Alexandria, VA – Does your dog lunge and bark at other dogs during walks? Do they react to triggers like cars, people, or loud noises? Are they on high alert and unresponsive to your cues to calm down or change direction? Alexandria is a very dog-friendly community. Dogs are everywhere and come out of nowhere, which makes walking a reactive dog very challenging. As we explore what creates these difficulties, it’s important to understand the concept of threshold.
What is a threshold? Think of a threshold between a doorway separating two rooms. When your dog is on one side of the threshold, they can take direction and process information. But when they cross over that threshold into the other room, they basically lose their mind. Unfortunately, the more they go “over threshold,” the more they will display these behaviors. Dogs do whatever works for them until they’re trained to do something else.
Reactivity has many forms, and a reactive dog isn’t always aggressive. These behaviors might look aggressive but often come from fear, frustration, or excitement. Understanding the triggers that cause dogs to go over threshold is essential for keeping them below it. Some common body language signals that indicate trouble is brewing are yawns, lip licking, panting, tight mouth, and intense gaze or tense body language.
To keep your dog from practicing this behavior and reduce these triggers in a dog-friendly, urban environment, start by identifying your dog’s specific triggers, managing their exposure to them, and rewarding calm behavior whenever they encounter potential triggers.
In general, the best ways to limit or eliminate exposure to triggers are to:
- Increase the DISTANCE between your dog and the trigger.
- Decrease the INTENSITY by taking your dog for walks in a quieter environment, such as visiting a quiet park area during off-hours.
- Decrease the DURATION of exposure by moving away and changing direction.
You may hear the term D&CC. Desensitization involves gradual exposure to a trigger or scary thing, starting at a very low level and slowly increasing. At each step, your dog should feel happy and comfortable. If not, you’ve gone too far, too quickly. This is how we build coping skills. Counter conditioning means creating a new, positive association with the trigger. Instead of your dog linking the trigger with something bad, they learn that the trigger predicts something good is coming.
It takes time, effort, and patience, but your dog can learn to respond differently to triggers. Finding a certified trainer with extensive experience in reactivity is essential. Remember that using a prong or shock collar on a reactive dog does not change your dog’s feelings; it only suppresses behaviors.
Being able to change your dog’s emotional response to triggers also involves management, such as leash techniques that teach you how to turn your dog away from the trigger without you pulling them. Bringing high-value reinforcers on every walk will give you a better chance at getting your dog’s attention before they go over threshold.
Start by teaching your dogs to focus their attention on you, while you work on changing their emotional state and response—from reacting to observing—and making positive connections with the world around them. At the same time, keeping your dog under threshold will help prevent them from rehearsing the unwanted behaviors. Soon, you’ll find yourself enjoying walks with your dog rather than dreading them.
Sandy Modell, CPDT-KA, is the Founder, Owner, and Head of Training of Wholistic Hound Academy. Visit www.wholistichound.com to learn more. Find them on Facebook and Instagram @wholistichound.
