Expert shares tips on training reactive dogs

For many people with reactive dogs going out in public or even walking around the neighborhood can be a challenge. Yeah, but there's no need to give up hope. Irene Snyder joins us live with a story dog owners do not want to miss. Irene, I'm looking forward to this because Jackie at home, I can't take him anywhere. Well, I guess we'll get some advice for you guys and Celeste and hopefully all those people at home. I met up with a canine reactivity specialist to watch as he trains and develops positive relationships with these dogs. And there is a lot to learn. Take a look. Reactive dogs come in all shapes, sizes, and breeds. There we go. Michael Brand with Desert Canine Works with all types of dog reactivity. Very good, Lola. Lola is a very friendly, energetic golden retriever. There we go. Very good. I'm getting a little focus. Yeah, good girl. But she's still considered a reactive dog. So there's different types of reactivity, and there's also different types of intensities. So she's kind of on the... kind of middle of the spectrum. Your social is going to be like Lola here. Lola, she's about three years old, golden retriever. She just has a big motor and she's super, super happy all the time. And she's on the social side. So when she sees somebody, the doorbell rings, she gets super, super excited. Can't control her, can't get her attention. Then there's the other side of reactivity. Which is the antisocial side, which is what I really specialize in. And that is going to be aggressive, fear-based types of behaviors. Cheers. Lunging at people on a walk, not being able to come into your friend's house because their dog is going to do something, you know, growl, bark, lunge, something like that. Was bred to be a working dog. It's just the difference in drive. So he specifically was bred for a specific dog sport called Schutzhund, okay? So Schutzhund involves three categories, protection, obedience, and tracking, okay? So he's bred to use his teeth. And he's bred to sniff, and he's bred to be very obedient, which as you see, he's very distracted. What happened with him is his... Sport or his club unfortunately dissolved due to life and now he's jobless. Michael works with Dax, walking much of the time in a heel to maintain that focus. He's about 93 pounds, he's about, out, sit. So there's the out, and we worked on the out before. Right here, I'm breaking it down to something very simple. He looks at me, he gets a yes and a reward. He looks at you and doesn't react, he gets a yes and a reward. Trainers say it's important. Not only to work with your dog, but also to let them sometimes just be a dog. Dogs have certain behaviors that need to get out. When they are reacting to something like a dog on a walk, that's the dog's natural behavior coming out in weird ways, okay? And the natural behaviors that I'm talking about, chasing, digging, rooting around, getting dirty as a retriever, getting in Getting in some water, satisfying those basic needs so when the time comes, There's no big reactivity. Very good. Incorporating those natural outlets and removing potential triggers is a great place to start. Slowly from there, you start to reintroduce the stuff that actually makes the dog reactive. Whether it's a dog, a jogger, or whatever. But no matter if it's aggression or if it's just social reactivity, it all starts the same. Engagement, engagement, engagement. Biology, biology, biology. Just like with Dak. Yes, good girl. When Lola starts to react, Mike works to regain her attention. So right there, distraction right in front of her, mark it with that yes, and she came right to me. That yes is going to be one of the most important cues or markers that I do. Every dog is different. Mike explains that for sudden reactivity, owners should also rule out underlying medical issues. Dax, puss. But helping owners learn how to better handle their dogs brings Mike a sense of purpose, changing lives with human and canine. I grew up with dogs like this, and I know how time-consuming it can be and how potentially dangerous it can be. So teaching people how to manage these types of dogs and these types of situations can keep them in your household. Good girl. Irene Snyder, Fox 10 News. And it is never too late to start training, whether young or old. It is a great way to bond with your dog. We'll send it back to you guys. Irene, you just gave me hope. Thank you. You can teach an old dog new tricks. That's good. That's the point, right? I know. Yes. You can. Irene, thank you. Great story.