CLEVELAND — Spring is in the air — finally! It's a great time for that pack walk, or a Metroparks meetup.
But maybe you've noticed your well-behaved companion from last year has been replaced by a barking, pulling, furry beast.
"When the weather gets warmer, we get an increase of calls for reactivity," Anna Rencz says. "And that happens a lot."
We headed over to Cleveland to meet with Rencz, owner of Boss K9 Balanced Training in St. Clair-Superior. She says this is a great time for a "refresh," as dogs can easily experience sensory overload when they first bust out of that winter slumber.
"That might be some pent up energy," Rencz explained. "It can be coming from a source of insecurity or fear. It could also be coming from a place where they want to interact and they don't have the necessary impulse control."
Our first step is to actually take a step back. Rencz says to find a quiet spot without distractions and work on engagement. The driveway of your home might be a good location.
Rencz demonstrated with a dog named Ruby, who came to Boss K9 with some reactivity issues. Ruby was in the heel position, walking with a trainer.
"I'm giving them a job when they're outside with me. So we're not just for a joy walk; it's moreso we're working together," Rencz described as we observed. "So you'll see the dogs in heel positions. You'll see them slow down when the trainer slows down, come to a sit when the trainer stops, things like that."
The idea of "layering" is also another concept Rencz preaches. Once you've mastered that first distraction-free location, you can add a few more challenges, one at a time.
"'OK, that looks good. Now go outside and go up and down the first few houses. OK, that looks good, now go around the block. Now I want you to go to a new location,' so it's really breaking things down in layers so that the dog understands that first layer before moving on to the next."
One of the most important points in doing these exercises is to monitor your own energy. If your dog is "amped up," make sure you are staying calm while maintaining that clear and consistent connection.
Boss K9 also works with puppies and does off-leash training for adult dogs. Check them out HERE.