Reactive dog training on your own? (w/o a trainer)

[calso]

Hello everyone, I am new to posting on Reddit but I was wondering how many of you have been able to successfully (to whichever degree you measure success by - since reactive dog training is a never ending process) train your reactive dogs without a behaviorist/trainer's help?

Before I learned about the proper training methods for reactive dogs, out of stress and desperation I used all my training funds on hiring "the best trainer" in my area. He ended up just trying to suppress my dog's reactivity through punishment...now that I know better than to listen to him, I have been training my dog with positive reinforcement on my own, with research I have gathered online. I see some people in this subreddit speaking of their trainers or behaviorists, but I cannot afford one. I was wondering if working on reactivity on your own has proven successful to you? Is having a trainer a way to "accelerate" (don't think this is the right word since everything is at the dog's pace) the process to manage your dog's reactivity?

Thank you for any insight!

 

[stokinbusuk]

@calso There are several very good positive reinforcement trainers on YouTube that deal with reactivity.

Instinct Dog Behavior and Training. They also offer no-cost online training classes.

Kikopup is a great trainer and very well respected in the training community.

Simpawtico has some really good videos. He is excellent at explaining techniques. Although his channel is more towards puppy training, he has great suggestions for adult dogs as well.

Training Positive. He is a very calming and concise trainer.

Having a reactive dog means developing top-level situational awareness so you can avoid triggers before they get out of control. Building trust with your dog and ensuring him or her that you are in charge and will keep them safe is very important. Part of that may well be the 'I won my last fight by two blocks' technique -- meaning avoidance: putting barriers between your dog and the triggers, crossing the street, doing U-turns.

Training takes consistency, patience, a sense of humor and good treats.

What a good trainer will do is train you to train your dog.

You have already realized that balanced or aversive training is not in your dog's best interest. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior has a pamphlet on choosing a trainer you might find helpful should you wish to hire another trainer.

 

[anthonyk]

@stokinbusuk Something to consider - The SPCA in my area does some top notch reactive dog training and is very affordable. There are also a couple trainers in my area that offer reduced rates for folks with financial difficulties. They don’t advertise it but they do bring it up if you talk to them and they feel you are genuine. You may want to see if similar things exist in your area.

 

[confusedfl22]

@anthonyk The local humane society around me has a great reactive dog class as well.

 

[calso]

@confusedfl22 This is very good information. Thank you!

 

[calso]

@stokinbusuk Wow thank you for all the resources! I appreciate it. I will look into all the ones that have been commented!

 

[lizzrr]

@calso I’m not sure where you live but around here a session with a trainer is 70€ and it was the best money I ever invested. She told me soo many things I (unconsciously) did wrong: Like speaking too much and too high, walking too fast, overwhelming her in certain situations, looking at her in the wrong situations… After that we had some dog group sessions and the constant getting used to such situations really helped improve her reactivity. I’m not here to say it’s not possible to do it alone but especially if you’re a first time dog owner there’s nothing better than another (professional) set of eyes evaluating the rl situation.

 

[bitcoin]

@calso I do 99% of the training myself, but I supplement with a trainer. In just one session we learned so many new skills and I learned a lot about my dog. I had reached sort of a “breaking point” and lost hope which is when I decided to bring a trainer in. We’ve had one session since and the techniques she showed me are so so valuable. Motivated me to get back on track with training my dog—she showed me just how capable she is. All in all I saw her about 2 times over the span of 3 months so i wouldn’t say it was particularly costly. Either way 100% worth the investment.

 

[belleshun08]

@calso I haven't hired a trainer so it's just been me and my dog, and a lot of online resources (youtube videos, etc.). My dog was leash reactive towards other dogs. With her being my first dog, I had to do a lot of research, but with some time and consistent training, she's gotten so much better - she hasn't reacted on leash in a super long time at this point and I feel pretty confident taking her most places now. If you feel relatively comfortable and safe working on your dog's reactivity on your own, then I feel like you'll be okay And you're already off to a super good start by getting rid of that first trainer!

 

[calso]

@belleshun08 This is really inspiring, I hope we can get to the same level of my dog becomes comfortable! Gives me hope!

 

[jaggerwayne]

@calso I took 3 reactive dog training classes at the pound and researched a lot online and we've been doing it on our own! I have noticed a lot of improvement!

 

[valerie112]

@calso I worked with a trainer for two sessions and the rest has been largely on my own, so not exactly the criteria you are looking for... but that was about 6 months ago and maybe this will give you a nuanced perspective.

I waited about 6 months to get a trainer bc they were booked, and once we started probably the biggest change was to how I was teaching heel, placing more emphasis on recall, and teaching my dog the place command. I felt much more confident in what I was doing, but also realized I wasn’t so far off either.

My dog might not be a very difficult case, but with the fundamentals I learned and supplemental learning we’ve done good. I’ve tried to be as consistent as possible and do some type of structured training every day and revisit fundamentals often (heel, eye contact, sit, stay, recall).

He still reacts to dogs to a degree, but we can now pass dogs that are close without a dramatic meltdown and with a very quick recovery.

I think the consistent work we’ve put in has been the biggest factor for progress. Having a good trainer got us going in the right direction.

