Why neutrality matters

Let’s face it: it’s not cute or funny when dogs are out of control and pulling toward or jumping on people when they’re out in public. For dog owners, it can be embarrassing at best and dangerous at worst, especially when it involves children or elderly folks. Our goal is to have dogs that are neutral to other people (and dogs): they can walk past strangers without feeling the need to visit and interact with them. That is the behavior we all yearn for… here’s how to get it:

Our tendency with new or young dogs is to encourage them to be friendly towards strangers with the misguided belief that this will result in a well socialized, friendly dog. In fact, this can have the opposite effect: the dog gets into the habit of pulling towards a person, which expands into the habit of pulling towards anything he wants; this, in turn requires us to hold him back via the leash, which builds his frustration and his determination to get to his target. When he is denied that access, he will begin to react earlier and earlier in anticipated situations until you find yourself with a full-blown leash-reactive dog.

So the fix is to undo that habit and put a new habit in its place: we need the dog to remain calm and to not pull towards whatever he wants. By providing clear communication via effective equipment and appropriate techniques, we can build confidence and respect to shape a dog’s behavior into what’s best for him and for his owners.