Easy wins for your reactive dog — and for you
It’s OK to comfort your worried or frightened dog. You cannot “reinforce” fearful behavior with reassurance and kindness.
When you have a dog in your life who has Very Big Feelings, it's pretty easy to feel overwhelmed yourself. If you can't even walk down the street because your dog is either frozen in terror or lunging/snarling/barking at the things that frighten them, it can be very disheartening.
All the things you planned to do with your dog, like hikes in the woods, jogs or long walks in the neighborhood, and play dates with friends who have dogs, may not be able to happen as planned.
Please remember: It's not your fault. And it's not your dog's fault.
A grainy photo of our adorable Daisy, when she was a puppy in her foster home.
She’s about 4 months old here, and we had little information about her background. But we fell in love and brought her home!
You didn't cause your dog to be frightened of the things that scare her.
For instance, our dog Daisy came to us 10 years ago terrified of everything because she lived the first four months of her life in a crate, at which time she was rescued from a hoarder by the police. We had no idea that the sweet, quiet puppy we adopted from a rescue would end up paralyzed with terror on walks whenever a leaf blew down the street.
With patience, expert guidance, veterinary-prescribed medication, and countless amazing treats, she is now better able to cope with the world. However, she still has things that trigger her fears. This is where Easy Wins come in.
If there is one thing you can do for your dog with Very Big Feelings today, it's to give her easy wins.
For instance:
If your dog is terrified of the garbage truck don't walk her on trash day or carefully avoid the truck's route.
When on a walk, only go as far as your dog is comfortable exploring. For some clients, that may mean taking weeks, if not longer, to have your dog comfortable walking around the block. You may spend a long time going back and forth over the same stretch of sidewalk or road. That's ok — reward your dog lavishly with praise and super-special treats for her courage in exploring as far as she feels comfortable going. Do not try to lure her into going any further. Luring a fearful dog with treats on a walk can be counterproductive — you are exposing her to her fear.
Teach an easy skill as an alternative behavior for lunging and barking.
My favorite Easy Skill is "Find It!"
Start in the house by scattering a handful of aromatic, special treats under your dog's nose. After she eats them, say "Find It!" and drop some more.
Repeat at random times around the house, then practice Find It in new but familiar areas such as the porch, garage, car, driveway, backyard, and eventually during a walk. You should start to notice when you say "Find It," that your dog's gaze moves to either your hand or the ground. This is good!
If your dog sees something that frightens her on an outing, use Find It to get her gaze away from the scary thing. If she won't eat the treats, they're either not special enough or you're too close to the scary thing — or both. Move away from the scary thing and make a mental note for the next time that you got too close.
Find It Pro Tips
When practicing, quality, quantity, and shape of the rewards all matter.
Leave the kibble at home and use small diced cubes of cheese, chicken, or dehydrated treats.
Have plenty of snackies in your treat pouch and pockets (take three times as much as you think you'll need) and ensure they're easy to access if you get in a jam with your dog.
Cubed treats and moist treats tend to bounce around less. Try to drop the rewards right under your dog's nose so she doesn't have to move too much to get it.
Ignore people who may comment that you are rewarding your dog's barky behavior. They have no idea what you're doing!
Your dog isn’t trying to give you a hard time. She’s having a hard time.
Have a dog with Very Big Feelings who’s having a hard time? Let’s talk.