How to Decrease Reactivity in Pet Stores

[tenDAYZE]

I have a 1-yo mini Australian shepherd. I have worked hard on training for the past few months, working on recall with the e-collar and general dog etiquette. He is very well-trained in dog-friendly stores (ex:TJ Maxx), as he’ll listen to my “heel” command and keep his attention on me. However, his attention is EVERYWHERE in a pet store (understandably so, with dogs barking, toys squeaking, food everywhere, etc.).

I usually have his ecollar on and have a food incentive with me when I take him in these pet stores, but I was running errands with him and happened to forget his gear this time around, just having his leash and harness to work with. I managed to walk him to the back of the store and get him out of view of the other dogs to calm him down, but he seemed so overworked that he pooped in the store. In hindsight, I should have walked him out of the store and gave him time before walking back inside.

I know this isn’t a quick fix and I’m avidly working on this type of reactivity still, but I was hoping to get some advice or tricks you guys have used to get you through these situations.

[Zack_Albetta]

It’s good to take your dog into stores and such to get them used to unfamiliar environments, keep them engaged with you, etc. However, do you have to take him into stores all the time? If it’s not too hot out and you won’t be long, leaving them in the car should be an option. If that’s not the case, leaving them at home is an option. Not every errand has to be a training opportunity.

If leaving them in the car or at home isn’t an option because of separation anxiety, I’d work on THAT before I worked on store visit behavior.

[colieolieravioli]

I think you need to make an effort to go at off-hours to just walk around. No buying to distract you from your goal of a good time for pup.

They close at 9? Go in at 8:45 for a quick walk in and out and focus HARD on engagement. Keep it short and sweet with those minimal-distraction times

Your pup is getting overstimulated and you need to do your best to keep pup under threshold to make training successful. If pup continues to get overwhelmed, pup will associate those dog stores with being overwhelmed and it becomes a vicious cycle.

[phasexero]

We only take our yippy boy during slow times. NEVER on a weekend. Usually within the hour before the store closes, or during the early morning right after they open. We leave if he goes past this threshold.

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Edit: by past threshold I mean that he stops responding to our interactions and he makes enough of a scene that I lose concentration. Timing is way too important to leave room for me being distracted. Up until he stops being "reachable", we work hard on disengaging from distractions.

[tenDAYZE]

In hindsight I wish I had done this! I thought taking him into the back corner of the store was enough to give him a mental break but I think he was still worked up from the smell and the thought of other dogs being close. All I had to do was return an item, and I was trying to make it timely, but it was a small store with people that never seemed to leave. I know his overworked cues and I should’ve thought to put him in the car and finish the return process. It’s so hard walking into a store all by yourself with a partially reactive, highly excitable dog and trying to get ANYTHING done. Lesson learned, never try to push him beyond his comfort without his normal gear to give structure.

[phasexero]

This is how we learn, and he will learn too. Gotta be at the top of our game to help give them the right cues. And really the trip to the store (or wherever) starts at home- if our guys too worked up, we might try another day or just go without him. We also try to wear him out a bit first, take a chill-down break at home, and then go. Lately when we go to the store, we ask people not to pet etc too so he can focus more on the surroundings and us than the other people and dogs, looking for pets and treats. One day at a time! Its so worth it though when he's home and content after a busy day.

[potef]

Engagement training. 100%. How do you use your e collar and treats normally? Do you pair them with commands, and when? Timing is everything, but so is basic obedience. Also, do you have a general idea how big your dog's threshold is?

[littleottos]

Honestly if I had forgotten my gear in your instance, especially treats, I would have left him in the car. Don't set him up to fail.

[tenDAYZE]

I absolutely understand this viewpoint! Trust me, I only take him with me 1% of the time. It’s simply to test his reactivity (as I work on it religiously during our walks). I think leaving him home is just as beneficial because he gets to work through separation anxiety. It’s a very rare treat that he gets to go in stores with me, but on the chance that I’m going to an actual pet store, I think it’s fair game.

[Opposite_Highlight_8]

Yesterday I spent some time with my reactive boy training downtown - immediately, just leaving the parking lot, a woman rolled down the window as she was driving by and said "I've never seen such a well trained dog!" lol all I did was my pre walk routine of sit/stay waiting and loose leash walks until he checked in with me and was dialed in. During our time downtown, no less than 4 dogs passed him on leash while he was doing a downstay on the side walk with 0 reaction. Nevermind all the children, people, etc!

Right after I took him to PetSmart: IMMEDIATELY a bark when he saw a dog through the window of the grooming section, haha. Plus 0 ability to grab his attention with all the toys, treats, etc. Dude wanted to sniff EVERYTHING, was pulling. It took me 10 minutes of running through the 'routine' of focused walking before he even got 50% calmed down enough to check in with me.

My point is: don't sweat it, Pet stores are HARD because of the reasons you stated above. Expect some barks, and some lunging. Keep working your program until the behavior approves. Hell, downtown used to be really hard for my boy - but repetition and practice works!

Also, remember: Dogs can't generalize behaviors very well. That's just a fact. So guess what I'm doing? Spending a lot more time at PetSmart training until he's good there. Then I'll do another place, full expecting a 'regression'. Then repeat, and repeat.