(Part 2) Top products from r/reactivedogs

As I was documenting the various harnesses, leashes, and muzzles we've accumulated for Scully in less than two months adopting her, it had me thinking: what tools have brought you success with your reactive pup?

• Easy Walk Harness: We are moving to the Gentle Leader head harness at the recommendation of our behaviorist, but I think the Easy Walk Harness helped Scully understand the concept of going on a walk in itself at the start.
  
• "In Training" Vest: It sounds funny, but this vest has helped me a lot. While out on a walk, people recognize that Scully and I are working; they normally get out of the way, or at least seem more understanding when she has a reaction.
  
• Treat Pouch: Everyone thinks I'm a dog trainer when I have this thing on. I think it helps my confidence in the same way the vest does. Also, keeping a stash of treats and poop bags here lets me keep a hand free.
  
  Honorable Mentions:
  Clicker: Love!
  Travel Kennel! I love, love this. Scully went insane her second car ride, and it was unsafe for everyone involved. Since she is already crate trained she was comfortable with this very quickly. I do have to put a blanket over it as she can see through the mesh windows.

Her theory could not be more false! You can totally train with treats and wean off them, but really I don’t see why. If trained correctly you can get fanatic responses without always needing treats. Not just for “tricks”. However, you can use other rewards too like a short game of tug (but this can amp up overly excited dogs more).

Dog park could be ok, but I would go on off times when there are only a few dogs and see how she responds. If it seems like too much, maybe hang out across the parking lot from a pet store or groomers, less action and pretty predictable routes for the dogs.

Edit: As a side thought, the "treat dependency" she's talking about may be more in the line with luring (I still disagree with her whole heartily - all professional training programs and schools use treats/reward based). Luring is showing the treat before the behavior and prompting/leading them into it. This CAN lead to a treat dependency, which is why the cue and behavior should come first, before the treat. Police dogs can be trained with rewards, then perform in the field without or even ignoring treats, so saying that treats always cause dependancy is hogwash.

Check out the wiki for how to find a good trainer, and look for someone who uses positive reinforcement and has some sort of certification (Cpdt-ka,KPA-CTP). Anyone can call themselves a trainer, and I've met so many people who are not qualified. Also get a copy of the book Fired up, frantic and freaked out. Great book, easy to follow and inexpensive.

I don't use corrections either. I would rather show the dog what to do rather than what not to do. My dog isn't perfect, but he is a great dog and I am very happy with the results I have gotten from using only positive reinforcement training. My dog and I do agility, rally, nose-work, parkour, and a ton of trick training. Positive reinforcement works it just takes effort and time from the trainer. The best example I can give for what positive reinforcement is to look up Sara Carson and her Super Collies. She only uses positive reinforcement and all of her dogs are amazing and she has a reactive/aggressive dog as well.

My dog has both fear and frustration based reactivity, although they start out looking different, they end in the same result of barking, lunging, etc.

I would refrain from using punishment/corrections to modify a dogs frustration based reactive dogs behavior because you don't want it to turn into fear. Your dog might not make the association that they are getting the punishment because of their behavior and may associate the punishment to seeing other dogs and this can turn into them thinking dogs=punishment so keep away from me!

Look into B.A.T and L.A.T training if you haven't already.

BAT training book by Grisha Stewart is a really good read for BAT training and she has some really good diagrams.

I hope you have luck with the trainers. In the mean time, I noticed you said your SO is afraid to take him out because of his size. I have a reactive 80+ lb German Shepherd and I'm about a 115 lbs. I understand. A couple of things:

Do you have a secure, front clip harness you can use to control your dog? If not, I would suggest investing in one. It feels a lot more secure vs just using a collar that your dog can slip out of.

I recently started using two leashes to walk my GSD. I have a short bungie leash, like this, which I keep clipped to my hips. You can use a heavy duty carabiner attached to a belt or fanny pack.

Then, I have a second flat leash which has an extra handle at the base of the leash, like this, so I can get a really good grip on my GSD and pull him away if I absolutely have to. I keep the flat leash looped around my wrist, then looped around my thumb like this, close my hand into a fist around the leash and hold it tightly to my stomach.

