Does anybody NOT walk their reactive dog?

[tdstaats]

This is a real question. I have 3 dogs and I walk 2 of them regularly. But the third one is very reactive. He is also over 100 lbs. I tried to walk him for years and tried to train him, and finally enlisted the help of a professional trainer and then sent him to a Board and Train.

When he came back from the board and train, he seemed anxious when we were out walking but he still walked well on the leash, walked next to me - until we saw anybody on the walk. Then he was worse than even before the training. He would bark uncontrollably and pull hard to run at them. He’s afraid of people so all he would do if he got out of my grip is run up to them barking and then run back to me, but I’m sure it’s terrifying being on the other side of it - this large black dog running towards you barking loud. And I live in a state where a lot of people “carry” so I’m afraid it will happen and somebody will react and take him out. Because obviously they don’t know he’s never harmed anyone and just wants them to go away.

When he is off leash at the dog park, he is fine. But I don’t like to take him to dog parks bc I’m worried about what could happen.

When I have tried repeatedly to walk him now even just going short distances, he does not seem like he enjoys it. He seems stressed and anxious the entire time, even when I give him treat after treat. When we see somebody out walking I try to distract him but it never works.

We have a yard where I throw the ball with him for at least an hour a day and he loves that.

But I feel guilty thinking he needs to explore the world more.

Is there anybody who doesn’t walk their reactive dog? What do you do instead? Is it cruel not to walk him?

I’m willing to keep trying but he is 4 now and I’m not sure what else to do.

 

[ritress]

@tdstaats We have a giant breed reactive dog who doesn’t go out on ‘standard’ daily walks. She’s also super fearful being outside. Instead, we:

• Go to a group training session on Wednesdays.
• Book a private dog field (usually between $6-$10) on Saturdays and Tuesdays.
• Every other week do a group training walk over the weekend.
• Take both our dogs out on a little adventure walk once a week in an area where we won’t (or likely won’t) run into people and their dogs.

Our other dog gets a walk every single day, but for our reactive one, it’s just not worth her and our stress. She’s gotten so much better with her reactivity since going to classes and having a controlled schedule, and we don’t run the risk of an incident happening as so many people in our area walk dogs without leads.

 

[pineapplism]

@ritress I love your commitment to finding an alternative solution for your dog. I am sure maintaining that schedule is a lot of extra time and energy inputs on your end, good for you for meeting your dog where it is while not sacrificing their quality of life. This made me happy to read!

 

[ritress]

@pineapplism Thank you! That means a lot because we’ve had so many moments where we’ve felt like we’re not doing enough for her.

 

[cognizance]

@ritress Piggybacking on this comment to say the Sniff Spot app will be your best friend!

 

[wetaman]

@cognizance Thank you!!! Apparently I have this app and didn’t remember what it was. Going to sign up my reactive girl now!

 

[chainbreaker]

@ritress wow i didn’t even know you could rent out dog fields!!

 

[ritress]

@chainbreaker Yes, they’re great! SniffSpot isn’t big where we are, but if you go on Google Maps and type in “dog field”, “private field” etc, I’m sure you could find something that can be booked!

 

[tdstaats]

@ritress I have never heard of the sniff spot app and these are such good ideas!!!

 

[gianghomobile]

@ritress I wish I could do this for my pup but apartment life forbids me. She seemed a lot less anxious when we had a backyard. She likes trails, but I think seeing multiple people on her walk, at least 3x a day, is too much for her.

 

[gemenii]

@ritress What you're doing is amazing I'm sure your dog appreciates it so much

 

[yunie]

@ritress I’ve dreeeamed of being able to book a private field for my reactive big boy bc he deserves to energetically frolic like a deer around and large space. I’m in a city with plenty of surprisingly specific availabilities to take advantage of, but I haven’t been able to find a field or one of the million dog parks here that have the option to rent out for however long so I can help my dog.
Do you have any recommendations or advice? Like should I start cold calling people with fields and try making them an offer to pay X amount per hour to get full private access to the property?
Lol I’m asking everyone and every search engine

 

[lukefrancis]

@yunie Check out sniffspot. People rent out their yards, fields, etc. Some cities have more options than others, but I found a few close to me. I haven't used the service yet, but definitely plan to.

 

[yunie]

@lukefrancis Thank you for this recommendation!!! I found a ton of great places!

 

[ritress]

@yunie It’s the best when you get to see the big breeds actually frolic around, they turn into giant puppies again That’s a difficult one when it comes to approaching property owners!

I personally think I would take the approach of finding local community boards and forums. I imagine if your city is a big enough size it probably has a reddit page dedicated to it? Maybe put some feelers out on there (even just searching the term “reactive” on it), and you might actually find some people in the same shoes that have some advice/recommendations on places you could go or people to approach about booking their property.

I’ve searched on our city’s reddit before (the area has a population of about 650k) and found a few posts about good areas to take reactive dogs and there were some really useful comments about different walking tracks etc.

 

[claymade]

@ritress You’re a wonderful dog owner. Your dog is lucky to have you!

 

[zakknight]

@tdstaats If he doesn't like walks, then there's no need to do them. They're for his sake, so if he's not enjoying them, I say don't do them. It sounds like he's getting plenty of exercise, enrichment, and play in your yard with a ball.

I didn't take my dog on walks for a while for the same reasons, he clearly wasn't having a good time and I also now had a yard for him to run and play in. He's gotten over it now though and loves walks, so now we go for walks again.

 

[krueman]

@zakknight Thank you for this. My reactive rescue pit is very on guard from the moment we walk out the front door. He loves leaving the house but doesn’t seem to enjoy the walk itself because he is always worried about what’s around the corner. We have done calmness exercises, worked with 3 trainers, literally everything I can do within my finances and schedule I have tried. My husband and I just purchased a home with a half acre yard and are installing a six foot privacy fence for him. We’ve tried walks in the neighborhood while waiting for the fence but have found out the hard way that lots of people let their dogs roam the neighborhood with zero concern for their safety or others. I have been battling alot of guilt over whether or not I’ll be a bad dog owner if we stick to the yard. He will chase a ball for hours and loves his tug rope that we installed on a tree.

 

[impactb13]

@zakknight Absolutely agree. If it's giving them both anxiety it's worse than not walking. I recently moved from the city to a house with a yard, mostly for my dog, and I basically stopped walking her. We'll go out on the weekend, for as long as she lets me. That might be to the end of the street, or it might be an hour. But we play in the yard and do all kinds of activities in the house.

OP, playing in the yard is great! Do other enrichment activities with lick mats, puzzles, sniffing games (if yours anything like mine)... or teach him to use buttons to speak! That would be enriching and fun for both of you! But also keep an eye on his weight.

Don't feel bad about not walking. Do what you think is best for your dog, not what other people say. Only you know what's best for him.

 

[tdstaats]

@impactb13 Thank you! We were in a condo before and bought a house with a yard specifically for our reactive pup bc he was getting so bad that he pulled me down multiple times and I almost broke my ankle once. But I still kept/keep trying here bc I felt like a bad dog mom. I’m glad to see people in the same boat.