Monday, June 30, 2014

React

Fantastic, helpful and very easy to understand! Our clients in private sessions...you work on this all the time! This is a nice reminder!



"WHAT DO I DO WHEN____???" Depending on the situation, the environment, the dog's history, the owner's physical abilities, etc., the DO is going to vary for everyone. That said, this is a general answer that applies to all behaviors that most dog owners consider "bad," whether it is on-leash reactivity, stranger-directed aggression, resource guarding, or just bad manners in general. 

Ideally, we take necessary steps to prevent the unwanted behavior to begin with, but no training or behavior modification plan is perfect. 

Yesterday, for example, I had taken a client's dog on a field trip. We went to a local coffee shop to practice mat training and attention around distractions. An oddly behaving man in a hat and sunglasses started approaching us, startling the dog. When the dog reacted, *I* reacted: I immediately got up and walked 8-10 feet away, until the growling stopped, then worked on regaining his attention to me (click/treat). Then, we started practicing looking at the man without barking (click/treat), looking at the man and looking back at me (click/treat), then returning to the mat at our table and practicing all of the above while stationed at his mat (click/treat). 

When a dog reacts with any form of unwanted behavior - be it bad manners or aggression - they are providing valuable information - information you can use to re-evaluate your plan and make adjustments that ensure success."




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