By Maggi – Lead and Love K9

Communication: For us humans, the primary way that we communicate is through a verbal language. It works great if the other humans we are trying to communicate with speak our language. If you were trying to communicate with another person that didn’t speak your language, you would have to work a little harder, and likely resort to different methods such as hand signals and maybe even pantomime, to get and exchange the information that you needed. For dogs, their primary form of communication is nonverbal.

Dogs and humans do not speak the same language.

People often think that their dogs understand what they’re saying, but in reality they don’t so much understand the words, but rather our energy. When you come home from work and find that your dog has gotten into the trash…again…is he or she connecting your angry words of disappointment to his act of getting into the trash, or is he cowering and acting guilty because in that moment he feels the energy of your anger and disappointment?

While dogs can learn to understand certain verbal sounds and tones in our language, it’s difficult for them. A dogs primary way of communicating is through body language and energy. To live well with our dogs and be successful at communicating with them, we have to find a way to bridge the communication gap, or as I often say, “ build a language.”

I often hear my clients speaking to their dogs in full sentences, or even paragraphs, and I watch them and their dogs struggle. When they minimize their words, and instead use a language…or better yet…teach the dog a language that’s easy for them, is when I always see the breakthroughs.

It’s a very special thing to watch humans and dogs truly communicating. The best way to start building a language with your dog is to start observing them, and then start being mindful of your own effort to communicate with them.

Speak less. Observe more. Relax. Do less.

dHarmony

By Maggie Reese

www.leadandlovek9.com

Recently a good friend was telling me all about the great fun he’d been having on the popular dating site called eharmony. He was meeting lots of interesting, like-minded people and genuinely wanted to meet someone special.

eharmony is currently one of the most popular and successful on-line dating websites. What makes their system unique is that they seek to match people based not so much on what they like, but who they are…the goal being to match people that will end up forming lifelong relationships. As I listened to my friend tell his eharmony stories a big light went off in my head…WOW…wouldn’t it be awesome if there was a site like this for people to use when deciding to get a dog! Like dharmony!

One of the most challenging things I encounter as a dog trainer are clients who have a dog that is truly not a match for them or their lifestyle…

Mary is a young working Mom with a husband and three small kids ages 4, 5, and 8. On a recent trip to the mall she visits the resident pet shop and falls in love with a cute little 3 month old Miniature Dachshund puppy. In a weak moment she whips out her credit card and is on her way home with the wiggly little wiener.  A few weeks later…after a bit of the new puppy novelty wears off…I get her frantic call. “Maggi help!” “This puppy is…”

• Peeing and pooping all over the house!
• Crying all night in his crate!
• Chewing expensive shoes, sunglasses, cell phones, handbags, kids toys, bla…bla…bla.
• Not able to walk nicely on a leash…ugh…I hate that!
• Jumping on my kids and stealing food from them!

“My husband is pissed…I don’t have time for this!”

Impulsive decisions usually lead us down a very rocky road!

I calm her down and tell her I can help, but what I really want to say to her is “what were you thinking?!” “A puppy is tons of work and you have three small kids, a job, and a husband to take care of.”

If only she had used dharmony!  Maybe a better match for her and her family would have been to adopt a mellow adult dog who is kid friendly and had a bit of basic training…just maybe.

John and Ingrid are a forty something couple in the prime of their lives, working hard on getting their small business off the ground. They work long hours and live in a small townhome with no yard. Their good friend Tony, who works from home and goes on daily runs, recently adopted a young Border Collie. John and Ingrid are amazed by the great relationship Tony has with his new dog, and they are inspired by how happy Tony is with his new companion. They decide that the Border Collie is the perfect dog for them, and they quickly find one to adopt through a rescue organization. In the first week of owning their new dog they come home to a couch that has been destroyed, curtains torn from the windows, base boards chewed to sawdust, and multiple notes left on their door from neighbors complaining about their dogs excessive barking. Clearly this dogs physical and mental needs are not being met, and he’s found a few interesting ways to cope with his mounting stress and anxiety. John and Ingrid return their dog to the rescue. They are sad and disappointed that it didn’t work out, and admit that they should have done more research on the breed of dog they thought would be a perfect match for them.

