Has your reactive dog ever made you say to yourself:
“Every time my dog sees the neighbor dog he loses his mind…
“My dog just lunged at another dog on our walk…
“I’m worried my reactive dog is going to attack another dog…
What can I do?”
Environmental Management: Reduce your reactive dog’s triggers at home
Does your dog fence fight with neighboring dogs?
What about pacing, or barking when they hear other dogs bark?
How about barking or growling when they are looking through the window and seeing other dogs outside?
Limiting your dog’s reaction to stressors at home can go a long way to reducing your dog’s reactivity overall.
Management techniques such as using a long line in the backyard can keep your pup away from the fence.
Treat training recall or play recall when another dog is outside can help increase your bond with your dog - increasing your value and decreasing the desire to fence fight.
Opaque window film can be an inexpensive way to reduce reactivity when seeing “that neighbor dog”.
Training LAT (Look at That!) can help your dog realize “dog = treat” instead of setting off the bark alarm.
A “white noise” sound system can be anything from nature sounds, books on tape, calming music streaming, etc. or you can do a modification of LAT with what they hear, re-wires their brain to anticipate a treat instead of all the anxiety with hearing other dogs.
Environmental Management: Reduce Stressors on Walks
One of the easiest - and the hardest ways to reduce your dog’s stress on walks is to use distance, and visual barriers to keep your reactive dog from seeing their triggers.
Some days it’s easier said than done!
Keep an eye out for other dogs, learn how to do emergency U-turns or position yourself and your dog behind a parked car as a visual barrier and start delivering treats to keep their attention.
I like to use the example of riding a bicycle or a motorcycle, you can be completely oblivious to obstacles or other drivers, or overly paranoid and reacting to any shadow on the ground or perceived car that *might* cut you off.
How about finding a balance between the two extremes and riding alert?
Have a running plan in your head for how you will react if / when something happens. Mentally rehearsing your reaction can reduce your reaction time and help you avoid freezing in indecision.
Not just useful for riding - it’s also great for walking a reactive dog!
Practice your walk mentality and reaction plan so you can be less paranoid & anxious and more calm & confident.
Can’t get distance or find a car to hide behind? Your next steps are distraction & counter-conditioning. Here’s a article from a wonderful trailhound trainer: https://www.trailiepawsforthought.com/post/trigger-avoidance-tactics-ninja-101
"Look at That" reactive dog training
Reactive dogs can get into a feedback loop when one dog is giving off unfriendly body language.
The dog seeing it reacts similarly with unfriendly body language, maybe even increasing the level of threat display, so the original dog starts to escalate into lunging, barking, growling, etc.
This can easily turn into a feedback loop between the dogs.
You should work to ensure that your dog’s attention is on you, regardless of what the other dog is doing.
One way is to reinforce that every time he sees another dog, he gets a treat. This way he is looking at the dog and then immediately looks back to you, disengaging with the other dog before the body language starts to escalate.
And in the case of a dog that continues to react to your dog, praise your dog and treat them every single time they look away from the other dog, encouraging that behavior instead of staring. Do this for all dogs, not just the "mis-behaving" dogs.
We've worked a lot with this, and now my dog can count up to three… 3 dogs = 3 treats…
Physical Management: Muzzle Training
If your dog is at risk of getting loose and getting into a fight, attacking a human or another dog, it is imperative that muzzle training be part of your management plan!
I highly recommend The Muzzle Up! Project for resources on finding a muzzle that fits well in addition to training advice: https://muzzleupproject.com/
Physical Management: Proper Equipment for Walks
I’ve written a few articles before about choosing the right equipment to for Strength & Security
Links
Next week's blog will cover number of other features that can help you keep physical control of your dog.
Use your Words
One way you can get a little more space and advocate for your dog is by using a “no dogs” or “we need space” training t-shirt or dog vest.
Emotional Management: Understanding the Why
Do you understand why your dog behaves the way they do?
Behavior Training should be the first line of defense when your dog starts exhibiting over-reactive behavior.
A positive reinforcement dog trainer can help you understand your dog’s emotional responses, identify what the triggers are, and work with you on strategy for behavior management and training.
You can do at-home training or search for a training facility with a reactive dog specific training course. A few hours of training can provide years of happier walks!
If your dog has access to a yard, consider replacing walks with other enrichment activities. If your walks are more frustrating than fun, chances are the behavior may get worse over time.
No yard? See if there is a Sniffspot private rental in your area for an occasional treat - for both of you!
Medication can be a help in your dog’s ability to manage their emotional response to other dogs. This is definitely something that you should talk to your vet and your dog trainer about using, and not just considering as a last resort.
There are a wide variety of medications that, in addition to training, can help your dog live their best lives with their behavior challenges.