Teddy’s Take: Walking a nervous/reactive large dog

 Hello,

We met our dog Teddy nearly three years ago. He had been abandoned at a local mall with a very small dog and then picked up by animal rescue and placed in a foster home. Thanks to his wonderful foster mom we knew that he did well with cats and so we agreed to meet him to see how he did with the boys.

He was absolutely perfect with the kids and very gentle and calm so we decided to bring him home as part of our family. What we didn’t know what that he was VERY protective of his new family and thus began our journey of understanding and learning how to work with a reactive dog. 

He has always been very understanding of the boys and is their biggest supporter and friend, but woe to anyone who comes near them who is not in the circle of trust. 

Context given, here are some tips we’ve learned on how to walk a large reactive dog in the city:

1. Odd hours - early in the morning or late at night is your friend. Fewer people and a lot cooler for our big fluffy guy.

2. No multitasking- this is not the time to listen to a podcast or talk to a friend because you have to be alert to cross a street or put them in a sit/down. Be present and enjoy the time! 🙂

3. Dried liver training treats- our trainers recommend one ingredient freeze dried treats so we can use as many as we need to reinforce good behavior and redirect attention.

4. Keep their attention on you- Teddy is not at all aggressive, but he is very protective. As long as his attention is where it needs to be he’s fine. He also calms down instantly when he doesn’t perceive a “threat” to his family. So if we encounter someone, “walk on” works well for him to keep him moving and stop and protests on his part. Sometimes that’s not an option and sit/down with simple commands and minimal excess words, getting him to keep his focus on us through treats works in a pickle.

5. Practice makes progress- don’t let fear stop walks. The more practice, the more exposure. Also the more confident we get the more we practice which helps because when we are confident, he gets less nervous. 

These are our experiences, not by any means a professional assessment, and we absolutely loved our trainers for our first year with Teddy.

Have a wonderful day!

💛Jessie