About 7 years ago, I moved from a suburban-rural area into New York City with my dogs. My pup Charlotte was generally a little anxious. I know I’m really good at what I do, but suddenly I now had a dog that barked and lunged at other dogs while walking down the street. I was struggling so much with the appearance of Charlotte’s behavior that I didn’t wear company branded clothes for the first month I lived in the city. A dog trainer with a “bad” dog… who would hire that person?! I was able to empathize with my urban clients about all that it takes to support an anxious dog outside.
Unfortunately for many dog owners, reactivity is a common behavior issue. While this article is focused on dog-dog on leash reactivity, dogs can be reactive to all sorts of things. Some bark and lunge at moving objects like trucks and scooters. Sometimes they react towards joggers, or people holding bags or walking with canes. Here at Behavior Vets, we work with many pups who struggle around kids, loud noises, and sudden bursts of activity.
What is reactivity?
Reactivity is an overreaction to external stimuli. A common display of reactivity is barking and lunging. Dogs may be reactive to people, animals, other dogs, noises, movement, or any combination of the above. Essentially, it is a reaction to something that is upsetting to your dog.
Why are dogs reactive?
Dogs can be reactive towards other dogs for many reasons.
Fear
Some fear or dislike other dogs because they had a bad experience or were under-socialized when younger (lacked positive experiences with other dogs). These dogs are barking and lunging to keep other dogs away.
Frustration
Some dogs LOVE other dogs, but are restricted by their leash and can’t do what they desperately want: to run over to greet and play. So, they bark and lunge out of frustration. These dogs tend to do well with dogs in off leash situations. This was Charlotte. The leash prevented her from moving forward, and when she couldn’t move forward towards other dogs, she would bark and lunge.
Learning History
Dogs, like every living being on this planet, do what works! Past consequence motivates present behavior. Dogs repeat behaviors that lead to positive consequences, be that the avoidance of something unpleasant or the acquisition of something awesome. Dogs DO NOT do things out of spite–they DO NOT work against their own self-interest.
So how do you help a reactive dog? Let’s start with management.
It’s a Jungle Out There!
explain the importance of management in a behavior modification
program: allowing a dog to practice behavior that you are trying to change is
like pouring water into a bucket with holes. Management is important because
it helps to create an environment in which the dog has little or no opportunity to
practice the behavior you want to change. Otherwise it’s like taking three steps
forward and two steps back. If I continued to put Charlotte in situations where
she would bark and lunge, she was only getting better at barking and lunging.
Management in this case meant doing my best to avoid or minimize situations
where Charlotte was able to practice barking and lunging. I have a human
example as well. A decade ago, I had a friend who wanted to quit smoking but
was struggling to do so. This was during the time when people could still smoke
in bars and restaurants that had smoking sections. After a few failed attempts,
he realized why he was having such a hard time–he kept hanging out around
people who were smoking. For three months, he avoided public areas and
parties so he wouldn’t be tempted to pick up a cigarette.
while walking Charlotte. There were groups of kids running down the sidewalk,
dogs pulling on their retractable leashes stretched out like tripwire, scooters
zooming by, and people stopping abruptly to text on their phones. It’s a lot to
twenties. The instructor lectured us on how to be careful driving and avoid
getting into accidents. Isn’t that exactly what I was doing that day when I was
walking Charlotte and Tricky around the neighborhood? I was maneuvering my
dogs through the sidewalks, constantly aware of the environment. It was my job
to avoid situations that could trigger a reaction from Charlotte. I was practicing
Defensive Driving on the sidewalks of the city.
focusing on me. Foundation handling exercises helped Charlotte move with me
like a dance partner. These skills helped me weave Charlotte through foot
traffic and re-position her to avoid dogs as best as possible on the streets of
New York. We practiced these games all of the time in the park and on walks,
even if there wasn’t another dog present. That way, Charlotte and I were skilled
at executing the maneuver when we needed it. Practice makes perfect!