If only there had been dharmony!

Wake up people! Adding a dog to your life is just as serious as choosing a mate! It’s a commitment that should only be made after some serious thought and soul searching…just like you would if you were considering commitment to a life partner. Ask yourself…

• Does my energy level match the energy level of my desired four legged furry friend?
• Do I have the time in my life to exercise, care for, and train a dog?
• Do I have the financial resources to house, and care for my dog until the end of his natural lifespan? Let’s face it…to give a dog a great life is costs money. There will be vet bills, food, medication, boarding costs, training costs, leashes…beds…blankets…toys…and collars to buy.

And…here’s a biggie…

Am I choosing this dog because I think he’s cute, beautiful, smart, or looks like this great dog I had when I was a kid? It’s a HUGE mistake to choose a dog (or a mate :  )) mostly based on looks, or what something looked like in your past. Every dog, just like every human, is an individual whose individual needs and personality must be taken into consideration.

So choose wisely my friends. Take the time to dig deep and ask yourself these important questions before taking the next step in getting a dog. Ask yourself…is my choice based on what I want, or what is best for both me and the dog? If you do you will surely make a great choice, and be well on your way to a great life with your canine companion.

By Maggi Forootan

The truth: We live in a Yes/No world. Yes, you should look both ways before crossing a street. No you shouldn’t touch a hot stove.

So often I catch myself comparing dog training to parenting. Most of us agree that a good parent understands that in order to teach a child they will have to say no…a lot. When parents have a hard time setting boundaries for their kids, or saying no, their kids eventually turn into bratty, entitled, disrespectful little humans that, in the grand scheme of things, may turn into not so awesome adult members of society.

The same is true for dogs. If you struggle with saying no to your dog, he/she will push boundaries, be uncertain about how to behave, and have a very difficult time trying to navigate life in the human world.

Imagine this: we’re playing the hot/cold game. I put you in a room and tell you to find a twenty dollar bill that’s hidden there. I guide you by saying “hotter” when you’re getting closer and “colder” when you’re moving farther away from the hidden twenty. With all of the yes/no information you’re getting from me you would find the twenty pretty quickly (and then you would take me to lunch :  ) ) But what would happen if I only said “hotter” when you were close to the twenty, and said nothing when you were moving away from it? How much longer would it take you? How frustrated would you be? How hungry would we be by the time you found it and we could go to lunch?! The answer is a lot! You would struggle, and maybe even give up.

Saying no is part of life. In order to maintain positive, healthy relationships with the people in our lives we sometimes have to say no to them. Setting boundaries with others is one of the healthiest things we can do to preserve our own happiness. It gets hard with our dogs though because the Yes (saying good boy/girl, petting and showing affection, handing out tasty treats) makes us feel good. The No  (correcting your dog for non-compliance or unwanted behavior, laying down the law or establishing rules, withholding  treats, affection, and freedom in order to teach) is the hard part, and definitely doesn’t conjure up the feel good vibe like the Yes.

But, here’s the thing. Sometimes you have to put your dog’s needs before your own and do what’s best for him/her, not just what makes you feel good in the moment. Just like with kids!

The good news! When you find that perfect balance between Yes and No with your dog, you will start to be able to share more and more of the feel good Yes stuff. How cool is that?!

P.S. about the No, it doesn’t have to be loud, painful, harsh, or mean…you just have to mean it  :  )

Note: My inspiration for writing this blog was, in part, that in the dog training industry there are two rather distinct camps. The Balanced camp, where generally speaking the training philosophy embraces the use of both positive and negative reinforcement, and the Purely Positive camp where, in the extreme, even saying No to your dog is frowned upon. Some Purely Positive trainers will go to great lengths to attack other trainers for using any form of correction regardless of how fair, and mild it might be. They erroneously believe that correcting your dog will result in some irreparable fallout, and that the dog will learn to fear you, be shut down, and maybe become aggressive. Sadly, in the more extreme cases, when their positive only methods fail they often recommend that the dogs be surrendered to a shelter or put down. Dog training is never black and white. Every dog is different, and every dog requires a custom approach. Good Balanced dog trainers use positive reinforcement techniques about 90% of the time during the training process. When corrections are necessary they are administered in a fair, well timed, humane way. Now, this doesn’t mean that harsh, aversive trainers aren’t out there…they are. But in the 10 plus years that I have spent in the training industry learning from the best Balanced trainers in the country, I have never witnessed any negative fallout, or physical/psychological damage with any dog trained using a Balanced approach. It simply doesn’t exist.

