On a reactive journey, when you are meeting other dogs , sometimes it can be unclear when to prompt your dog to move on because you think they are going to move in to the red zone. Obviously, you don’t want a dog to rehearse behaviours as practice makes perfect.An intense reaction can feel overwhelming and stressful, therefore gathering space is really important. A dog goes into the red zone this can overwhelm them and stress them. Here are some signs that indicate you should move on.

• Stiffness and standing still

• Showing the whites of their eyes (half moon, or whale eye)

• Turning the head away

• Growling and wrinkling in the mouth area

• Mouth clamping shut when a dog see’s a trigger

• More weight on the front of paws

• Fur on the back raising

• Tail wagging (high and fast)

Environment

Walking in locations with lots of exit points is really key as narrow spaces or lack of chances to move away can make you and your dog feel trapped.

Having kongs and lick mat's in the car to distract your dog when they leave rather than barking out of the window at triggers can help.

Reference: Stewart, Grisha Behaviour Adjustment Training 2.0, Dog Wise Publishing.