Need help training my dogs to intervene when I pull hair

I know this is totally a weird question, but most of you already know this situation so I feel more comfortable asking you for advice.

I didn't realize how bad my hair pulling is getting until I looked in the mirror and most of my left eyebrow is gone. There's a tiny bit left, but there's a big spot that's completely bald and it's really tender in that spot. I'm really frustrated because I can't get myself to stop. Like I've said before, I don't realize I'm doing it until the damage has been done. I want to get a pair of gloves to wear, but I can't afford any right now because all the money I have left from my dog sitting job is enough to buy another bag of dog food until Josh gets here. My mom might be able to get me a pair though. I'm also going to try putting vaseline over my eyelashes in hopes that that will make it harder for me to grip the hairs so I don't do more damage.

I'm also starting to pull hair out of my head as well. It's not so noticeable because my hair is so darn thick, but I noticed a small spot where I've been pulling. I've also been pulling random hairs out of my arm.

So... I had the decided to try and train my dogs (or at least one of them) to help keep me from doing it. I looked online and while I do see that there are people who use psychiatric service dogs to help out with anxiety sufferers and people with dermatillomania (skin/scab picking) and trichotillomania (hair pulling) I didn't find any advice on how to train some of the stuff these dogs would do. I'm not necessarily saying I want to train one of my dogs to be a certified service dog. I'm still not sure about that part without seeing a doctor more about it first and I'd like to wait till I get to Virginia and see if I improve before making a decision like that since I know SDs are not something that every anxiety sufferer needs. Still, I'd like to at least train my dogs to help me out when I'm at home at least.

What I ultimately want is for my dogs to intervene if they see me pulling... whether it be making me pet them or something to get my fingers away from my face. Problem is... how do I train this exactly??

And... as embarrassing as it is to show this picture... this is my eyebrow now... a bit worse from the last picture I showed you guys wouldn't you say?



I've also been trying to keep myself doing things that make me happy. That's starting to really help a lot, yet I'm still doing this hair pulling crap a lot. I've become so OCD about it. I have a feeling that part is going to be harder to stop doing than I thought.

Start by teaching your dog to do whatever you want them to do when this behavior happens. When I chew on my hand, Logan paws my leg. So with that example, the first step is to teach the dog to paw your leg on cue. I used shaping with the clicker. Then, pair that cue with you pulling your hair out, and c/t until pulling your hair out is the cue. I'm sorry I can't explain that any more at the moment but I'm in a hurry. Good luck!

This sounds like the easiest route. I'm not sure how you train a dog to get pet though lol. I'd say train one or the other to nose your side/free hand then start shaping it to nose you when your hands get near your face/head and go from there.

This sounds like a good plan. "Give paw" was my dog's first trick, and it's still her default behavior offering whenever I start shaping a new behavior. She gives paw with great enthusiasm - let's just say that I notice when she connects(!), so I think that this might work as an interruption to your unconscious behavior. You might try training one or more dogs to touch their paw to a target, like a plastic container lid, held in your hand. When they get the idea, move the target around - from one hand to the other, on your foot, etc. Once they are really solid, attach the target to a good spot on your leg (your knee?) by tape or a safety pin through your pants leg, and begin pairing the rewards to a hand signal - your hand touching your eyebrow. Someone else here might have a better way of doing this, but here's what I'd try - give the hand signal and show the target at the same time, then reward generously for a touch. Gradually fade the obvious showing of the target, emphasizing the hand signal and only rewarding paw touches associated with the hand signal. When the dog is paying more attention to your hand than to the target, you can remove the target and reward general-vicinity paw touches following the hand signal. At this point, start keeping treats with you at all times, but particularly in places/conditions that you know are likely triggers for your behavior. If you feel an unexpected paw touch, check to see where your hand is, and be prepared to give a jackpot reward if the dog got it right!

Good luck with this! I'm sure it's a frustrating and uncomfortable condition for you, but it's a very interesting training challenge.