Much like barking, your dog’s lunging is Nature triggering your dog to do wild animal behaviors. When is your dog not a wild animal? Never.
Nature Triggers Wild, High Energy and Lunging
Nature swings a reflex hammer. Just like your doctor does in his exam room. When Nature swings Her reflex hammer telling the dog, “You will do these wild things,” your dog must comply and does comply.
Lunging is one of those behaviors we don’t want to see. We want to control it, but we can’t. The reason we can’t is because your dog — at its high energy level — isn’t listening to you. Nature is in charge. Nature triggers your dog to behave reflexively, without a strong brain connection.
A dog at a high energy level doesn’t care about you. At that same, high energy level, Nature doesn’t care about you either. Nature cares about taking care of her dogs. You’ll never succeed until you can figure out how to get your dog’s energy level to be lower. That’s what I do.
BB learning to yawn
It’s Not About the Dog
Their lunging isn’t about your dog — it’s about you. Sadly, we’ve been listening to a lie and for way too long. Although it involves your dog, it’s not about the dog. Experience proves it.
When you learn a different and better way to relate to your dog, when you learn a different, better, and more accurate model for dogs and dog relationships with humans, you start acting differently. The moment you start acting differently, you have different conversations with your dog. The lunging your dog used to explain things stops. His energy levels go down. Your conversations with your dog changes.
When you start having different conversations with your dog, their answers must change. Instantly. That’s why a dog’s behaviors can and do change instantly but they’re temporary. It’s only with consistent repetition that their new behaviors get solidified.
Get Rid of the High Energy — The Lunging Disappears
Until you have a model that explains it, it may not make sense. But training since 2009 I’ve seen it disappear thousands of times. Lunging is a problem. Lunging is also an indicator of a dog’s energy, excitement, and triggering levels being too high. Get them lowered, get your dog to truly relax, to be truly submissive, and the lunging is never a problem again.
It’s What I Do
Call me and let’s talk. Your dog’s waiting for it. They’ve been ready the whole time.