Are you a dog owner navigating the urban jungle of Calgary with a reactive or aggressive dog by your side? You’re not alone. Many Calgary residents face the unique challenge of training reactive dogs in our bustling city environment. But fear not! With the right training strategies, time and patience, you and your canine companion can master the streets of Calgary together.
Understanding Reactivity in Dogs
Dr. Kristina Spaulding’s blog, “Understanding ‘Reactivity’,” defines reactivity in dogs as a range of behaviors encompassing barking, lunging, and general responses to environmental stimuli. Dr. Spaulding underscores the importance of considering factors like affective style, emotional regulation, executive function, habit, and sensory processing sensitivity in understanding reactivity.
8 Big Ideas for Calgary's Urban Jungle
Now that we’ve defined of reactivity, let’s look at some specific approaches for training your reactive dog in Calgary’s urban setting.
Take A Break from Triggers
An important first step is to offer your dog respite from triggers if they display signs of chronic stress, chronic According to Hans Selye, chronic stress results from a prolonged physiological reaction to stimuli, leading to exhaustion and adverse health effects. Symptoms of chronic stress in dogs can include persistent muscle tension, dilated pupils, excessive urination, whining, difficulty settling at home, heightened startle response, incessant barking indoors and outdoors, or waking throughout the night.
To alleviate stress, cultivate a calm and enriching home environment conducive to relaxation. Within as little as 3 days, you may notice a significant improvement in your dog’s demeanor and behaviour! For a comprehensive stress-relief protocol, consider consulting “The Canine Emotional Detox” by Diane Garrod.
Build An Unbreakable Bond with Your Reactive Dog
Now, let’s discuss into the importance nurturing a feeling of security and comfort for your dog. This needs to happen away from and in the presence of triggers.
Simply put, if your dog doesn’t feel safe and protected, they may come to view walks as dangerous, risking a loss of trust in your relationship and the development of additional behavioural challenges. This cannot be emphasized enough.
While a certain level of stress is adaptive and exposure is necessary for progress, your dog requires the capacity and coping skills to navigate various circumstances. This adjustment doesn’t occur overnight. Therefore, as you work on building your dog’s resilience (refer to “Closing the Loop” below), consider exploring quieter locations or scheduling walks during off-peak times to minimize the likelihood of encountering triggers and foster a relaxing training atmosphere.
Build Resiliency by 'Closing the Loop'
Alright, now it’s time to discuss the concept of fostering resilience in your dog. I like to refer to this as their “bounce back ability.”
An effective approach is to start reinforcing bounce back behaviours that your dog most likely already exhibits!
Drawing inspiration from cybernetics, a foundational systems theory, I proudly introduce the “Closing the Loop” method.
Here’s how it works: Observe instances where your dog’s arousal escalates, regardless of the context, and subsequently naturally diminishes. For instance, if your dog becomes reactive when they notice another dog on a walk, observe what happens after the other dog goes away. Look for behaviours like sniffing, shaking off, taking a breath or running away. Reinforce these innate self-regulating behaviours with calm praise, scattered treats, or affection. Consistency and timing are key; promptly reinforce these behaviours to facilitate their integration. Over time, your dog will become more proficient at self-regulation, empowering them to transform their own behaviours (yes, you read that right!)
Master Leash Manners: A-to-B Walks
In a busy city like Calgary, if you are going to walk your dog on a leash then it’s critical to have impeccable leash manners. A-to-B walks are extremely helpful for improving your dog’s leash behaviour, especially if your canine companion is a little (or a lot) wild on the leash. Diane Garrod, a renowned dog trainer inspired me to incorporate A-to-B walks into my training toolkit and these are now cornerstones of my reactive dog classes and my Walk Wise Leash Clinic in Calgary. When implemented correctly, A-to-B walks have a 99.999% success rate (nothing, is ever 100%), as long they are tuned to your dog’s current state and skill set rather than your planned endpoint.
Re-Invent Your Walks
If leash walking isn’t enjoyable or safe for you and your reactive dog under any circumstances, it might be time to abandon leash walks altogether. Explore deconstructing your walks as detailed in “Navigating the Challenges of Life with a Reactive Dog,” drawing from Janet Finlay’s invaluable insights. By shifting your mindset and approach to exercise, you can ensure both you and your dog enjoy your time together, fulfilling their needs while fostering a rewarding bond.
Reduce Urban Stressors for Your Reactive Dog
If you live in Calgary’s Beltline, East Village, Downtown, 4th Street SW, or any other community, and find yourself traversing challenging environments like elevators, stairs, parkades, or bustling streets, consider employing tools like a Calming Cap or dog goggles to mitigate visual stimuli. Dog-specific earplugs can alleviate sound sensitivity, while visual barriers such as blocking boards or an open umbrella can provide a sense of security in confined spaces.
Get Creative with Toileting
If you live in an apartment and the outside world is too unpredictable for toileting breaks, consider potty training your dog on a patio grass patch or a designated indoor spot. This is a convenient toileting solution that limits exposure to potential triggers.
Elevate Your Walks with Dog Parkour
Introduce your reactive dog to dog parkour to promote focus, calmness, and awareness during walks, incompatible with lunging, barking, growling, and mayhem. Dog parkour entails teaching them to jump on and off objects, place their paws on various surfaces like stumps, rocks, benches, and lamp posts. It provides mental stimulation and an energy outlet, effectively reducing reactivity during walks.
Conclusion
Navigating the urban landscape of Calgary with a reactive dog presents its challenges, but it’s a journey you don’t have to undertake alone. By embracing the strategies outlined here and dedicating time and patience to training, you and your canine companion can conquer the bustling streets together. Remember, building resilience, mastering leash manners, and exploring alternative approaches to walks are just some of the tools at your disposal. With determination and a positive mindset, you can transform your urban outings into enjoyable experiences, strengthening the bond between you and your dog along the way.
Need Some Help?
If you are seeking support in Calgary with your reactive or aggressive dog be sure to check out our Feisty Fido program. If you live outside of Calgary we have several reactive dog training options on our online learning platform.
