Category Archives: Tips for Reactive Dogs

See No Evil: Preventing Dog-Reactive Dogs From Seeing Other Dogs While At Home or In The Yard

Not a good set up for a dog-reactive dog!

Not a good set up for a dog-reactive dog!

I do dog-reactive dog boarding, and often have dogs in my home and in my yard who need to be preventing from seeing other dogs.

Dog-reactive dogs will use all their senses, sight, smell, hearing – to detect the presence of another dog – and these sensory inputs are additive. Taking the time to consider how to remove each type of sensory input will help your dog feel safer and relax more while at home.

While there’s not much you can do to prevent the sound of neighborhood dogs barking in the distance, there are many things you can do to lower the stress for a dog-reactive dog in your home and yard.  Here are a few tips on how to modify your home and yard to minimize chances of your dog seeing another dog. Continue reading

Using BAT Principles When Boarding Dogs Who Are Dog-Reactive, Fearful, or Shy

WelcomeMat

Dog guest’s view of my entry way.

Behavior Adjustment Training (BAT) was developed to socialize and rehabilitate dogs who are aggressive, fearful, or frustrated towards living creatures, typically dogs or humans.

I’ve been applying BAT principles during my Meet & Greet sessions at Solo Dogs, my special needs dog boarding business. I wanted to share some of these principles on how to help your dog get used to a new environment. This may come in handy if you board your dog at a person’s house, or even just bring them over to visit a friend.
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Spray Shield Leash Attachment Modification: Never Go On A Walk Without It

SprayShieldI love Spray Shield.

It was an invaluable part of my dog-reactive dog safety arsenal. Not only is it an effective and safe way to halt an approaching off-leash dog, or disrupt a dog fight, but having it with you on walks, gives you that extra piece of mind that you can handle what might come your way. I always wanted to have Spray Shield with me when I left the house with my dog, and found a solution that would ensure I’d never leave home without it. So I invented a way to make sure I always had it with me! Continue reading