To Stay or Go

Look at me, all on schedule and stuff! Okay, not really on schedule, because it's a day late. Oh, well! Baby steps.

 I'm going to start this post by stating again, that I am not a professional trainer. If you are having serious problems with your dog, seek the help of a trained professional (we go here).

 Alrighty, so Mia and I take a walk every night so she can go to the bathroom (she refuses to go at home, but that's another issue) and basically get some of her wiggles out before bed. If you walk your dog on any sort of schedule, you will undoubtedly bump in to the same people and dogs from time to time. Some of them you will become friendly with, and some you will try your hardest to avoid, either because the person is annoying, or the dog is. If you walk late at night, chances are, it's the dog that's the problem. It's not always the case, but if you have a dog who is dog-aggressive/reactive/fearful/excitable etc., it's sometimes easier to avoid a situation where your dog may be triggered. So, you walk really late at night. But what happens when you avoid situations is, you can't teach your dog how to handle themselves appropriately in that situation.

 Every few days, Mia and I encounter two dogs that I'll call "W" and "B". B would probably not be a problem on his own, but W does not deal well when she sees other dogs and gets all worked up, which gets B all worked up and it's loud and horrible to encounter late at night. Even if it's not my dog causing a ruckus, I feel bad for the people trying to sleep. Anyway, back to my point for this whole thing... W's owner does what I used to do years ago when Brynn and Mia would get worked up: she stops dead and tries to get the dogs to sit. It never happens because both dogs are agitated and not interested in listening to her in the least, which makes sense...

 Now, I don't know about you, but if I'm upset, the last thing I want is someone telling me to relax and sit down. This is basically what you are telling your dog to do and it rarely, if ever, works. Instead, keep walking. You must give off an air of leadership in any training situation, so stand tall and speak calmly. Tell your dog to 'leave it' and if they look away from the distraction, reward them! If they keep focused on the distraction, 'pulse' on their leash to get their attention. As soon as they look away, release pressure and reward them. As you get closer to the distraction, angle your path away from the distraction, so you're on a lawn, boulevard, edge of the path or road as long as it's safe, all the while repeating the pulse, reward system. Once you pass the other dog/person/etc., angle yourself back towards the sidewalk or path. Reward you dog once they're calm and resume your walk as normal. If your dog is really reactive, you may need to move further away at first, like crossing the street, but once your dog understands that ignoring the distraction means rewards ( either praise, treats, or play), you can slowly work your way closer. Training tools such as a Halti head halter, Volhard collar, or other training collar can be helpful when working with dogs who are strong or easily distracted. I have used both with Mia and they were instrumental for getting her to walk well on a flat collar.

If anyone has any other tips, tricks or suggestions, leave them in the comments!