Reactive Dogs and Walking| Why It’s A Bad Idea And What To Do Instead

Is walking a reactive dog in their best interest?

Reactive dogs bark, snap, lunge or growl when pushed beyond their threshold. By “threshold”, we mean what your dog can comfortably handle.

Most dogs when they react like this, they’re asking for space. A reactive dog is saying, in their own way, “please give me some space” or “I’m uncomfortable, please stay away”.

For some dogs, they will be pushed past their threshold when they’re on a lead and they see another dog as far away as a football field. For others, it’s another dog on the same side of the street, but just a few metres away.

In this blog article, we’re talking about reactive dogs – dogs that overreact to certain triggers or stimuli in their environment, for example being on a leash in public (called “leash reactivity”).

Walking leash reactive dogs

We know the challenges and struggles of walking a leash reactive dog. We really do.

You have a dog that’s leash reactive. It’s been drilled into you that you must walk your dog every day. You are racked with guilt when you don’t walk them.

You walk your dog as instructed. You’re anxious. Your dog goes through bouts of reactivity on EVERY walk. They lunge, bark, snap or growl at people, other dogs, noises, other animals (like cats), EVERYTHING. If you see another dog or person, you quickly cross the street and pray you can pass them quickly without setting your dog off.

Strangers shoot you looks, and you know what they’re thinking – “why can’t they control their dog?”. Your heart sinks. Maybe you flash them a smile and say something like, “I’m sorry, we’re working on it”.

You finally get home. You and your dog are feeling deflated, frustrated and angry.

How did that help anyone?

Now, listen carefully. We’re not saying that if you own a leash reactive dog you have a free pass to never exercise your dog again.

Whether you own a reactive dog or not, it is your responsibility to provide your dog with enough physical and mental stimulation.

But there are many activities that are far more productive for some leash reactive dogs than walking them. The key is to get creative and to discover what your dog loves to do.

Here are a few suggestions.

Games

Smelling games are a great way to provide entertainment, mental stimulation and enrichment for your dog. Play a game of “hide and sniff” with your dog. Get their favourite toy or food treat and hide it around the house or yard. Challenge them to “find it!”. When they find their toy or food treat, give them a reward. Change it up by using different scents or toys.

Hiking

If it’s possible to get into nature with your dog, then do it. Hiking trails provide a different experience for your dog. They need to concentrate on where to put their feet, they must deal with different textures under their feet (for example rocks, sand and dirt) and their noses will run wild. Let them stop and sniff every now-and-then, if they want to.

Always obey leash laws. Keep them leashed to keep them safe.

Swimming

If your dog likes to swim, then swimming has many benefits.

Swimming gets your dog’s brain working. It safely relieves stress. It works different muscle groups. Throwing toys into the water for your dog to fetch can enhance the experience for your dog.

Make sure you take your dog to a place where the risk of running into other triggers is low. Please do not take your reactive dog to an off-leash beach or swimming area during peak times.

Final thoughts

Be kind to yourself and your dog. Owning a reactive dog is challenging. It’s stressful. It’s hard work sometimes. But owning a reactive dog also changes your life. We promise it gets better with training and management. Don’t forget the awesome snuggles and good times.

Please don’t beat yourself up for not taking your leash reactive dog for walk. Walking a leash reactive dog can sometime cause more harm than good. Instead, get creative with your exercise options. Discover what your dog loves to do. You know your dog best.

If your dog suffers from any kind of reactivity, then seek help from a positive dog behaviourist. They are on your side and they aren’t going to pass judgement. A decent dog behaviourist is committed to seeing you and your dog succeed.

We offer one-on-one or private training and consultations for reactive dogs. Contact us today to discuss your dog and your dog’s needs. We would love to help you out.

Dog trainers | Stress and our responsibility as dog guardians

Dog Trainers insight into canine stress

As dog trainers one of the biggest contributing factors to negative behaviours in dogs we see is that they are simply experiencing stress. It is our responsibility as guardians to set our dogs up to succeed in life and to do as much as possible to prevent stress in our dog’s life. This includes exposing them from an early age to multiple positive experiences so that the puppy develops into a resilient dog. Ensure that you are mindfully aware that they are getting the care and attention they need. It’s about reducing stressors from their environment and, if possible, turning them into a positive experience. It’s about getting to know and listening to your dog’s body language and communication attempts. If your dog is stressed then take them away from what is stressing them.

What causes stress in dogs?

Stress is defined as a response created by something physical, social, emotional or other. Not all stress is a bad thing. Stress is necessary to push boundaries and promote growth and development. What creates a negative stress reaction in a dog comes down to that individual dog and what their life experience is. Dogs who have not been well socialised at a young age to many noises, smells, animals, dogs, people and environments are more likely to experience distress more often. Common stressors in dogs are the presence of other dogs, people and loud noises like storms and fireworks. Distress can also be experienced by the absence of the people and dogs who the dog is bonded to. Certain environments like the vets can also cause distress. Speaking more broadly, stress is caused when the dogs needs are not being met.

Stress creates a complex physiological reaction. This reaction is the body’s way of protecting the dog and creating survival mode. This is the work of the sympathetic nervous system, which is the system that is responsible for the fight or flight syndrome. The next response is initiated by the hypothalamus which releases adrenaline and cortisol that creates a negative feedback loop. The level of stressor the dog has experienced determines how long it takes for the adrenaline and cortisol to clear. This can be between 48 hours and 6 days. The physical signs of stress can include excessive shedding of fur, lip licking, panting, yawning and pacing or trembling.

What does stress do to a dog’s behaviour?

Behavioural changes in a dog are the dog’s attempt to communicate that they are stressed and avoid the stressor. The early signs of stress usually are displacement behaviours. This can include looking away or moving away from what is stressing them. Another displacement behaviour is sniffing the ground when there does not appear to be something to sniff. They may also use the physical signs as a calming or appeasement behaviour. If that has not been successful, their behaviour and attempts to communicate will then usually escalate to behaviours that are attempting to make the stressor go away which can include vocalisations like growling, snarling, barking and snapping and lunging.

Fur Get Me Not are qualified dog trainers and we can individualise a coaching plan to help address any stress in your dog by using a variety of positive reinforcement based techniques to build the dog’s resilience and train them to respond rather than react. To read more about our dog trainers click here.