the over excited dog, and trying to introduce them to other dogs on the
leash.
Everything from Great Danes to Chihuahua’s can get so excited it looks
like they are going to explode. There is nothing worse than when they
try to meet other dogs and they are almost pulling you over and
dragging you along. It can be scary, dangerous, embarrassing and very
quickly escalates till you feel out of control and at the mercy of your dog.
Aggression or Excitement?
Sometimes it is very hard to tell what they are experiencing and feeling.
The behavior is very often a mix of both excitement and stress. This
however is not a great state for your dog to meet other dogs in as there
is far more chance that things will go wrong, especially over time if it
goes unchecked. See it from the other dogs point of view as your dog
approaches rearing up on their back legs, barking, eyes bulging,
gasping for air… you’ve go the picture.
So how do you avoid such a situation? Well in this post I shall explain
the 3 options available to you. Then you will have a simple, basic
approach to select one of the three and go and practice with your dog.
Having a clear plan of action is the first stage to success.
Firstly it is important to be clear that there are ONLY 3 options available.
And secondly, you must have established yourself already as the pack
leader – this is crucial.
1. Approach the other dog – Your dog is calm and you decide to
simply approach the other dog on the leash. Yes, this is the ultimate
goal! Remember that we are looking to reward good behavior so do not
get in the way in this situation. Stay silent as you walk your dog towards
the other dog and let them meet. In other words stay out of it and do not
upset the calm environment that you have in front of you.
2. Stay well away – Picture your dog barking like crazy, completely
out of control… this is where your gut instinct knows that it’s best not to
go and visit the other dog and you are better off just walking past. It
could be for a number of reasons. You may feel that you do not have
time to work with your dog and try to calm them down, the other dog
may not seem keen to play, maybe they look a little unsure, old or small.
One other important reason to do this is to show your dog that
sometimes you do not get to meet and sniff every dog on the walk. (This
is how it is in life, so get used to it!)
3. Calm your dog down then make a decision – In other words do
some training to calm and distract your dog. After you have done this
you may choose to approach the other dog or not. The choice is still
yours. The really important point to remember is that you are taking time
out to show your dog that if they calm down (even just a little bit) good
things happen. Over time your dog starts to learn that the calmer they
are the more chance there is of meeting the other dogs.
What is the right option for me?
All three options are the right option at different times. In other words I
still choose all three options for my dogs depending on the situation.
Younger dogs in particular will often need a bit more calming than older
dogs and this training will certainly pay off in the long run.
Guaranteeing it will work
As I mentioned earlier, you really must have the pack leader
foundations in place before you can trust how you dog will react in
different circumstances. Learning Doggy Dan’s five Golden Rules of
becoming the Pack Leader will give you the assurance that you are in
charge and you dog is looking up to you and respecting you for all the
decision making. Visit Doggy Dan’s video website here to learn how to
become the Pack Leader http://doitwithdogs.blogspot.com
(Dan even offers a 3 Day $1 trial of the site that YOU can take
advantage of, so I suggest the next thing you do today is take a look inside the site!) HERE
The fatal mistake to avoid.
One of the biggest mistakes that people make is rewarding bad
behavior. Imagine a little dog barking because they wish to meet
another dog on the other side of the street. If you simply cross over and
meet them, even though the meeting goes well you have rewarded your
dogs barking and excitement. This excitement will increase every time
your dog sees a dog on the walk until it is almost unbearable and you
realize you have a problem!
All dogs can learn to be calm as they approach other dogs, it just takes
a bit of commitment from you to turn them around but it is not
complicated once you know how. Take the time at home to establish
yourself as the pack leader so that any training you do has the
maximum impact. Remember the more your dog sees you as the one in
charge, the more notice they will take of you and what you are doing!
Remember, Dan gives you a $1 trial of the site for 3 days. To take
advantage of this offer and learn more about the 5 Golden Rules of
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