OkcPets Magazine September 2020

September/October 2020 • OKC Pets 31 they pull, lunge and make loud barking sounds simply because they are being restrained. When dogs are exploding with energy, restraint is the last thing they want. What they want is to go play with the dog across the street and say hello to every person walking by. What is it?  Technically, a leash reactive dog is a dog that is reactive on a leash, simply put. But I separate leash reactive and leash aggression. I teach all of my trainers the difference between the two as they are so commonly misinterpreted. In our program, a leash reactive dog is driven by his or her need to get to the stimulus out of curiosity, play or excitement. How do I fix it? First, you need to understand why it’s happening. One or all of the following have probably happened: • At some point in your pup’s life, he has been able to greet other dogs on a walk; this tends to teach him that if he pulls toward the dogs, it equals a greeting. Then when you don’t allow it, he continues to try. • People or other dogs have approached you with your dog on a walk without you having any control over him. STEP 1: Teach your dog to sit and focus on you before allowing him to greet anyone or anything. In order to get his focus, you might have to start indoors with low distractions. Using a high value reward or treat can help solidify this behavior. Use the reward, say your dog’s name, give the treat and add a command, such as “Look.” You could also just use his name as the focus command. STEP 2: Replicate it outside with low distractions. Try not to test your dog in a real-world scenario until you are confident he can be successful. This could take two to four weeks to accomplish. Leash Pulling  Dogs with excessive energy tend to pull the most. They are excited, pumped and ready for action—a perfect recipe for failure. Why does it happen? Leash pulling happens for two main reasons. First, he hasn’t been taught the correct way to do it in a controlled environment. For example, you have a new puppy, and he can finally go outside. Taking him for a walk seems like the perfect thing to do. Unfortunately, this is the same thing as giving a toddler a bicycle without training wheels. The second reason pulling happens is because when you are on walks, if he has a history of pulling and getting to where he wants to go, then he has been unintentionally rewarded for pulling. How do I fix it? If you have a puppy, introduce leash walking indoors with little to no distractions. Practice with your pup on a leash, by your side, only taking two to three steps at a time. Each time you stop, reward your pup with a high value reward and praise. By pairing praise and food, you will be able to eventually merge away from the food and only reward with praise. Once you can walk through the house while holding your dog’s focus and keeping a loose leash, you are then ready to go outside. If you have an older dog that you have been walking for a while, the biggest mistake is to continue walking if your dog is pulling. When your dog pulls, don’t use punishment as a default. Simply stop and change directions. Your dog needs to learn that if he pulls, the walk stops. When your dog understands that a tight leash ends the fun, he will understand the benefit of walking on a loose leash. Above all, remember that positive reinforcement is the pathway to building trust and respect with your dog. Using punitive measures will only make your dog fearful of you and the activity you are trying to enjoy.