This has increased my confidence ten fold because I know my dog cannot pull away from me if he's attached my hips, and I can still easily control him using the second handle on the flat leash. The second handle on the flash leash is a blessing for tight areas like hallways or stair wells in the apartment complex (Avoid tugging on his leash if its not necessary, this can make them more anxious).

Other tips:
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Make sure you are playing with your dog inside the apartment as much as possible to reduce his stress, anxiety or tire him out. (Or take him the park and try to really tucker him out) Try to walk him at odd hours (like 5am, 12am) to reduce the chances you will run into things that scare him. This sucks, but it is very important that you avoid stressing him out as much as possible.

Practice your emergency exits. If you are in the hallway and see something scary, you can get away without your dog reacting and stressing out. Start in the apartment with his leash on, and practice saying "Lets go!" in a playful voice, do a u-turn, and playfully run the opposite direction. You might need to use your hands to get your dogs attention or use treats to lure him into a u-turn. You don't want to be tugging on your dog. You want your dog to think this is a fun and exciting game that is way better than facing and barking at whatever scary thing is at the end of the hall or sidewalk.

Instead of just feeding your dog cheese when he sees something scary, try turning it into a game of "Find it!". Again, start by practicing in your apartment, throw a treat a couple feet in front of you and tell your dog to "Find it!". You can start using this outside, when you don't see any distractions. Then, if your dog is far enough away to see a distraction but NOT REACT, you can try playing "Find it!" to distract them and reduce their stress. You can also use "Find it!" to get them to turn around, or throw treats at your feet so you can more easily get their attention.

Right now the goal is to avoid triggers as much as possible so if in doubt, do an emergency exit and try to get your dog out of the situation by doing a playful "Let's go!". You can play "Find it!" when you are far enough away. If your dog notices a trigger but is far enough away that he isn't reacting yet, try playing "Find it!" to distract your dog from the trigger. Always try to set him up for success, don't do it if you know he's gonna do bonkers.

Also, experiment with high value treats or rewards. Does he have a chew bone he really loves? Try bringing on the walk to distract him. Try really smelly, wet treats like hot dogs, liver or chicken.

Hopefully this will help until you maintain the situation until you can get some hands on training with a behaviorist.

Have you looked into a training class? There are many trainers that have classes on mannered walking. Look into positive reinforcement trainers!

Basically you'll want to stop/even turn around every time your dog pulls. Reward the dog for walking next to you. It doesn't take long for them to realize what you want. Read more about loose lead walking.

Equipment is very important -- we use an Easy Walk Harness (you only want front clip harnesses! Back clip harnesses make pulling worse). Also purchase a Matingale Collar. The most secure you can be is to clip the front clip of the harness to the loop of the martingale collar.

Another alternative is to use a Head Halter (halti or gentle leader). When the dog pulls forward the equipment redirects their head so they'll basically turn back.

Harnesses and head halters are the most humane methods you can use. They'll give you added control until the training piece catches up!

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Best of luck!

We did the same with our ChihMutt (13lbs ish). We took her to our doggie daycare that we used to take our old dog to and she has really done well there. I think the socialization there made a huge difference within the first few weeks. We don't think she was ever socialized with dogs either, and although she is reactive to some dogs, but not all, it's so much better than the first week we got her. If you haven't seen a trainer, I highly recommennd it. Also I really recommend Zak George's videos on Youtube. His approach is calm, positive and easy to replicate. l also recommend Flight or Fight, a Compassionate Guide for Working with Fearful Dogs, I'm currently reading it to help my girl with meeting strangers and their dogs.

Wearing a muzzle will help you stay calm and help keep other people from letting their dog approach yours. The stigma sucks, I know. I worry about it to. But then I think, why I am caring so much about what other random people think of my dog? Instead I should be caring more about the safety of my own dog and help to address this myth that 'only bad dogs wear muzzles'.

