Apartment Living with a Reactive Dog: My Spray Shield Story
I've been training dogs for more than 10 years, but I don't always get it right.
A couple of weeks ago, I was staying with Sophie for Live-In Dog Sitting and it was time to walk. We leashed up and headed out only to discover it was raining.
Sophie loves making the rounds to sniff each dog park at her apartment complex.
Undeterred, I decided the interior hallways of her apartment building gave us space to walk while staying dry! We made a loop of her floor and decided to venture up a level.
Bad idea.
As we were walking along one of the narrow hallways, I thought, "you know, if we run into another dog here, there's no place to go."
This would be especially difficult for Sophie. After multiple instances of being jumped by off-leash dogs, she (understandably) struggles with dog-reactivity. Although she stays calm if we keep our distance, she’d already had one meltdown that day when we were surprised by another dog.
And wouldn't you know it? Moments after recognizing our precarious position, I heard noises behind us. A dog was loose in the hallway and making a beeline for us. His owner had been exiting her apartment when he’d pushed past and escaped.
Spray Shield is a citronella based animal deterrent spray that sprays 10 feet. I’ve used it multiple times to keep loose dogs away from my client’s dog.
I reached for my Spray Shield and sprayed it at the dog.
The citronella spray did not stop him, but it didn’t take long for the owner to catch up and lay hands on her dog. After explaining, “my dog doesn’t get along,” we u-turned and retreated to the safety of Sophie’s apartment.
Thankfully, no one was physically injured and Sophie did a fabulous job checking in with me during our retreat.
No more hallway walks for us.
Lessons Learned
But here’s what we I learned:
Wide open spaces where you can see what’s coming and have plenty of escape routes are the best places to walk reactive dogs.
#1 No more hallway walks.
I was right: there is no where to go. And the combo of no escape routes plus doorway danger zones (how many dogs push past their owners every day??) makes it a very risky environment. Get in. Get out. Don’t linger.
#2 Keep carrying Spray Shield.
While it didn’t deter this dog very much, I’m very glad I had it and it has stopped other dogs before. I’d rather have it than be empty handed.
#3 Throw treats first (if there’s time).
Watching someone throw treats at your dog is less disturbing than seeing a stream of who-knows-what sprayed at them. And in an apartment complex where you’re likely to encounter the owner again, it’s particularly important to try to keep the peace.
I want to get better at trying treats first, but in the heat of the moment, I freak and go to Spray Shield.
I bet that owner was stunned and a bit ticked. However, my primary duty is the safety of my client’s dog. And if your dog is threatening that, I will not hesitate to spray stuff at your dog.
#4 Remember trigger stacking.
Sophie had already had one meltdown that day, and she was likely still a bit on edge from it when we went out for our walk. Knowing that, I should have chosen a walking location that gave us more space than usual — not less.
It’s Going to Be Okay
Oopsie moments happen. Even to the pros.
You can be proactive to try and avoid meltdowns with your reactive dog, but I can guarantee they are still going to happen at some point.
Stuff happens. And if you’re anything like me, you’re going to beat yourself up about it. But you can help your dog recover from a meltdown, and then you and your dog can shake it off, make adjustments and move forward.
Need help with your reactive dog?
Koinonia offers personalized, in-home training to turn your dog’s triggers into triumphs!
Meet the Dog Trainer and Blog Author
Leighann Hurley founded Koinonia Dogs in 2014 and has been a Certified Professional Dog Trainer in the Austin, TX area since 2019.
She's a problem-solver by nature and loves creating cooperation through conflict-free communication so both ends of the leash enjoy an easier life together.
