Pets

What is the best way to overcome leash reactivity?

Overcoming Leash Reactivity: Understanding Your Dog's Body Language for Effective Training

What is the best way to overcome Leisure activity? I wish I had a really straightforward answer for you but I don't because the reasons why dogs might be reactive on leash, can vary greatly between dogs. Some of the things that you do want to start looking at are what type of body language. Just my dog display when they see or interact with another dog, if you're not sure how to read your dog's body language or how to interpret it. There's a lot of great resources that are out there. I did put the link to one of my favorite body language videos at The bottom, if you can determine how your dog feels about other dogs that can give you a better pathway as to a, what direction to take their training. So for example, if you have a dog who is quite social and really wants to interact with other dogs and they're frustrated because of the leash and that is leading to some of the barking and lynching that they are displaying, that would be helpful information to know. You might have a dog who is maybe the opposite of that? Maybe you have a dog that is quite worried. Or fearful towards other dogs or maybe just doesn't have any interest in interacting with dogs at all and would prefer to move away from other dogs when they see them unleash. But there aren't any unable to do so because of the leash. So therefore they are also reacting or you might have a dog that actually feels conflicted and has maybe both of those behaviors that play. So helping to understand how your dog is feeling about other dogs. It's going to help us determine what your dog is going to find most reinforcing in that situation. And now there's a ton of different approaches out there. I would say, in general, when I'm working with a dog, I always want to start with the easiest Behavior first and that tends to involve reinforced in the dog for just noticing another dog quietly. And there's a couple of things out there. There's look at that from Leslie McDevitt and there's also engage disengage from Alice tongue. Both of those are some really great resources to at least get you started on your journey for addressing Leisure activity.

To help overcome Leisure activity, it is important to understand how your dog is feeling when they see other dogs. There are many resources available to teach you how to read your dog's body language and interpret it. One such resource is Look at That from Leslie McDevitt or Engage Disengage from Alice Tongue. Both of these approaches involve reinforcing the dog for noticing another dog quietly.

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Overcoming leash reactivity in dogs is not a one-size-fits-all solution, as the reasons behind it can vary greatly. To start addressing this issue, it's important to observe your dog's body language when they see or interact with other dogs. Understanding your dog's feelings towards other dogs can guide your training approach.

If your dog is social and frustrated by the leash preventing interaction, that information is valuable. On the other hand, if your dog is worried, fearful, or uninterested in interacting with dogs, but reacts due to leash restraint, that is also important to know. Some dogs may exhibit a combination of these behaviors.

Understanding your dog's emotions towards other dogs will help determine what they find most reinforcing in that situation. There are various approaches to address leash reactivity, but generally, it's recommended to start with the easiest behavior first. This often involves reinforcing the dog for calmly noticing another dog.

Resources like Look at That by Leslie McDevitt and Engage-Disengage by Alice Tong can provide helpful guidance to begin addressing leash reactivity.

Remember, overcoming leash reactivity requires patience, consistency, and understanding of your individual dog's needs.

How can we effectively manage a reactive dog in public settings?

Mastering Public Management of Reactive Dogs: Key Strategies for Success

How can we effectively manage a reactive dog in public settings? The first piece to effectively managing a reactive dog is to really understand that individual and then being very careful about which situations or public settings you're putting that dog in. So let me give two examples. So let's say there's a reactive dog who is really early in their training journey with their human, meaning the dog's thresholds are quite low, can't see a dog from you know a couple hundred feet away, that type of situation where they just don't have the skill set to navigate your typical neighborhood walk, that's going to be a dog that's going to benefit from being exercised elsewhere where you have a bit more control over what you're going to come across. So that might look like renting a sniff spot, which I'll put a link at the bottom of this so you can check those out, might mean walking in an industrial space, industrial or like business park space where you're probably going to see some people but it's very unlikely that you're going to be seeing other dogs, or just really any sort of other quiet space where there's just going to be less traffic that's coming along that might trigger that individual dog. On the flip side, if you have a dog who actually has some skills under their belt, it's just certain situations as in if another dog gets a little bit too close or pops out suddenly or something along those lines where they're having a little bit more difficulty in those specific situations, effectively managing a dog in that scenario involves the handler being really in tune to their dog and really in tune to the environment and it might mean using things like moving behind a car to serve as a visual block, it might mean doing things like a treat scatter just to distract the dog as another dog happens to go by, it might mean tightening up on that leash and kind of getting at a dog as quick as you can. So any of those things can be options depending on the individual.

The most important part of managing a reactive dog in public settings is understanding the individual dog, and being careful about which situations and settings you're putting them in. If the dog is early in their training journey, it's best to exercise them in places where there is less traffic and fewer triggers. If the dog has developed some skills but still needs help in certain situations, the handler should be in tune to the environment and use techniques such as visual blocks, treat scattering, or tightening up on the leash to help the dog navigate the situation.

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Effectively managing a reactive dog in public settings requires a deep understanding of the dog's behavior and careful consideration of the situations they are exposed to. Let's explore two scenarios.

If the reactive dog is in the early stages of training and has low thresholds, meaning they struggle with even seeing a dog from a distance, it's best to avoid typical neighborhood walks. Instead, consider exercising the dog in controlled environments such as rented sniff spots or walking in industrial or business park spaces where encounters with other dogs are unlikely. Choosing quieter spaces with less triggering stimuli can greatly benefit the dog's progress.

On the other hand, if the reactive dog has some training skills but struggles in specific situations, such as when another dog gets too close or appears suddenly, effective management involves the handler being highly attuned to the dog and the environment. Techniques like using a car as a visual block, distracting the dog with a treat scatter, or quickly tightening the leash to redirect their attention may be employed. The appropriate strategy will depend on the individual dog and their specific needs.

By understanding the dog's capabilities and employing appropriate techniques, it is possible to effectively manage a reactive dog in public settings.

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Jessica Wheatcraft answers your Pets questions. See all the advice Jessica Wheatcraft has and get answers to your own Pets questions.

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Jessica Wheatcraft has been in love with dogs since childhood. As a teen, she began volunteering at a local shelter and discovered her passion for helping dogs. She soon joined the Prison Pup Program, taking service dogs home for the weekend to help them transition to the real world. She was majoring in Psychology when she adopted a pit bull mix named Harley. Harley's behaviors led her to hire Nan Arthur CDBC, CPDT-KSA, and KPA CTP, who asked if she'd ever considered becoming a dog trainer. She was hooked and soon started teaching basic manners and private lessons. In 2013, she started her own business, Synergy Dog Training, focusing on behavior cases. She became a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant in 2015. In 2018, she expanded her business to include a team of trainers and began mentoring others. Synergy Dog Training merged with an Instinct Dog Behavior and Training location in 2021.