I’m sure you know them, people who just can’t be alone. They constantly seek the company and attention of other humans whether or not that attention is good for them. Sometimes, if they can’t find other humans to fill the void, they assign this burden to their dogs. They require their dogs to be close at hand at all times, and constantly pet, cuddle, talk to and focus on them.

It comforts them and makes them feel less alone. But what it does to many dogs is the exact opposite of comfort. It can set the dog up for a life of stress and worry when their human is not around. Dogs, just like humans, are social creatures and the desire to be connected with others in innate.

But what happens when real life happens? People have to go to work, or to the store, or want to go out to dinner with friends.

When the delicate balance of being close to people, and being able to be alone is out of whack, dogs suffer. The anxiety that they experience when left alone can be profound, and many behavior problems arise as they try to figure out how to cope with the discomfort of being alone. Constant barking or whining, clawing at doors or windows trying to get out, and destruction of household items are just a few ways that dogs try to create a release valve for the mounting stress they are feeling.

Velcro dog!

Over the years I’ve heard the term “Velcro dog” thrown around a lot. People who say that their dog is a “Velcro dog” often think that this is a good thing. They think that their dogs clinginess means that they must really love them. What’s interesting though is that these so called “Velcro dogs” often have some of the worst issues I see – resource guarding, reactivity to everything, OCD types of behaviors, and even aggression. These dogs are over anticipating and tracking their humans every move. They are always on alert, and feel the constant need to assess everything.

Helping dogs and their owners come back into healthy alignment when this relationship dynamic is in play is often a messy, uncomfortable process for both the human and the dog. We must be willing to help our dogs ride out the discomfort so that they can come out on the other side, and learn what if feels like to be calm. 

I use the Place command to help dogs realize that they can access a calm state of mind without needing to be in direct contact with their human at all times. It helps dogs learn how to self- soothe, and they find comfort in their own skin. I ask people to give their dogs a few hours of alone time in their crate throughout the day when they are home. Crate time gives the dog a chance to just relax, and it helps to break the cycle of reactivity, or stress loading behaviors such as pacing or patrolling a fence line. I also ask owners to cut way back on the amount of unearned affection and closeness being shared with their dogs. This is a tough one. Humans really struggle when I tell them to get their dog off the furniture or out of their bed.

What it comes down to though, is that you have to be willing to give up some of the things that make you feel good in order to help your dog become happier and healthier.

Are you willing to do this? To maybe dig deep and ask yourself if how you are living with your dog is really showing love, or rather setting him up for an unhealthy addiction to you.

Helping your dog practice The Art of Being Alone is by far one of the most loving things that you can do for him. It’s never too late to start living a better life with your dog.

Are you ready?

By Maggi Forootan – Lead and Love K9

www.leadandlovek9.com

One thing that a lot of my clients complain about is that their dog doesn’t listen to them, doesn’t come when called, and basically blows them off whenever they feel like it. Even people who have invested the time and energy into their dogs training often have this problem. Their dog knows all of the commands…sit, down, come, etc…as long as a cookie is involved. But take the cookie out of the equation, and it’s a whole different story…the dog is like “meh…I don’t feel like coming right now…I’ll get back to you on that.”

Why is this? Don’t our dogs want to please us? That’s a concept that people often throw around too. “He just wants to please!” Whenever I hear this I think “yes, he does want to please…himself!”

