The Caravan Effect

The Caravan Effect and how it relates to Leash Reactivity.

It’s a simple concept.  Have you ever been on a multi-car road trip with friends or family?  If you’re at the head of the caravan there’s a lot of stress on your shoulders.

You’ve got to be extra cognizant of your speed.  You’re checking your rear view mirror, making sure you haven’t lost anyone.  You’re checking your GPS.  You’re checking road signs. You’re looking for the next exit.  You’re watching out for road hazards and accidents.

If you’re following the car in front of you, you’re much more relaxed.  You’ve got the music up.  You’re enjoying conversation with your passengers.  Needless to say, you got a lot less pressure on your shoulders than the lead car.

When it comes to leash reactivity, arousal is the enemy.  Just by having our dogs follow us, they are already in a much calmer state of mind.  To get this we need to have a solid foundation of communication / Verbal Marker System.  We also want our dog to have a clear understanding of leash communication / Prong Collar Pressure.  For our dogs to be completely off-leash, we will use our verbal marker system and leash pressure to teach them the meaning of e-collar pressure / invisible leash.

All of this needs to be mastered under low distraction before have our dog follow us through situations where they struggle.