Find Your Spark! Day 5

Wow.. day 5 already! I hope you enjoyed the games and videos! I could easily fill 15 days with games that help address or prevent reactivity, but I had to stop myself =)

Before we get into today's topic, here's a little game I started with my three that incorporates some of the other day's games together. If you only have one dog, you can still practice these skills. Ask your dog to station while you set up, organize your treats, go grab a glass of water, etc.

Here's another, real life example. The lovely Golden, Kip, was a guest in my house. His guardian taught him these skills already, so it was easy for him to integrate into my household. He had impulse control around toys and food, and it was easy to generalize that to not stealing from or pestering my dogs.

If you plan on having multiple dogs, or want to have your dog around other dogs or children, the games we played over the last few days help them understand how to be polite citizens, preventing conflict and fights.

Today we are talking about us... the human part of the team.

Practicing and Visualizing

Does the thought of walking your dog past a bouncy, friendly dog make you tense up? Are you holding your breath right now? Has your heart rate increased?

What about just walking your dog out the front door? Are you worried the neighbours kids will be out? Do you time your walks to hopefully not see anyone?

If you have a reactive dog, you matter too! We can't only train our dogs.

Think of any of the skills or games you work on with reactivity. Do you practice at home? Do you visualize executing the moves calmly and confidently? This could be the missing piece!

In the Deep Dives, we do a lot of at home training, practicing all of the games so both us and our dogs can play them, even if there's a murderer ... er teenager... skateboarding down the sidewalk.

Take the time to practice and to visualize you and your dog out in the world. Keep practicing until you can visualize it with a smile on your face. It'll make a big difference! =)

Thank you for joining me for these last 5 days. I hope you will continue to post and to participate in the FB group as it is a lovely group of supportive people. We can all use a little more of that kind of positivity in our lives <3

Happy Holidays,

Christina

The Next Leash Reactivity Deep Dive Begins Jan 2025

Check out the LEASH REACTIVITY DEEP-DIVE, my group mentorship program in which I spend 8 weeks with a small group of people struggling with leash reactivity. Submit videos, ask questions, and meet awesome people and dogs.

You'll receive daily support and feedback on your training for 8 whole weeks. This is a fantastic way to jump start your training and to get some real progress for both your dog and yourself. Build your dog's skills and confidence, as well as your own!

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Wondering what you've missed out on? You can find the previous emails filled with training tips here.