Earlier this year, I was walking a client’s dog in a quiet residential area when I spotted up ahead a neighbor with their leashed dog on their front lawn, aka a distraction. I then do what I always do when I notice a distraction: I get a good grip on my leash, grab a treat, get my client dog’s attention by calling their name and showing the treat, and continue walking past the distraction at a brisk pace.

I use this SOP as a precaution for creating a safer environment for all parties involved. If I know my client’s dog is reactive to a particular stimuli, I want to set us up for success by preemptively lessening the reaction when possible.

What happened next I find very interesting and is not at all an isolated incident. In fact, it’s one of a few scenarios I can usually predict.

The neighbor’s dog began having a big reaction because they spotted us walking towards them and their home/property. They barked, lunged, and pulled. All natural behaviors that are normal for dogs to perform when they feel threatened.

Now comes the interesting part…

Mid-big reaction, the neighbor proceeded to ask the dog to “sit,” which of course the dog was ignoring. This might sound like the right thing to do in the moment. You want the dog to “behave” and calm down. But I disagree that this is the way to do it, and here’s why.

The pup is already over threshold. They figuratively see red. Their emotions have taken over their thinking brain and they can no longer process any new information.

Imagine asking a toddler mid-temper tantrum to sit nicely. I don’t have kids of my own but I have cared for many and, from my experience, there is no negotiating with a crying and screaming kiddo. You can’t reason with anyone, adult or child, in a heightened state of emotion.

Reflecting on what the neighbor did, I think next time they could try one of the following:

1. Take hold of the leash, put your body in between your dog and the stimuli, and wait until the stimuli passes by before continuing with the walk or yard time.
2. Guide your dog away from the stimuli (in the house, backyard, behind a tree, behind a car, etc.) and return once the stimuli is out of sight & sound.

As a general rule, what happened here was NOT a teaching moment for the pup. However, it IS a teachable moment for us. If we didn’t before, now we know the dog is reactive in that scenario and there are steps we can take to lessen their reaction over time. Essentially we’ll want to show them that those scenarios are safe and non-threatening. This will take time and it works. More on this later!

Stay Comfy,

Tanya