I’ve talked about managing reactivity before but since SO MANY people struggle with this, I feel it’s worth talking about again.
It’s important to remember that reactivity is a response mechanism to triggers that lead to overstimulation and excitement. And just like us, dogs react to their environment.
You really need to focus on keeping your dog out of the situation that triggers them and build their confidence and ability to cope with the stress so they trust in us to not put them in these situations that they cannot handle. By them trusting you and having that confidence, eventually you can (not always, depends on the dog and person) work to make that trigger better.
It’s also important to note that fixing reactivity is not guaranteed. Managing and fixing are two different things
Where we may not be able to completely “fix” your dogs reactivity, we can teach them alternative responses to these triggers so eventually you can do the desired things without all hell breaking loose (in most cases.) This may not “cure” them but will significantly help manage the situation and prevent the situation from escalating out of control.
A few things I recommend if a situation sneaks up:
⚙️ Get the heck out of dodge.. Do not stop and train, just go! Typically by the time you realize there is a problem,they are at the point of over stimulation and do not care about what you say.
⚙️When you have created enough space, redirect their focus with treats. The goal is to keep them from fixating on the trigger.
⚙️If your dog is still to worked up to continue the walk, make your way back home and allow your dog to calm down (sniffing, chewing etc. is great for this). Use this time to think about what went wrong and recognize the cues and environmental situations you missed that may have caused the triggers.
Remember, a reactive dog does not mean your dog is a bad dog or an aggressive dog.. they are just a little misunderstood! Don’t give up on your pal. I understand the situation is stressful for you (and them). Instead of expecting them to fit into society’s view on how they should act and until we can safely (hopefully)help them cope with these big feelings, we simply need to not put them into situations where they feel the need to react….AND we need to understand that not every dog can be “fixed.”
One of the BEST things I was ever taught and continue to preach to my people is to train the dog you have not the dog you want, or the dog you have will never be the one you want #truth
Lastly, HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!!
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