So far in this dog-walking skills series, we have covered the Emergency U-turn for when you want to get out of a situation and the Pull-over for when you want to let someone pass by. The last thing we will cover is how to keep your dog moving past the distraction. This can be other dogs, people, wildlife, mud holes, or gross things on the trail—whatever distracts your dog.
What to consider before you begin,
It’s important to know your dog and their threshold when choosing what you will do when faced with any situation.
If your dog is dog reactive, nervous of people, or strong enough that you are worried about getting knocked over, consider using the Emergency U-turn or Pull Over discussed in the previous blogs while you and your dog work your way up to the ability to keep moving past.
Taking the time to work your way up to facing stressful situations at a pace that your dog can be successful is the best way forward.
Now, that you’ve worked up to the point that your dog can handle their triggers and distractions enough to walk past them, it’s time to give them the skills they need to do so. You also need the skills to be confident enough to try! Patterns are an amazing way to provide your dog with consistency and a sense of predictability. They can help them feel more comfortable and confident, and, in this case, keep them moving past their distractions or triggers.
The most effective training patterns are:
Best kept simple. Overcomplicating things may lead to stress and miscommunications.
Consistent and predictable. This allows your dog a sense of control in the situation.
Very repeatable. We want to be able to continue repeating patterns for as long as we need to.
Easy to remember. It should be memorable enough to come to your mind right away if you and your dog are in a stressful situation.
Our favorite moving pattern to use is the simple, yet extremely effective, 1-2-3 pattern. On the surface it’s as simple as this, you count to three, and your dog gets a treat. There is more going on though! 1-2-3 allows your dog to
Engage with their triggers or distractions in a controlled manner.
Know how long they have until they are expected to check-in.
Maintain engagement with you while moving through stressful environments.
Become desensitized to their triggers over time.
Stay task-oriented and move forward through distractions!
Now I know that some of you may be skeptical that something as simple as the 1-2-3 Pattern can do all that. When I first heard about this during a dog behavior conference, I remember thinking “That’s not a thing!” But I decided to try it out with Manzo and Piper. Both of them were struggling with distractions and triggers on our property pretty regularly so I figured, “What’s the harm.”
I was recovering from a concussion at the time so I had more time on my hands than usual but after practicing for a few days, we were put to the test when we were out on a bathroom break and our landlords came out with their dog. (Normally this would lead to a staring session that would be very difficult to break at the very least.) This time though, I began counting and by three, we were all headed in the same direction, away from the trigger! Later that day we walked right past them working in the garden with no issue!
Needless to say after that, I was convinced by the power of the pattern. And we think if you try this out, put the time in, and stay consistent you will too!
So there you have it! The end of our three-part series! Hopefully, now you have some ideas on how to handle any stressful or distracting situations when they come up! If you missed the first two parts of this series you can check them out below.
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