To better understand why this dynamic might be happening between dogs and their owners let’s take a peek into what daily life looks like for many pet dogs:

All day, every day, more than enough high quality, expensive food magically appears in a dish. With just a little pestering treats are handed out from the human Pez dispensers. Toys and chews are scattered throughout the house and yard, and when they get boring new ones constantly appear. Cushy $200 dog beds adorn every room, and praise, affection, love and belly rubs are never ending.

Is it any wonder that these dogs ignore their owners? Everything in life is free! Just like a spoiled trust-fund kid that knows that they never really have to work hard for anything in life, dogs gamble that blowing off their owners request is a safe bet.

Here’s another way to look at this: Imagine that your paycheck automatically showed up in your bank account every month whether you went to work and did your job or not. How motivated would you be to go to work and do a good job if all you had to do was sit on the couch eating Doritos, drinking beer, and playing video games?

One of the keys to success in dog training is motivation. To get a high level of success with your dog’s training, he must be motivated. When everything of value to your dog is free, there is a profound lack of motivation going on, and you, and your dog will struggle.

The good news is that by asking your dog to work for the things that he values, you gain the opportunity to create an awesome relationship with him. In fact I will go so far as to say that unless you ask your dog to work for you, you really have no meaningful relationship with him! Does it feel like you and your dog are just existing together rather than connecting? Does he look to you for guidance?

It’s not that hard to shift this dynamic. Have your dog run through a few obedience drills for his daily meals. Take 10 or 15 minutes to engage in a structured game of tug or fetch. Cut back a little on the freebies, and watch as your dog becomes more respectful and engaged.

No one likes a spoiled human, and no one wants a spoiled dog!

By Maggi Forootan – Lead And Love K9

www.leadandlovek9.com

I was at a party recently, and someone there knew I was a dog trainer so they started chatting me up about their dog. It happens a lot…I don’t mind : ) The interesting thing about our conversation was that I very quickly learned that this persons dog had quite the laundry list of bratty, entitled behavior going on. What was even more interesting was that Mr. Bratty Pants’ owner summed things up by saying “Oh well, that’s just who my dog is.” What I wanted to say, but didn’t (I have a rule about giving training advice unless directly asked), was NO! This isn’t who your dog is. It’s who he’s allowed to be!!

The unfortunate reality with many dog owners is that they don’t realize that they have the power to change the way their dog behaves. They just assume that the unwanted behavior is hardwired into their dog from birth, and it’s not. Most behavior, good and bad, is the result of some kind of reinforcement over time. Something practiced over and over becomes a habit. Here’s an example:

I like to take my dogs for a walk in the afternoon around 4pm. As part of our routine, I have my dog‘s go to their Place, lie down, and patiently wait for me to put their walking gear on. I’ve been consistently doing this for a while now and guess what? I always know when it’s around 4pm because my dogs now put themselves on Place and I find them patiently waiting for me!

Let’s consider another scenario: Every day at about 11:45am at Mr. Bratty Pants’ house, the mailman arrives. The instant Mr. B.P. hears the mail slot jiggle he launches into a cacophony of barking, and viciously attacks each piece of mail as it slips through the slot. Mr. Bratty Pants’ owner screams and yells at him every day. “NO, HEY STOP THAT, BAD DOG, NOOOOOO!” This same scene plays out the same way every day. Now, Mr. Bratty can hear the mailman coming from a block away. The signs of impending volcanic eruption are subtle…a low woof, and a bit of anxious pacing ensues. Then, EXPLOSION! Voila, a habit has been formed.

The unfortunate thing is that Mr. Bratty Pants’ owner doesn’t understand that he can stop the madness! He thinks his dog just hates mailmen. Or maybe he had a bad experience with a mailman in the past. Truth is he’s just been allowed to practice unstable, obnoxious behavior for so long that he’s become the worst version of himself.

Dogs that are a joy to live with aren’t born. They’re created by their human’s willingness to help them learn how to be. Whether its pushy brattyness, or fear and insecurity, it’s up to us as great dog owners to show them the way by not allowing them to stay stuck in habits that don’t let their true awesome selves shine.

