This is the final part of a two-part miniseries on helping curb your dog’s reactivity to other dogs. What better time than now to help your dog through this? Social distancing gives us the perfect set up for our dogs. We are to stay at least 6′ away from each other, which means your dog will have the space they need to set them up for success.
This video, featuring Rooster, gives a basic understanding of how to correct your dog before they even react. Being proactive when working with reactive dogs is key!
Every dog is different and it’s important to remember that. Be aware of how much distance your dog will need in order to focus. Also be aware of how much time your dog will need. Many reactive dogs will need ongoing training and using the same skills for the rest of their lives. Others will catch on quicker and require less diligence from you. The most important thing is to keep yourself, your dog and other dogs safe!
Things to remember when working through your dog’s reactivity:
- Focus: make sure you have your dog’s full attention before you start your walk.
- Treats: make sure you have high value treats your dog only receives during training time.
- Distance: start as far away as needed for your dog to remain focused. Then move closer, incrementally, to challenge them. If they start to react again, go back to where you last had success.
- Timing: pay close attention to your dog’s cues. Correct or redirect them prior to them reacting, as soon as you see them starting to become too focused.
- Consistency: stay consistent. Your dog needs to know that you expect the exact same behavior out of them every time they see another dog.
- Repetition: I can’t stress this enough, keep working on the same techniques every time you walk. You’ll see results much faster which will give you the motivation needed to keep working!
Check out the full video for a full explanation and visual of how this all works together! Of course if you have any questions, please reach out. I’m happy to look at videos of your dog for you or give you different strategies or ways of thinking if you’re getting stuck.
