Training Reactive Dogs to Stay Calm
Reactivity. The horribly embarrassing barking, lunging, shrieking, growling, snapping or snarling your dog displays when faced with his nemesis (usually other dogs or people).
Last week we looked at a couple things that make reactivity worse. Now we’ll get into how to help your reactive dog calm down.
Why is my dog acting like this?
Reactivity usually happens because the dog is either scared of the trigger, OR because he likes the trigger and is frustrated. He either puts on a big display to keep the scary thing away, OR he howls in frustration because he can’t get over to play.
It’s okay if you don’t know exactly why your dog is reacting! You can use the same technique for either underlying cause.
Most dogs are NOT reactive because they’re trying to protect their owner or dominate the trigger
Supplies for Success
Make sure to gather these supplies before starting to work with your dog:
Front clip harness such as Blue-9 Balance, Perfect Fit, RuffWear Front Range, Freedom, or Top Paw Gunmetal Core.
6-8 foot fixed length leash. If you’d like a good quality leather or leather-alternative, check out Bold Lead Designs!
Bait bag for treats. Rapid Rewards by Doggone Good is an industry favorite.
High value treats such as cheese, chicken, meatballs, scrambled eggs, tuna, Ziwi Peak dog food, applesauce, freeze dried meat treats (such as Sojos Simply Lamb), or wet dog food.
The Technique
My go-to technique for reactivity is called Engage/Disengage. It’s a straightforward game taught in two stages.
Stage 1
1) Your dog looks at a trigger
2) You say, Yes!
3) Offer a treat right by your dog’s nose
4) Continue to Yes! and offer food each time your dog looks at the trigger
This first stage can feel a little counter-intuitive because you’re “rewarding” the dog for looking at the thing that usually makes him go nuts. Just go with it, though! Before long your dog will figure out that a trigger predicts a treat and he’ll start looking at you for his goody instead of reacting.
Stage 2
1) Your dog looks at a trigger
2) Your dog looks back at you within 2-3 seconds
2) You say, Yes!
3) Offer a treat
4) Continue to Yes! and offer food each time your dog looks back at you
Click this video to watch Leighann use Engage/Disengage with foster puppy, Eclair
The Fine Print
Distance. The only way this works is if your dog is close enough to the trigger to notice it, but far enough away that he doesn’t react (i.e. bark, lunge, growl, etc.). Better to stand too far away than too close.
Order. Even if your distance is correct, Engage/Disengage doesn’t work unless the dog sees the trigger first and then the food appears.
In an emergency, it’s okay to just keep feeding the dog so he’s distracted while you get out of the situation, but that doesn’t teach him to stay calm around the trigger.
Timing. During Stage 1, concentrate on saying Yes! as soon as your dog looks at the trigger and then immediately put the food right in front of his mouth. Most folks tend to be a little too slow when they’re first learning.
Trouble-Shooting
“My dog is still reacting!” ABORT! If your dog is reacting, forget the training and quickly move away from the trigger. Barking dogs learn to bark.
“My dog isn’t taking the food.” You’re probably too close to the trigger. Move 5-10 feet away and try again.
“My dog stares at me and won’t look at the trigger.” If this is happening early in the process, it’s usually because the dog is extremely food motivated. Consider yourself lucky! These dogs are easier to train, as long as you can get them to look at the trigger.
Keep the food completely out of sight until after you say Yes!
Look at the trigger yourself
Move slightly closer to the trigger
If you need extra help, consider private sessions or Koinonia’s Neighborhood Manners Board and Train program!
What’s the Goal?
At Koinonia, we want reactive dogs to pass their trigger (or have their trigger pass them) without having a meltdown.
For greater interaction (greeting, playing, etc.), contact Koinonia for a list of local trainers that are qualified to help you and your dog!
