Walking your reactive dog: Getting out of trouble
Nov 06, 2020
Each week in our Facebook group for parents of fearful and reactive dogs, we host a Facebook live Q&A session. A few months ago we talked about what to do when you’re walking your reactive dog, and they start to lunge and bark. During this session we reviewed our video on “What to do if your Dog is Reacting”, and got into the details of implementation.
If you’re struggling with responding in a productive way when your dog reacts, keep in mind that you need: 1) Good leash handling skills; 2) The right equipment; and 3) LOTS of practice. Practice turning and going the other way, while cheering your dog to follow you, many, many times when there are no distractions nearby. Going through these motions should feel almost like an automatic habit before you can expect yourself to do it well in a stressful situation.
We know not everyone is on Facebook, so we’ll make a portion of these discussions available here on our blog from time to time. We’d love to hear from you: What is your favorite, most successful strategy for avoiding or getting out of trouble when you’re walking your reactive dog?
Questions about the right gear for your dog? Or are you struggling with fitting the equipment you have properly? We’d love to field your questions in our free Fearful and Reactive Dog Support Community on Facebook or by email at [email protected].
If you're looking for a structured plan for training your reactive dog, check out our self-paced online class, the Reactive Dog Survival Guide.
