One of the most common
issues that people experience on the walk is the over excited dog, and trying
to introduce them to other dogs on the leash.
Everything from Great Danes
to Chihuahua’s can get so excited it looks like they are going to explode.
There is nothing worse than when they try to meet other dogs and they are
almost pulling you over and dragging you along. It can be scary, dangerous,
embarrassing and very quickly escalates till you feel out of control and at the
mercy of your dog.
Aggression or Excitement?
Sometimes it is very hard to
tell what they are experiencing and feeling. The behavior is very often a mix
of both excitement and stress. This however is not a great state for your dog
to meet other dogs in as there is far more chance that things will go wrong,
especially over time if it goes unchecked. See it from the other dogs point of
view as your dog approaches rearing up on their back legs, barking, eyes
bulging, gasping for air… you’ve go the picture.
So how do you avoid such a
situation? Well in this post I shall explain the 3 options available to you.
Then you will have a simple, basic approach to select one of the three and go
and practice with your dog.
Having a clear plan of
action is the first stage to success.
Firstly it is important to
be clear that there are ONLY 3 options available. And secondly, you must have
established yourself already as the pack leader – this is crucial.
1.
Approach the other dog – Your dog is calm and you decide to simply
approach the other dog on the leash. Yes, this is the ultimate goal! Remember
that we are looking to reward good behavior so do not get in the way in this
situation. Stay silent as you walk your dog towards the other dog and let them
meet. In other words stay out of it and do not upset the calm environment that
you have in front of you.
2.
Stay well away – Picture your dog barking like crazy,
completely out of control… this is where your gut instinct knows that it’s best
not to go and visit the other dog and you are better off just walking past. It could
be for a number of reasons. You may feel that you do not have time to work with
your dog and try to calm them down, the other dog may not seem keen to play,
maybe they look a little unsure, old or small.
One other important reason
to do this is to show your dog that sometimes you do not get to meet and sniff
every dog on the walk. (This is how it is in life, so get used to it!)
3.
Calm your dog down then make a decision – In other words do some
training to calm and distract your dog. After you have done this you may choose
to approach the other dog or not. The choice is still yours. The really
important point to remember is that you are taking time out to show your dog
that if they calm down (even just a little bit) good things happen. Over time
your dog starts to learn that the calmer they are the more chance there is of
meeting the other dogs.
What is the right option for
me?
All three options are the
right option at different times. In other words I still choose all three
options for my dogs depending on the situation.
Younger dogs in particular
will often need a bit more calming than older dogs and this training will
certainly pay off in the long run.
Guaranteeing it will work
As I mentioned earlier, you
really must have the pack leader foundations in place before you can trust how
you dog will react in different circumstances. Learning Doggy Dan’s five Golden
Rules of becoming the Pack Leader will give you the assurance that you are in charge
and you dog is looking up to you and respecting you for all the decision
making. Visit Doggy Dan’s video website
here to learn how to become the Pack Leader (Dan even offers a 3 Day $1 trial of the site
that YOU can take advantage of, so I suggest the next thing you do today is
take a look inside the site!)
The fatal mistake to avoid.
One of the biggest mistakes
that people make is rewarding bad behavior. Imagine a little dog barking
because they wish to meet another dog on the other side of the street. If you
simply cross over and meet them, even though the meeting goes well you have
rewarded your dogs barking and excitement. This excitement will increase every
time your dog sees a dog on the walk until it is almost unbearable and you realize
you have a problem!
All dogs can learn to be
calm as they approach other dogs, it just takes a bit of commitment from you to
turn them around but it is not complicated once you know how. Take the time at
home to establish yourself as the pack leader so that any training you do has
the maximum impact. Remember the more your dog sees you as the one in charge,
the more notice they will take of you and what you are doing!
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