Your Reactive Dog Will Thank You For This

Mutt Sense - Practical Dog Tools & Tips - Issue #1

Dog parenting is a lot like toddler parenting except there are no gripey support groups with wine and other dog moms on Friday nights 😁

That’s why I’m adding something new and different here at Dog Snobs. We don’t have to gripe but it can’t hurt to share the most practical and useful tips and tools we’ve found in our dog-parenting journeys.

Because let’s face it…we didn’t all adopt Benji and some of us desperately need this week’s tip.

Once upon a time, my dog was the neighborhood menace.

I can’t even sugarcoat this - Dezi was THAT dog for the first two years of her life. She unpredictably lunged and lashed out on pathways and sidewalks.

We’re not just talking the usual suspects like bikes, scooters, and skateboards. She lunged at old ladies, men, joggers, kids, and of course, other dogs.

It was NEVER a calm, leisurely walk with Dezi. I had to remain on high alert at all times. I could never wear earbuds, look at my phone, or even stay on the same sidewalk as oncomers in her first two years of life.

It got to a point where I chose to spend a large chunk of change on a specialty trainer for reactive dogs.

Best money I’ve ever spent on Dezi.

Do you want to know the simplest (and cheapest) tool she showed up with that worked almost instantly?

The slip lead and figure 8 lesson.

If you’ve never heard of a slip lead, it’s one of those leashes you see on dog rescue shows that slips around the dog’s neck and tightens simply by cinching it up.

The magic in the slip lead for reactive dogs is the simple figure 8 maneuver that loops over the dog’s nose. Below is a pretty basic YouTube clip I found and trust me, this can replace expensive Halti devices and gentle leaders.

Hannah, my dog trainer, gifted me with a slip lead in our very first session. It would serve as the foundation for almost every reactive technique we learned in training.

The figure 8 doesn’t hurt the dog at all but it did take Dezi a few times to get used to the feel before she stopped fidgeting.

Here are some ways the slip lead figure 8 can help with a reactive leash lunger.

• Reduces Pulling:

  The Figure 8 lead's design allows for a gentle tightening effect when the dog pulls, which discourages pulling behavior without causing discomfort.

• Improved Control:

  The lead enables the handler to guide the dog's movement more easily, which can make walks more enjoyable for both the dog and the owner.

• Calmer Walks:

  By discouraging pulling, the Figure 8 lead can help create a calmer and more relaxed walking experience for the dog, reducing anxiety and stress.

• Positive Reinforcement:

  When the dog stops pulling and walks loosely, the pressure on the neck is released, providing positive feedback and encouraging the desired behavior.

• Not a Punishment:

  The lead's pressure is not intended to be painful or harsh, but rather to provide a gentle correction when the dog pulls.

I’ll be honest…in Dezi’s early years I totally considered buying a prong collar or a shock collar. That’s how desperate I was to not have the neighborhood menace. But I just couldn’t do it.

Those options didn’t seem like a good (or kind) fit for a fearful dog. I knew she was reacting out of fear and protection mode and the only way to counteract that was to give her more confidence through training.

So, you could say I spent $800 on a basic leash and a simple trick, but reactivity training was so much more than that. It was a system of learning to recognize triggers, avoid them, build confidence, and strengthen my relationship with my dog.

All of those combined? PRICELESS.

If you can’t afford a dog trainer why not get yourself a slip lead (on Amazon) and watch a few YouTube training videos to make sure you’re using it correctly? See if it works for you. It was MAGIC for us.

Is Dezi bulletproof after training with a slip lead? Not by a long shot and she never will be but her progress has been life-changing for both of us.

Do you have a reactive leash lunger? Have you ever tried using the figure 8 technique?