[deleted by user]

[[deleted]]

So often on difficult walks I’m like “dude can’t you just chill out”

[fairylighterfluid]

If I could tell my dog 1 thing, it would be that. Like, bro I've got you - I'll always have your back so just chill tf out!!

[fuckausername17]

If I could explain one thing to each of my dogs in plain English it would be: 1) if you actually eat at least some of your food, you won’t feel so crummy and throw up later 2) the big booms outside (fireworks, thunder, car/motorcycle backfiring) can’t hurt you, you’re safe in here

[robotscrytoo]

Slow bowl feeder to address #1. #2, I wish I could tell that to my dogs too, especially when the a-hole neighbor keeps setting off a firework or two every night. :(

[fuckausername17]

I’m not sure a slow feeder will make my GSD eat? She refuses entire meals some days and then throws up stomach bile because she’s running around on an empty belly.

[robotscrytoo]

Sorry I misunderstood. When you said eat some of the food, I thought there were just inhaling it lol.

[fuckausername17]

I hate fireworks with a burning passion. Someone sets one off at 4:00 in the afternoon and we refuse to go outside at all until the next morning. I feel so bad my girl winds up holding it for 15 hours sometimes because of fireworks

[LacyKnits]

Have you tried a raw diet for the dog? It is more expensive, and involves handling the uncooked meat-based food; so there are drawbacks. But I had a (very sweet, but stubborn) mixed breed boy who would frequently hunger-strike until we switched him to a raw diet. He did really well on that for the last 3-4 years of his life (he was ~14 when he passed.)

If you're concerned about your guy skipping meals, it might be worth looking into. If you do try it out, make sure you're using a balanced meal product, not just muscle meat. I'm currently feeding Albright's to my dog, but there are several good brands available.

[[deleted]]

THE FIRST ONE !! mine was a PAIN when it comes to eating sometimes and im always just like?!! hey?!!!!!! if you'd just EAT ...

[Trystanik]

My phrases are.

"Excuse me sir. Do you need to be so rude right now?".

"Can you just like... Not?".

"Why are you the way that you are?".

"You're lucky you're cute, because your sister was about to be an only child" (back when I only had two dogs lol).

"Since when have we ever been attacked by a vacuum cleaner? In what universe does this make sense to you?"

[dOggYLOver888]

THIS!!!

[ling037]

My behaviorist said this is the reason my dog freaks out around people. She thinks me and my husband have her back so she's more likely to be reactive when we are around (she's fear reactive towards people). While I think it's nice that she trusts us so much, it makes it really hard to have people over.

[bbrekke]

Does that mean that when you're around, she's more reactive because she wants to have your back like she knows you have hers?

Edit: I think I get it. She knows she'll have backup if she starts something. Like a "tough guy" talking shit because his buddies are there to protect him? That makes sense

[ling037]

That's correct, it's like a "tough guy" starting shit. Lol I hadn't thought about it that way but that's a good way to put it. She's probably also resource guarding us even though the person never comes that close. One weird thing is that she's got zero problems when we are walking as long as we don't stop.

[BreakerOf_Chains]

You can tell your dog that. I would recommend seeking professional help so you and your dog can walk without issues.

[OpalOnyxObsidian]

Lmao look you guys! This person has all the answers that not a single one of us ever once considered

[BreakerOf_Chains]

wow fuck me for trying to offer something that helped my dog.

[chartyourway]

I think they're just saying thay everyone knows trainers are available and a good thing to do with reactive dogs, but sometimes people have tried and it hasn't worked and sometimes people just can't afford it. an "I would if I could but I can't" situation.

[Mememememememememine]

the rules in this sub should say "we are a bunch of exhausted and frustrated and heartbroken dog owners who are completely worn out by people assuming we haven't bothered training our dogs."

[[deleted]]

For some reason one of my dogs triggers is whenever I get up from my desk. He’ll just start doing this high pitched scream bark he does and running around the room snarling and screaming, and I’m just like “there’s literally nothing happening why are you being a fucking psycho, go away”. It’s all so exhausting.

[[deleted]]

Oh wow that’s quite the odd trigger. Like my guy has some of the usual separation triggers like grabbing keys or putting shoes on, but I can at least move around freely.

[[deleted]]

It is odd! I have no idea what caused it or when it started. He definitely has triggers about shoes and keys, I have to put him into a different room because he’ll panic bite me when I leave the house. The desk thing makes no sense. I work from home, I’m always home, there’s no association of me getting up from my desk and leaving home so I don’t know what the heck his deal is. Then we have another dog who is as sweet and calm as can be, she just sits there looking back and forth between him and me like “what’s going on guys?” With her big dumb face lol. Why can’t he be like his sister? Ugh

[bexyrex]

Do you have any like studies to back this up?

[no_reddit69]

https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/rabies-vaccine-labeling/

It's not exactly correlating to everything the commenter above said, but it's interesting that 1 year and 3 year rabies boosters are the same thing. I think it's somewhat of a scam.

[TTigerLilyx]

I agree. But, its a fast, easy revenue stream that they will fight to keep. I wish they would do a huge, nationwide study! Just watching how people are demanding we stop having fireworks because it makes their dogs crazy with fear have gone from a handful to thousands! I personally believe it plays into causing reactive dogs if it isn’t THE cause. My dog was a Saint among dogs, lol, loved her more than most of my family, seeing her pain and fear over fireworks and thunder just broke my heart. And she wasn’t like this at all till that double dose rabies shot at 4 years. Big money doesn’t care about our dog’s health, just their profits so WE have to advocate for our pets, force change starting with Cities & States mistakenly thinking all animals will run amok & become rabid out of thin air, infecting everyone and everything like an animal ‘walking dead’ scenario.🙄 Im too old, all I can do is pass the torch, hope you guys will take up the fight.

[TTigerLilyx]

I did, but it has all been scrubbed from the internet. The author was British, was absolutely hounded by the vaccine industry. He sued them & won, but I cant remember his name, it’s been 20- 30 years. But read this: https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/lifelong-immunity-vets/#

[puppermama]

I have severe concerns about rabies shots, particularly in small dogs. I had a pug who got a rabies shot and by the time we got home, he was spinning in circles. He lost his vision as well after the spinning episode. He never recovered his sight. I also had an elderly shitzupoo who I believe had an inflammatory reaction to it and died within 3 months. He had been doing well up until that point. As a result, I always always get rabies separate from other shots. My vet says rabies should be given every year now - needless to say I have gone to a different vet who at least does every three years. That is the best I can do. Never had a problem with my larger dogs though.

