The caller was frustrated.
She has a reactive dog and yet people on walks won't give her and her pet the personal space needed to keep everyone safe.
As Dog Gone Problems’ primary dog behaviorist, I have fixed more than 4,000 dog problems over the last decade. Many of them were related to dog walking and dog reactivity, so it’s safe to say I’ve seen my share of issues.
Here is my list of dog walking do’s and don’ts:
Do not approach an unknown dog until you know it’s OK. Not all dogs like meeting new people or dogs. Often these dogs are only reactive when people or dogs get too close, which leads to tip No. 2.
Respect space. People with reactive dogs will often cross the street or turn around when they see another dog or person. If you notice a dog walker avoiding you, it’s likely intentional and they are trying to avoid their dog having an outburst. Don’t try to get close or follow them.
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Always ask if you can meet or pet an unknown dog. Just because your dog likes people or getting petted doesn’t mean an unknown dog will feel the same way. Most people like hugs but don't like hugs from random strangers.
Be polite. Many of the things we do when greeting another human are considered rude or confrontational to dogs:
• Direct eye contact from a stranger can be considered a challenge to a dog. Tip: Avoid making extended direct eye contact with new dogs.
• Front facing approaches are considered confrontational to dogs. Tip: Inviting a dog to approach you or turning sideways when meeting is better.
• Leaning over a dog is considered “intimidating.” Tip: Kneeling or crouching down with the dog on your side is more approachable.
• Starting to pet a dog on top of its head is considered dominance. Tip: Dogs prefer when pets start under their chin or on their chest
Know cut off signals. Just like humans, dogs offer subtle cut off signals to say no or when they want more space. Knowing what they are and responding accordingly when you see them makes a big difference.
Be passive. When a dog comes to sniff, humans have a tendency to reciprocate with a pet. While many dogs like being petted, fearful or anxious dogs don't until they are comfortable with you.
When meeting a fearful, shy or anxious dog who approaches you, the best thing to do is hold still and not move, even to pet. Let the dog sniff you and walk away before you hold out your hand (nose level) to see if the dog is interested in being petted. If it touches your hand with its nose, it's interested. If it doesn’t touch your hand or turns away, it isn’t. Respect their wishes.
Let them sniff! Dogs are scent animals. Sniffing is a normal behavior that is also calming, confidence-building, informative and enjoyable for dogs. I always tell my clients that on walks to let your dog sniff as long as it’s safe to do. Pulling a dog away from what they are sniffing is the human equivalent to someone turning off the TV while you are watching it.
And here is a secret about dog sniffing. Dogs burn almost twice as much energy on a walk where they sniff than on walks without sniffing. So as my Dog Training colleague Lydia tells her clients and puppy class parents, “take your dog out for sniffari’s!”
Exercise before the walk. If you have a high energy dog, playing a short game of fetch, tug of war or scent games like Cookie in the Corner before the walk can really help.
Burning off that top level energy that causes the most pulling or reactivity can be a game changer. Just make sure your dog gets 10 minutes of rest before you start the actual walk.
Practice before you need it. If you have a reactive dog, teaching the Find it Away game and practicing U-turns when no dogs are around sets you and your dog up for success if you see things they may not like. The more you move your dog away from things it doesn’t like, the more relaxed they become on walks.
Don’t pull back. If your dog pulls on the leash and you pull or pop the leash back to tell the dog “no,” you will actually make the dog more likely to pull. Dogs have an opposition response (programed to pull or push back when they feel pressure) so pulling back works against you.
Listen and respond. If your dog barks or lunges at another dog, it’s saying “that dog is too close,” “I feel uncomfortable,” or “I disagree.” If you told your partner one of those thing and their response was to tell you to “shut up,” not only would that not help you feel better, you are more likely to say it again louder.
The best and only appropriate action to take when a dog barks, growls or lunges is to move them away from what they are reacting to. Yelling, jerking the leash or spanking will only make it worse. Increasing the distance solves the problem. So be your dog’s problem solver and call or pull them away and avoid punishing them. Speaking of punishment…
More and more municipalities are banning dogs from all parks due to people not picking up their dog’s waste. If your dog does its business on a walk, pick it up so your neighbor doesn’t have to clean up after your dog.
Don’t over do it. Since dogs sleep so much (12 to 17 hours a day depending on size and breed), it’s best to exercise them more frequently than one long walk.
Pay attention to your dog. Does it start lagging behind at a certain point on your walk? Older dogs, dogs with mobility issues or shorter legs may not need as long of a walk. More frequent shorter walks are better for burning energy and providing your dog with something they enjoy.
Don’t use aversive tools. Some people use choke chains, pinch collars or shock collars to punish their dog for pulling on the leash instead of training it to walk with a loose leash. As a dog behavior expert let me be perfectly clear — there is no training tool that stops dogs from pulling on the leash. That is called training.
I’m sure most of these people just want the pulling to stop and aren’t trying to hurt their dog, but that is exactly what those tools do.
While these tools sometimes stop or reduce the pulling behavior by causing pain or discomfort, the results are usually temporary. But worse, they will cause your dog to build a negative association with things that are nearby or they are looking at when the pain is applied. Multiple studies show these tools cause the dog’s body to start releasing cortisol, the stress hormone, into your dog’s blood making them more anxious and nervous.
If you have a fearful or reactive dog, choke chains, pinch collars or shock collars are some of the worst tools you can use.
I have a list of more than 100 clients whose dogs are now human or dog aggressive after using those punishment based devices. It doesn’t happen overnight, but repeated use can trigger a countless number of dog behavior problems.
If you want your dog to walk with you, do what you would expect for yourself in a new activity: teach them HOW to walk with a loose leash.
We don’t punish people for mistakes about things they weren’t taught. I promise you, if you teach your dog what you want using positive training methods, you will end up with a dog who WANTS to walk with you, not fears a punishment.
Reward what you like. When your dog is walking next to you (where you want) say your marker and then pet or reward them. If your dog is reactive and walks by or looks at another dog or person without reacting, say your marker word and give them a treat or pet.
The more attention and reward you give a dog for desired behaviors, the more the dog will offer them. So celebrate the things your dog does that you like and avoid situations that cause your dog to react.
Hopefully these tips help you and your dog have amazing walks.
Remember to let your dog sniff, be respectful, walk shorter but more often, use pain free tools and seek the help of a positive-based trainer if you want to teach your dog to stop pulling on the leash.
Good luck and remember, everything you do trains your dog — only sometimes you mean it.
Find videos of many of the games and training techniques mentioned in this article on Dog Gone Problems' YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@doggoneproblemsvideos.