Between the congestion of people, the noise level, and the smaller living space,
you Never Know What’s Around the Corner…no kidding! I used to dread turning
the corner of a building. Charlotte and I had been ambushed a number of times
by another dog, and the encounter always sent Charlotte into a frenzy. It was
even worse if the other dog, like Charlotte, wasn’t good with dogs. The problem
with corners is that there is no opportunity to gauge distance because when you
turn, the other dog could be suddenly upon you!
if a dog was coming, I was ready and could redirect Charlotte’s attention or turn
around. The second thing I did was teach Charlotte to tuck in next to me in a
heel position, with my body acting as a barrier between her and the other dog.
from the trigger. The idea is to create more distance between your dog and
other dogs. Life is full of surprises, especially when you have a reactive dog. You
never know what’s around the corner, literally. These techniques will help you
manage your dog in those situations.
Here is what we like to use:
● Emergency U-Turn- About turn, away from another dog
● Face Front – You call the dog to face you, so their back is to the trigger
● Switchback – The dog moves from one side to the other, so that your body acts
like a barrier.
Now You See Him, Now You Don’t!
Sometimes I chose to avoid passing another dog because we didn’t have
enough space between the dog and Charlotte to navigate successfully. I weaved
in and around cars parked on the street to use parked cars as a visual barrier.
When doing this, be wary of oncoming traffic and keep your dog between you
and the parked car.
The Human Barrier
cued Charlotte to switch to the side of my body farthest away from the dog so I
could be a physical barrier. This technique wasn’t always 100% successful
because of the lack of space between Charlotte and the other dog, but it
definitely decreased her tension. Having other dogs in close proximity is a big
deal for reactive dogs. By placing myself between Charlotte and the other dog, I
was able to reduce some of that pressure. Adding a verbal cue made it easy for
me to tell her to switch sides, and made the behavior a fun game (the
Switchback game!). After all, every behavior you teach your pup should be as
fun as a trick!
Magnet Technique
Human Barrier. The intention of this skill is to lure your dog BETWEEN spaces
when your dog’s triggering stimulus is unavoidable. If your dog gets upset every
time he sees a dog, you can use this technique to move through the lobby of
your apartment. This helps your dog keep their focus on you when passing
other dogs in tight spaces. The objective is to have your dog maintain contact
with your hand holding the treat, nibbling the treat, and following your hand as
you move. The treat in your hand acts like a magnet to your dog’s nose.
Dogs = Meatballs
Back in our high school days when we were first introduced to the subject of
psychology, we learned about the famous Pavlov dog experiments. In 1927,
physiologist Ivan Pavlov was studying digestion when he noticed a response that
led to his breakthrough work in psychology. He found that when he rang a bell each time before he fed his dogs, after a while, the dogs began to salivate as soon as they heard the bell, even if they were not fed afterwards. Pavlov’s profound discovery became the foundation of behavior modification and dog training.
Initially, Charlotte would see other dogs and bark and lunge towards them. In
order to change behavior for the long term, I had to get to the source.
Charlotte’s past experiences of getting to play with other dogs likely led to her
feeling frustrated, at which point she barked and pulled? It’s a nice mix of both
explanations. Then, Instead of frustration I wanted Charlotte to feel happy and
relaxed. Food was the vehicle I used to create that happy emotional state. After
a number of months, when Charlotte saw another dog, she likely thought,
“Meatballs!”
that came up, requiring me to adjust. I learned the nuances in her behavior and
understood her threshold better over time. The explanation of how I worked
with her has been broken down for the purpose of this blog, but is in no way a
complete plan.
prefers a different food to pair with dogs. You may need to regularly switch up
the food you offer. You may need to keep your pup much farther away than I
had to with Charlotte, or you may be able to work at a closer range to other
pups. This is why I highly recommend working with a behavior professional.
Someone with years of experience applying gentle, evidence-based training
techniques will help your dog’s behavior improve while helping you feel better
about walks.
Behavior Vets is offering a Worry Less, Wag More on-demand class aimed at providing solutions to some of your dog’s problems. Sign up here!
After this you will learn how to:
-
- Be calmer and more cooperative in the face of triggers.
- Be more responsive to you in distracting environments.
- Have a faster recovery time after being triggered.
- Have fewer and less intense reactions to triggers.
- Be easier to take around town.
To get you started, or to help you stay on track, your Behavior Consultant can also coach you virtually. If you are not already sharing videos and tracking sheets with your professional, ask them to get you started. We have virtual coaching packages and online training classes that you can follow at your own pace.
To get started with our tele-training classes either email us at nyc@behaviorvets.com or call us at 646-661-1001. We look forward to seeing you online.