How to get your dog to stop barking on walks (Help! My dog is reactive to other dogs and people!)

How do I get my dog to stop barking?! Join Erica as she explains why is your dog barking so much on walks. Your dog may be reactive to strangers and even other dogs too!
►Get our FREE guide to Understanding Your Dog’s Reactivity 👉 www.thekindcaninepetservices....
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Further reading
►Behavior Adjustment Training (B.A.T.) 2.0 by Grisha Stewart: go.thekindcaninepetservices.c...
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►Pet Professional Guild (A Force Free Organization): www.petprofessionalguild.com/
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Chapters:
0:00 How to get your dog to stop barking on walks
0:33 What do you mean my dog is reactive?
1:36 Why is my dog barking so much?
2:39 How to train your dog to stop barking
3:31 Reactive Dog body language
05:01Why is my dog barking at other dogs and people?
05:46 Stay in the learning zone
06:42 Is my dog fearful or frustrated?
08:43 How do I get my dog to stop barking
09:23 Set yourself up for success
10:20 Change your dog’s mind
10:54 Work with a force free trainer
-- How to get your dog to stop barking on walks (Help! My dog is reactive to other dogs and people!) --
If your dog barks at everything that passes by, you might have a reactive dog! Reactivity is defined by an overreaction to external stimuli. In plain, english, that might mean that your dog explodes into barking when people, dog or even bikes or squirrels come close! Erica covers:
► What is dog reactivity?
► How can you keep your dog from reacting?
► Why is your dog reactive?
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[@TheKindCanine]

I'm curious... how much space does your dog need before they "react"?

[@nervmaster]

Mine it seems is something between 5 and 10 meters

[@seekingtheFathersway]

all my chihuahua needs to react is the sight of an animal, and that includes cats, squirrel, and even rabbits, not just dogs or people!

[@zapikk]

like 10 km radius

[@ChrisPozzi]

Great to see a new video. Thanks for your work on these.

[@TheKindCanine]

Glad you like them Chris! It's funny - we get busier with our training, it's harder to make videos! We're hoping to find a balance and get to more regular posting soon!

[@VillainousVale]

So my boyfriend and I recently adopted a rescue dog. We were told over and over that she loves other dogs, we had video and photo evidence of her being in a home with other dogs and going on walks with other dogs while being completely calm. However, when we got her we found that she is very reactive to other dogs on walks. Her back hair will stand up and she barks and pulls towards the dogs. We've been trying ways to help this, but she still doesn't listen to us very well when she's distracted and she ignores treats. Given her background of being good with other dogs, I am not sure where this reactivity is coming from. Is she frustrated that she can't play with the dogs? If all else, is it best to just change directions and avoid the other dogs entirely if she spots one? So far she has shown varying levels of reactivity. Sometimes she can walk past a dog with minimal or no barking, other times she sees one off in the distance and starts reacting immediately. It's the one thing that has been a little overwhelming for us with her so far and we aren't 100% sure on how to address it.

[@TheKindCanine]

There are so many factors when it comes to reactivity. All of what you mentioned could be playing in. In general, yes, it's good to get space when you see this and then dedicate some training time in a controlled environment. A dog trainer can really help here - reactivity is one of those things we see from dogs that we always recommend talking to a trainer about! The directory at the Pet Professional Guild is a great place to start!

[@EnglishCoach3Ts]

I have been using some of the guide training you have talked about in this video and other videos and my dog is getting less and less reactive. Thank you so much. At first, people, other dogs, cars and bicycles were triggers for her. I am learning a lot from you and from my dog. Now she is not reactive to most people, most bicycles and cars. She has improved A LOT with other dogs, especially males. Thank you! Thank you! I am hoping that someday she can enjoy the company of other dogs. You have made a difference for my girl and me!

[@TheKindCanine]

So cool! You may also observe the distance at which these things happen. Is there a pattern? Always 100ft, or always 50 ft away? Then you can start a bit back from that point and work from there!

[@mari1tausend]

This video is structured so nicely and everything is explained so well and clear. Thank you so much. Wish I could book a training session with you , Erica

[@TheKindCanine]

Thanks for the kind words! Glad you’re enjoying our vids!

