Sun’s Out… So Many Dogs Out! - Navigating Busy Walks with a Reactive Dog

You’re so torn about spring.

On the one hand, you *love* when the weather gets nice. Those rays of sunshine after a long, grey winter…. feel so good.

BUT. 

Walks with your dog are - all of a sudden - harder. She’s getting triggered all the time now. Before the sun came out, there were meltdowns, but there weren’t as many of them. 

Now? Sigh. 

Dogs, dogs everywhere. And her growling, barking, lunging and pulling has increased … by a lot. 

I know how stressful this can be on you - and her. So let’s talk strategies for immediate relief. 

First, you can modify when and where you take walks. 

🍀 Modify the times you go out on a walk. Sunny Sunday afternoons are prime time. Can you go earlier or later?

🍀 If your dog travels well in the car, find a quieter neighborhood or area to walk in. My top tips are business parks, church parking lots, or quiet parks (you know - wayyyyy behind the baseball diamond). 

🍀 Is there an area outside the city you can go to for some decompression for both of you? Check on www.sniffspot.com if there’s something suitable in your area.

Second, you can change what you do on walks. 

🍀 When you see another dog, find visual coverage, such as a car, so that your dog doesn’t see the trigger. 

🍀 Bring high value treats on every walk. While your dog may work for kibble in the home, bring something that packs a punch for walks. Examples are cheese, hot dogs, freeze dried meat, organ meats, or other smelly and novel food. 

🍀 Teach your dog the following cues: “find it” (food tossed out ahead), “scatter” (food scattered on the ground), “paws up” (front paws on object) and “turn” (come back to you). Train them in the home before using them on walks. 

When you see another dog out on a walk, use one of the cues to defuse the situation BEFORE your dog struggles. 

🍀 Reward your dog often for checking in with you. While that sounds like it’s not related to leash reactivity, it actually is. Helping your dog look to you when things happen is key. 

Sunny day walks with a leash reactive dog ask more of you and your dog than rainy day walks. It makes sense that you have to get back to the drawing board and reconsider how you approach them.

But the - hear me out - amazing thing about leash reactivity? It’s one of the more resolvable reactivities. If you’re ready to tackle your dog’s barking, lunging, pulling and growling on leash, head on over to the Urban Dog Reactivity Online Program to learn more.