28/05/2025
Is it possible to have a quiet, relaxed walk in a park with a "reactive' dog? Yes...if you do it thoughtfully & carefully.
Newly adopted Aslan has big feelings about other dogs. His behaviour suggests he's quite conflicted about them...one the one hand he kinda, sorta wants to interact but on the other he feels overwhelmed and out of his depth when it actually happens.
But we can still have a lovely, calm, relaxed walk by creating the right environment for him -
• making good use of space
• not rushing him
• reinforcing helpful behaviours (calm observation, disengagement, focus on his humans, moving with us, recalling to us)
• using a long lead to allow for more freedom of movement, more sniffing, less restriction and less frustration
• being attentive to the comings & goings around us and planning ahead
• choosing the right park in terms of geography and community. There are parks where I absolutely would not do this but in this park the geography is perfect (wide open spaces with good sight lines) and the dog community are savvy & polite.
Environment affects behaviour for sure but how we 𝘶𝘴𝘦 that environment is also hugely important. If we were in the same park but we stuck to the paths, in closer proximity to other dogs, kept Aslan on a short lead with more tension then we'd get very different results.
If your dog struggles in a given environment think about whether you are using it to it's best advantage. Switch it up & see!