10/20/2026
Here are 5 things you can do when your dog barks and lunges….
1️⃣ Add distance. Be calm and walk backwards, so you can to add distance. You’re beyond training at this point so your job is to decrease the reaction as much as possible. If you have a small dog and it’s safe, pick him up and turn him away so he can’t see the other dog. Note: some dogs may bite, so use judgement.
2️⃣ Lure your dog away. Put a piece of food or a treat on his mouth and lure him back. Let him eat the treat while moving him away from the trigger. Note: this is a good exercise to practice when your dog isn’t reacting so that he knows what’s going on if you need to do this. I’ll add a video of this in my stories for you.
3️⃣ Don’t pull or yank on the leash. This one is hard, because it might be a reflex for you, but all you have to do is turn and walk away. You’re already holding the leash, so your dog will have to come with you. When you yank on the leash you *accidentally cause more stress and increase the intensity of the reaction. And your dog is more likely to redirect on you. Be calm, it’s just barking, and turn and walk away.
4️⃣ Take 5 steps back and try to recover. If your training plan has decreased the intensity of the reaction then this is very possible. Add some distance and continue training to see if your dog can recover. I’ve done this many times with clients and it works.
5️⃣ Give your dog a break from seeing other dogs for 3 days. Stress hormones like cortisol flood the dogs body after a reaction and it can take up to 3 days to clear out of the system. That means your dog will be more reactive for the next few days.
Remember, the goal is to teach your dog to look at another dog and be calm, so this advice is for those times when you get stuck.
Your dog isn’t being disobedient, he’s frightened and “thinks” he has to act scary to get the other dog to go away. (and it works).
Save this for your next walk, but hopefully you don’t need it. 🫠
Reactive dog training
Dog reactivity
