Get in the Zone, The Doggy Zone!

One of the fastest ways someone can get bit is to rush up on dog they don’t know and attempt to pet or get too close. Even dog owners who have not established pack leadership can get bit by their own dog if they don’t know how to manage their dog’s natural reaction to space and boundaries. Space is a big deal to most dogs. You can learn a lot about space by simply visiting your local dog park and watching new dogs come in and cautiously enter a pack of dogs that have already been at the park for a bit.

The space and boundaries dogs have are a natural thing and can be broken down into 4 separate zones. Public, social, personal, and intimate.

Each zone represents a distance with public being the furthest away and each zone getting closer and closer until you finally reach the intimate zone. Humans practice these zones as well; we call it dating.

All jokes aside, understanding these zones is a key element in training the dog to have good reactions in each zone. Almost daily, our trainers get calls that their dog reacts when another dog walks by “too close” or another human gets “too close”.

The distance that causes the reaction is always a factor and can be categorized by one of the 4 zones mentioned above. Another element of these reactions is where the dog views itself in the pack. Front, middle or the back. Each position in the pack will have a different reaction to each zone.

The good news is that every Always Faithful Dog Trainer is aware of these zones and can teach you to become the pack leader of any zone. If you have pack leadership these zones are easily managed and enjoyable.

To get into the right zone contact your local Always Faithful Dog Trainer today!