Remote Control
There is something in this video we all need to look at and think carefully about. You do not see it to start with but there is a loose dog running downhill towards Ainhoa and Xena. And what does Ainhoa, the leash handler, do?
She moves away from Xena to give her space!
How many times have you reacted in the opposite way? Seeing a dog charging toward us is usually seen as a sign to go towards our dogs and take control of the situation, but by doing this we are taking away our dog's options. Our dog needs space to use her body language and communicate with the other dog. If they have that chance, it is more likely that the meeting will be peaceful and safe.
Well done to this leash handler.
Leash skills are especially important in such situations. Calmly giving the dog more room by giving more length of leash is as important as knowing when to softly stop your dog from going any further. You can refresh or learn new leash handling skills in this video we recorded some time ago:
Why do we think this is so important?
Control means that the dog is unable to use their body language in a natural way. The body language is the dog’s best resource for avoiding conflict! Give the dog room to communicate in this unique way. Dog language is understood by almost every dog and is spoken through body moves and face expressions.
Control cuts out the dog's initiative. This means that more and more often the dog will rely on us to make all the decisions for her. We do not want a dog that cannot think for herself. We want an individual that is confident and able to resolve some tricky situations by herself.
Control suggests and indicates to the dog that we are stressed. We rush to get close to the dog, maybe we apply tension on the leash, we may even raise our voice in the moment, and our heart rate increases. All these actions translate into emotions that are sensed by our dog. They know we are worried; they see it, hear it, and smell it. They sense it. If we are worried, do you think they might start worrying too? This is not the best mental and emotional state to be in when trying to handle a situation like this.
Control is the opposite of every adjective we should want our dogs to be - curious, courageous, valiant, brave, inventive, intelligent, funny, assertive, silly, and not always getting it right. Because we learn more from the things that we do not get right the first time.
Control is what dogs have every day and every minute of their lives. They eat when we tell them to and what we give them, their sleeping arrangements are usually set by us. We dictate their walking times, where they walk and who their friends are. It must feel really nice to get some control back and be able to decide what you want to do. Communicating the way your own species does is one of those things we should allow our dogs to do.
It takes some practice to be calm. It is not just about our dogs, it is also about us walking our dogs with confidence and tranquillity. To allow our dogs to express themselves in a peaceful way, practice in quiet environments where you know you can remain calm and undisturbed.
Practice makes perfect.
Some blogs of interest:
Why do you take walks with your dog
A quality walk does not mean a long distance walk
Can reactive dogs have smiling leash walks
