How to stop a dog from being reactive around other dogs?
Janae Marquardt
2025-07-21 20:08:29
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Teach them a Watch Me exercise, 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.
Avoid places with many dogs, start training your dog the Watch Me exercise in a quiet place indoors where it’s just the two of you.
Distract them when meeting 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 is key, remember that patience is very important when training any dog and you shouldn’t expect instant results. If your dog has been barking at other dogs or being reactive for a long time, it will take time, patience, and consistency to break the habit or change the behaviour.
Use a long leash and avoid pulling on it, while you are training, you can use a comfortable harness with a long leash, this will allow your dog to have more freedom and practise your distraction training safely at a longer distance.
Breana Kreiger
2025-07-21 19:52:00
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To address reactivity in dogs, consistently use reward-based training methods and keep them on a lead when needed. Choose quiet places and times for walks, when possible, to avoid triggers while you’re working on changing their emotions. If you encounter a trigger, calmly move your dog away, avoiding adding extra tension to the lead, try luring them away with a tasty treat or favourite toy to play with. Reward calm behaviour and practice focus training to help them pay attention to you. Learn to recognise your dog's body language, this will help you understand when they're feeling worried or frustrated. Speak to your vet to rule out any underlying medical conditions. Preventing reactivity from the start is also key, and if you have a new puppy, introducing them to the world around them through socialisation can help give them the best start in life.
Leda Block
2025-07-21 18:15:08
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When our dogs meet on leash, they are typically forced to approach head-on and are often unable to turn their bodies. Their forced body language, and our own, tell our dogs that we want to fight with one another. Most dogs don’t want to fight, so they display a number of behaviors designed to prevent it. These distance-increasing behaviors includes barking, lunging, or growling — anything to make the threat go away. On-leash, both dogs feel trapped, unable to get away from each other. Often, owners have their dogs on tight leashes, thinking this will help if anything happens. Unfortunately, a tight leash tells your dog you're stressed, making your pup more stressed in return. Many owners don’t recognize rude behavior in their dogs, thinking they’re just overly friendly. They may let their dog charge up to another one, get in their face, or jump on them. This is extremely rude behavior among dogs and is sometimes the result of a lack of socialization past the puppy stage. Adult dogs, while patient with puppy antics, will usually start to discipline puppies once they reach 5-6 months.