By teaching your dog avoidance skills, coping with unsafe or frightening situations becomes easier.
Dogs show they feel uncomfortable or uncertain using a variety of body language, like turning their head away, licking their lips, lifting a paw, or intently sniffing something nearby. Ideally, we would all recognize these signs easily, and support our dog's need to de-stress. As their discomfort increases, a dog might show aggressive behaviors to communicate a need for distance.
Fortunately, by teaching them the avoidance life skill, we can give dogs a proactive tool to help them get out of uncomfortable situations.
Let Victoria show you how to teach the Avoidance life skill!
How to Teach Your Dog to Physically Distance Herself When Needed
- You’ll need to have small food treats on hand that appeal to your dog.
- Begin by tossing a treat on the ground a few feet away while saying the cue phrase.
- As your dog moves away and eats the treat, say “yes!” to "mark" the desired behavior.
- After practice, you can test the association by speaking the cue but waiting to toss the treat until after he responds.
- As your dog becomes more proficient, you can practice the cue when there is a mild distraction in the environment.
See how it’s done! Enroll now in Victoria’s Avoidance course to learn and teach this important life skill.
