An on-leash walk should be an enjoyable experience, but many dogs and their owners struggle with this. The sight, scent or sound of other people, animals, vehicles, etc. can trigger explosive reactions of barking and lunging. Let's discuss how to eliminate the chaos and reclaim a peaceful on-leash walk.

The first step is to master the on-leash walk without any distractions. This means practicing on-leash walking in locations and situations where there are no triggers for your dog's leash reactivity. This could be inside your house, in your backyard, an empty field, or an empty parking lot, but ultimately whatever situation will allow you focus your attention on your leash walking skills. Click here to review my leash walking tips for additional information on improving your on-leash walk.

The next step is to introduce a minimal level of exposure to whatever triggers your dog's leash reactivity during your on-leash walk. You manage the level of exposure using distance. For example, if your dog is triggered by a barking dog in your neighbor's yard you would walk on the opposite side of the street from the barking dog to create the distance necessary to minimize your dog's exposure to this trigger. Focus on your leash walking and correct at the first sign of leash reactivity. Corrections will refocus your dog's attention from the trigger to the walk.

Repeat this exercise at the appropriate distance from whatever it is that triggers your dog's leash reactivity. Your dog's response to its trigger will let you know the appropriate distance you should be working from. As your dog becomes less reactive, decrease the distance between your dog and whatever it is that triggers your dog's leash reactivity. If your dog becomes more reactive, increase the distance between your dog and whatever it is that triggers your dog's leash reactivity.

Understand that you will likely face setbacks before you reach your end goal, but be patient and do not get discouraged. Our dogs are not robots and that is why we love them. They have minds and personalities of their own and that comes with ups and downs.  There is no shame in backtracking and repeating the exercise at an increased distance. Pay attention to how your dog responds and proceed accordingly.