So many of us battle daily on our walks.
Will my dog react to that dog/person/car?
Is there anyone coming?
Help! This is so stressful … What can I do??
There are answers. But they take commitment and perseverance.
And then the rewards are marvellous!
Worth a try?
“I did not realise just how anxious my dog actually is. It is also lovely to interact with others who experience similar problems.” JC
BAT for dogs
This is a very condensed version of BAT for dogs. (That’s Behavior Adjustment Training designed by Grisha Stewart.) You can learn the full system here: From Growly Dog to Confident Dog
But for now, let’s just get you started on the principle of the thing.
Your dog sees something that alarms him.
He fixates. He’s deaf to you. He’s focussed on what’s ahead.
He’s probably straining into his lead, ready to erupt.
This tension on his collar or harness is actually exacerbating the situation: he feels trapped! This is life or death!
Now, the first thing for you to do is work out what is a “safe distance” for your dog.
This may be 25 yards - more probably 50 or 100 yards.
So your first step is to make distance.
Once you are far enough away from the approaching hazard to lessen your dog’s fears, what you need to do next is
RELAX THE LEAD!
Now I know this may not be easy. As soon as you relax the lead your dog jumps another yard forward .. This tells me you’re still too close.
You should be able to get to a distance where he’s not straining forward in his anxiety.
This is when you relax your lead.
(If he shuffles forward, gently draw him to a stop - then relax the lead. This does work!)
Suddenly, peace and light descends!
“It is so kind of you to offer this for free, it really shows that you are passionate about helping people to make a positive change and helping all those anxious dogs.” GC Register for the free Growly Dog ecourse
Your dog can relax. He may be sitting or standing, but he’s standing freely on a loose lead, his legs are under him, not pushing out behind. Now he’s able to study the danger dispassionately.
And you know what?
There’s a very high chance he’ll say “Ah well,” and turn away and start sniffing or mooching.
Bingo!
That’s just the result you’re looking for.
Not only has your dog not erupted (phew!) but it was his decision to stay calm.
Yes, you helped him, but it was the dog who decided.
What next?
In time, you’ll find this is a new sport for you. You’ll actually be seeking out your dog’s triggers (the things that upset him - dogs, people, cars, whatever) to work on this!
You’ll be developing a new connection with your dog - not fighting him, trying to hold him back before he lunges and barks - but helping him take it all in his stride.
Worth doing?
These images are excerpts from detailed videos from real BAT sessions with real growly dogs. They’re all in the comprehensive program, From Growly Dog to Confident Dog, with detailed analysis.
Come over to my.brilliantfamilydog.com and find out what you can learn there to make this dream a reality. Thousands of dog-owners already have - you won’t be alone!
“ Beverley I want to thank you for helping me to:
Better understand my troubled dog
Be more self-aware
Think and act distance
Not worry about what others think
To slow things down
The course is so clear and well laid out with logical progression. It has given me the confidence to put into practice what I knew to be the right way to live with my dogs.” SMcD
“The good news is that I can see that my dog and I have made loads of progress since starting this programme- we are both more confident (very rarely hear a low growl these days from either of us), lead walking is good, recall excellent, we are good friends (very good), He is more confident around other dogs off lead and can hold back or have a quick hello then move on, he can walk through a field of sheep (on lead) and not react and this morning did not bat an eyelid at a couple of horse riders who passed us. More recently we’ve made a real effort with BAT and he can watch other dogs at a distance calmly whilst being on the lead.” JS
“I can read and/or listen and comprehend pretty well. But when I visually SEE how something is done --THAT is what helps me learn the best. So your demonstrations of real dogs with real owners learning for the first time is HUGE and EXTREMELY encouraging. After I watched the BAT videos, I thought -- "OOOOH, we can do that!" Thank you so very much. Owning a growly dog has been quite unexpected and many times frustrating, so any pressure that can be removed is invaluable! Again--I cannot thank you enough. Looking forward to what the next few weeks hold with our new revelation of BAT! “TC