The two most common I overheard were that we were promoting shelter dogs and that we were protesting dog poop. Stranger: Ahh! No one will tell me what is happening!Įveryone had their own theory about what must be happening. Others got irritated when no one would tell them what was going on. With 2,000 people spread out all over the neighborhood, it was impossible to document them all. There were so many great reactions throughout the day. It certainly seemed appropriate for the mission. Three dogs pass at an intersection The guy above told me his nickname was “Big Dog” and that’s why he had the “BEWARE OF THE DOG” bumper sticker. Passing out leashesWe had a very diverse group of agents, with folks of all ages and races participating. Everyone was just told to spread out and go on a walk for an hour or so, behaving as if they were walking an actual dog. I gave a quick talk explaining the history of the building and what the mission would entail, and then we passed out the leashes. Thankfully, we had enough leashes for everyone.Įxplaining the missionAll of the participants showed up having no idea what they would be doing. I think it’s safe to say more than 2,000 showed up. We had over 3,000 RSVPs, and the crowd was so large that we filled up the giant warehouse and then had an enormous line of people waiting to get in winding around the block. It’s tough to say exactly how many participants showed up. The building was recently bought by a French artist, who is converting it into an art space. It’s an incredibly cool spot, and it was fun knowing that the leashes we would be using were created right there in the 1970s. The crowdThe factory space served as our meeting point. He told me there were over 2,000 invisible dog leashes collecting dust on a shelf and wondered if I would like to put them to use. The group transforms vacant spaces into public art exhibitions and had an exhibition coming up in an abandoned factory in Brooklyn. Participants of all ages spread out from Red Hook to Brooklyn Heights, very seriously walking their very silly dogs.Ībout a month ago I got an email from Keith Schweitzer from No Longer Empty. The leashes were on loan from the current owner of 51 Bergen Street, the factory space where the invisible dog toy was invented in the 1970s. If you feel you and your pup would benefit from some extra support with this issue, we recommend reaching out to a professional trainer.For our latest mission, over 2,000 people walked “invisible dogs” down the streets of Brooklyn on a Sunday afternoon. Reactivity - whether on or off the leash - can be challenging to deal with. If they bark, lunge or ignore you, add distance and try again." "Remember, your dog needs some successes under their belt to be able to build up to harder and more realistic situations! You will start by marking “yes!” and rewarding your dog each time they notice the trigger. Start with what your dog can handle right now: "For highly reactive dogs, you will be working at a VERY large distance, likely using a fake dog and/or a planned human helper to help you minimize surprises," explains Sessa. This might mean changing where you walk (at first) and always being prepared with high-value food."ģ. Prioritize distance: "You’re going to see the absolute best success if you’re able to work under your dog’s threshold - meaning, they’re able to work with you without rehearsing the barking and lunging we don’t want. This is an emotion-driven behavior, meaning that we need to change the way your dog FEELS in the presence of a trigger in order to create positive change."Ģ. "Reactivity exists on a spectrum and there simply isn’t a quick fix. Understand that your dog's progress won't be linear: Don’t look at your training as Point A to Point B," advises Sessa. A post shared by Peach On A Leash Dog Training photo posted by onġ.
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