Have you ever had one of those days when the little irritations just keep piling up? You spill coffee on your shirt, hit traffic on the way to work, and then discover that the email you thought you sent never actually went out. Each event on its own is small, maybe even laughable. But by the time you get home, the sound of a spoon clattering in the sink is enough to make you snap.

Our dogs experience the world in much the same way. This phenomenon—when stressors accumulate until even a small event sparks an outsized reaction—is known as trigger stacking. Understanding it can transform how we care for our dogs and how we care for ourselves.

Trigger stacking happens when multiple small stressors build up without enough time or opportunity for recovery. Think of it as a “stress bucket.” Each stressor adds a bit of water to the bucket: a loud noise, an unfamiliar dog, a stranger reaching for your pup, being left alone, an........

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