You’ve Got a Friend: Social Walks and The Sensitive Dog

Outdoor meetups like this one at Mussel Rock have been a great way to stay engaged with clients needing more support. photo: Alisha Ardiana

As we continue to navigate the pandemic, many of us are looking for ways to maintain social bonds with friends, family, coworkers, and acquaintances. We all have various risk factors, but most of us agree it feels pretty safe to meet someone at a parklet for a drink. It could be coffee, tea, a beer, or a cocktail, but getting an outdoor beverage is something we can do with pretty much anyone in our social circles. 

When looking for the same social opportunities for dogs, I think of the social walk. I was first introduced to this concept by the Norwegian dog trainer Turid Rugass, who describes it in greater length here: turid-rugaas.no/social-walks.html.  But, in short, being able to explore the world, sniffing and peeing on stuff together, is important for dogs. I’ve spent a good part of 2021 working on social walks with my clients, and I have high hopes for more opportunities in the future.

For those of you with a dog who is already social or neutral with strangers and other unknown dogs, this may not sound like a terribly difficult or important goal. But many dogs in the Bay Area and beyond really struggle in public. They may experience a wide range of emotions, from frustration to anxiety to over-the-top enthusiasm. Some people become so frustrated by their dog’s behavior that they resort to punitive methods to try to suppress these unwanted behaviors. Others may make some progress with positive reinforcement training but then find their dog stuck in a gray zone: they can ignore other dogs in public, but will they ever make a friend? Those who haven’t progressed may wonder if their dog will always have to be kept at home when they go out. Will their dog ever get access to a public space?

Most of my training is focused on helping families support these sensitive dogs. I used to say that I wanted the dogs to feel safe in public. But today I believe there is too much unpredictability in the Bay Area to make that a realistic goal for all dogs. I now settle for having the dog feel safe in the company of his or her handler.

Games are an excellent solution that I’ve found work well for my clients with sensitive dogs. We play a lot of games on walks. We play games to avoid conflict. We play games to replace the unwanted behavior of barking and lunging. We play games to help a dog gain social support from his or her handler. Through these games, the dog learns that when we see X, we do Y. 

The games are pretty simple. They typically involve the dog jumping up on a safe object, or  catching or chasing treats. It takes a while to get a rhythm, but people are usually happy with the results.

However, as I struggled to work through the pandemic, I began to realize that some of my clients were also struggling with a lack of social support. They felt alone. Many got a dog for social access but then felt marginalized by the dog’s behavior. They were embarrassed to be in public. They were afraid to walk their dog. I decided I needed to find more ways to help them reduce their stress and increase their social opportunities. 

Enter our Papillon. This dog has concerns about unknown dogs, because many dogs on our block barked and lunged at her during her adolescence. But my dog has also learned that whenever I’m introducing her to one of my dog friends, it’s going to be okay. 

Most dogs are typically so happy to see the chicken lady (that’s me with my treats) that my dog is way less interesting to them. Also my dog is not a big player. She’d prefer to walk and ignore other dogs so she’s not considered a threat. As a result, I’ve been able to successfully introduce her to many of my client dogs.

Based on the success of walking with our dog, I’ve gradually been able to expand the circle.

I now hold a monthly walking group for my regular clients that’s really more like a support group. My clients get to complain about the people and dogs who invade their personal space, and we support each other when we’re interrupted by the occasional off-leash dog. Best of all, they get to see that their dog actually can enjoy the company of other dogs when their personal space is respected.

It’s been wonderful seeing my dog and human clients expand their social circles together. So many people who thought their dogs were antisocial were actually able to enjoy the holidays this year in the company of others. 

My goal for 2022 is to give more social support to my clients and help them realize they’re not alone. People and dogs both need the company of others. The social walk is a great way to get there.