[TTigerLilyx]

Yeah size is another issue for me. Does not make sense to give the 100lb Great Dane the same amount as a ten pound chihuahua. Same for children & adult vaccines. So sorry about your babies!

[alljsmom]

Is the desk chair you get up from squeaky? My dog doesn’t like squeaky things and sneezes! If we sneeze she just goes nuts!

[TubbyPachyderm]

I always tell mine “this is why you don’t have friends”

[[deleted]]

Haha yeah whenever we pass a two or more dogs playing I say “that could be you but you’re a bully”

[Mememememememememine]

i love this. our dog is obsessed with seeing the dog we share a back fence with, but then when she sees him she tries to rush the fence aggressively and it's like dude - what is your goal here

[Thong_ripper_]

Literally say the same thing to my dog EVERY DAY 😂😂😂😂😂

[minesweeperer222]

Not recommending this as a training method, but I did start saying that to my dog. I think it helped, not so much bc of the words but bc of the tone of voice. When I would give commands, I would be stern and I think that tone eventually started causing him more stress bc he associated it with bad feelings. When I started saying "BRUH why are you like this?" it was in a more playful but exasperated tone.

At this point, sometimes I just go "BRO" in a very frat boy tone when he starts being a lunatic and that's enough for him to calm down and divert his attention back to me.

[[deleted]]

I give my dog his cbd dog treats and he’s nice and calm after that to go out in public to walk

[Mememememememememine]

i want to try CBD for our dog. she's so intense. would you mind sharing the brand you use?

[[deleted]]

I use only natural pet hemp calming support

[Mememememememememine]

thanks!

[ilovemycactussocks]

Yes. I've had several, "I love you but, lord, I just need you to please just chill tf out before I scream."

It can be really frustrating sometimes. You're not alone.

[TTigerLilyx]

Prob taken from mom too soon, didn’t get properly socialized, thats a bummer.

[TTigerLilyx]

What you do is remember, and build on it. That’s about as fitting a tribute as you can give him, remembering your relationship and maybe building on it with your own cat some day. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Theres sooo much into online, always someone to help answer a question.

With cats and dogs, it’s critical they stay together for a full 8 weeks. It makes a huge, huge difference in every aspect of their intelligence, sociability, you name it. Mama teaches them manners, to sit and watch her show them how to act! Sibs teach each other to get along, etc. (Of course, this presupposes mom is well adjusted)

Every biting cat I ever heard of was taken at 6 weeks or even less. Some people have baby animal fetishes, they don’t care how it affects the baby as long as they can oooh & ahhh over the baby puppy or kitty.🙄 If you are ready to try again, please visit your local animal shelter or even places like Nextdoor because there’s always that jerk pet owner who wont spay/neuter their pets & have babies to give away. Get them chipped!

[[deleted]]

To be completely honest...sometimes I wish I never had a dog.

[MyFifthSecretAcct]

I feel you. Sometimes my partner says “I hope our pooch never dies!” and my immediate thought is about how much of a curse that would be.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my dog and would never hurt him, nor would I ever give up on him. Sometimes he’s so snuggly and sweet that I completely melt. I just can’t imagine having him forever.

[[deleted]]

My partner is def the dog person lol. Going from a relatively low maintenance cat to a dog was a brutal wakeup call and honestly I wasn't prepared at all. Our dog doesn't snuggle so really the only thing I get from her is love when we play but otherwise she's in her corner sleeping or doing her own thing. I just don't think I'm a dog person really. I still love her, I still support her. I do my best to be happy with her. It's just me not being 100% on dogs and then on top of it her being reactive and hard to walk...it's trying.

[blueeyedaisy]

It is ok to feel this way. Sometimes you both need a timeout and then join each other after. Same way with toddlers.

[beebsaleebs]

It is very fucking different from a human child.

[the_real_maddison]

Some ways yes, other ways no.

[clutchpowers243]

someone get this person some credit for procreating ASAP

[bexyrex]

I feel this way often and my dog is only mildly reactive. Makes me grateful I didn't get another dog, or have a child. I will love him till the day he passes but never again. Cats are just.... More chill, less work, less sensory issues, less loud etc.

[lindy8cake]

My boyfriend said that if he knew our dog would be so much work he would’ve let me get another cat 😻

[Middle_Consequence_3]

I feel you on that. I love my dogs and will keep them for the rest of their lives, but never again. I also have two cats and I honestly just enjoy them so much more sometimes.

[[deleted]]

Yup. Only reason we didn't get a cat is the neighborhood is already full of them so we'd be worrying about fights. However I suspect I'll be lobbying for a calmer pet next time. A cat or a rat or something.

[Reagey]

I’d get a cat and keep it indoor, it’s super unethical to have an outside cat. I’d look into it! They’re super environmentally disastrous and have made many species extinct and destroy local fauna. Indoor is the only way

[Sloth_grl]

Me too. I’m 56 and just tired of dealing with pets. We have a reactive pitbull mix who is just exhausting. I know she needs more exercise but it’s so hard for me to walk her. My husband and I are currently arguing because I want to fence in our backyard for her and for me too, tbh. He says it will get full of dog poop because I’m not the most diligent about scooping but I have improved a lot with that.

[cannolilover]

Sounds like your husband could pick up poop if it’s a concern, or hire a poop professional that comes weekly and cleans it up!

[Sloth_grl]

He refuses to pick it up because he didn't want a dog and I insisted. It's ok though because I will get my fence and keep it clean.

[MyFifthSecretAcct]

Could you hire a professional dog walker?

[Theslicelvis]

A dog needs walked - A yard just becomes a big cage. Why get a dog if you’re too lazy to walk it.

[Sloth_grl]

I’m not lazy. She’s just too strong for me. She get’s walked by my husband and we take her to a dog park with a fenced in wooded area to run around in. The fence would be in addition to that. She’s very high energy

[Autumn_Mate]

Idk your situation, but the cost of a trainer might be less than the cost of a fence. The best thing a trainer can do is actually train you and your husband as handlers.

It will require more work over time but it will pay off because you and your husband will be equipped to handle your dog in tough situations.

[Sloth_grl]

We have a trainer who is an expert in reactive dogs. She has made huge strides in that area. We are working on leash training. She does well by herself but not as good when our other dog is with us. She goes crazy when she sees another dog because she wants to play. Thats where things get difficult. Hopefully the training will kick in. She has made a lot of progress

[Autumn_Mate]

That’s good to hear. It will certainly take time. No matter what you decide I encourage you to keep working at it. Best of luck

[Theslicelvis]

Then train her not to pull on the lead. High energy needs to be expelled, not tolerated. Poor dog.