 

[confusedfl22]

@calso Tbh, the main reason I’ve worked with trainers has been to keep myself accountable to regularly working with the dog, and later because it’s the easiest way to make sure my husband is actually on the same page with training strategies. (Yep, I wish he would just recognize that I know more about the topic than he does, but that’s a different matter.) If you can keep yourself working on it, and you don’t have to also train someone else in your household, more power to you.

 

[bushido8000]

@calso First of all, huge kudos to you for recognizing that the trainer you hired wasn't suitable and for making changes for the benefit of your pup.

I am training my reactive dog on my own, but I also have many years of experience with training and have a fearful (albeit non-reactive) dog where training classes helped me learn various techniques to help him. I also have access to a trainer friend as needed. So I'm on my own, but not completely on my own.

There are online resources available that are much less costly than an in-person trainer. One I can recommend is Fenzi Dog Sports Academy. They have classes specifically for reactive dogs (e.g. Management for Reactive Dogs) and different levels of participation. The bronze level is basically an "audit" version of the course, where you have full access to lectures and course materials, but no opportunity to interact with the instructor and/or do the homework assignments and get feedback on those. It's $65 USD for a 6 week term, so basically $10/week.

 

[itsjustmerae]

@calso Hi! I've been training with my reactive dog 100% on our own. I've watched lots of videos, joined alllll the Facebook groups, read as many books as I could (I literally always suggest The Other End of the Leash. It changed my life), and work on it every single day multiple times a day.

While I'm sure having a trainer could accelerate your progress, I think if you're really dedicated and willing to put in the work it's not necessary. I've seen probably hundreds of posts of people spending thousands on trainers and getting nowhere. I've spent maybe $50 on books, and $100 on a prong collar. It's incredible how much information is available online for free.

My dog has a bite history from her time with us (she's from a shelter so her prior history is unknown) and was a constant puller. She used to lunge, growl, bark, etc. when seeing another dog out and about 100% of the time. After a little over 2 years of work, she walks with a loose leash probably 90% of the time with no prompting (we used a prong collar for a month or so to work on this) and will disengage from a trigger every time she's asked. With the exception of the month we used the prong, we have done purely positive reinforcement.

If you have any questions, I'd love to chat! While I'm obviously not a trainer, I like to think I have a solid understanding of this topic.

 

[brittanylp]

@itsjustmerae Hello! I have a question, how can i redirect my dog when he sees the trigger and completely loses focus from me? He starts to jump up and bark and it seems like nothing can get him to focus on me

 

[itsjustmerae]

@brittanylp So the problem is likely that you're too close to the trigger. If this happens, I'd try and force feed him. Odds are, he won't even eat. That means that he is over threshold and you need to create distance.
This unfortunately, will usually look like pulling your dog away as they freak out. It's all part of the learning process.

I would get crazy, pretend like I'm going to run in the other direction, super cringey "come here!! What's this?!? Treats!!!" etc. to get her attention, until my girl was out of that zone and then we could actually work on engagement/redirection. The second he is willing to accept treats, throw a party for him. I'd usually keep a handful of kibble and as soon as my girl was ready for it, I'd stuff her face. They can walk and eat at the same time so this is some extra grace to get a bit further from the trigger. For us, once we were out of the "danger zone" (and she's now under threshold and accepting treats) I would either cross the street, or veer into a field, and we could then work on engage/disengage .

 

[brittanylp]

@itsjustmerae thank you so much! I will definitely try this next time!

 

[itsjustmerae]

@brittanylp No problem! I see you're using a prong and already bringing treats on your walks as well which is great!

I did find that the prong wasn't the greatest for our reactivity. My girl would obey, but she would get overwhelmed -not over threshold, but she would kind of act out I can explain better if you want but ya I didn't like the behavior- so I'd switch to her martingale collar (highly recommend if you're worried about him on a harness!!) while working past the trigger. Once she had a solid understanding of leash pressure, neither of those collars were really necessary, and we now walk on a flat collar full time.

If you don't mind my asking, how does he do with the treats on your walks outside of these reactions? Is he engaged with you during the walk? I will ask for random things now like sit/stay, down/stay, or jump (my girls absolute favorite) throughout the walk to keep things interesting, and so that she knows I'm still a walking talking treat dispenser if need be.

It might be helpful to practice engage/disengage in environments where he doesn't react (like parks and hikes) so that he learns that this is just a normal thing now. You could pair that with a release cue so he knows when he's allowed to play/sniff other dogs and when he needs to stick with you.

 

[brittanylp]

@itsjustmerae To be honest I would say slightly engaged because they’re low value treats (i use his kibble). I say the work yes after he does something good such as walk next to me for a long period of time, and he will stop and look up so I reward. Even when we’re hiking, he will look at a dog without reacting and pull me towards the dog so that he can say hi, I learned that by saying yes when the dog is in his view, but far away enough where he won’t pull me, is when he will be more focused on me. Another thing is that he LOVES sniffing. When we are on our walks around our neighborhood, his face is glued to the ground and I cant get his attention unless I give him a little pull. Would you suggest working on name recall as we are walking? I also wanted to know if you had a cue that you say when your dog sees a trigger such as leave it?