How To Help a Reactive Dog Go to the Dog Park Using BAT

In this Omaha dog training session we worked with seven-year-old Goose, a Labrador and Border Collie mix, who needed help to stop dog reactivity using the Behavior Adjustment Training or BAT method.

When working with a dog that is dog reactive it is important to take the training process slow. We want to retrain the dog to be able to learn how to walk away from another dog if they get uncomfortable instead of approaching, which has become their default over time. To help dogs learn how to do this we slowly teach them to approach other dogs with nice and calm energy using the BAT method. To see how we did this you can watch the video below.

As you can see in the video above we worked nice and slowly with Goose. We taught him that as he approached the dog park he needed to stay nice and calm in order to move closer. I want to remind the guardian that you want to look for nice and relaxed posture and a low tail set when assessing whether Goose is ready to approach other dogs. If he is still or rigid in his body position you want to help him move away from another dog until he can relax.

To keep up with this good behavior the guardian will want to work on the BAT training consistently and frequently to help Goose overcome his anxiety around visiting the dog park and meeting new dogs. Over time you can increase the amount of time he interacts with other dogs. We wrapped up this dog behavior session with Goose’s Roadmap to Success video, which you can watch below.