Hi guys, is it really almost 2 months since I last blogged. I can’t even believe it. Honestly. Well, it’s been a crazy three months since our home renovation started and we are (fingers crossed) hopefully nearing the finish line. Both Elsa and Riggs have been amazing and adjusted to almost everything we have thrown at them. Dogs are truly spectacular.
So, now that I’m back (I’m actually sick so have down time to write) I’d like to re-address reactivity. As a trainer it is one of the most common issues that I’ve dealt with over the years, that and leash pulling which can go hand in hand. On Riggs and Elsa’s walk this morning we had a little issue that brought it back to the forefront.
We had pulled into the park, I was just hooking up Elsa and Riggs before letting them out of the car and saw a couple of woman and their dogs who I’ve seen before coming our way. I worried because one is a big furry black shepherd type dog and the other a Great Dane. Both are something to worry about for Elsa. I want to talk about why this worried Elsa more than normal today.
We were not fully out and on our way yet; which means we were sort of stationary as I got everything together, shut the back hatch and locked the door. This gave Elsa more time to get into her head. Typically if we walked by these dogs, and we have; we would have just kept moving along. But because of where we were it sort of looked like they were coming our way inistead of moving past.
So as quickly as it she started I pulled out the treats and got moving. She very happily ate the treats which is a great sign. A dog that is deep into reacting or past threshold may not eat food at all. She was barking but as we started moving with the addition of treats, it immediately lessened. She was just a bit concerned and letting them know that she did not want them coming our way. I chirped something happy and we moved along.
But this situation reminded me that many people with reactive dogs ask their dog to sit or down in the midst of a reaction. In an acute awareness state on the verge of reaction; sit is a very diffcult and undesirable position to put your dog in. First, when you stop moving you immediately cue your dog to a situation. Even if they hadn’t seen it yet, they will now be looking.
Movement and space is your friend. Bottom line. You cannot get your dog’s attention by an absence of space or stationary positioning. They are going to be so focused on whats coming that they will not be able to look away so to speak.
The other thing that you don’t want to happen is retaliation. This can easily happen if your dog is reacting which causes the other dog to react back. You want to keep as parallel with the other dog as you can. If it looks at all like they are coming towards you, change your angle. This can have a huge impact on perception for your dog.
Get space, always get as much space as you can. Try to stay at a “safe distance” away from other dogs when working on reactivity. Far enough to have some success. The more your dog rehearses this behavior, the longer it will take to change.
Keep moving, work on staying calm so that you can set your pace and not change it. Don’t cue your dog to impending danger by stopping, freezing or turning abruptly. Teaching your dog a “this way” verbal cue so that you can use it often limiting the tip off scenario.
Any questions? Ask away.