How do I train my dog to ignore other dogs while walking?

You can train a dog to ignore other dogs by following these steps. Prepare the right equipment, plan to bring along all of the gear you need to take your dog on a comfortable walk as well as bring training tools for positive reinforcement. Use a collar and leash with which the dog feels comfortable. Take a walk with no distractions, begin by taking a normal walk with your dog where there are no other dogs around. Practice rewarding your dog when called, every so often, stop and call your dog’s name, reward your dog and use your clicker if they look at you and remain calm. Start walking at a distance from other dogs, once you have trained your dog to stop, calm down, and leave objects alone while on walks, you can begin slowly walking around other dogs at a distance. Use your clicker and high-value treats to bring their attention back to you when you notice them getting distracted by the other dog’s in the distance. Gradually move closer to other dogs, over the course of multiple days and dog walks, begin moving closer to other dogs while still using positive reinforcement to bring their attention back to you when distracted.

Teach them a Watch Me, do this randomly throughout the day, start where there are no distractions, and your dog isn’t doing something else. Say their name enthusiastically and when they look at you reward them with a high value treat. Once they can do this reliably, practise this everywhere – always rewarding them. Start training your dog the Watch Me exercise in a quiet place indoors where it’s just the two of you. Once you can do this at home, you can progress to the garden where there are more distractions from sights, sounds, and smells. Once you know how to get your dog to start responding to their name by giving you their attention, you can start using this technique in the presence of other dogs. Start off a long distance from them – beyond the point where your dog would usually react. All you want your dog to do is look at you, and you will reward this. Practice can take some time and results can vary depending on your dog’s personality and breed so be prepared to allocate sufficient time and effort for training sessions. Use a long leash and avoid pulling on it, this will allow your dog to have more freedom and practise your distraction training safely at a longer distance – and if you need to, gently guide your dog back to you.