Oh, and here’s another thing…the same is true for kids too : )

By Maggi Forootan – Lead and Love K9

www.leadandlovek9.com

This quote from my friend and mentor Sean O’Shea from The Good Dog Training and Rehabilitation inspired me to talk a little bit about something I encounter often when my clients are struggling with their dogs: Over protectiveness or guarding.

By nature, dogs can be territorial and protective of their resources. Their home turf, space, food, toys, and even affection and attention can become high value items. Some breeds are genetically predisposed to be more protective and guardy like German Shepard Dogs, Dobermans, and Rottweilers. It’s important to point out though that professionally trained protection dog’s wait for their owners to give them the go-ahead before any kind of protective behavior is initiated. They also willingly stand down when their owners ask them to.  The number one reason that dogs become over protective to the point of unwanted aggression is that there is a relationship problem between the dog and its humans. There is profound uncertainty in the dogs mind with regards to who’s running the show, and so the dog feels like he has to do something about it. This lack of believable leadership causes the dog to become nervous, stressed, and on edge about everything. Soon, the dog begins to feel like everything and everyone is a potential threat.

Most of the time when I encounter dogs that have become over protective they are living with well intending owners that share tons of love, praise, food, and affection with their dogs, but fall short when it comes to also providing rules, structure, and boundaries for them. Sometimes people tell me that their dog is spoiled and gets away with murder as if they think it’s funny, or cute.  If they only realized that spoiled dogs with issues are living with some level of psychological distress they might feel differently. Another interesting thing I hear from people is that they think it’s a sign of deep love and devotion when their dog guards them, or growls and lunges when people try to get close to them.  The truth is that this behavior has nothing to do with love, and everything to do with their dog seeing them as a resource rather than a respected leader that can be trusted.

If your dog is displaying over protective or guarding behaviors that are starting to escalate into acts of aggression, it’s time to take a look at the relationship dynamics you have going on with your dog, and up your leadership game. By doing so you will see your dog relax and let go of feeling like it’s his job to defend against whatever he feels might be a potential threat.

It’s our job as loving leaders to protect them, not their job to protect us.

By Maggi Forootan – Lead and Love K9

www.leadandlovek9.com

In today’s day and age, with all of the great information available about the value and importance of crate training your dog, I’m really surprised that I still get a fair amount of resistance from my clients when I stress that they must crate train their dog.

Where is this resistance coming from? There is zero evidence that crating your dog is harmful in any way; and there is tons of evidence and information out there about how valuable it is. When properly introduced, the crate can become one of your most important training tools.

Conversations I’ve had:

Client – “Maggi, help! I can’t house train my puppy”. “My 10k Persian rug is ruined.”

Me: – “Are you putting your puppy in his crate when you can’t watch him?”

Client: “No, I feel bad. He looks so sad in there.”

**********

Client – “My dog ate my son’s socks and had to have an emergency surgery. It cost me $4,000!”

Me – “You need to crate your dog if you can’t watch him or it will be expensive for you, and painful for him.”

*********

Client – “My dog ate a whole box of chocolates and died.”

Me – “I’m so sorry.”

People feel guilty about putting their dog in a crate. Maybe it’s those sad animal shelter commercials showing dogs that look sad or scared in cages, or behind bars. Don’t be manipulated.

The truth is that dogs are by nature denning animals. I’ve often observed dogs seek out places in their homes that resemble an enclosed area to rest, such as under tables or behind furniture. Feral dogs will often take refuge under bushes, or dig holes to sleep in.

What trips most people up though is that in the beginning stages of crate training some dogs will protest…loudly. If you take the time to properly introduce your dog to the crate, and have a little patience, his stress and resistance to the crate will be minimal. Sometimes you have to power through the tantrums and resist the urge to let the dog out just because he’s throwing a little fit, just like you sometimes have to resist the urge to always pick up the crying baby.

There are so many reasons that training your dog to be comfortable in his crate is important. I think one of the big ones is that there may come a time in your dog’s life when he has to be crated due to illness or injury. If this were to happen, it will be so much less stressful for your dog, and for you, if he’s already acclimated to being in his crate. Another thing to consider is that crate time for you dog is a way to provide him with a balanced state of mind. All dogs, and especially puppies, need periods of rest to stay mentally healthy.

