I hope you’ve been able to get out and enjoy some fresh air with your dog even during all this chaos. After encouraging everyone to walk their dogs, I also wanted to discuss something I know a lot of dogs face; reactivity. Many dogs can coexist with other dogs in the home, but experience reactivity when on leash. While it is frustrating, this is more common than you think! For that reason, this week I wanted to start a mini series on how to manage your dog’s reactivity.
I have had several foster and client dogs who exhibited leash reactivity. You are not alone in this! The first real step is knowing that you are going to have to be patient with yourself and your dog. The other part of that is, get ready to get real committed. This will be a journey and as always, consistency is key.
This first video in the series explains the importance of having your dog’s attention before you begin your walk. If your dog doesn’t know how to focus on you, check out my ‘Teaching the Look Command’ video. If your dog is so focused on going out the door, you’ve already lost the battle and can be sure they’ll be up to their old antics as soon as you get on the sidewalk.
You will really need to find your patience in the beginning. Be working on the ‘look’ command throughout the day. Then understand that the it will take time for them to focus on you when they are excited to go on their walk. Give them grace, understand they have been doing things the same way for a long time and this is new to them. But it’s imperative you don’t begin the walk until you’ve got your dog’s attention and they are ready in a follow position.
The first day or two, you may not make it very far away from your house, and that’s okay! The more distractions your dog faces, the harder it will become for them to give you their full attention. With consistency and the right rewards, they’ll figure it out in no time!
Next week we’ll start on the second part of this series. In that video, I’ll be focusing on how to correct your dog when they start reacting. Overall our goal is prevention, but sometimes things happen and you are caught off guard. In those moments I want you to have the resources and knowledge needed to redirect your dog.
In the meantime, get out, get some fresh air and stay well!