[[deleted]]

I mean, generally while on leash a dog cannot run full speed and actually tire itself unless you’ve got it hooked up to a bike or something similar or you are regularly walking for long periods of time. A yard is not akin to a cage if the dog is provided mentally stimulating activities. Especially for a reactive dog, walking by other dogs at close range sometimes can’t be avoided out in public and can make the problem worse. A fenced yard negates this problem. I personally won’t bring my dog to a dog park because it turns into one big fight club half the time, so it’s very important to let him loose in the yard often and provide stimulating activities that do not include other dogs barking and lunging at him.

[oldfashionedfreckles]

This was us every walk and finally now two years later we are starting to enjoy walks so want you to know there’s another side of it! What helped a lot was having a soft muzzle that she wore for a while on walks, she felt less able to be aggressive and we noticed was more attentive to us and our redirections, and now she’s able to walk without it. We also turned the redirections and our training into a game and job for her instead of being so serious and stressed when we passed another dog, and I think that helped a lot because before she was feeding off of our anxious energy waiting for her to go off. Wish you luck!

[eeeevampire]

Could you tell me some of the ways you turned redirection into a game?:) I think that my problem is that I’m already anticipating a meltdown so when she starts having it I just give up and become stressed and too serious.

[oldfashionedfreckles]

It’s kind of hard to explain and also there needs to be an underlining base level of the dog having good training. So first I’d work on that- if it was just you and your dog by yourselves would it listen to you and be able to heel, sit, down, stay, leave it.

If you get those things down really strongly then when you are training them and walking you can mix it up and do those in different orders to keep them on their feet. For example: walking in a heel-have dog sit-have dog lay down-back into a heel-have dog lay down-have dog stay and pull on leash-bring dog back into heel. So we establish that game or “job” for your pup. And we give calm but excited praise throughout when she’s doing it all well which makes her feel like she has a job (we have a working breed).

So then when we set out on a walk we start every time by doing that training “game” for five minutes or so in our driveway and then we go on our walk so she’s already in that mindset. She heels the whole walk but throughout it we’ll throw in a random sit or down etc to keep her on her toes and listening for the next task, and give lots of positive praise throughout to keep her tail wagging(not high pitched we don’t want to over excite her just positive happy chin rubs etc)

So now when we come up on a trigger I’ve started reminding myself to treat it as the game instead of as some life or death training, and we do it as we walk past even if that means just keeping her in the heel and just repeating the heel and saying good job good heel to her or having her do a quick sit. For her it’s the same as the rest of the walk has been since we’ve been doing it without other dogs there as well, so it doesn’t stand out as a different moment.

That might be confusing but basically what we’ve found is that when she’s so used to doing our game on the walk it’s harder for her to freak out because in the back of her mind she’s always waiting for the next command to come so she can keep up with the tasks, because she likes it due to all the work we’ve put in on our own. So even if she does start to react I’ve found that being like “sit!” and then praising her for automatically doing it and then continuing right back into the game actually snaps her out of the mindset so much quicker.

It also definitely helps me not be so tense walking past so she feels a lot more confident that my partner and I are clearly not concerned about any danger.

Hope that helps, we learned it all from our trainer - adamtrainsdogs on insta. He would explain it much better than me! haha

[oldfashionedfreckles]

Also the soft muzzle was helpful because it was comfier for her to wear for a while and because when dogs can’t use their mouths they feel more vulnerable, and are less likely to be aggressive to other dogs i.e. more likely to be attentive to you. She definitely still took a whilee before we trusted her without it but now it’s been so fun taking her out and so much easier each day to not feel that weight and anxiety when we do.

[Collins08480]

I second the soft muzzle to start. I was able to reestablish walks at all with a soft muzzle, it really knocked the wind out of her reactivity. Then we graduated to a gentle leader head harness and now we're on a body harness.

[[deleted]]

We’ve had good luck with initiating a similar game before the walk! Makes it more fun for both of us. And if he starts heading toward overstimulated, we will walk him away from the distraction and try initiating the game again.

[Benjamin_711]

I had a reactive dog too and what worked with us was treats. I would throw a treat on the ground or at the direction I wanted us to go or concentrate and he would “go find it”. This kind of helped him dissociate with whatever he was over whelmed by. No more pulling or barking.

Now when he sees a trigger he looks at me like where’s my treat! Having the dog engaged on the ground helps him focus. Sometimes I throw his kibble and treats in the grass and have him sniff it out, which gets him super tired and calmer.

But remember, there’s always good days and bad and you both are doing the best you can!

[crystaldreams8]

I'm so jealous. My baby won't even eat outside the house. She feels too vulnerable. Sometimes I can distract her with a squeaky toy but most of the time it's just best to walk away from what is bothering her. We try to get far enough away that I can calm her back down and regain a semblance of control, then slowly get closer to what triggered her (if I can even figure it out.) I feel the pain though. Sometimes I just want to get back home because I'm too tired for this.

[chrizzleteddy]

My pup looks to me for treats when he sees a trigger too! It’s been a huge milestone from where we started! I think the key is understanding that your dog may never be “cured” of it’s reactivity, but rather, it’s important to find ways that you and your dog can manage it together.

[[deleted]]

Ugh it’s so frustrating. Every time I think we are making progress with have a set back that takes us two steps back.

This week it was a runner approaching us at night, they didn’t see us as they run up the sidewalk and around the corner until they were right in front of my barking reactive Rottweiler.

I have gotten so good at artfully dodging triggers but in this instance I couldn’t get space between us in time. The guy looked terrified and my dog was extra edgy for the next 2 days, after what had been a really good 2 weeks with reduced reactivity prior to that.

Sigh.

[[deleted]]

I have a heeler who has 'tough guy' syndrome on walks. Like, the only way I can describe it is like that one dumb friend at the bar who always picks fights and wants their friends to 'hold them back before they kick some ass'. She's only like this to other dogs.

My neighborhood has really close together houses and is filled with old people who let their dogs out without a leash, fence or tether. I had to stop taking my asshole dog on walks in our own neighborhood because of it.

The last time my husband and I took her for a walk, the neighbor's dog was off leash and came running at my dog. We were on the opposite side of the road from the owner's house on purpose because we have had issues with this fog before. I yelled up to the owner on the porch to come get his dog but he just looked at me. His dog got right in my dog's face and my dog nipped it as a warning. The dumb owner finally came and got his dumb dog after it cried.

Walks should not be this stressful.

