When taking your reactive or aggressive dog on a walk, you’ll most likely encounter triggers that cause aggressive behavior in your dog. Whether it’s another dog or an unfamiliar human, understanding how to properly manage this can significantly improve your dog’s reaction to these triggers.
In this episode, I’ll focus on understanding your dog’s triggers and how to best manage them through modification exercises you can do while walking your dog. I also break down important concepts that are commonly used when working with aggressive dogs such as threshold distance, negative reinforcement and reactivity. Through intentional treat delivery and certain walking techniques, you can expect a more productive daily walk that’ll help your dog "unlearn" its specific behavior when seeing triggers.
So if you’re new to the world of behavior modification, I highly encourage you to check out this episode (and prior episodes) to better understand how you can play a significant role in limiting your dog’s aggression during daily walks.
Key Takeaways:
[0:10] Is Your Dog Aggressive to Other Dogs?
[3:05] Common Kinds of Dog Triggers
[5:38] Understanding What Happens When Your Dog is Triggered
[6:50] How to Avoid Negative Reinforcement
[8:28] Diving Into the Types of Reactivity
[10:28] The Role of Fear, Arousal, and Frustration
[12:48] Why Knowing Your Dog’s Threshold Distance is So Important
[17:35] Must-Have Tools
[20:20] The Importance of Constant Speed
[21:30] Managing Your Dog’s Visual Triggers
[22:40] How to Successfully Walk By Triggers
[29:10] On Unexpectedly Bailing Out Your Dog
[30:45] Perfecting the Art of Treat Delivery
[33:15] When Your Dog Attracts Humans
[34:35] Summarizing the Behavior Modification Exercise
About Scott Sheaffer
Scott Sheaffer, CCBC-KA, CDBC, CPDT-KA, is a certified dog behavior consultant who has worked with thousands of dog owners and their aggressive dogs. Scott specializes in the assessment and treatment of fear, anxiety, aggression, and phobias in dogs six months and older.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/usadogbehavior
Videos: https://www.usadogbehavior.com/dog-training-video-courses
Disclaimer
This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. If your dog is displaying aggression toward humans, consult an experienced and knowledgeable canine behavior professional who uses humane, non-aversive methods, and always take precautions to keep others safe.
Scott Sheaffer and USA Dog Behavior, LLC, are not responsible for any outcomes resulting from the use or interpretation of the information shared in this podcast.
