Reactive Dogs: No More Excuses.

What a beautiful day!  The sun in shining, it is the perfect temperature, the hike is wonderful, and both our dogs are such gentlemen.  What is this approaching from the other direction...?

At the very end of a retractable leash, is a woman holding tight (still not safe) and calling out "He's not vicious!  He just has a little problem on a leash!"  Meanwhile, our "not vicious" friend is choking himself out, and broadcasting the sort of bark that makes it clear to both our dogs that he's not kidding.  So clear, in fact, that they are practicing social avoidance and looking away from him; walking politely on the off side of us as we ignore this fiasco and continue on.

"He's not vicious..."

"She's better off lead..."

"They are actually friendly.  They just hate the leash..."

"Shhhh...it's ok...it's ok..."

"He's usually OK once he says hi..."

"OH!  She is SO excited!..."

"He just wants to play!..."

If you, or any of your friends and family have ever uttered any of these things, as an excuse for your dog's behavior towards another dog while on a leash, Stop It.

Clearly he is not OK.  He obviously is having a "vicious" reaction to the sight of my dog, and I think you are being naive and wallowing in denial.  Your dog is a liability, no matter what size or type.  Your dog is one slipped collar, dropped leash, or broken retractable away from disaster.

This "vicious" reaction is a sign of distress.  It most likely stems from an initial fear of other dogs, or social situations. 

"Ah crap...Mom, do you have ANY idea how many scary dogs are out there???"

Perhaps he has had interactions with other dogs while on leash, that have led him to believe that he cannot defend himself, or retreat as he normally would without it. Your dog was poorly socialized, or traumatically socialized (think dog park, or poorly managed puppy play groups), and now has figured out that if he loses his mind when he sees a dog, he gets what he wants:  You drag him out of sight, or I step out of sight.  In either case, your dog no longer has to deal with what he perceives as a threatening situation.

The other, and most important in my opinion, piece of that problem is that you keep making excuses for him.  Stop doing this.  Apologize.

The handler/owner who says "No" to his dog, and then calls "I'm sorry" to me, is the owner who is already on the way to helping that dog recover. 

I realize that if you have a dog who is reactive, telling her "no" is not enough.  There is a road to rehab that may be very long ahead of you, should you decide to help her get better.  Making it clear to your dog that her reaction displeases you is step three.

Step One is to convince your dog that the sight of another dog is the best thing to ever happen in your life.  That means, you have to begin building some foundation behaviors first.  Teaching your dog a fantastic 'Leave It' in the confines and comforts of your home, where no other dogs can freak her out is key.  Leave It should be the most positive, wonderful, fun game your dog has ever heard of.  A good Leave It is basically saying "please stop looking at that thing," whatever that might be.  It can also be useful for teaching a pup not to pick things up off the ground, or to help your ham sandwich from winding up as dog food.  Not sure how to go about teaching this?  Talk to a good Teacher.  If they say anything about hitting, shocking, "tapping" your dog's nose, or making scary sounds to 'teach' this Leave It, please, go talk to a better Teacher.

Should you not have the financial means to hire a good Teacher, check out Dr. Sophia Yin's Strategies for Focus Exercises.  These are Necessary Skills, and you can look them up FOR FREE.  You may still need help, but at least you can get started.

Step Two:  Wrap your head and heart around the idea that your dog may never really like other dogs.  You know how Grandpa grumbles and complains about Everyone, all the time?  (Gran Turino...anyone?)  He doesn't like people.  He's not comfortable interacting with strangers, he has his space and his routine, and that's OK.  He's not getting in to fights, or screaming at everyone he passes; he prefers to ignore them.  My point is, your dog does not have to become a social butterfly in order to be a civil, well-behaved member of society.  What we are going for, is the ability to pass another dog on the street, without exploding.

Accept your dog for who they are.  Teach them alternative behaviors, and work slowly up to changing the intensity of the distractions, and you may find them willing to at least try to make a friend they tolerate...Or one they even love.  Some dogs truly are uncomfortable in mass social settings, and that's OK.

What's not OK is to allow them to live in constant fear and anger, because You keep making excuses.

ummm, not what I meant by Heel little guy...