Management in this case meant doing my best to avoid or minimize situations She would bark and lunge, she was only getting better at barking and lunging. If I continued to put Charlotte in situations where Otherwise it’s like taking three stepsįorward and two steps back. Practice the behavior you want to change. It helps to create an environment in which the dog has little or no opportunity to Like pouring water into a bucket with holes. Program: allowing a dog to practice behavior that you are trying to change is While attending a behavior seminar last year, I heard a very clever metaphor toĮxplain the importance of management in a behavior modification So how do you help a reactive dog? Let’s start with management. Dogs DO NOT do things out of spite–they DO NOT work against their own self-interest. Dogs repeat behaviors that lead to positive consequences, be that the avoidance of something unpleasant or the acquisition of something awesome. Learning Historyĭogs, like every living being on this planet, do what works! Past consequence motivates present behavior. The leash prevented her from moving forward, and when she couldn’t move forward towards other dogs, she would bark and lunge. These dogs tend to do well with dogs in off leash situations. This was Charlotte. So, they bark and lunge out of frustration. Some dogs LOVE other dogs, but are restricted by their leash and can’t do what they desperately want: to run over to greet and play. These dogs are barking and lunging to keep other dogs away. Some fear or dislike other dogs because they had a bad experience or were under-socialized when younger (lacked positive experiences with other dogs). Essentially, it is a reaction to something that is upsetting to your dog.ĭogs can be reactive towards other dogs for many reasons.
Dogs may be reactive to people, animals, other dogs, noises, movement, or any combination of the above. A common display of reactivity is barking and lunging. Reactivity is an overreaction to external stimuli. Here at Behavior Vets, we work with many pups who struggle around kids, loud noises, and sudden bursts of activity. Sometimes they react towards joggers, or people holding bags or walking with canes. Some bark and lunge at moving objects like trucks and scooters. Unfortunately for many dog owners, reactivity is a common behavior issue. While this article is focused on dog-dog on leash reactivity, dogs can be reactive to all sorts of things. A dog trainer with a “bad” dog… who would hire that person?! I was able to empathize with my urban clients about all that it takes to support an anxious dog outside. I was struggling so much with the appearance of Charlotte’s behavior that I didn’t wear company branded clothes for the first month I lived in the city. I know I’m really good at what I do, but suddenly I now had a dog that barked and lunged at other dogs while walking down the street. My pup Charlotte was generally a little anxious.
About 7 years ago, I moved from a suburban-rural area into New York City with my dogs.
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