Leash Logic LLC

Do you have a Canine Good Citizen? Join me on September 14, when I will be administering Canine Good Citizen and AKC Trick Dog tests!

Happy Howlidays!

It’s Okay—Let’s Talk About Your Reactive Dog!

I’m here to tell you it’s okay, you don’t have to feel ashamed. You don’t have to hide away with embarrassment and feel guilty because your loved one screams obscenities at strangers in public. It’s not your fault. But there are ways to cope and manage the behavior.
No, I’m not talking about your spouse, children, or in-laws. I’m talking about your dog. Your REACTIVE dog.
Many owners have dogs that bark, lunge, growl, and just generally lose their minds when they see a certain stimulus when out on a leash walk. The trigger could be another dog, an unknown person, or a strange object, whatever. Different dogs act out for different reasons; for some, it could be fear, while for others, frustrated enthusiasm.
I generally urge owners not to focus too much on the reason why. It’s too easy to start making excuses for the dog’s behavior if you fall into the trap of feeling overly sympathetic to the motivation. Whatever the reason, the way you handle the situation is largely unchanged.
Things to keep in mind
-It’s not your fault that the dog reacts. Don’t feel guilty or embarrassed.
-The #1 rule is that the dog is not allowed to look at the thing that overstimulates him.
-Have a plan and stick to it. Realize that things will not always go smoothly. Forget about what went wrong and do what you must do in the moment to get back on track. Stick with the plan.
-He is overstimulated because he has too much emotion (fear, excitement, etc.) and he doesn’t know how to deal with that emotion in a way that is acceptable to humans. You must teach him that his best response when he feels overwhelmed is to look at you.
-If he looks at you, he is rewarded. Looking at you is safe and rewarding. He must believe you have the situation under control. You must enforce this and help him be right so you can reward. You are not a meanie for enforcing this.
-Remember to keep moving. Your dog cannot be walking briskly with attention on you and lunging at another dog simultaneously. These events are physically incompatible.
-Pay attention to your dog’s body language. Dogs are pretty transparent, and they will signal their intentions very clearly. Look at this image of the black dog from my bathroom wallpaper—does he look relaxed to you? Every time I see this dog, I want to redirect his attention to me!!

The Quietly Changing Consensus on Neutering Dogs

Leash Logic has been very busy with our new puppy, Ruby, who joined us after the holidays!

While new puppies are a lot of fun, they will also keep you on your toes. The easiest way to survive this initial period with your sanity (and rugs and furniture) intact is to make use of gates , crates, and ex pens.

Whenever your puppy is not under direct supervision, she needs to be contained in a safe environment. Puppies have a lot of energy, are naturally curious, and put their mouths on everything as they explore their worlds it only takes a moment for them to get into something that could be dangerous for them!

We start by setting up the area of the house where we spend the most time. Use baby gates to close off doorways, and set up an exercise pen. The exercise pen is of great use to safely stow your puppy for a few minutes (after she’s had a trip outside to potty) while you attend to a task. We also leave lots of safe puppy chew toys scattered around this room to help the puppy make good chewing choices!

Sometimes it’s appropriate to keep your puppy with you as you go about your household chores, and for that we use the umbilical cord method. This involves clipping your puppy’s leash to your waist, so your pup must follow where you go, but your hands are free. Great for doing the dishes, laundry, changing the sheets, whatever! It’s a passive way to reinforce your pup’s idea that she’s part of the household pack and that you’re the pack leader. Plus, it keeps them out of trouble!

I’m not forgetting about crates, but that is so important that it will be it’s own post.