If you have a reactive dog, you have probably fallen down the rabbit hole of googling how to ‘fix’ them. Have you spent hours scrolling through videos on social media where dog trainers offer simple fixes that will work within minutes?
If your dog is lead reactive (they only seem to bark and lunge at other dogs when they are on the lead) then you have probably read/watched plenty of trainers who recommend lead corrections. Or should we make it sound more friendly and call them ‘lead pops’?
Whether the social media stars are calling it a lead correction, lead pop, or jerk on the lead, they all amount to the same thing, an aversive action that causes your dog discomfort. This acts as a punishment for a particular behaviour. In the case of your reactive dog, that behaviour is probably barking, lunging or both, when they see another dog, a person, cyclist, cars etc.
The idea of punishment in dog training is to lessen the likelihood of the behaviour occurring in future. This is because your dog wants to avoid the unpleasant/painful experience of having something tighten around their neck (many trainers that advocate the use of lead corrections also recommend using slip leads so the pressure is applied in the most sensitive area of the dogs neck. More pain = more compliance?).
Does punishment work for reactive dogs?
I do not advocate the use of positive punishment for any dog behaviour. For reactive dogs it often exacerbates the problem. Many reactive dogs are incredibly sensitive, you might also describe your reactive dog as highly strung. This sensitivity means that they will not respond well to punishment of any form. Your dog’s behaviour is more likely to escalate and you will damage the bond between you as they lose trust in you.
If your dog’s reactivity is caused by fear or pain, adding an aversive will add to their fear and pain. Remember the whole point of a lead correction is to cause discomfort! This results in your dog’s reactions worsening over time, because they associate the presence of a dog with the lead correction. So next time they see a dog they will anticipate the pain you are going to deliver and therefore try to get the dog to move away. Cue lots of barking and lunging.
If your dog’s reactivity is caused by frustration (often, but not always the case for lead reactive dogs) by yanking on their lead, you are adding an additional stressor in a situation when they are already stressed.
Imagine you are at work, feeling stressed because its been a tiring, frustrating day. Or maybe you pulled your back earlier this week and you can’t ease the discomfort, whether you’re sitting or standing. Now you are trying to go about your business and a customer comes over to shout a complaint at you. At the same time your colleague is stood at your shoulder, jabbing you in the arm with their index finger. This colleague is a friend so you tolerate it as they jab repetitively and somewhat forcefully into your arm. Do you think you might react? Would it help if your colleague then shouted at you and jabbed their finger into your arm even harder? Who is going to suffer from your reaction, the customer or your colleague?
How can you help your reactive dog?
Helping your reactive dog takes time and patience. The first thing is to understand why your dog is reacting so you can get the best solution.
There is no one size fits all approach to reactivity, so reading online how someone else ‘cured’ their dog’s reactivity, is unlikely to help your dog.
In the meantime the best thing you can do for your reactive dog is give them space from the things that cause them to react. Enjoy quiet walks and encourage them to sniff and explore their environment.
If you want specialist help with your dog’s reactivity there is more information here
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