Question: I have a year old rescue, and he’s very anxious on the leash. I live in a fairly busy area and loud trucks and motorcycles really scare him. When he gets like this, I can’t even distract him with treats. How do I help him be less fearful?
Answer: When a dog is really preoccupied with fear or anxiety, they won’t take a treat. And I’m not crazy about using treats as bait, anyway. Best-case scenario, treats should pretty much come out of nowhere as soon as your dog has performed the action you want.
Leash time for us is a walk but for your urban wolf, “I’m on patrol, in my territory, with my leader.” This is why we want to walk our dog in the proper fashion. As we’ve talked about many times before, basic guidelines for proper leash etiquette include not pulling, walking on a slack leash at my side, continuing to move forward no matter the distraction, and no stopping and sniffing until I say so.
Getting this basic method dialed in demonstrates to your dog on a deeper level every day, you really are the leader. And the message conveyed is: “I lead, and you follow.” Other interactions in the home, communicate this leadership message, too, like “don’t jump on me or even put a paw on me unless I ask for it,” “move out of my way when you’re underfoot,” and “stay away from my food when I’m eating,” But the daily patrol on the leash is the thing that really reinforces your spot at the top of the pack order.
The pack leader’s main responsibility is the safety of the pack. This certainly carries over to the dynamics of the walk. Your dog understands on a subconscious, primal level that if you outrank him, you’re the protector. Obviously, if you’re the leader and the protector, he has nothing to worry about, but it could take some time for that to sink in. The only course of action is to persevere until he figures out that as long as he’s with you, nothing bad will ever happen. Believe it or not, if you take the time to get the basics of leash work together, your dog will start to look at you differently.
I suggest starting the new walking protocol when there will be less distractions. Early or late. As he improves, you can ease back into the busier time slot. When you’re on the walk and Max starts to get anxious, remain calm and resolute. Don’t concern yourself with his angst. He’ll pick up on your unbalanced energy and think something’s wrong. This in turn, exacerbates his anxiety. His mother’s attitude would be “come on let’s go!”
Your mindset should be, “The pack is moving on.” And forward momentum cures a lot of ills.
When he starts to get distracted by a truck or motorcycle, first, give him a little bump on the leash along with a “no” as you keep moving. Pat your leg and say “come on!” in a happy, encouraging tone, to redirect him back to the walk, but above all, keep moving. This may take a bit of coaxing to redirect him. Stay with it. When he’s back on track, eyes forward, no matter if it takes a whole minute, praise him with a big “Good boy!” and keep going.
After you repeat this training pattern enough times, he will co-sign the new protocol, and eventually, his old, fearful habit will fade. As usual, your best training tool is patience.
Originally from Louisiana, Gregg Flowers is a local dog trainer who “teaches dogs and trains people.” Contact him at dogteacher7@aol.com or floridadogtraining.net.
"Max" - Google News
May 01, 2020 at 06:06AM
https://ift.tt/2VUt7ZC
ALL ABOUT DOGS: Max is waiting for you to man-up ... or he will - Sarasota Herald-Tribune
"Max" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2YlVjXi
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "ALL ABOUT DOGS: Max is waiting for you to man-up ... or he will - Sarasota Herald-Tribune"
Post a Comment