A properly fitted Baskerville muzzle like this will allow your dog to open his mouth to pant and take treats: https://www.amazon.com/Baskerville-2-Inch-Rubber-Muzzle-Size-5/dp/B0051H45GC

A mesh one like this does not allow your dog to pant so these are not recommended for walks: https://www.amazon.com/Coastal-Pet-28483202-BestFit-01300-BLK06/dp/B000CRTJUS/ref=pd_sim_199_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B000CRTJUS&pd_rd_r=9B4M6EJRAG6XRYGBN2VY&pd_rd_w=ZWA03&pd_rd_wg=aati7&psc=1&refRID=9B4M6EJRAG6XRYGBN2VY

haha Yes, I've been contemplating whether to throw out the non-Suntheanine bottle that I've currently got, or maybe just take it for myself :)

In case it helps your decision process at all, this is what the behaviorist's office recommended I switch Moose to.

Tricky situation- dealing with a dog fearful of people when you aren’t currently able to use treats. Have you tried really high value soft foods like small pieces of boils shredded chicken or tiny pieces of cut up hot dog? If you can find something that he likes, you may want to try having people just ignore him for the most part while tossing treats in his direction while he’s mostly calm. Toss them a little behind him so he doesn’t have to approach. The idea is to get him to associate people with good things.

Also, try to be very mindful of your body language around him, and direct others to do the same. No staring or direct eye contact that signals a threat or aggression. Approach from the side, not straight on, use look-aways, slow blinks, etc to communicate a relaxed friendly attitude. There are some great resources on the web and YouTube about dog communication.

Also, you may find the book The Other End of the Leash by Patricia McConnell to be an insightful read.

That sucks man. I'm not trying to be mean, just informative. Check out [Book 1](The Dog Behavior Problem Solver: Step-by-Step Positive Training Techniques to Correct More than 20 Problem Behaviors https://www.amazon.com/dp/1621871150/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_cs8uzbW12MSGT) for help training him and [Book 2](The Culture Clash: A Revolutionary New Way to Understanding the Relationship Between Humans and Domestic Dogs https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A2XQ17Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_sv8uzbM89QC4C) for help with perspective.

Boiled chicken is an awesome Super Treat because humans eat it too. If every time your dog sees new people he gets chicken he will start liking them. That's what I like to use along with book 1, especially for time sensitive issues. I'll pm you later today but those books will help you get started. I recommend the Kindle version so you always have it with you.

Edit: I'm on pain meds (recent surgery) so my words might not come off as nicely as I'd like right now. I've got a limited attention span and autocorrect is killing me.

You need a behaviorist, not a trainer. This isn't a training issue, it's a behavioral one. There is so much that you've done wrong, I'm sure you realize that now, that the most fair thing for your dog is to spend the money to get a solid plan from a professional that will help the both of you navigate the world safely. He will be the one that pays for your mistakes. If he bites the wrong dog he could be injured or killed. If he bites the dog of someone who is protective of their dog they can call animal control. If they determine that your dog is aggressive it could be lights out. Your first responsibility is to protect your dog.

This could have started from being around aggressive dogs when he was in his fear period, from reaching physical and mental maturity, or feeling the need to defend himself since he was off leash and you weren't right there to defuse a situation. Maybe all of that.

Raising his hackles is not playing. While his dog communications might be good, the other dogs might not have he same skills. Just because you thought your dog was friendly it doesn't mean other dogs thought he was. It doesn't mean that other dogs he approach are friendly.

You've likely caused a wide wake with other dog owners in your area, especially if they have a fearful or reactive dog. You haven't made any mistake that most of us haven't made with our first dog. I made these and so many more. It's how we learn. I swear the gift of having a reactive dog is it's like having a crash course in training, behavior, and etiquette. I went back and apologized to neighbors. They were all understanding.

Don't let him off leash at all. The muzzle will only leave him defensiveness and more likely to get aggressive. Don't let your dog be around other dogs that might be aggressive or cause tense interactions. Until you meet with a behaviorist I wouldn't let him approach another dog.

