We taught him that looking at his caregivers, instead of barking and lunging when he felt uncomfortable, was a way to escape the uncomfortable situation, gaining space and a reward. In this way, we reinforced the desired behaviour while simultaneously creating a positive association with strangers.

It’s important to note that Loki’s temperament, the lack of socialisation and environmental exposure during his early life, inadequate social and sensory stimulation, and possible adverse experiences during his first weeks of life in the shelter may have played a crucial role in the development of his fear of strangers.

This fear of strangers was exacerbated in the presence of a family member who, although not living in the same house as Loki, was part of the family and often visited.

Loki’s discomfort in their presence quickly escalated, becoming a stressful situation for everyone involved.

In this person’s presence, Loki exhibited behaviours such as effusive barking, avoidance, and flight, and after prolonged exposure, he showed signs of high stress and panic, such as trembling and prolonged withdrawal to places he considered safe. That is, hiding under the bed and refusing to come out while the person (the object of his fear) was present.

Looking at the function of Loki’s behaviour, we can easily see that it was tied to an attempt to increase the distance between himself and his “object of fear.”

Thus, the exogenous motivation was to restore security, with the endogenous motivational basis caused by the physiological and hormonal changes resulting from the activation of the brain areas responsible for the danger/threat detection response (Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal axis), leading to the release of adrenaline and cortisol (among others), known as the “stress hormones.”

As the “threat” remained and Loki couldn’t “get rid” of it, he fled, seeking refuge, with his body remaining in a constant state of alert, leading to high levels of anxiety and prolonged stress.

We, therefore, used desensitisation and counter-conditioning techniques, with an emphasis on classical conditioning, to gradually expose Loki to the conditioned negative stimulus (family member), in order to modify the conditioned emotional response (fear), building positive associations with their appearance and presence.

In the end, after a long process, these were the results:

“A week ago, my parents were here at home. Loki's ease in his behaviour was noticeable! Although they’re not best friends, he is clearly more comfortable. They ran together in the morning, and then he even sat next to them on the sofa.”

When we design an intervention plan, although focused on a particular problem, we end up seeing positive results in other areas because we work on the emotional state, allowing behaviours to generalise.

“Today, some friends came over with their little boy. The difference in Loki's behaviour is enormous!”

Thank you to Loki's family for your trust, and thank you, Loki, for trusting me and allowing me to learn from you. Congratulations to all of you.