Best Life Dog Training Blog

One of the most common behavior concerns I get from dog guardians is their dog’s behavior when on leash.  Many times, they are perplexed because their dog is so mild-mannered and well-behaved….but all bets are off as soon as the leash is clipped.  

If you find yourself hyperscanning the environment on walks, constantly on the lookout and then feel that surge of panic when you spot one of your dog’s triggers, then this post is for you.  

Leash reactivity can be tough, but not impossible. While it feels chaotic and maybe unpredictable, having clear steps to take and milestones to hit can get you to calmer, more enjoyable walks for everyone.  

So let’s get into it!

1. Give your dog a reset period. Avoid triggers as much as possible, even if that means stopping your regular walks.  I know, I know.  You want to know how to walk your leash-reactive dog without your dog losing it and the first thing I’m telling you to do is to stop walking.  But if your dog is having reactions every time you go for a walk, those walks could be doing more harm than good.  Your dog could benefit from a walk hiatus and letting cortisol levels get back to baseline.  Now if you don’t have a yard or an outdoor space and your dog *has* to go out for potty breaks, keep them short and sweet.  If you bump into triggers along the way, use counterconditioning to get you through. 

2. Evaluate and meet your dog’s needs.  Another point that has zero to do with leash walking.  But stick with me!  Your dog has needs that go beyond food, water, physical exercise, and shelter.   When you meet those needs, the result is often better behavior.  While you are in that reset period, that is a great time to give your dog extra fun activities to do.  (But keep it up, even after the reset period!)  You will get a lot of bang for your buck if you can tailor these activities to things your dog does naturally.  Sniffing, digging, chewing, shredding, hunting….these are all totally normal dog things.  Find out what your dog needs, and then regularly provide human-appropriate outlets.

3. Teach your dog how to make better choices.  Leash reactivity often pops up because your dog thinks the “flight” option is off the table so they must “fight” to get the triggers to go away.   But that’s not the case – you and your dog can take flight together.  By showing your dog they still have the option to flight, this will reduce the “fight” behavior you see when another dog or person shows up. 

4. Teach an alternative behavior.  Right now, your dog lunges, barks, jumps, or snaps at triggers.  Not ideal.  What behavior would you like your dog to do instead?  The answer might depend on the situation and that’s OK.  Maybe you’d like your dog to stand between your feet while you chat with a neighbor.  Or play “find-it” when another dog walks by.  Teach your dog how to do these behaviors in a minimally distracting setting like your living room.  

5. Proof the alternative behavior.   I often see people teach their dog a new behavior and then go straight to trying to use this new behavior the next time a trigger appears.  And the wheels fall off.  Your dog seems to have forgotten everything they learned and ignore you completely.  You need a couple more steps to hit your goal.  Proofing that new behavior is a BIG one.  Proofing means you are getting the behavior really solid.   It is when you practice outside of that initial setting of your living room and start to gradually raise the bar – but still not introducing your dog’s triggers. 

6. Desensitize the triggers.  Ok, your dog’s has a nice reset period.  You’ve taught a new behavior, you are in the process of proofing it. Now back to normal, right?  Not quite.  Many dogs need to be slowly re-introduced to their triggers.  Yes, your dog knows how to do this awesome new behavior but that big fluffy dog at the end of the block is still very scary.   This is where desensitization comes in.  DS is the process of exposing your dog to their triggers but at such a low intensity that they do not react.   DS is often paired with counterconditioning.  The combo of these two science-based techniques is the magic to help your dog change their emotional response to triggers. 

7. Add in the proofed behavior to the desensitization process.  This might look like talking to your neighbor from across the street while your dog does “middle” between your feet.  Or your dog playing find-it when you walk by a house with barky dogs.   Gradually reduce the distance, intensity, and duration your dog is exposed to triggers.

Now, I don’t expect you to fly through these steps in a week or two and then BAM your dog is cured.  There will be setbacks.  You will always have to go at your dog’s pace.  You will have to collect data and re-evaluate and adjust course along the way.  

But it is possible!  You CAN enjoy walking with your dog. 

If you try this, let me know how it goes for you.  

If you gave it your best and still need help, that’s OK!  Reactivity is tough.  If you want more help, come on over to Instagram and slide into my DMs.  Let’s chat about your struggles and goals!

Happy training,

Andrea