You got a dog dreaming of casual walks together on a beautiful day, getting your steps in and a dose of vitamin D with your furry companion. Then you discovered the dog you adopted suffers from fear based reactivity which changed everything.
Walking a reactive dog is an intimidating challenge. It can feel scary and even pose a danger of injury to you and/or others. Odds are, you're going to need some professional help to truly resolve your dog's reactivity. However, there are still steps you can take on your own to improve the walking experience for you and your dog.
With a bit of planning and preparation you can set your dog up for more successful walks and feel confident taking your dog on a walk. Start with these four key tips in any order you wish to start transforming your dog's behavior from stressful to enjoyable. These tips work because they focus on building trust and teamwork between you and your dog so, together, you can navigate even the toughest leash walking moments with confidence.
1. Teach Your Dog Polite (aka: Loose-Leash) Leash Walking
Teaching your dog to walk politely on leash creates a partnership between you and your dog (so you're no longer just the one who knows how to get out of the house). Without the physical tension caused by your dog's leash pulling, you’ll find it much easier to work together as a team throughout the walk.
To get started teaching your dog loose-leash walking, walk in a low-distraction environment (inside your house is a great starting point) and reward your dog whenever the leash isn't taught. You're looking for a "J" shape in the leash. When the leash is too taught, take a break. Try short practice sessions of 5-10 minutes a day, rewarding your dog whenever they walk with you on a loose leash.
Once your dog is consistently keeping the leash loose, add in some distractions by practicing in your yard or other low-distraction area until you are ready to try short walks in your neighborhood. The more teamwork you employ, the easier it will be to avoid and manage your dog's triggers during walks which will make walks smoother and less stressful.
Pro Tip: Use high-value treats and praise to reinforce your dog's good leash behavior and don't rush to fade the treats. Patience and consistency is the key to turning your new walking skills into habit!
2. Teach Your Dog the 'Let’s Go' Cue
No matter how well your reactive dog walks on leash, there will be times when a trigger is going to come too close or is just too scary to safely deal with (like a dog walker with ten dogs). This is where the "Let’s Go" cue is a lifesaver because it quickly creates space between you and the trigger. Use "Let's Go" to smoothly change direction so you can move away from your dog's trigger and avoid a potential reaction. This super simple behavior is easy to teach and keeps you and your dog out of sticky situations.
Teach this cue by leading your dog into a 180 degree turn while saying "Let’s go!" in a happy voice to quickly move away from a trigger. You can practice at home or in any quiet area until you feel ready to use the "Let's Go" cue with real triggers. You can also use "Let's Go" to move your dog left or right or in whatever direction makes the most sense in the moment.
Reward your dog for turning with you while gradually increasing the level of distractions in the environment. This simple cue gives you the power to steer clear of triggers and maintain control without tension or frustration.
3. Teach Your Your Dog to Pay Attention
The cue "Attention" (aka: Look and/or using your dog's name) is simply a way to get your dog to make eye contact with you. You want to be able to easily get your dog's attention so that you can move them away from triggers or other potential hazards such as delicious looking road trash. There will also be times when getting your dog to focus their attention on you will help them ignore a trigger while it passes. This cue is useful in many scenarios where you want to ask your dog to do something and you need to get their attention first.
There are a number of ways to teach "Attention." The one I'm sharing here is something super simple you can do on walks or while practicing loose-leash walking and "Let's Go." Watch for when your dog voluntarily turns their head to check-in with you. When they do, say "Attention" (or whatever cue word you choose) while catching their eye for 1-2 seconds and reward your dog with a yummy treat. With repetition, your dog will learn to make eye-contact with you upon request.
Pro Tip: You can also use "Touch" to get your dog's attention if they already know that cue.
4. Keep Your Dog Under Threshold
For reactive dogs, "Threshold" refers to the distance from which your dog can see a trigger and not react. It may be 10 feet or 10 yards. You can discover your dog's Threshold by noticing how far away from a trigger they need to be to feel safe and not act out by barking and/or lunging. It's possible for your dog to have different Thresholds for different triggers.
One of the most important aspects of walking a reactive dog is to always keep them "Under Threshold" (aka: far enough away from triggers to feel safe). One of the goals of the desensitizing and counterconditioning (DS/CC) training I do with reactive dogs is to reduce their threshold by changing their emotional response to their triggers from negative to neutral or even positive. Reducing their threshold will make walks easier while also giving you more options of where you can walk your dog. DS/CC work is not about distracting your dog and should best be accomplished with the help of a professional dog training with experience working with reactive dog behavior.
What you can easily do on your own is learn to understand your dog’s body language so you can tell when they feel safe and when they feel stressed. That's how you'll know how much distance their threshold requires. Signs like stiffening, staring or a tense tail can indicate the trigger is getting too close. Proactively giving your dog enough distance reduces stress and keeps the walk enjoyable for both of you.
Helpful Tip: Plan your routes in advance to avoid known triggers and choose quieter times of day for walks. If you live in a very busy area, it may help to drive to a quieter location for walks.
A Stress-Free Walk is Within Reach
With these four simple tips - polite leash walking, the "Let’s Go" cue, attention getting and keeping your dog under threshold - you'll make walking your reactive dog a calmer, more enjoyable experience for both of you.
Remember: progress takes time and never happens in a straight line. Take note of every positive step you take because that's what's building trust and confidence between you and your pup.
Start implementing these four strategies today! You'll soon find yourself looking forward to walks with your dog.
If you want help training your reactive dog, schedule a free consultation and we'll customize training solutions to help you and your pup thrive!
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