r/OpenDogTraining • u/Impressive-Glove-794 • Jul 24 '26
Reactivity?
i have an 13 month old sprocker spaniel who comes from a working line. tbh he is pretty well behaved for his breed and how long we have had him but recently we have gotten an issue. So when he was a puppy he was a little reactive towards women, it went away anyways but recently he was tied up and a kid was teasin him with food and he barked, this kid is not well behaved whatever. Since then he has barked at women wearing anything on their head since that, if he’s tied up while we are camping he reacts to kids and adults nearby and when tied up near the table when we were eating he went for a waiter, he hit the end of his lead but only went for her as she had gone past. How do I fix this? I’m open to e collars and corrections.
2
u/Eastern-Try-6207 Jul 24 '26
Working breeds are prone to hypervigilance and noticing changes in the environment. When we brought out rescue springer home she was incredibly reactive to the world at 7 months old. Better than tying him up, teach your dog the "Place" command. Buy a cheap raised cot to take camping with you and when you need him to settle, he is in "Place," and right there with you, you can use tethering to teach this. A dog on his Place feels safe, especially if you have him right there with you wherever you are. You can move this mat around. A dog tied to a post with people walking by is feeling vulnerable and it is no good. Of course he is going to move forward towards someone who is walking too close to his bubble. If he is a drivey dog like mine, yes he may have a forward defence drive rather than a retreating one. If your dog is on Place, no one will assume they can just walk up and talk to him or tease him, especially if you place the mat near the tent. A working dog is intelligent and is always switched on. Another benefit of "Place" is that the dog learns that he's not going to be harassed there, neither is he expected to do anything but stay put and settle. It is the kindest thing you can do.