“Be A Turtle”

If you and your dog have worked with me, you’ve heard me say this often. For those of you who haven’t yet worked with me, here’s what’s going on.

Reactive dogs get fired up easily and quickly. Their movements are fast, frenetic, and so intense that you end up feeling jazzy yourself. Your adrenaline is pumping, you’re hyper-alert, you may be feeling afraid, anxious, nervous… the smallest twitch makes you jumpy and ready to swing (or, to run). And, it’s the exact moment where you have to become like a turtle. When a dog is going off the rails like that, you must SLOW DOWN. Remember: Your dog doesn’t hear or see you when they’re going off the rails, but they do feel your energy humming through their leash. You and your dog are feeding off each other’s energy, and that makes things worse, not better.

Here’s what to do, and what not to do, when your dog is going off the rails:

DO NOT:
– talk to them. They quite literally can’t hear you.
– touch them. They’re blind to everything except their trigger; in their high state of panic, they can’t recognize friend from foe, and they may redirect a bite onto you.
– yank or pull the leash. All that does is add more tension to an already intense situation, which makes the dog lunge even harder.

DO:
– take a deep breath to calm yourself as best you can. This is a crisis situation, and what do you do in a crisis? You stay calm; you think before you speak or act.
– be a turtle: SLOW DOWN. Use your body to block your dog’s view, or redirect them to an area where they can start to calm down. Act like nothing is happening – be a turtle – by calmly and more slowly moving away. Remember: Even though your dog doesn’t hear or see you when they’re in that high state of panic, they do feel your energy. Slowing down also helps bring down both your and your dog’s heart rate, which in turn helps helps calm things down.

So, when I tell you to “be a turtle”, I’m reminding you to slow down. I understand you’re feeling nervous, anxious, uncertain, maybe even a bit scared; I’m asking you to face things head on rather than continue to avoid them. Considering what you’ve already been dealing with, that’s a big ask – and it’s scary as hell. I get it; truly, I do. But, you’re trying to teach your dog how to be in the world and part of the world more calmly; you’re trying to teach them how to not care so much about their triggers. And you can’t do that if you’re tense and moving fast to get them past their triggers.

So, be a turtle. Take a deep breath, and slow down. Walk past those triggers as if nothing is going on. Keep your head up, look straight ahead, and walk with purpose and confidence. Above all, stay calm and keep the leash relaxed. You’ve got this!

I hope this has helped you. And please: If you’re still struggling and you need hands-on help, don’t be afraid to reach out. It’s what we’re here for.

Have a great day, and remember to stay calm and lead on.