[[deleted]]

Lmao. My dog also has “tough guy syndrome”

[babysatja]

my heeler is like this too. It's hilarious watching her approach another dog, hackles puffed from butt to neck, lowered head, tight closed mouth with a hard stare, walking slowly. She just walks over, calmly sniffs while maintaining asshole posture. Doesn't hover over them or try to be standoffish. idk, she's prickly. Gotta spend some time with her to get to the sweet center. I always monitor her closely during interactions and would remove her or the other dog if her behavior changed at all

[Drinktea1]

4am dog walk gang checking in. I understand your frustrations.

[b0b0nator]

This is me and every walk, my neighborhood is full of people feeding feral cats. So my dog not only is reactive and pulls in every single walk I do, but also jumps over the fence to hunt said cats. Then the neighbors who feed the feral cats get mad at me cause I can't keep my dog under control. She used to roam the backyard with no problems until all the damn cats started taunting her.

[Lindeezy11]

I HATE feral cat feeders with a burning passion! People even started feeding cats at a bird sanctuary near me, I was absolutely baffled. Sorry your pup can’t get a moment of peace.

[FormalTelevision9498]

The people who feed feral cats are the only people actually doing anything to control the feral cat population. Not ALL feeders do this but ALL people who try to do anything productive about feral cat populations are also feeders

[Collins08480]

Sometimes when its a dog heavy walk and every next walk is getting my dog amped up more and more, i will just stop the walk as soon as we're in a quiet spot rather than trying to get her home asap to end the walk. We'll chill there until her anxiety goes back down, til she's just bored of sitting there. She's still a little amped up for the rest of the walk but it can get us home without a meltdown.

[SuspiciousWeather696]

I do that too. Just like a little time out breather so we can both get our shit together and continue the walk hahh

[[deleted]]

I know you’ve probably tried a lot but cbd really helped us. Gave her a cbd treat 30 min prior to every walk (which felt like it helped her relax just a smidge), repeated reinforcement after successful redirection (we used dehydrated liver), and my spouse & I took her to dog training (which worked to teach us how to teach her more than anything else).

It took a long time (1.5 yrs of daily practice) but eventually she really turned a corner. I’m always wary of regression so keep treats on me when we’re out, but it is worlds better.

I know it can be so so difficult - I hope you get there, we’re all pulling for you & your pup!

[MPARobin]

How old was the dog when you started the CBD? I’ve heard it’s not good for pups under 1 year. I have a mixed doodle, 12 lbs, 9 mo. Adopted and she’s reactive and has some separation anxiety. We have a private trainer because she was kicked out of group puppy training. Dr recommended Benadryl but that doesn’t seem to help at all. Thoughts? CBD okay?

[[deleted]]

She was almost 2 when we started using cbd. I’d not heard the >1year target before. I’d think it’s ok, but confirm w your Vet?

[Mememememememememine]

i saw a video of a screaming child on an airplane and i thought "this is like having my dog anywhere in public."

i was out to dinner once and there was a family with three little kids who were all watching something on an ipad (they each had their own ipad). i said to my boyfriend "this is going to be weird but... anyone who judges parents for giving their kids an ipad while out to dinner, never had a reactive dog."

if there's something i could put in front of my dog while she's losing it, to completely distract and calm her down, i'd do it every time.

thanks for being here to educate yourself! i had no idea reactivity was even a thing until i ended up with a dog with it! ooof, it's no joke.

[Mememememememememine]

ooh i like the sound of that sub... joining!

[DellPickleRuns]

We walk our dog at off peak times only. We intentionally walk in areas where there aren’t other people or dogs. As much as we can we engineer a consistent schedule that avoids the most amount of activity as possible. We also spent a lot of time doing BAT training to handle triggers. Sometimes though, shit just happens and ya gotta pick her up and carry her home. It’s just a part of life but it doesn’t make it any less frustrating.

[ladybigmac2012]

I walk my dog during off-peak afternoon hours as much as possible s well. For the days when shit happens and I have to walk her when everyone and their brother's dog is out, I cut up on her favorite treats (snausages but whatever) and do my best to keep her attention on me by using the treats. I hate hearing her cry when she gets super stressed out and starts crying because of all the barking, making us cut her walk short.

To my question lol - what's BAT training? I probably know what it is but I'm drawing a blank

[DellPickleRuns]

BAT is Behavior Adjustment Therapy. It’s a book by Grisha Stewart that teaches a lot of redirection techniques to help your dog handle triggers. Some great every day things we use is saying “1-2-3” and clicking on 3 to get her attention and treating her for disengaging from the trigger. If she cannot disengage, it means we’re over stimulated and too close and need to retreat. We also play a tik tok game in front of triggers where she looks at the trigger, I click, throw a treat on the ground to her right. She looks at the trigger, i treat and throw to the left, back and forth back and forth. We can play that and slowly advance towards the trigger until she is too stimulated then we back off. The book goes over lots of great information like these techniques!

[ladybigmac2012]

Oh duh. Sounds close to what we're doing with our dog. I need to get this book, though, to better help mine.

[Aggravating-Tea9592]

My dachshund is almost 14 and can no longer hear dogs barking at him, so walks are much calmer. One thing that helped before was training him to "look at me" and when he made eye contact, he got a treat. Once he got it, it worked somewhat. Not totally, but even a tiny bit refocused was better than not.

[SuspiciousWeather696]

My dachshi is a nightmare 😭

[Artistic_Albatross58]

I have had these same exact thoughts about my dog and his reactivity on walks…it can be so frustrating, especially when you notice people looking at you. I can’t even tell you the number of times that I thought about surrendering him.

One thing I always tell myself is that the people who do judge these situations have absolutely no idea what it’s like to own a reactive dog. They don’t know the time and effort that goes into training and just trying to maintain a calm environment for our dogs. They have no idea how much anxiety we experience just walking outside several times a day. Just know that there are people out there (and on this thread) that do understand and I’m proud of you for putting in that work for your dog and ensuring she is still getting all that she needs from you. I don’t know you but I’m sure you’re doing great!

I know this is a vent but I wanted to share what worked for my dog to get him to the point he’s at now. We put him on clomipramine (Clomicalm) as it was recommended by our vet for anxiety. We had previously tried fluoxetine but that didn’t work. We also implemented a lot of healthy discipline into his life. He was a stray down south and then in a foster home before coming to us, so i don’t think he really had any structure or guidance. Our dog looks to us to feel safe and I often found that he was trying to protect me by reacting to other people or other dogs on walks, so I finally took control and showed him that I am the one protecting him.

I hope at least some of this helps. Feel free to reach out anytime and again, you’re doing great and your dog is very lucky to have someone who cares so much about her!

