Training to pass other dogs - an exercise in impulse control

Träna på hundmöten - en övning i impulskontroll

For many dog owners, meeting other dogs on the walk is a big challenge and a stressful moment. The dog may bark, lunge forward or pull on the lead because it wants to play. We asked Jenny at Hundprat.se why it is so difficult, and what you can do if you have a reactive dog.

"There can be many reasons why we have trouble meeting other dogs on the walk. We may become stressed and anxious ourselves, and then we transfer that feeling to the dog. Or a difficult dog encounter can be due to the approaching dog and the emotions it sends out. If we find encounters with other dogs during leashed walks a challenge, we as dog owners must learn to show the dog how we want it to behave instead."

Start by training the basics

A good start to succeeding with leash reactivity is to train impulse control with the dog. If the dog cannot resist running after a treat or a toy, it will definitely not be able to resist running after another dog.

Another benefit of impulse control is communication. When the dog can resist its impulses to start barking at the other dog, even if only for a short moment, we as dog owners get a small window to communicate with the dog through. We have a short moment to tell the dog what we want it to do instead of barking.

Preparatory training for leash reactivity: 1-2-3

Here comes a simple and basic exercise in impulse control called 1-2-3.

You need:

Tasty treats or a toy
A place indoors or outdoors where you have space and the dog can be off the lead safely.

Here is what you do:

Let the dog sit or stand by your side. You do not have to use commands like sit or stay if you do not want to. The dog will understand what you are after anyway.
Hold the dog still and throw a treat or a toy a few metres in front of you.
Then slowly count 1, 2, 3, and on 3 you release the dog and it gets to run off and fetch the treat or the toy. If the dog does not run off, you can run after the treat together with the dog.
Repeat the steps above a few times.
When the dog understands the exercise, you can try having the dog off the lead from the start. Keep your hands close so that you can easily catch the dog if it tries to jump the gun.
Count 1, 2, 3 and see if the dog understands that it gets to run and fetch the treat on 3.
When the dog understands the exercise, you can try counting 1, 2,5, 3 and see if the dog is really listening for the word three.

If the dog finds it difficult, you can help by counting 1, 2 a little more quietly and with less energy in your voice and then saying 3 a little louder. Then make it a little harder at a time by increasing the volume of your voice in small steps until you have the same volume of voice on all the numbers.

If the dog tries to run on a number other than 3, catch the dog gently and prevent it from making a mistake. If the dog finds it unpleasant to be caught, you can instead have a lead on that prevents the dog from running forward in advance. Do not get angry with the dog if it does something wrong, but see it as play and show the dog how you want it to do instead!

How do I then move on in the training of dog encounters?

Now you have started training a basic step to move on in your dog encounter training. This way the dog gets to train both on resisting its impulse to run towards what tempts it, and on waiting and listening to you.

At Hundprat.se there are lots of tips and tricks when it comes to dogs and dog training and a whole online training in dog encounters. There you can get tips on more steps and strategies, to create the very best conditions for dog encounters that are as smooth as possible for you and your dog walks. And by the way, if you want to know what you should NOT do during dog encounters on the walk, Jenny has written an article about that too.