When your pet struggles to play nicely with others, it can be a stressful experience. Lara Shannon, a certified dog behaviorist and trainer, offers these tips for training a reactive dog:
1. Never punish your dog for struggling to play nicely
Your dog may demonstrate negative behaviours when struggling to play nicely. They trust you and show they are afraid, hoping you’ll help solve the problem. Punishing this behaviour may provoke a more dramatic reaction in the future. Here are more information from Walkies and Whiskers on what to do when your dog is misbehaving.
2. Avoid socialising in stressful situations
Like humans, some dogs don’t enjoy overly stressful social situations. As you work on training your reactive pup, avoid dog parks, crowds, and other potentially stressful situations. Determine your dog’s limitations for stress. Then, try to stay far under that stress threshold so that they can enjoy comfortable socialisation. Never force an interaction if your pet seems at all uncomfortable.
In many cases, pets experience social anxiety like many humans do. Remarkably similarly, actually. And treating pet anxiety can also help them when they are out and about with other pups, cats, etc. Treating it and caring for them, rather than taking a “strong arm” approach will always be the better way to engage with your pet.
3. Use private training and play spaces Like SniffSpace
When working on any dog training, an environment without distractions is vital. Use a private training or play space to work on confidence-building exercises and focus games with your pup. Slowly build up to planning play dates. SniffSpace is terrific for this, as you can choose an off-leash area that’s precisely the right size, avoiding the stimulation of a large dog park.
4. Engage in counter-conditioning and positive reinforcement training
Dog training forms a positive association when your dog responds well to a trigger. Your goal is to reward calm behaviour each time it occurs, so they learn they will receive a reward for staying calm. Lara Shannon offers additional tips for positive reinforcement training, including selecting the best treats for your dog.
5. Introduce new people and dogs slowly
As you help your dog learn to socialise, introduce them to new pets and people one at a time. Opt for controlled environments, let your pup initiate the interaction, and bring plenty of treats to share. In addition, choose new potential playmates carefully — select other dogs that are unlikely to be aggressive, reactive, or attempt to be overly dominant.
Pandemic isolation combined with the over socialisation triggered by their humans working at home has made it difficult for some of our furry friends to want to consider shared playtime.
The good news is that with positive reinforcement, confidence building, and focused training, you can help your reactive pup become friendly and social. Using services like SniffSpace to find private places to play is a great way to practice these skills.
To find a space in your local area or for more information on becoming a host, visit sniffspace.com.au.