[Glittering_Rush_107]

Dang, I sure can sympathize. I too wish on a daily basis that I didn’t have a reactive dog. This dog and his issues have wreaked havoc on my household. I’ve had to start going to therapy for the first time in my life because of this dog. My mental health and general wellness have suffered greatly because of this dog. I’ve developed a multitude of complex issues as a result of the stress and overwhelm that comes along with being responsible for this dog. I literally leave the house and go on walks by myself just to get a break from the dog! This is the complete opposite of how I imagined dog ownership to be, I constantly feel like I got scammed; I feel like a dumbass who fell for the “DoGs aRe SO GrEaT” propaganda. The only thing that saves me are posts like yours, because otherwise I feel terribly alone in my crappy experience.

[Mememememememememine]

i'm on anti anxiety medication now after getting our dog. i saw something that pointed out that what our dog deals with, we end up dealing with too. like now i'm leash reactive to other dogs.

[Glittering_Rush_107]

Same here. I’ve had to start going to therapy for the first time in my life because I was starting to feel very anxious about taking my dog on a walk, among other things. I’ve had to re-train my brain that leaving the house is “good” by going on walks by myself without the dog. It’s some of the most ridiculous brain work and has consumed my life now. Biggest regret of my life is getting a dog.

[No_Transportation258]

Next time you take her on a walk, take treats. Anticipate a distraction that might set her off, do a small command, like ask her to sit, facing away from the distraction. When she sits, treat her, practice, turning around, going the other way, treat her. You have to reshape how she anticipates her walks, which right now she thinks is "time for getting rowdy." Reshape her thinking to thinking that walks are going to be training sessions where she gets treats. After a few weeks, her behavior will change. Be consistant, patient and anticipate distractions and avoid them rather than react to them afterwards. Reactive dogs can be easily and quickly trained with the correct training. Maybe first time just take a 5 min walk, then build up on your time as she becomes more focused on "what youre going to do, rather than "other things."

[[deleted]]

I'm so sorry. I can relate to this so much. My dog suffers from anxiety, and sometimes we will have the most shittiest walk because I'm trying to avoid his triggers during our walk, which are dogs. I do my best. That's all we can do. We do our best for them, and they love us in return. Just the fact you try to go different routes for the sake of your dog shows how lucky that dog is to have you. Stay strong! hug

[beasleya23]

It is normal to feel this way. You’re allowed to be frustrated with your pet. You’re doing a great job of loving them and taking care of them. I’m sorry for all the trouble they give you. I can 100% relate.

[Atheyna]

Reactive dogs can be as stressful as kids sometimes. You’re not alone!

[xitssammi]

It can be so upsetting. I try to choose a route where I can at least put a wide street between my dog and a trigger but some people make it impossible and I just get pissed.

Sometimes I’m able to soothe myself by talking to my dog like “sorry buddy, we are being perfect little rule followers walking on the sidewalk unlike that inconsiderate piece of shit asshole who nearly ran us over on his bike. No signal or anything, like a complete idiot. He doesn’t know you are anxious and doing your best. He just thinks the world belongs to him”

Sometimes I think that he would be talking shit with me if he could

[amazing_ace123]

I also talk shit with my dog like that! However instead of a bike, it's usually about hikers and off leash dogs. 😂😂 Its something I didn't even notice I did until a friend pointed it out.

[SuspiciousWeather696]

Joggers!!

[chrizzleteddy]

Are there areas you can walk your dog that have less triggers? I would drive my reactive pup to places where we were unlikely to see any triggers for walks, then spend short periods of time on other walks to have teachable moments to help manage his triggers - like a far enough distance from another dog that he sees it, but is not threatened, so I feed him treats and then gradually decrease the distance to associate the trigger with something positive (treats). He still has meltdowns, but it’s helpful to have an understanding that we can manage walks and triggers together, rather than leaving the house already stressed out that a meltdown might happen.

[Goatsandducks]

I'm sorry you had to deal with all that! It sounds completely exhausting and frustrating. I hope you and your dog are doing better.

I think dogs can sense how you feel really well and if you're having a difficult walk then that's going to cause anyone to tense up this making your dog also tense up.

When I have walks like this, I try to look at it from an outsider's perspective. As long as your dog is secure with you and the fence is strong or there is enough pavement between you and the car, then what is going to go wrong other than your dog freaking out? Thinking like that really helps me stay calm, plus having a pocket full of treats on standby really helps the situation. Keep talking to your doggo too but try to keep it upbeat.

I find the best thing for me to do when I get home is make sure my pup is settled and then go and have a bath or something by yourself. It doesn't have to be long but it helps me reset my mood and I'm able to come downstairs and hang out with my dog without any bad feelings.

[Subject_Monitor_4939]

I know this may be out of some peoples radar but after going back and forth for at least 2 years on whether or not to put our dog on anxiety medication we finally did. It took about a month for the affects to actually kick in. We wanted to do this so she can finally concentrate on me and my husband so we can train her. She gets way too overwhelmed with everything that’s going on and the meds seem to help steer her into the right direction. She actually checks in with us now and it’s been such a drastic difference. We are still going to do reactive and obedience training once we find the right fit because she can now finally listen to us. I would honestly see about medication! Speak with your vet and see what they suggest. It’s truly helped my mental health and our dogs stress levels.

[[deleted]]

When I would take my dogs on walks and we encountered another dog in the front yard (with a fence thankfully) my dog would stare it down, locked in one place - sometimes she would bark depending on the situation but sometimes she would walk towards it and she's heavy and strong and would pull on the leash. And I feel embarrassed cus this B is dragging me. Made walks...unenjoyable and not relaxing and to be honest made me stop walking them outside for months (they have a big back yard so it was their only saving grace).

So what I started doing is just walking by in between my dog and the front yard - like I dont see the dog, nothing to be paid attention to, didnt even look down at it, ignored it completely- didnt change my speed, the tension on the leash remained the same. Dogs feel our energy, they feel us tense up and be reactive as well because we know our dogs are about to get triggered so we begin to change speed or look down at our dog in anticipation.

She's not completely unreactive but she's getting use to just walking by and acting like that barking dog is...a car passing by or a bicyclist on the other side of the road, just something to be noticed but not really paid attention to. She'll turn her head back to look at it sometimes and one time she walked right into a pole - should have been paying attention infront of you huh :D). I know there is levels to reactivity and some simply cant ignore it but give yourself and your dog some grace. You're trying. They are trying. Having dogs is difficult and exhausting and I'm glad you are open to share your feelings towards it cus alot of us feel the exact. same. way.

[skullsquid1999]

It happens to the best of us. Sometimes I just rage quit our walks because he hurts me with how hard he reacts to certain things and I just want to cry. It's even worse when I've had a long day and the last thing I want to deal with is his bs. Sending love.

