Training a reactive dog in Malvern or Worcester?

Every dog’s needs are different.

Dogs can display reactive behaviour for all sorts of reasons and therefore have different ways of showing their reactions and different things they are going to need to prevent reactivity from happening.

Some dogs are anxious or fearful, others are over-excited and frustrated. Many are a mixture of both.

Our main aim when starting to work with your reactive dog is to help them to feel calmer and manage their emotions, whatever they may be!

If your dog is agitated or anxious then they are not going to learn new patterns of behaviour very well.

If they are continually rehearsing the reactions then these reactive behaviour patterns are also going to keep getting stronger. They become the default.

The starting point is to find some walks where your dog is able to just relax and be a dog without rehearsing their reactions. This is most likely going to involve somewhere with plenty of space!

It’s lovely that Malvern is such a dog friendly town. There are loads of dog friendly cafes, pubs and walks.

However, it can be a very busy place at times and this can be challenging for our emotionally sensitive companions. Even walking on the hills can be difficult depending on your route up and down. It can be a bit of a bottleneck.

What we are also lucky with around Malvern is the bigger spaces.

The commons are a great asset.

With three different car parks, the one nearer to the bottom of the hill by the railway crossing can be much quieter. Multiple routes in and out of the car park and you can mostly easily see ahead and around so you can switch route to create more space as needed.

In the summer the ferns are up and creating channels so your dog can’t see what’s around, but you can mostly see over them to see what’s coming.

It opens up to more open space as you go along; you can make a long walk in this spot without coming into close contact with others.

By heading a little further along the road you have the Poolbrook road common area too, with another couple of small car parks. In summer this is a conservation area and you have to stick to set paths which makes avoidance harder if someone else decides to walk along the path towards you, but there are multiple paths so as long as it’s not busy it’s a good spot.

A little further out and you have Castle Morton common which is a huge area with a few parking locations along the side roads.

This is a large expanse of land with various pathways, easy to provide some freedom on a long line in places with good views around you for other walkers.

I’ve never struggled to avoid others other than in the winter months when it is very boggy and ends up with people walking in smaller, dryer spots. At certain times there are cattle and sheep as well as horse riders, so be cautious and keep your dog under close control.

The Old Hills at quieter times can also provide lots of space and different routes. Another place with free parking and two different car parks; one tending to be much quieter as it is a little more tucked away.

Another spot with lots of routes, though the open space is a little more limited in places once you get further along. Another place to watch for cattle.

I am pictured above with Max on a public footpath out from Guarlford. There are quite a few paths and they look to go quite a distance in a few directions. 

Sadly I only discovered them in Max’s later life so we haven’t gone too far. Another one with cattle in some fields and horses nearby. 

It’s well worth checking out footpaths from the villages around Malvern. Get out your OS maps and go for an explore to find places you can access easily, such as park safely. Some of these routes can be quite remote so make sure you feel safe to walk in these places.

If you are near to the city centre then the Race Course provides plenty of space, but may need some careful management of getting in and out.

Particularly when the weather is decent you can walk in the middle to avoid most people walking around the outside.

You can also walk from here to Ghulevelt Park if your dog can manage a short road walk and the possible bottle neck around the Waterworks road. It is going to be busier here though, particularly in the holidays.

I grew up on the outskirts of Worcester and our main dog walk was heading to Perdiswell Leisure Centre. With a free car park (at time of writing) and lots of space you can often zig zag out of the way of others. It is a popular off lead walking spot though, so keep your wits about you (and for golf balls if you find yourself over that part too!).

It can be busy when there’s sporting events which would make avoidance challenging. So check this out.

That’s where we are in the photo, watching the golfers.

Worcester Woods Country Park has various areas where you can move to the side of paths through the woods, and you can walk past the over flow car park into the field, around the edge of the field and into the woods without passing the visitor’s centre.

This one all depends on how much space your dog needs.

As with many of the Worcester options you need to watch out for potential bottle necks and it depends on how much space your dog needs.

However, if you are more limited with travel then the playing fields provide a reasonable amount of space if you weave around others.

It’s certainly worth a try depending on your dog’s needs.

We are also lucky to have a few secure fields around that you can hire out just for your own dog.

Or maybe they have select friends you could arrange a play date with and split the cost!

Some have lots of nature to explore, others have agility and other equipment, as well as being a safe space with minimal/no triggers so your dog can have a safe space to explore, sniff, run and practice training.

This is the field that I used with my own dogs so is the one I can share the most information about.

It is essentially two huge fields, a hill with amazing views and covered bench area for sitting. There’s a beautiful stream along the one side with more wild pathway on the other side and bridges as crossing points. 

The fencing is low stock fencing which doesn’t guarantee that there is no way for dogs to get out. There are also sheep visible in neighbouring fields. So your dog still needs to be reliable with their recall to be off lead here, otherwise a long line is a good option.

But it’s a huge, private space with plenty of space and interesting sniffing areas and lots of lovely things to look at for humans and dogs alike!

We’ve talked about the importance of preventing your dog from getting to the point of reacting. This stops them from rehearsing the behaviour and it becoming more ingrained.

However, in some circumstances it will also be for the safety and comfort of others. 

You may find that to stop negative encounters or reactions from happening, and to maintain control of the situation, your dog needs to be kept on lead. However, open spaces may mean it’s safe enough to have your dog on a long line. Long lines mean you can prevent your dog from running off to other dogs, whilst giving them some freedom. You can get all sorts of lengths of lead, or you can reel it in and out, to suit the space you’re in.

Some places are going to be busier at some times than others. If your dog is reactive to children then avoid school start/finish times. If your dog hates runners then avoid Worcester Woods on a Saturday morning!

Walking at quieter times will give you and your dog more time and space between potential triggers to feel calm. 

A common myth is that your dog needs to just keep experiencing things they are reactive to in order to get used to them. But as we’ve learned, you could end up making it worse if your dog is continuing to react.

My name is Naomi and I am a Clinical Animal Behaviourist. I have helped a great many reactive dogs over the years, and lived with some too.

As much as we love them, having a reactive dog can be a tricky thing sometimes.

But there are ways we can support them, and help you to reduce your stress and enjoy your walks together again, even when encountering potential triggers.