Dr. Kelly Ballantyne from Insight Animals Behaviour Services recently shared her thoughts on canine sensory processing sensitivity which I found absolutely fascinating.
In an email to her mailing list, Dr. Ballantyne explained that sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) in humans "correlates with higher perceived stress, lower resilience, and increased vulnerability to…anxiety and depression".
Veterinary behaviourist Dr. Braum has been researching whether SPS is a personality dimension that also exists in dogs - termed Canine Sensory Processing Sensitivity - (cSPS) - and how it relates to behaviour and wellbeing.
I have always believed George is highly sensitive and that his sensitivity is a dimension of his personality. As Dr. Ballantyne explained, highly sensitive dogs may react more intensely to situations and stressors. They may also become overwhelmed by more subtle or cumulative minor stressors. That definitely rings true for George.
He is very sensitive to subtle changes in the environment - even something like me moving a plant pot or putting a jumper on - and has a much lower threshold for stress than less sensitive dogs. He appears highly sensitive to different sensations and surfaces. He adores the sensation of walking through water, and almost enters a trance-like state.
On the Insight Animals website, you can complete the questionnaire Dr. Braum developed to evaluate your dog's sensory processing sensitivity: https://www.insightfulanimals.com/csps
Unsurprisingly, George's result placed him in the highly sensitive range, even though I thought I was being quite conservative in my answers. He would have been even higher at the beginning of this journey.
Similar to the caregiver burden questionnaire, it was a somewhat confronting but validating outcome.
So why does understanding that your dog has high cSPS matter? Dr. Ballantyne shared some excellent advice on what we can do.
"Honour your dog's need for processing time"
They may look stubborn or hesitant, but they may be carefully gathering information.
George definitely needs time to process. I try to give him as much time as possible, but sometimes we just need to get out of the way. And then I feel guilty for hurrying him.
"Recognise and prevent over-stimulation"
This is a constant effort in my life. I watch for early signs of stress (it doesn't take much), and try to build in as much rest and as many breaks as possible. Management helps, but it's not always easy in a busy world.
"Be mindful of emotional contagion"
This means being aware of your own mood, stress levels, and behaviours. Highly sensitive dogs are highly attuned to the emotional states of those around them. I am working on this.
"Anticipate heightened sensory responses"
Highly sensitive dogs may react more strongly to sights and sounds etc, but also internal sensations.
This is an interesting one. I am always conscious of external stimuli, but I hadn't fully considered internal stimuli for George. This feels particularly important given the various medications he takes.
"Optimise their environment. Highly sensitive dogs may seek out information - even to their own detriment."
This really resonated with me. I thought George was a bit odd: so fearful, yet always needing to investigate everything and get closer to the scary trigger. Seeing this as a highly sensitive dog's drive to seek more information makes much more sense. It's a challenging balance between building confidence and keeping them safe.
"Provide predictability and control"
George definitely does better with predictability and routine. Pattern games have been very helpful in building his confidence and I've tried to incorporate more choices into his world as well.
"Support relaxation"
George does so much better with this now (see 'Calm and relaxation at home'). The medication has undoubtedly helped as well.
"Consider medication when appropriate"
It took me longer than was perhaps ideal to get there, but medication is now an important part of my toolkit to support George's wellbeing.
I found Dr. Ballantyne's email and Dr. Braum's questionnaire very helpful. Reframing my thinking - that George has high cSPS and is not just behaving badly - helps me regulate my own emotions as well as providing a helpful framework to understand his needs and support him better.
See https://www.insightfulanimals.com/resources for more very helpful resources and to sign up to the mailing list.