In working with reactive dogs that bark and lunge, we need to be very aware of how close they are to the stimuli (dog, stroller, jogger, etc) that upsets them. For our dogs, distance means EVERYTHING.
We want to take the dog in close enough that it is a bit of a challenge to play the coping games we have taught them. In terms of visual cues for us — one obvious clue for us to keep an eye on is the state of the dogs’ ears. We only want take our dogs in only far enough that their ears go forward, simply noticing the stimuli — and no farther. If we take them in too close too soon, we run the risk of making them MORE sensitive, and MORE fearful of it.
This takes discipline for us, as trainers and guardians of our dogs. It’s hard to feel like you are making good progress when your dog still needs 50′ from another dog to feel comfortable! But remember that 50 feet may not actually SEEM like 50 feet to your dog.
There is a wonderful post in Science of Dogs where the author brings up several studies showing how altered our perceptions are when we are in a fearful state: ski slopes seem steeper, spiders seem larger, the perception of height is greatly exaggerated by those with a fear of heights. In short, fear really seems to change our perception of the world. Here is a link to the article: Science of Dogs
So in dealing with reactivity, take your time. Remember that you are dealing with your dog’s perceptions — not your own.
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