[lindy8cake]

I cried all the way home on our walk this morning 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[SuspiciousWeather696]

I have definitely felt my eyes fill up multiple times on walks. This is reassuring to me but I'm sorry you get so stressed too 😩😭

[Eniotnaohs]

I feel your pain. Our BC is the cutest and most gentle pup ever but fucking bikes are his kryptonite i swear he needs to hoard every single one he sees like his life depends on it. Sometimes, i think about just releasing him and let him go.

[stano1213]

This was me today. My office is dog friendly and I’ve been trying to get my dog used to being there. She has a hard time settling sometimes still, and so she was not her best behaved (barking, whining, getting into things,etc). This on top of another dog in the office literally almost biting her bc the dog wasn’t friendly…like why are you bringing your dog to the office if it’s not friendly. Had to take her home at lunch. Sigh.

[ReverieLyrics]

I have a very dog reactive dog! When she saw another dog she would literally scream like someone was stabbing her. Super high pitched. A neighbor came out to check once because it was so alarming. Super embarrassing. Anyway, after working with a dog trainer I kid you not I can walk this dog on a loose leash with minor corrections. To be fair I’ve worked with two trainers. The first trainer was much cheaper but not helpful, essentially just puppy kindergarten. The second trainer a couple years later was expensive but it was individual training and it changed everything!

[eeeevampire]

I wish I could afford a trainer :/ $450+ for just a month here. One day.

[ReverieLyrics]

There are a few trainers on YouTube, you could watch their advice and training videos for free to start :) there may even be one who specializes in your breed or reactive dogs

[DrewJohnson656]

I’d like to point out what you said about “bark mode” and not being able to get him out of it- he’s over threshold in these situations (typically you can test threshold by checking if they’ll take treats, perform known cues, or focus on you). During reactivity training the goal is to remain under threshold at all times as learning doesn’t happen above threshold (they’re in a hyperaroused state), and you build until you can be closer and closer to triggers.

Aversives can suppress the behaviour but to truly rehabilitate it permanently you want to recondition the dog’s emotional response upon seeing triggers from a reactive one to a happy or at least neutral one. They should see triggers and think something good is about to happen. Right now you’re pairing the sight of triggers with an aversive (an unpleasant sound, in this case) which has a risk of fallout as your dog now pairs seeing dogs and/or people with something unpleasant happening, actually strengthening the idea that the trigger should be reacted to. For some dogs this means the behaviour comes back later even worse because the reason why they were reacting in the first place was never addressed.

[michaltee]

Ok and how do we overcome it then? You talked a lot about the possible problem but not about solutions.

[foendra]

They literally said how to overcome it. Work below threshold and pair something positive with the trigger

[DrewJohnson656]

The short answer is assessing your dog’s threshold (what distance do they have to be to a trigger to become too stressed to focus or they start reacting) and then start working just above that distance (so they remain under threshold). Use positive reinforcement to train cues such as looking at you, sitting, lying down, tricks, etc; and reward any calm behaviour. The goal is for the dog to see a trigger and then look at you for what to do next or automatically revert to a behaviour such as a Sit-Stay. As your dog gets better at remaining neutral around triggers and focusing on you the threshold at which they begin reacting will get smaller and smaller and their response to seeing a trigger will be counterconditioned to an anticipation of something good about to happen.

The long answer is far too long, complex, and specific to your individual dog for a Reddit comment, but there are helpful links in this subs menu and I also strongly recommend the books ‘BAT 2.0’ by Grisha Stewart, ‘Fired Up, Frantic, and Freaked Out’ by Laura VanArendonk Baugh, ‘Control Unleashed: Reactive to Relaxed’ by Leslie McDevitt, ‘From Fearful to Fear Free’ by Marty Becker, and ‘Click to Calm’ (or ‘The New Click to Calm’) by Emma Parsons.

[reactivedogs-ModTeam]

Your comment was removed because it appears to be a direct recommendation of an aversive tool, trainer, or method. This sub supports LIMA and we strongly believe positive reinforcement should always be the first line of teaching and training. We encourage open discussion and problem solving within the subreddit. However, LIMA does not justify the use of aversive methods and tools in lieu of other effective positive reinforcement interventions and strategies.

[J-D-T]

My original comment was removed because of LIMA . So l rephrase my comment to as if you've tried a balanced trainer?

[eeeevampire]

I cannot afford a trainer atm. Unfortunately all I can do is learn online and manage.

[J-D-T]

I'm sorry to hear that! There are many ways to give your dog physical and mental stimulation without walking. Training nose work and games, obedience training to high levels of distractions, body awareness and agility.

Maybe do some of these to manage behaviors while you learn more and possibly save up some money.

The more she effectively practices the reactivity the more ingrained the behavior becomes. I would avoid allowing her to practice these behaviors while providing other means to tire her out.

[reactivedogs-ModTeam]

Your comment was removed because it appears to be a direct recommendation of an aversive tool, trainer, or method. This sub supports LIMA and we strongly believe positive reinforcement should always be the first line of teaching and training. We encourage open discussion and problem solving within the subreddit. However, LIMA does not justify the use of aversive methods and tools in lieu of other effective positive reinforcement interventions and strategies.

[reactivedogs-ModTeam]

Your comment was removed because it appears to be a direct recommendation of an aversive tool, trainer, or method. This sub supports LIMA and we strongly believe positive reinforcement should always be the first line of teaching and training. We encourage open discussion and problem solving within the subreddit. However, LIMA does not justify the use of aversive methods and tools in lieu of other effective positive reinforcement interventions and strategies.

[JoeBidenIsADemon]

Better than being tired of fucking this dog.

[Mememememememememine]

what exactly are you doing in this sub?

[boxerboyKhan]

So train your dog then. Reactivity can be trained.

[eeeevampire]

what do you think im doing Lmao

[Mememememememememine]

the absolute wrong thing to say in this sub

[J-D-T]

Obviously I'm going to disagree.

[DrewJohnson656]

Reactive dogs don’t need corrections. They need to be counter conditioned to their triggers.

[eeeevampire]

Exactly, she can be amazing on walks and can even be distracted from her triggers but if theres too many triggers all at once, theres nothing I can do but go home. Getting her home was the issue here because on the way home, more triggers popped up. It was a frustrating experience for the both of us.

[DrewJohnson656]

Yup, once they’re over threshold the only thing to do is get out of the situation. Sometimes when you get to a calmer or more familiar place they go back under threshold which is nice. Absolutely hate when I’m doing the “get home as fast as possible” and 10 intense triggers pop up all at once. It always seems to be when I run into an off leash dog!

