We had some great comments related to the last blog on walking your dog. Citizen Canine readers pointed out the importance of dog owner behaviors when it comes to everyone enjoying walks with their dogs.
From our readers:
* CGC skills also apply to the human end of the leash. Responsible owners understand that not all dog-dog interactions will be pleasant. If your dog is rowdy and untrained, you can ruin the walk of someone who does not feel comfortable in the middle of a wild game between two dogs, even if both dogs are on leash.
* Ditto for multiple dogs off leash being permitted to rush up to a person and dog who is on a leash. Yelling out, “It’s okay, they’re friendly!” does not make it okay.
For additional skills to work on when walking your dog, one trainer mentioned the importance of teaching attention skills so that your dog will pay attention to you in the presence of distractions.
Finally, one instructor commented on the importance of practicing CGC skills learned at home or in a class in real-world, community settings.
AKC's Canine Good Citizen and S.T.A.R. Puppy Director, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist
This works fine until a bunch of dogs come running at your dog barking and snarling.. All attempts to turn and walk away are met with rhe aggressor dogs following and nipping at your dogs hocks. We have one family with five small chihuahua type dogs that refuse to keep their dogs at home. They live a block and a half away but we never know when or where these dogs (or how many) will turn up. How can I deter these dogs without hurting them or giving up the walks? They’ve been reported nd warned to no avail. Some of the dog walker carry pepper spay but I don’t want to do that. I keep changing our routine but they keep turning up. I have a very friendly German Pinscher that I show and it’s really starting to shake her.