Stop Trying To Distract Your Dog (Try This Instead)
Picture yourself and your dog walking down the street.
Your dog has recently started barking and lunging at other dogs when you try to walk past them, so you now frantically try to get a treat out and distract your dog with it when you see a dog.
How is that working out for?
It's all good when you see the other dog first right?
But what happens when you don't see the other dog first because you're picking up poop? Or because it appeared around a corner?
We're screwed now hey?!
And that's exactly why I will never teach my 1:1 dog training clients to distract your dog from things.
Because we aren't actually teaching the dog how to be ok with other dogs, or whatever it might be that they bark or lunge at.
All we're doing is creating a spiral of you having to be hyper aware with your head on a swivel on every walk.
And I know you didn't get a dog to become an anxious wreck!
So what do I teach my clients instead?
I teach their dog that when they say YES to instantly whip their head round and they will be rewarded.
This is called a marker word. It's the most important foundation in dog training.
When we have this solid foundation we can level up.
Now we can say YES when your dog notices a dog and they instantly turn back to you instead of barking or lunging.
We create a new habit.
And in time habits become muscle memory and a reflex.
Here's a video of how I firstly start to teach a marker word with a dog. And also how you can use it to snap your dog out of something when they are distracted (like Daiquiri in the video rolling in something).
If I try to distract Daiquiri from rolling, I'm relying on her thinking that the treat or the toy I have is worth it.
But when I teach my dog a marker word that is so reflexive they turn on a dime, now that's where the real dog training that actually works in the real world can happen.
And that is when you get to actually trust your dog and enjoy your walks with your dog.
Have you taught your dog a marker word?
Is it reflexive?