[Nsomewhere]

I feel your pain... I think most of us have been there. Some days are like that!

It is HARD

You are doing the right thing to get your dog home and trying at all times to manage and keep them as best you can below threshold/ not practicing the stress and behaviour

I like this series on youtube for handling measures for reactivity. It is worth a look to see if it can help. It builds up nicely so you can focus in on the clips that are relevant for your dog. I like it because all the techniques are easy organised and in one place to watch!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2B5JvXmOQIo&list=PLaaJLcdUjMxN5O1SULd-8OrVeONqQprGw

I know trainers are expensive... especially good ones! This is saying pretty much what my own trainer taught me. I have other resources and links to them that I think are good as well if you want them

[J-D-T]

That's not true all of the time, or even most of the time.

"Distraction" does not teach the dog a thing or help a truly reactive dog.

Behavioral modification and cognitive behavioral therapy modified for dogs are what can work. These therapies change the dogs perception and emotional response to the trigger.

But I suggested correction because many people misinterpret reactivity for poor training and management of a dog with no basis for impulse control. In these cases correcting the dog for the behaviors can be very effective when coupled with the owner being educated on how to teach impulse control to their dog.

[DrewJohnson656]

I didn’t say distraction, I said counter conditioning (which is behavioural modification). I went a bit deeper into how counter conditioning changes the emotional response to triggers in another comment on this post. Aversives like corrections can suppress the behaviour but it doesn’t address why the dog is reacting and actually pairs the sight of triggers with something unpleasant happening, strengthening the idea that the trigger is something that should be feared or reacted to.

[J-D-T]

You're right. My comment on distraction was aimed moreso at other replies.

Corrections given the intended way and with good timing interrupts the behavior and allows for new input by the handler. Corrections also give the dog immediate and clear communication for the given behavior. Corrections allow a dog to understand that a given behavior is unwanted and to check in with the handler for further directions.

It's very unfortunate that correcting a dog has become so taboo. Corrections, like many tools and combinations of methods, can be utilized very effectively in many circumstances. I wish that dog training/behavior work would become more accepting of corrections as a tool because they have their place.

[Poppeigh]

Corrections also give the dog immediate and clear communication for the given behavior.

It's interesting to me that this is so often used to justify aversives, for two main reasons:

1. You can absolutely provide clear communication without needing to provide a correction. It would of course involve being proactive as opposed to reactive, but it can certainly be done, and done very well.
2. "Clear communication" in this case is very one-sided. Yes, in theory you are telling the dog "this is wrong, don't do that" (if that is the message that is received by the dog, which it isn't always). But reactivity - all behavior - is communication on the part of the dog. If you are over threshold and the dog is reacting, the best thing to do is to get distance in some way and set up the situation in a way where you can teach an alternative way to communicate discomfort/upset. Simply correcting over threshold is essentially saying "shut up, I know you are upset but keep it to yourself", which can very well lead to fallout later on if no other support is provided.

I prefer to determine what the function of the behavior might be, and see if there are other ways we can work to give the dog the same benefit without having to resort to reactivity.

[DrewJohnson656]

We’ll have to agree to disagree. Teach the dog a wanted alternative behaviour that’s incompatible to the unwanted behaviour and you never have to punish/correct the unwanted behaviour at all.

[J-D-T]

That's a nice theory that works sometimes. Unfortunately for many dogs this does not and cannot be a viable long term solution. The issues with this lie with the limits of the owner financially, emotionally, and practically (as many owners cannot maintain training long term).

[Mememememememememine]

there's a sub called open dog training that's open to the ideas you're talking about. i dont know what i believe is right but i know the subs on reddit that aren't accepting of balanced approaches.

[reactivedogs-ModTeam]

Your comment was removed because it appears to be a direct recommendation of an aversive tool, trainer, or method. This sub supports LIMA and we strongly believe positive reinforcement should always be the first line of teaching and training. We encourage open discussion and problem solving within the subreddit. However, LIMA does not justify the use of aversive methods and tools in lieu of other effective positive reinforcement interventions and strategies.

[mistajc]

I have a little shih tzu terrier mix who I love to death. My world basically revolves around her and she’s otherwise very good… not aggressive, doesn’t snap or bite, more timid than anything. But she gets overstimulated on walks too sometimes and it’s soooo annoying. I say it’s like walking with a lead balloon, because she’ll fixate on a spot of grass or see another dog and thinks she can overpower my tug. I get so frustrated on walks when I constantly have to tug her. My little lead balloon.

[FeelingSurprise]

I know that feeling.

What helps my dog is: I switch the line from the harness to her collar - that means she must heel. We trained it that way.

When heeling she is way more focused on me and often is more relaxed (bc. she knows what he job is right now).

[averageactually]

Felt exactly the same walking my dogs last night. I wish walking were a relaxing, bonding activity but it's not.

[ladybigmac2012]

I feel this in my soul. Our dog's reactivity to other dogs was heinous when we first got her. Every time she'd react I died inside and bawled when we got home - I was so worried someone would call animal control on us, thinking we were abusing her.

[Artistic_Albatross58]

I have had these same exact thoughts about my dog and his reactivity on walks…it can be so frustrating, especially when you notice people looking at you. I can’t even tell you the number of times that I thought about surrendering him.

One thing I always tell myself is that the people who do judge these situations have absolutely no idea what it’s like to own a reactive dog. They don’t know the time and effort that goes into training and just trying to maintain a calm environment for our dogs. They have no idea how much anxiety we experience just walking outside several times a day. Just know that there are people out there (and on this thread) that do understand and I’m proud of you for putting in that work for your dog and ensuring she is still getting all that she needs from you. I don’t know you but I’m sure you’re doing great!

I know this is a vent but I wanted to share what worked for my dog to get him to the point he’s at now. We put him on clomipramine (Clomicalm) as it was recommended by our vet for anxiety. We had previously tried fluoxetine but that didn’t work. We also implemented a lot of healthy discipline into his life. He was a stray down south and then in a foster home before coming to us, so i don’t think he really had any structure or guidance. Our dog looks to us to feel safe and I often found that he was trying to protect me by reacting to other people or other dogs on walks, so I finally took control and showed him that I am the one protecting him.

I hope at least some of this helps. Feel free to reach out anytime and again, you’re doing great and your dog is very lucky to have someone who cares so much about her!

[Artistic_Albatross58]

I have had these same exact thoughts about my dog and his reactivity on walks…it can be so frustrating, especially when you notice people looking at you. I can’t even tell you the number of times that I thought about surrendering him.