I firmly believe that crate training should be a mandatory part of any good training plan. If you’re struggling with crate training your dog, reach out for help. It’s not as difficult as you might think.

Don’t hate the crate!

By Maggi Forootan – Lead and Love K9

www.leadandlovek9.com

This is a true story. The names of those actually involved other than myself have been changed.

Today was a sad day.

Come with me as I take you on the journey of Sunny.

Little Sunny was rescued at three months old from a horribly neglectful situation. Left in a crate with her siblings for days on end, forced to lie in her own feces and starved. Thankfully a rescue organization stepped in and saved Sunny. She was underweight, and severely dehydrated. The rescue group got Sunny the veterinary care she needed, and then placed her in a foster home. She healed and grew stronger by the day.

Sunny’s foster mom Jill was kind and loving. She dutifully nursed Sunny back to health, and gave her the love and attention that she desperately needed. Jill felt really bad for Sunny, and allowed her to spend her days wrapped in a blanket while Jill cuddled and coddled her. Babying Sunny made Jill feel really good. She had literally saved Sunny’s life, and she felt that this sweet puppy deserved the lavish attention and love that she didn’t get in her tough start in life. As Sunny healed and got stronger, she started to become more assertive and demanding of her foster moms time and affection. Because Jill felt so bad about Sunny’s past, she gladly obliged her every whim. Sunny had few rules and boundaries in her foster home. Jill felt bad about correcting her for any transgression because she had come from such a sad situation. She gave Sunny total freedom, and thought that love, affection, freedom, food, toys, and cuddling were going to help Sunny grow up to be a happy, well adjusted, little dog.

Unfortunately, this was not the case. Sunny began getting bossy with the other dogs in her foster home. If she didn’t get her way she became pushy and a little aggressive. She even bit Jill when she tried to move her off the furniture, and struggled with her housetraining because Jill felt bad about crating her when she couldn’t keep an eye on her.

It was a happy day at the rescue organization when Sunny finally got adopted! It seemed that Sunny was finally going to get a chance to live a great life with a loving family. A few days later, she was returned to the rescue because her behavior was so bad. She bit multiple family members in her new home which included children. Her new adoptive family decided that they couldn’t keep her, and returned her to the rescue.

Sunny came back into rescue with her foster mom Jill, and was adopted by another family just a few weeks later, only to be returned a second time due to aggression and potty training issues.

I was contacted by the rescue to do an evaluation on Sunny to determine what was going on with her, and assess her aggression. During my evaluation she tried to bite me multiple times, growled and lunged at my dog trying to attack him, and was a nervous wreck on a walk…barking and lunging at people and other dogs.

I had no other choice than to conclude that without a full rehabilitation program, Sunny was un-adoptable due to severe aggression. Rescue organizations can be held liable if they place dogs with known bite histories in adoptive homes, and the adopter is then injured by the dog. Sunny was then evaluated a second time by a veterinarian, and he too agreed that Sunny was un-adoptable.

At the age of 6 months old Sunny was euthanized due to her aggression.

I am telling Sunny’s story not to criticize, or attack Jill. She has a big heart, and only wanted to help Sunny. But Jill’s emotional attachment to Sunny’s sad story, along with an overabundance of affection, love, cuddling, and babying; and a lack of rules, guidance, leadership and training, led to Sunny’s death. Jill had unwittingly kept Sunny locked in an insecure state of mind, and allowed her to become so unstable that she figured out that using her teeth on people was the best way to deal with things she disagreed with, or was unsure about.

Yes, dogs need love, but they need leadership more. They need to understand that to live with us successfully in our human world there are rules that they must follow. Currently in America, approximately four million dog per year die in the shelter system. Many of them are dumped at the shelter due to bad behavior…jumping on people, biting, destroying property, and out of control brattyness. It doesn’t have to be this way.

Share your love for your dog through leadership and guidance, and think about whether or not constant love, affection, and spoiling are really helping him, or just making you feel good.

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.