Find other ways to tire him out. Using their brain is as good as exercise. Get puzzle toys, play fetch inside. Take a Nose Work class. Make him work for meals. Get a Kong and freeze treats in it. If you have a car, car rides where he can sniff out the window. A dog's brain is built to process smells, let him use his brain and nose to find treats hidden in the house. Find a fenced area that you can have to yourselves. My old neighborhood had a fenced tennis court. I used to go there at 1 am so they could run. I found a flood retention area like this where I could take my dogs to let them run safely. I blocked the steps so they couldn't escape. Mix it up. No set pattern of activities. Get creative.

I have Pointers. They were bred to run most of a day while out hunting. They are at the extreme end of high energy. It took years for them to not just stand all day waiting for me to move. They just didn't relax naturally. I used to play fetch up and down stairs. They'd run down and up the stairs to get the ball for hours before getting tired. I would take them to a remote park on a 30' check cord so they could run in circles. With a little practice I could get them running in circles like a circus horse and not get too dizzy myself. My sister gave me a weasel ball toy for them to hunt. I took them to a quality doggie daycare. I took Nose Work classes. We worked on training every night. They worked for everything. After years of living in a second floor condo with no yard I bought a house with a yard. They still need a lot of work to tire themselves out even though they are now 9+ years old. It can be done without letting your dog run loose.

Start saving for medical bills and check that your homeowners insurance covers you if he bites a person. Do not let your dog off leash.

One of mine does this all the time as a way to avoid intense social interactions. He sees a new dog, sniffs briefly, and if the other dog pays too much interest or gives any clues about wanting to play he veers off to pee on something. It totally avoids the confrontation and stress of the excited social interaction. Once they get through the ritual of peeing and sniffing it, they shake off and calm down, can hang out without undue focus on one another.

"Being A Dog" by Alexandra Horowitz is a good read that goes into a detailed discussion of scent marking as a means to convey information socially.

I know you’re in college and money is tight, but even shelling out a little bit could really get things moving in a positive direction. 50 ft of fence privacy screening is $50.

Someone else suggested muzzling, which will ease your fears that the worst case scenario will happen. If she still barks and lunges, no biggie, just cross the street and hurry along, lots of dogs react this way and most people will take the hint and also hurry along. At least you know theres no risk of injury. Muzzles are also pretty inexpensive.

Lastly I’d look up reactive dog classes in your area. Maybe I’m just lucky, but my city had a reactive rover class for $95. Again I know a big expense for a student, but is it worth saving up the money to improve your and your dogs quality of life?

Amazon. Leash Coupler. https://www.amazon.com/Guardian-Gear-Coupler-Nickel-Plated-Swivel/dp/B000Y908UO/ref=sr_1_4?crid=PVGRVKR8KHZ4

Our Treat n Train Manners Minder arrived today! I'm so excited to try it out!!

Putting in some last minute dog supply orders before Luna's big move next week. I got a new treat pouch because the hinge on our current one is wearing out; This design is sooo much better for reactive dogs than the narrow drawstring ones but the downside is that they need to be replaced 1-2 times a year. I also bought a head collar that attaches behind the head because we want to walk Luna on a muzzle (harder to do with a head halter that attaches under the chin) for the first few weeks in the new place until we get a better feeling for which areas might have off-leash dogs; off-leash dogs are something that we encounter with EXTREMELY low frequency in the city but is something that I'm much more worried about in her new wooded-yet-somewhat-residential neighborhood. Finally I got an EzyDog leash to use for walks with her harness (again muzzled) for use when we want something a little more sniffy than our city leash but busting out the long lines would be overkill.

It’s a metal collar with “spikes” on it that are rounded off so they won’t damage the skin and injure the dog. When you pop on the leash to correct a behaviour, it creates a more direct pressure than a flat collar would, making the dog less likely to keep pulling. Many people say it simulates the bite of a mother dog correcting behaviour.
I know “spikes” sounds scary, but it is actually far safer with a dog that pulls or is reactive because on a flat collar they will keep pulling and can cause serious damage to their trachea. The prong prevents this.
prong collar