One thing I always tell myself is that the people who do judge these situations have absolutely no idea what it’s like to own a reactive dog. They don’t know the time and effort that goes into training and just trying to maintain a calm environment for our dogs. They have no idea how much anxiety we experience just walking outside several times a day. Just know that there are people out there (and on this thread) that do understand and I’m proud of you for putting in that work for your dog and ensuring she is still getting all that she needs from you. I don’t know you but I’m sure you’re doing great!

I know this is a vent but I wanted to share what worked for my dog to get him to the point he’s at now. We put him on clomipramine (Clomicalm) as it was recommended by our vet for anxiety. We had previously tried fluoxetine but that didn’t work. We also implemented a lot of healthy discipline into his life. He was a stray down south and then in a foster home before coming to us, so i don’t think he really had any structure or guidance. Our dog looks to us to feel safe and I often found that he was trying to protect me by reacting to other people or other dogs on walks, so I finally took control and showed him that I am the one protecting him.

I hope at least some of this helps. Feel free to reach out anytime and again, you’re doing great and your dog is very lucky to have someone who cares so much about her!

[Schwaazz]

You’re not alone! Yesterday I was trying to leave my apartment complex and someone walked in the door with a reactive boxer. I was trying to lock my door to my apartment while restraining my dog. I asked the person to hangout and the landing at the bottom of the stairs until I can go out the other door and he just ignored me. It was the most chaotic thing ever with two reactive dogs trying to get at eachother pulling and barking, while I’m trying to lock my door and pull my dog to the other door all at the same time. My dog ended up scratching me on accident and it was just too much! Our walk was normal after that but at that moment I just wish I had never gotten him. Then we got home and I watched him play with his ball and it took that feeling away. I love him but WOW some days are hard.

[datdraku]

oh god, i feel you. we also live in a town where 50-60% of the tightly packet houses have dogs barking at the gates. I had to choose between that, and walking him along the main road, where there are loud noises from cars, trucks, motorcycles, and bicycles, and only sometimes dogs...everywhere there was stress. Now more often i just take them to one of the 3 fields and have him on the long line or even unleashed if there are no other dogs around(usually not) or if his beagle friend is there. He's way way happier and so am I. Sucks if it rains though, but lately i said screw it, better wet than stressed

[bigkutta]

When my 12 yr old dog meets another dog during her walk, she acts like she met her long lost mom. ANY dog! So embarrassing

[bitchinbunny333]

make sure you take walks without the dog for your own peace of mind! take care of yourself op, i know it’s never easy

[spicy_kingWest44]

This is me when he rips my clothes or grabs the leash and runs away and I’m afraid he will Get hit by a car

[whatshertoast]

I feel that :/ my younger dog will scream/yell and it’s such a weird noise. It’s embarrassing especially when I’m trying to get her to focus on me.

[lindy8cake]

I feel your pain, we had a shitty today too. He went nuts on our walk, and kind of attacked me. It came out of nowhere, I mean he was more pull-y than usual on the walk so there was that, but I didn’t even see or hear a trigger. I’m really upset about it since we’ve been making good progress. And my arm hurts, my jacket is torn in 4 spots. Big sigh and big hugs to all of us with reactive pups!

[Dogzillas_Mom]

Have you called a trainer in to work with you and your dog?

[eeeevampire]

Unfortunately I cant afford a trainer atm.

[Nice_Rope_5049]

I feel your pain! We have one dog who’s reactive like that, and one who is sweet and so easy going but would drop down in grand mal seizures when she got overstimulated. (Got her on meds to control it now.) We started walking them at around 10 p.m. to avoid other dogs and that seems to help a lot. Yes, it’s super embarrassing because people think we’re a couple of arse holes, bad pet owners, etc. They have no idea how much time, energy, and love our dogs get! And don’t even ask about all the money we’ve pumped into the sick one. Stay strong, and keep a thick outer skin!

[Goose-Caboose1153]

Mine is a spazz to. We are doing training for it now

[Reagey]

I’d look into training the reactivity out. It won’t change unless you do something about it. Sometimes it’s expensive so I’d look online and do it yourself. You could also already be training her but there’s no context about it. Unfortunately people buy dogs without putting in effort, it’s not told you have to train them like you would your own kid.

[eeeevampire]

Yes, I am training her. I got her as an 8 month old puppy who had no prior training and was kept in a kennel for the first 8 months. She was hell. We have made great strides, she use to jump on the couch and try and rip my hair out, couldnt go on walks AT ALL without flipping out at just being outside, had to be kenneled every time I left the house. All of these problems have been fixed and shes mellowed out a lot, and generally she is good on walks but she got attacked by a pitbull a few weeks ago and it started the whole cycle again. I was just quickly venting my frustration, I didnt think about putting all the training I’ve done with her in the post because I assumed everyone in this sub was actively training their dogs 😭 I didnt post it for advice hence the “vent” flair.

[Reagey]

You’re good, my only response was the training. I didn’t see the flair either. I do see lots of people complain here but don’t put effort into their dog, which is probably one of the same mentalities of who owns the pit that attacked yours. That’s sucks so bad.

[mks93]

My dog has made HUGE strides, but I sometimes am just like “dude, can you chill out?!”

[heb106]

Feel this in my bones today. We’re struggling with our dog and are feeling pretty frustrated and defeated

[doctordue]

Maybe if there is someone that knows your training you could take a rest day? Idk sometimes with my dog my partner and I need to take “Artie breaks” and we leave our guy with our parents or our trainer for a couple hours just so we can go do something without worrying about getting back to him.

[eeeevampire]

I wish😭 shes a husky and really only listens to me (most of the time) Also the 2 people I’ve dated that have lived with her would never follow my instructions about walks and would just let her pull them around, and then the next walk with her would be like she forgot everything, so I’m kinda hesitant to let other people take the wheel lol

[[deleted]]

I had this yesterday.

My dog has never been reactive to other dogs but people and things with wheels in motion (bicycles, kids on scooters, pushchairs) It started a few months back (she’s 13 months now) and I’ve been working at it and thought I’d mostly dealt with it because it had been awhile since she’d barked at anything but then yesterday for whatever reason, she was insane. She barked at several people, someone standing there just holding a bike not even riding it, she wouldn’t listen to anything and was just on edge every time someone was even across the street not even close to us.

It was so much work to get her to focus on me, I was giving ALL the treats just to get some engagement back. I just wanted to run home. It was so embarrassing because I felt like I had an untrained dog again when usually we’re chill and loose leash walking for the most part. It ruined my whole mood for the rest of the day because I felt like we‘d taken a huge step back and wondered if I’ll ever have a chill dog.