PCT part 3. Beyond the Wobble: Loop Timing, Trauma, and the Struggle to Stay Regulated
- Oliver Ringrose
- Jun 6
- 4 min read
Introduction: Building on What Came Before
This blog follows from our earlier explorations of Perceptual Control Theory (PCT) in dogs. In the first post, “Your Dog’s Not Misbehaving—They’re Regulating Reality” we explored the foundational PCT idea that behaviour exists to control perception—not the other way around. In the second, “The Dog’s Inner Lens: Mapping How Perception Shapes Behaviour” we expanded on how perceptions themselves form—layered through sensory, emotional, motivational, social, and cognitive lenses.
Now, in our third deep dive, we tackle what happens when those perceptual systems go out of sync—especially in dogs living with trauma, chronic stress, developmental disruption, or sensory mismatch. We’ll use metaphors from automation to help visualise these inner conflicts—but with care not to confuse analogy for equivalence.
Introduction: What Happens When the System Misfires?
Dogs don't operate with one single behavioural goal at a time. They're managing a whole stack of perceptual systems—some handling bodily safety, others monitoring social feedback, emotional climate, environmental shifts, or internal physiological balance.
These systems are often described in PCT as hierarchically organised control structures, where higher-level perceptions constrain and direct lower-level ones.
To help visualise this, we borrow a metaphor from the world of automation: cascade control.
In engineering, cascade control involves layered feedback systems where a slower outer system sets the reference for a faster inner system.
While cascade control is not part of PCT theory—and originates from deterministic control systems in engineering—the metaphor helps us conceptualise how breakdowns in timing and synchronisation can destabilise behavioural regulation. (Powers, 1973; Åström & Murray, 2010)
In a healthy system, hierarchical control brings precision and adaptability. But when the timing between these layers breaks down? That's where we see problems: trauma, dysregulation, behavioural oscillation, and seemingly contradictory responses.
This blog explores what happens when perceptual systems fall out of synchrony—what we call a "desynchronised perceptual stack"*—and how we can support dogs in rebuilding coherence from the inside out.
*Note: This phrase is metaphorical shorthand for hierarchical misalignment between perceptual systems operating at different speeds.
Cascade Control: Borrowed Brilliance or Design Flaw?
In automation, cascade control involves two (or more) feedback systems stacked in sequence.
The higher-level system sets a reference for the lower-level one. It’s elegant—when it works.
The lower-level system acts fast, correcting immediate error; the higher-level system moves more slowly, refining the setpoint based on broader goals.
Translated into dog behaviour:
Lower-level systems manage fast, granular perceptions—balance, breath, movement, noise.
Higher-level systems monitor things like safety, social belonging, or territory.
This works beautifully when the higher-level system is steady and slow. But if it starts adjusting too rapidly—overreacting to noise, novelty, or internal emotional triggers—it creates instability. The system appears to "ping-pong" between goals, never settling. That’s not a misbehaving dog—it’s a misaligned stack of perceptual priorities.
Trauma and the Inverted Hierarchy
In trauma-impacted systems, higher-level perceptions don’t just guide—they override. A classic example:
A dog at a quiet café wants to rest (comfort system).
A chair scrapes loudly. The hazard system activates.
Instead of gradually shifting attention, the dog’s internal regulation flips—shutting down rest, exploration, even hunger.
The hazard system isn’t wrong. But it’s acting too quickly and forcefully. It tries to manage everything at once.
In these moments, dogs often:
Freeze in conflict
Lash out unpredictably
Seem deaf to cues
Cycle rapidly between behaviours
They’re not being stubborn or dramatic—they’re trapped in a functional conflict within their control system. These are heuristic illustrations of timing failures—not conscious decisions.
The Role of Reorganisation: Chaos with a Purpose
When errors persist—when the dog can’t reduce perceptual mismatch—PCT tells us that the system triggers reorganisation (Powers, 1973; Marken & Mansell, 2013).
This is not “learning” in the classical sense. It’s more like an adaptive reconfiguration—where internal control parameters shift randomly until a more stable configuration is found.
In trauma, reorganisation is often:
Erratic
Exhausting
Unpredictable
Because the dog isn’t experimenting with refined strategy—they’re trying to recalibrate an entire control structure.
The problem? When higher-level systems dominate, reorganisation tends to stabilise protective responses (avoidance, aggression, shutdown). Not because they’re optimal—but because they reduce internal error most immediately.
Oscillation and Loop Conflict: Spotting the Signs
Watch for:
Repeated approach-avoid cycles
Locking onto a stimulus and ignoring others
Postural tension with conflicting behaviours (e.g. tail wagging + growling)
Over-reliance on “default” behaviours (e.g. checking in, barking, fleeing)
These are red flags. Not of disobedience—but of a system trying to control incompatible perceptions simultaneously.
A dog who wants to explore but keeps checking exits is likely torn between SEEKING and PANIC/FEAR systems. The reference conditions are mismatched—or changing too fast.
Health, History, and Sensory Load: The Tipping Points
Some dogs live close to perceptual instability even without trauma. Risk factors include:
Unmet sensory needs: Constant overload or deprivation makes internal feedback less reliable.
Pain or chronic illness: Disrupts proprioceptive and interoceptive calibration.
Breed-specific perceptual tendencies: For example, scent hounds may prioritise olfactory input, while herders may default to visual-spatial tracking (empirical evidence is limited; general trends only).
Poor early socialisation: Reduces confidence in novel or social perceptual domains.
Cumulative stress: Each unresolved error raises baseline arousal, priming systems to misfire.
These aren’t flaws—they’re honest reflections of lived experience.
Support Strategies: Helping Systems Re-Synchronise
You can’t force synchrony. But you can create the conditions for it to emerge:
Widen the interval: Slow down transitions. Let the dog complete sensory processing before shifting demands.
Predictability anchors: Regular patterns reduce higher-level uncertainty.
Stillness and safety: When in doubt, offer calm presence over commands.
Let exploratory systems lead: Especially in early trauma work, avoid rushing social or obedience cues.
Name the perception: When you understand what perception the dog is trying to control*, you can align support more precisely.
*Dogs do not consciously select perceptions to control—they act to bring their experience into alignment with internal reference conditions shaped by biology and experience.
Closing Thoughts: It’s Not Just About Balance. It’s About Timing.
When we understand cascade control—not as part of PCT but as a helpful metaphor from engineering—we gain empathy for the systems we support. Dogs are not just juggling behaviours. They are negotiating internal priorities, historical fears, physiological cues, and moment-to-moment sensory data.
When that system falters, the answer isn’t obedience. It’s stability. Rhythm. Safety.
We don’t train away the wobble. We help the system walk again.
The more we understand these systems, the more we honour the life within them.
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