It can be challenging to meet your dog's daily needs for exercise and adventure when they are reactive on leash. When your dog lunges, barks, or generally ‘loses it’ towards other dogs while on a leash, the ways you can exercise them safely can feel so limited.
Here's some strategies that can help you navigate these obstacles and ensure your dog can get the physical activity and mental stimulation they need:
1. Use the Right Equipment
Invest in a well-fitting collar and a sturdy leash. A martingale collar or transitional leash is an excellent way to be sure if your dog does react, you can maintain control and they can’t slip out and get away. Check your leash frequently for any tears or weak points, and check that all buckles and clasps are working well. Sand, dirt, and rust can cause these to not close properly.
2. Find Quiet Times and Places
The first step is to choose less crowded times and locations for your walks. Early mornings or late evenings are often quieter, reducing the chances of encountering many dogs or people. Quiet parks, empty beaches, or less-traveled paths are ideal. Our first goal is to minimize stress for both you and your dog, making the walk more enjoyable.
Look on Google Maps satellite view for large green spaces, or large parking lots. Satellite imagery has some surprising hidden gems! We’re looking for places just a bit off the most traveled routes, where other dog owners are less likely to know of and be. Also, check for local Sniffspot yards as new places to explore.
You don’t have to necessarily walk a straight 3 miles for your dog to cover some distance. Meandering around a large field or open space can provide the same number of steps, and lots of time to explore and sniff!
If you live in a downtown area, consider driving to the suburbs or to a more rural area, especially during off-peak hours. A short drive for a quieter suburban stroll can be well worth it.
Lastly, check with any nearby training centers! Agility and obedience training facilities often rent out their area for practice sessions, giving you and your dog a private, secure place to play and train.
3. Utilize Long Lines in Safe Areas
A long line (we recommend 20’-30’) can be a game-changer. It gives your dog more freedom to explore while you maintain the ability to help them recall, or redirect them quickly if they need help around another dog. Use long lines in a safe, less traveled area where your dog can roam a bit more freely with a lower risk of running into triggers.
4. Alternative Forms of Exercise
If walks in your neighborhood are too stressful, there are other ways to exercise your dog. Tug games, chasing a flirt pole, or engaging in scent work games can be great alternatives that require less space.
Practice agility games with the environment around you. Ask your dog to jump over branches, onto a bench or logs, and wait until you release with an excited ‘ok!’ and then hop up onto the next one. Now we’re combining physical and mental exercise! These activities allow your dog to burn energy and use their bodies purposefully, without having to pass other dogs over and over on a walk.
5. Invest Time in Mental Stimulation
Physical exercise is necessary, but let’s not overlook mental stimulation. Interactive search games, like hide treats or their favorite toy for your dog to find, can be highly beneficial. Puzzle feeders and scent work activities also help tire them out mentally. Aim for activities that let your dog work independently, practice making choices and problem solving - but that are not too frustrating and obtainable so they can feel accomplished and successful.
6. Tricks and Training
Join an online class - for reactivity, obedience, tricks, scent work, and more! Online training is a wonderful way to build a solid set of skills and communication between you and your dog and connect with a community of people who understand your challenges.
Training is a key way for your dog to feel satisfied, and able to settle. Ten to twenty minutes of challenging mental work can tire out your dog more than an hour-long stroll through a neighborhood.
And sure, learning and practicing obedience skills might be really useful, and learning a new sport with your dog like frisbee or Nosework will always provide a challenge and ways to grow, but don’t underestimate tricks! Teaching your dog how to get you a beer out of the fridge might not actually be the most crucially useful life skill (especially if they don’t know how to close the fridge door afterward) but the journey, learning, and bonding you and your dog get to do together along the way will absolutely help your behavior training sessions later on.
We understand… exercising a leash-reactive dog requires patience, understanding, and sometimes a bit of creativity.
We need options for daily stimulation for our reactive dogs - meeting their physical and mental needs goes a long way for our behavior training! With the right approach, you can ensure your dog gets enough physical activity without exacerbating their leash reactivity.
By employing these strategies, you can help your dog get the exercise they need while working on reducing their reactivity.
Remember, every dog is different, and what works for one may not work for another. Be patient and try a few different methods until you find what works best for your dog.
With time and consistent training, you can help your dog become more relaxed on the leash and enjoy a wider range of adventures together.
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