Case Study: Shiloh Part 1

For the next few articles I thought that I would walk you through the process of what happens during a behavioural consultation. The most common request for consults that I get is for reactivity on leash so I will use this as an example.  

A family member reached out to me with a walking concern.  Her dog Shiloh will sometimes, but not always, bark and lunge at other dogs. She has not figured out the pattern.  For example is it small dogs, black dogs, or barking dogs, or some other trigger.

The first thing to do is learn about dog body language and learn the stress signals that your dog shows. Do they have a high wagging tail, large pupils, hackles up, barking, lip licking or staring? I will discuss these signs and point them out during a consultation. When you know these signs it will help you to be proactive for any situation.  If you wait to see if your dog reacts then you have missed your training opportunity as by the time you react your dog already has.  

I will also ask questions and figure out some reasons for why the reactivity is happening. If your dog has not been socialized with other dogs, has been attacked or rushed by another dog while on leash, or if the handler has missed some earlier signs.

I always cover the basics: bring treats on walks, use a harness or gentle leader to help you with pulling, handle the leash with both hands, and reward at the right time.

I teach walking skills such as walking your dog on your left as well as your right side, being able to treat with both hands, how to do a u-turn (180 turn) and being able to get your dogs attention while outside.  These skills are important to help you be the body block in between your dog and distraction.  You offer your dog protection, which helps reduce the potential that your dog may guard you.

During the consultation, I have the dog parent show me their walking skills and we adjust based on the skills above.  When they are ready, we set up different situations and I teach the owner what to look for and how to handle it. 

I usually start with having the dogs follow each other so they are not coming face to face which is the most triggering for a dog, then have them walk parallel to one another.  It is best have your dog see other dogs at a distance without approaching them at first to build their confidence and your handling skills.

Once your dog is successful at the above exercises with various dogs we can now work on taking a few steps towards another dog at a distance and then turn and repeat.  This is helpful especially if your dog starts to get upset when the other dog turns away or creates distance.  The dog can be introduced at a distance and slowly get closer.  

During the early stages of the training process, I ask that clients turn and go the other way when they get in an uncomfortable situation until your dog has had some practice seeing dogs at a distance and being calm. This does not mean avoiding all dogs forever, but will help to avoid setbacks in their progress while they work on building confidence and skills.