducing stress in dogs see my article entitled Stress & Anxiety – Protecting Your Dog’s Health & Happiness.

For example, before trimming nails, a trainer might first reward the dog for simply approaching him or her. They would then reward it for sniffing the clippers or dremel, for listening to the dremel in motion, for placing one paw near the handler, then for allowing brief touches, etc. Nail trimming does not occur until the dog can comfortably opt in at each step R14. If the care is not urgent, it’s best to pause and return later, ensuring the dog understands that its choice to opt out will always be respected, which is crucial to compliance.

When medical care is necessary, ethical practices would require approaches such as fear-free strategies, pain management or sedation to minimize stress as much as humanly possible. Cooperative training would resume afterward to reinforce the dog’s agency for and prepare for future procedures R15. 

Ignoring a dog’s “no” undermines its trust and teaches it that opting out is ineffective, which ultimately destroys its sense of autonomy R16. True consent is nurtured through consistent, patient training and if the dog cannot say “yes,” the trainer’s role is to ensure a safe and positive environment that sets it up for success and allows it to do so in the future.

The same principle applies to everyday activities. Scatter feeding allows dogs to decide how and where to search for food, while sniff walks on a long line allows it to choose its pace, direction and what it wishes to investigate. These small, meaningful opportunities to make decisions can restore a dog’s sense of control over itself and its environment. It reduces stress and helps the dog learn that its behaviour affects what happens next, creating a sense of control and confidence R7 R8.

Research backs this up because dogs with more agency show lower stress hormones, fewer fear behaviours, quicker recovery after startling events and a happier outlook on life, which are all key signs to emotional wellbeing R9 R10.

Summary

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In the end, allowing agency is all about respect. It’s about recognizing dogs as individuals whose communications should matter. When we build their world so their behaviour truly changes outcomes, dogs don’t just behave better, they feel better, and that’s the only way they can truly thrive.

References

R1: McGreevy, P. D., & Boakes, R. A. 2007. Carrots and Sticks: Principles of Animal Training. Cambridge University Press.
R2: Franks, B., & Higgins, E. T. 2012. Effectiveness in humans and other animals: A common basis for well-being and welfare. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 46, 285–346.
R3: Beerda, B., et al. 1999. Chronic stress in dogs subjected to social and spatial restriction. Physiology & Behavior, 662, 233–242.
R4: Seligman, M. E. P. 1972. Learned helplessness. Annual Review of Medicine, 231, 407–412.
R5: Overall, K. L. 2013. Manual of Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Dogs and Cats. Elsevier.
R6: McMillan, F. D. 2005. Emotional maltreatment in animals. In Mental Health and Well-Being in Animals. Blackwell Publishing.
R7: Herron, M. E., Kirby-Madden, T. M., & Lord, L. K. 2014. Effects of environmental enrichment on the behavior of shelter dogs. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 2446, 687–692.
R8: Rooney, N. J., & Bradshaw, J. W. S. 2014. Canine welfare science: Recent advances and future prospects. Veterinary Journal, 2023, 421–423.
R9: Horváth, Z., et al. 2008. Cardiac reactivity in dogs: Individual differences and predictive value. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 1131-3, 1–14.
R10: Mendl, M., et al. 2010. An integrative and functional framework for the study of animal emotion and mood. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 2771696, 2895–2904.
R11: Hiby, E. F., Rooney, N. J., & Bradshaw, J. W. S. 2004. Dog training methods: Their use, effectiveness and interaction with behaviour and welfare. Animal Welfare, 131, 63–69. A study examining the welfare impact of different dog training approaches, emphasizing positive reinforcement.
R12: Horwitz, D. F., & Mills, D. S. 2009. BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Behavioural Medicine 2nd ed.. British Small Animal Veterinary Association. Discusses dog behaviour, stress responses, and safe training practices.
R13: Overall, K. L. 2013. Manual of Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Dogs and Cats. Elsevier. Provides guidance on gradual desensitization and shaping behaviours in clinical and home settings.
R14: Lindsay, S. R. 2000. Handbook of Applied Dog Behavior and Training. Iowa State University Press. Covers stepwise, reward-based training techniques for handling and grooming.
R15: Herron, M. E., Shofer, F. S., & Reisner, I. R. 2009. Survey of the use and outcome of confrontational and non-confrontational training methods in client-owned dogs showing undesired behaviors. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 1171-2, 47–54. Highlights ethical approaches to medically necessary interventions.
R16: McMillan, F. D. 2017. Mental Health and Well-being in Animals: Canine Welfare and Behavior. Springer. Emphasizes the importance of agency, consent, and trust in animal training and care.
R17: Laurette, N. J., & Ceci, G., 2025. Blueprint To A Happy Dog. [Self-published].

Photo By Norma Jeanne Laurette