[@cloverazar5315]

Hi Erica! Thanks so much for the great video; I’ll be adopting a dog soon, and this is a great primer on behavioural conditioning! I did want to mention that I found the music at the end sort of drowned you out a little, which was a bummer! But otherwise, it was great and much appreciated!

[@TheKindCanine]

Thank you Clover! I'll keep an eye on that for next time. Thanks for the visit!

[@cloverazar5315]

@@TheKindCanine thanks for the content! The new buddy’s going to be coming home in a few weeks, and watching your channel makes me feel much more confident as the human half of the lash. Thanks again, you do wonderful work!

[@olgazamora1729]

I love this 👍🏼👍🏼

[@TheKindCanine]

Thanks Olga!

[@morganwellard6345]

Awesome!

[@TheKindCanine]

Thanks Morgan!

[@ss_sailaway]

👍🏽👍🏽 thanks!

[@nervmaster]

Great video. You were on point on every description! I recently got a rescue and now I notice that she has a reactive behaviour against other dogs. This is a bit worrisome when walking as it just means we cannot socialise her like this. I do have a question, would be better to seek professional help on this case? I ask because being an amateur seem really easy to screw up this training.

[@TheKindCanine]

Yes! Reactivity and aggression are both behavior concerns that are best worked through with a professional. Make sure that you're looking for a force free trainer, as adding aversive tools (like a shock or prong collar) can increase the risk of a bite!

[@MattGaetzOnAWhiteFordBronco]

Informative video. Previous owner of a Boxer & Lab for 13 years, both with basic obedience & a prong collar. Now I have a 5 year old German Shepherd rescue and he's quite reactive. Suggestion - show some examples & demonstrate...we all don't need the classroom training 😄

[@TheKindCanine]

Hey there! I encourage you to check out the two follow up videos to this one, which give a few practical examples and strategies for working through this particular set of struggles. There is only so much that you can cover in a 10 minute video, and the vast majority of the general public does not understand the motivations for working with reactivity - and some “classroom“ learning is essential. That said, as I stated at the end of the video, working with a professional can help dramatically with implementation. While I believe that the Internet can be a useful tool, it is not a substitute for comprehensive training plans from a credentialed and qualified force free professional. I hope this helps! ❤️

[@ShaynasPlants]

I have 1 fear reactive, and 1 frustrated reactive. Interesting combo to deal with

[@TheKindCanine]

Oh wow! Yeah, that sounds like a handful! Don't discount working with them separately!

[@jessywanders8829]

My dogs barks and lunges at other people and dog on walks. Once they pass she is fine. It can be hard to get her attention in that situation. She doesn't listen to me.

[@TheKindCanine]

I would highly encourage you to watch the rest of our videos on reactivity! Try to remember that we need to help our dogs and coach them BEFORE they’ve already gone off the deep end, especially while they are still very early in the learning process. Most of the time, this means utilizing more distance! Since this is difficult to do in a traditional neighborhood, I always recommend people take their dog out to an open public space where they can observe their triggers at a distance. 👍🏻

[@MorganCoulter]

I have a reactive chihuahua. I am going to give my boy more space from his triggers and check out the force free training methods. Thanks! Also I found the visual fear and excitement scale helpful.

[@TheKindCanine]

That is awesome! So happy to hear! The #1 mistake most people make is not giving enough space! Good luck!

[@Ihh956]

How do I use treats to redirect without reinforcing the behavior...treat do work to stop my dog from lunging and barking. But how do I do it without saying here's a treat for all that barking u did

[@TheKindCanine]

Behavior is a lot more complex than a simple behavior/consequence equation. Would highly recommend that you watch this video in its entirety, if you haven’t. When working with reactive behavior, it’s important that we keep a dog under threshold by maintaining enough distance. Working in open spaces can be helpful. Teaching your dog what to do when they see triggers and/or simply making positive associations with them will help you to work closer to your dogs triggers. If they’re already barking and lunging, using food to redirect is fine, but make sure you get some space so that you’re able to get your dog back to their “thinking brain”. If you always wait until they’re reacting to train, you’ll just be treading water!

[@juliadeveau909]

I appreciate the dog psychology aspect but you didn’t explain what to do and basically said to go see a trainer or read a book.

[@TheKindCanine]

This is a 3-part series, and in the future videos I discuss more specific training components. There is a lot to say about this topic and I try to keep it short and digestible for each video! :)