In an earlier blog, we talked about the distraction dog exercise in the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test.
One of our readers wrote in to say that her dog was obsessed with other dogs and that made walks unpleasant. I’m assuming she meant her dog wanted to approach and play with other dogs. If your dog is known as the “social butterfly” of the block then try the following tips to keep your dog focused.
- Early socialization. Get your puppy socialized with other dogs as soon as possible so that when she sees them, she doesn’t go crazy.
- Set up play dates. For the older dog who desperately wants to play, as long as your dog is under control, consider scheduling some play dates with the (safe) dog of a friend. Start with some play time with one dog, then go for a walk.
- Venture out. When you’ve seen your dog play appropriately with one dog, you can take your social butterfly to a dog park.
- Teach basic skills. While you’re working on providing appropriate play interactions, teach basic skills such as sit, come, heel, and “watch me”. When these skills are reliable, you can put the behaviors on cue when you see another dog coming down the street. Your dog can learn there are times we play and times when she needs to simply walk along with you.
Is anyone currently having a problem with reaction to another dog? Try these tips and report back to us on how it worked with your dog.
AKC's Canine Good Citizen and S.T.A.R. Puppy Director, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist
We do struggle with this…my foster dog is highly reactive, but not because he’s scared of other dogs–he just wants so badly to interact with them that the leash drives him crazy. He is very distracted and aroused overall, and can’t focus enough to do tricks or practice skills when he is on a leash walk–although he is a star at these things in the house, yard, etc.
I know this is unorthodox, but sometimes I just allow him to greet the other dog while he barks and lunges–of course only when I ask the human if its OK and yell a quick explanation that he’s excited, not aggressive!
It is not an ideal situation and I wish he would make more progress. You are right that more play dates might help him get what he needs so he can be calmer on walks–I will have to work on that.
It is also important that the owner observes how SHE reacts when she sees another dog approaching. Does she tighten up the leash? Hold her breath? Start yelling at her dog? Her anxieties will go right down the leash to her dog. This becomes the pattern.
All the above advice is fantastic – socialization is the key. But, she could shape her dog to look at HER whenever her dog sees another dog. Bring special, smelly, yummy treats on the walk, and when you spot another dog, wave a treat under her dog’s nose and have her dog look at HER. With time and practice, her dog will start focusing on her owner every time he/she sees another dog. See a dog, focus on me, get a treat, see a dog, focus on me, get a treat. She must be proactive and not wait for her dog to have a big reaction, but catch it as soon as possible.
Well said! Being proactive and thinking a step ahead of your dog is definitely a great way to go! That is how I prefer to train as well.
Cheri, this is great advice–I totally agree and have had good results working with fear reactive dogs, or shy, nervous dogs, using a similar protocol.
With my dog Lamar, for instance, I do “Look at other dog, click, look at me, treat,” and now he looks at me automatically when he sees another dog.
But with my foster Fozzie, the struggle is that the arousal level is just so high that the chances of him looking at me are very low–even at a distance!
http://peacefuldog.blogspot.com/2011/07/fozzies-second-reactive-dog-class.html
Thanks for the great discussion!
Great idea about the ‘look at me’ when another dog is approaching. Another method that works well is “sit and watch” where you have the dog sit and watch as the other dog passes by. We describe how to do this (complete with photos) in the CGC book, “Citizen Canine”. But, sit & watch requires that you’ve got the space to do this and that you can spare the time to stop walking while the dog sits and watches the other dog go by. The nice thing about the suggestion of “watch me” is you can keep on moving.
With a high arousal dog, sit & watch may be easier to train.
The “look at me” has worked quite well with my rescue Border Terrier who can get very yappy and excited when he focuses on another dog while we are out for a walk. It has helped to treat just the head turn when he sees the other dog. “Look at that” – Reward – gradually phasing out the length of time between the looks and the reward. Dog begins to take repeated looks at the other dog with looks back at the handler before getting the treat. Pretty soon the treats are phased out entirely. It also helps if you keep a good distance from the other dog to begin with. (We can now easily pass another dog on the other side of the street — same side of the street, I usually back off the sidewalk a bit into someone’s driveway or lawn. Oh and staying relaxed yourself is great advise and transmits the right message to the dog.
The effort is well worth the time it takes!