Ep 103 Lead Reactivity: How to Turn Fear into Confidence

Have you ever wondered why your dog seems totally fine off lead, but everything changes the second you clip it on, barking, lunging, reactivity towards other dogs? Or maybe it’s the other way around for your dog? This week, we dive into a listener’s question about their dog doing just this after a dog attack and how it’s often more common than you think (whether your dog has been attacked or not!). We explore why a dog’s emotional state can shift so dramatically between these two contexts and why the lead itself can start to feel like a warning sign to them. Then we flip the question and explore where the opportunity is, because there always is one! We talk about how the lead can become a cue for confidence instead of anxiety and how we can help our dogs feel safe again. If you’ve been feeling stuck or discouraged, this conversation will help you see a path forward and understand what’s really going on for your dog.

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Whether your dog is unpredictable with other dogs or predictably bad…

Whether it looks like freezing, barking, lunging or running away…

Whether you are just starting out on your dog-owning journey or your dog has been labelled as having a “behaviour problem”…

… this episode is for you and is going to give you huge insights!

Want to join the Help! My Dog Online HUB? Here's the link: www.helpmydog.com/hub

Dr Tom Mitchell is a world-renowned veterinarian, behaviourist and dog trainer and director of the Behavet behaviour clinic (rated Excellent on Trustpilot), which sees over 400 pet behaviour consultations each and every month no matter where you are in the world. In 2023, he founded Help! My Dog, an online dog behaviour learning platform to help even more owners all over the world and show that dog behaviour transformation is not only possible but it's FUN, with the right know-how!

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