How the Engage Disengage Game Helps Reactive Dogs

For this Omaha dog training session we helped Maya, a 7 year-old Chihuahua who likes to bark at other dogs. To help this sweet, but reactive pup, we shared many tips and tricks including the engage disengage game.

Since Maya often barked at new people, I brought some special training treats with me for the session. I gave her a couple so she knew I had the goods, then started asking her to sit or lie down before giving her the treats. Within a minute or two she was relaxed and confident with my presence.

How to Prevent Excessive Dog Barking

One of the tips that I shared with her guardian was to get Maya some exercise before guests arrive. This is an easy way to set a dog up for success. I also suggested that the guardian let the guest give Maya a bully bite or a lick mat. This will help create a positive association and keep her busy.

I spoke with the guardian about Maya’s behavior. I noticed that whenever the dog wanted attention, the guardian petted her. It seemed almost like a reflex. And the few times that she did not start petting, Maya just jumped up into her lap to get that attention.

When I asked the guardian if Maya had any rules, it took her a couple minutes to realize that there were none in place. When a dog gets attention whenever it wants, it may become needy. If the dog is not asked to wait or get permission, it can become demanding.

I suggested that the guardian start asking Maya to sit before inviting her up on her lap. And if Maya jumps up in her lap without permission, to stand up immediately, then tell the dog to sit. If she does, then she can sit down and invite the dog into her lap.

It’s fine if a dog jumps in your lap, as long as you don’t mind. However, asking the dog for permission is a simple way to start building a healthy leader-follower relationship.

This will be a challenge. Both the human and the dog are used to Maya jumping into their lap. But if she is conscious about this for a week, Maya should start to sit to ask for permission.

I also went over my Petting with a Purpose strategy which is a different way of doing the same thing. The more Maya asks or does something for attention, the more she practices asking for things instead of demanding them. This is important for dogs who have difficulty controlling their emotions around other dogs.

I suggested a few other rules. For example, she should sit before going out the door. She should also sit before her guardian prepares her food.

Conditioned Emotional Response to Overcome Fears

I suggested having the dog sit before putting on the leash. However, the guardian said that Maya did not like the leash. I showed them how to use a conditioned emotional response, or CER, to help Maya overcome her fear of the leash.

Although the linked video is to help a dog get over a fear of the collar, the approach will work for a leash too. I recommended the guardian practice this exercise once a day for a week, going from room to room. Shouldn’t take long before the sight of the leash creates a happy emotion from Maya.

Once Maya starts to lean or nudge with her nose, the guardian can begin attaching the leash. She holds the leash in one hand. She reaches a few inches toward the dog. Then, she pulls back.

Finally, she offers a treat from her other hand. At first, she will only reach a few inches. After practicing at that distance, she can reach a bit further.

If the guardian moves slowly and looks for the dog’s consent, she can attach the leash. She should stop if Maya turns or lowers her head. This way, the dog will feel comfortable with the leash quickly.

The main issue the guardian wanted help with was Maya’s habit of barking when she sees other dogs on walks. She also does this when the guardian visits her boyfriend’s home who also has a dog.

I made sure to point out that she should not correct or disagree with a dog who barks at other dogs. Although this seems natural to humans, it can usually cause the dog to bark more intensely.

If you want to stop a dog from barking, you need to make a positive association with the thing they are barking at. Correcting or disagreeing with the barking will never accomplish that.

I shared several small tips to stop dog barking. One tip is to distract the dog before it barks.

Another is to increase the distance from any dogs she is barking at. This is better than trying to correct her. These are often overlooked tools used by dog behaviorists to put a stop to dog barking.

Engage Disengage Game for Dogs

These tips for stopping dogs from barking at other dogs will help. However, I knew we needed to create positive feelings when other dogs arrive or are seen. I have found one of the easiest ways to stop dog barking at dogs is to practice the engage disengage game.

Watch the free dog training video below. It will help you teach your dog the engage-disengage game. This game can stop your dog from barking at other dogs.

The key to this trick to stop dogs from barking at other dogs is to make sure that you go slow. If you reduce the distance between the dogs too fast, your dog may bark at the other dog. This can undo all the work you have done. The dog has to be calm, relaxed and not bark the entire time you practice.

The guardian will need to go slowly and keep track of the distance she was at each time she practices. This will help her know what distance to start at the next time (although there is sometimes regression which is normal).

It is important to remember that if Maya stops showing interest in treats, she may be reaching her limit. If she has trouble sitting down, it is also a sign. This means she might start barking soon.

If you take your time and practice without the dog barking, you can get close enough for the dogs to walk together. This is another suggestion I made for Maya with her boyfriend’s dog.

We may need to put that suggestion on hold for now. The extreme cold outside can harm Chihuahuas. Their feet have poor circulation, which makes them more vulnerable.

Walking dogs together, even if they are far apart at first, is a great way to help them stop reacting to other dogs. It builds up a positive shared experience that leads to better behavior.

Many people do not see the connection. Adding rules and structure can help a dog learn self-control at home. This can greatly reduce barking problems.

To help the guardian remember the positive dog training tips from this Omaha session, we made a summary video. You can watch it below.