Caution! Adverse Reactions May Occur.
By Maggi Forootan – Lead and Love K9
www.leadandlovek9.com
“Help…my dog loses his mind when he sees other dogs (people, cats, squirrels, skateboards, bikes) out on a walk”.
I hear it all the time. Consider this… what are the worst leash reactive dogs doing while out on a walk before the big blow up over seeing another dog happens? It’s a pretty safe bet that the dog is dragging his owner down the street, zigzagging from side to side, sniffing every bush, marking every tree, and probably way out in front of his owner, possibly on a retractable leash. He’s in his own little world, and completely disconnected from his owner. This lack of connection is what lies at the core of the reactivity problem.
This disconnection leads to stress, uncertainty, and a lack of impulse control. When you peel away the layers of what looks like aggression in a leash reactive dog, most of the time you find a dog that is really nervous, stressed, unsure, and uncomfortable with the world around him. The problem here is that dog owners don’t see that there is a profound connection between the little moments of pulling all over the place/dog out in front chaos, and the big explosion that occurs with leash reactive dogs. But the truth is that it’s all interconnected.
What to do?
What doesn’t work is trying to correct, scold, or reprimand your dog once he’s already blowing up at whatever has set him off. If you haven’t taken the time to build the right kind of relationship (leader/follower) with your dog, then trying to correct him is not only unfair, but ineffective. It’s also important to mention that once a dog has gone off the deep end…barking, lunging, growling, biting the leash…it’s as if the part of his brain that can hear you is completely shut down. To be effective, you have to start giving your dog information WAY before the melt down.
The first step to getting a handle on the reactivity problem is to teach your dog to walk with you in a calm, relaxed manner. Teaching him to follow you and look to you for guidance no matter what you may encounter on the walk, will allow him to let go of the stress and anxiety that’s causing him to feel like he has to react aggressively towards other dogs.
It’s never an easy, overnight fix, but if you’re consistent about sharing the leadership conversation with your dog in every moment…not just when you encounter something that triggers a bad reaction, you will be well on your way to winning the battle of leash reactivity.
