Excerpted from Feisty Fido by Patricia McConnell, Ph.D and Karen London, Ph.D
Right now your dog barks, lunges, or reacts problematically when she sees other dogs, but what if she had a different response? What if, when she saw another dog, she immediately turned her head and looked at you, wagging her tail in happy anticipation? We call this exercise “Watch” and for a seemingly simple exercise, it has a long list of advantages. First of all, your dog can’t bark and lunge toward another dog when her attention is directed to your face. Teaching an incompatible behavior is a time-honored and elegant solution to a lot of behavioral problems, and it works wonderfully with fidos who are a bit too feisty on leash walks. Additionally, by teaching your dog to look at your face when she sees another dog, you’re teaching her what you want her to do, rather than hoping she’ll figure it out herself.
Start teaching Watch in a quiet place where you’re the only show in town, and there’s nothing else competing for your dog’s attention. Don’t underestimate how distracting one of your other dogs can be. Start training when you and your feisty fido are all by yourselves. Arm yourself with a generous pile of treats by your side or in a bait bag, and wait until your dog is looking away from you. Say “Watch” in a clear, animated voice and hope your dog turns his head and looks toward you. If he does, immediately “mark” that response by saying “good!” or clicking if you use clicker training. Instantly follow that up with a yummy treat OR a game of tug or fetch IF your dog adores playing with toys. Remember that every trainee gets to define what reinforcement is best, so we can’t say which is more effective for your dog – toys or food. Toys have the advantage of overwhelming nervousness with positive emotions that are associated with relaxation and comfort, but chicken is the way to many a dog’s heart.
For more tips and advice on dealing with a leash-reactive dog, purchase Feisty Fido from Whole Dog Journal.
