B.A.T. Proactive Training Gives Dogs The Tools They Need To Succeed
You’re walking your dog when an off-leash Lab puppy comes sprinting your way. Knowing that your dog is about to freak out, you shout, “Call your dog!” in the vain hope that the caregiver will (a) call her puppy and (b) actually be able to get the puppy under control. The common response, “Don’t worry, she’s friendly!” sends your pulse soaring. It’s meant to reassure you, but few phrases are more terrifying when you know your dog is going to bark, lunge or worse.What do you do? Outdated training advice directs you to just hold your ground until your dog goes berserk, then correct him with a hefty leash pop. That might make you feel like you’re doing something about the problem, but it’s actually not the best time to teach your dog a lesson. To get a predictable response, build up your dog’s experience with success, not failure. The only thing a correction tells your dog is to put up and shut up. That doesn’t make him feel any better, but he may stop growling—in other words, stop warnin
