This week I had a stunning example of something I tell all of my clients with reactive or anxious dogs who bark, lunge or snap at other dogs or people.
I always say: “If a training session with a reactive dog looks boring, you’re doing the right thing.”
Below is a video of SARGE, a really sweet-natured German Shepherd who is very mistrustful of new humans who come into his home.
He will bark like mad when someone arrives at the house. His owners are way to scared to let him in with a guest because they really don’t know what he might do.
So we have gone very slowly with getting him to trust and relax. As you can see in the videos, you never see Sarge actually reacting or behaving ‘aggressively’. That’s because I don’t have any footage of him doing that because I have never pushed him to the point of feeling like he has to protect himself.
The moment your dog is actually barking, lunging, snarling, showing teeth or anything else, it is because they have been pushed past their coping point – their threshold.
As their owners, it is our responsibility when putting them in a scenario they perceive as threatening, to always keep them below that reaction point.
That way they will still be able to think and learn. That way we can make progress. That way you’ll make more steps forward than backwards.
Accidents happen, but overall, do everything you can to keep it looking boring. Work with the dog in front of you and what they can cope with. Then you know that you’re headed for success!