ROOT Dog Training

Let’s talk about poisoned cues.

A poisoned cue is when a signal that used to mean something neutral or positive becomes associated with something unpleasant.

Example:
You call your dog off the couch with “come.”
Sometimes there is a cookie.
Other times there is a crate, collar grab, or social isolation.
Over time, “come” stops predicting reinforcement.
It starts predicting loss.

And sometimes that is when growling or snapping shows up.

We see this frequently in aggression cases:
• “Come” predicts restraint
• “Drop it” predicts loss
• Reaching for a collar predicts confinement
• Seeing the leash predicts an overwhelming walk

The cue itself becomes part of the unpleasant event.

If you are seeing aggression around specific signals, do not just repeat the cue louder.
Ask what that cue has been predicting.

Repairing poisoned cues requires changing what the cue predicts, not just better treats.

Functional analysis matters here.

We walk through how to evaluate and rebuild these patterns inside the Aggression in Dogs Master Course.