The Most Important Skill You’re Not Training: Moving Away From Trouble Before It Starts
Trying to avoiding trouble in the first place helps reactive dogs to trust you as their handler. photo: AdobeStock
You’re walking your dog when another dog or person appears: on a narrow sidewalk, around a blind corner, or coming up from behind. Your dog stiffens, pulls, or hesitates. You tighten the leash. The other dog might be barking, lunging, or staring too hard. For a split second, no one knows what to do.
That moment of indecision is when things often fall apart.
When we think about helping dogs feel safe, we often imagine teaching them to be brave around things that scare them. But bravery doesn't always mean standing your ground. Often, the smartest choice is to walk away.
Teaching dogs to move away from things that make them uncomfortable - and allowing them to do so - is a critical life skill. It's also one of the most effective ways to support reactive dogs by helping them to disengage early and to avoid escalating to full-blown outbursts.
Moving Away is a Skill, Not a Weakness
Animals who fight unnecessarily don't survive long. After all, there are no antibiotics in the wild. That’s why choosing safety over conflict is an evolutionarily successful strategy. Our dogs inherit that instinct. Moving away isn't cowardice. It’s intelligent, natural self-preservation.
Problems start when humans fail to recognize or honor this behavior. A leash can turn unease into panic by removing your dog’s ability to walk away. While leashes are necessary for safety in our modern world, they strip away a dog's natural coping strategy: escape. When a tight leash, narrow sidewalk, or intrusive stranger removes your dog's ability to create distance, they're left with only two bad options: freeze or fight.
It's up to us to restore some sense of choice and control through training, movement, and smarter handling.
The Psychology of Control
Both humans and dogs experience increased stress when they feel trapped. Research shows that loss of control is a major contributor to heightened stress responses in both species. In humans, perceived control over stressors significantly affects how the brain processes and copes with stress (Psychology Today: The Power of Perceived Control). In dogs, a lack of control - like being on a tight leash or forced into close proximity to a stressor - can lead to fear-based behavior issues, including leash frustration and reactivity.
When flight isn't an option, fight behaviors like growling, barking, or lunging are desperate attempts to regain space. Essentially, the dog is saying, "If I can't move away, I'm going to make you move away."
Teaching dogs to voluntarily move away calmly restores agency. Encouraging arcing movements, keeping the leash loose, and teaching cues like "Let's go" gives dogs back some control and reduces the need for defensive aggression.
A surprising number of well-meaning dog owners (and even some trainers) teach dogs to sit when another dog approaches or when the dog is nervous. It might look like control, but it's a setup. Asking a dog to sit when they feel threatened removes their only functional coping mechanism: escape. It turns a manageable situation into a trap and can trigger the very behavior you were trying to prevent.
Please don’t ask your dog to sit when they're uncomfortable. If you were walking in the woods and saw a bear or rattlesnake, and someone told you to sit and look at them, you’d be like, “Nope, I’m out of here.” You’d back away while keeping your eyes on the threat because sitting still makes you vulnerable, not safer. That’s probably how your dog feels when you ask them to sit or lie near something scary. Movement is how they manage fear. Sitting isn't a coping strategy. Movement is.
Teaching the "Let's go" Cue
For many dogs, moving away from stress isn't automatic. It often must be taught, rehearsed, and rewarded like any other skill. "Let's go" (or “vamos” or whatever cue you choose) becomes your dog's permission slip to calmly leave uncomfortable situations while leashed. The words themselves aren’t magic. It’s the pairing of repetition and reinforcement that makes it meaningful.
Here’s how to teach it.
Start indoors. Cheerfully say, "Let's go!" Take a few steps away and toss a treat ahead.
Practice casually. Use "Let's go!" around the house and yard so it stays light and positive.
Train when calm. Practice during boring walks, not only when triggers appear. You want "Let's go!" to predict fun, not fear.
Build it into real-world walks. Before your dog locks onto something, say "Let's go!" and move away, then reward.
Remember this golden rule: train for the moment, not in the moment. Build fluency before you need it. Don’t wait for a meltdown to teach your dog how to leave. The goal is to make moving away automatic by practicing when no triggers are present so both you and your dog know exactly what to do when it really matters.
If your dog struggles to move away when something scary or arousing is too close, use a treat magnet: place a treat right at their nose and slowly lure them away. If even that doesn’t work, your dog is already over the threshold.
And if it’s a safety issue? Yes, absolutely—use the leash and get your dog out of there. Haul them away if you have to so no one gets hurt. Just understand: that’s not a training plan; it’s an emergency exit. The goal is to practice voluntary movement so often (through cues like “Let’s go”) that your dog can change course automatically, even under pressure.
In fact, pairing a direction change with a treat doubles the reinforcement. The dog earns both a food reward and the emotional relief of moving farther from the threat.
With practice, "Let's go" becomes automatic—a smooth, calm pivot, not a frantic scramble. The goal is voluntary movement, not leash pressure. But to underscore, if your dog won't move and someone's at risk, use the leash to get out of the situation. You’ll both live to train another day.
The Art of the Arc
Dogs naturally move in arcs to avoid conflict. Polite dogs approach in wide curves with soft body language. Humans, by contrast, move in straight lines and create accidental pressure. Here’s how to practice.
When you spot a potential trigger, create a wide arc around the trigger.
Cross the street, turn into a driveway, or use any available space creatively.
Praise your dog for following you calmly.
Moving away in an arc isn't "giving in.” It's smart, polite communication. It makes you your dog's trusted ally.
Condition a Response: Conflict Means Check-in
This is a valuable skill for every dog, not just reactive ones. When a scuffle breaks out between other dogs (at the dog park or anywhere within earshot), I want my dogs to sprint to me for treats, not run toward the action or bolt away in fear. Adolescent dogs can be like middle schoolers who hear “Fight!” and come running at recess, not to stop it, but to get a better look. This isn’t aggression; it’s arousal, excitement, and poor impulse control.
I’ve taught my dogs that when they hear conflict, their job is to disengage and run to me for something better. It turns potential disasters into training wins and keeps everyone out of trouble. Like any other skill, it just takes repetition, good timing, and something worth running for.
Leash Management: Keep It Loose
Tension causes tension. Leash pressure is both physical and emotional. When you tighten the leash, your dog feels your anxiety. It signals: "Something is wrong." A loose leash says: "You're safe."
Control comes from proactive handling, not pulling. Use your voice, movement, and treats. Aim for a soft, floating leash instead of constant or hard pressure. But again, if there’s danger and your dog won’t move, definitely pull them out of there.
Catching the First Signs of Stress
The earlier you spot stress, the easier it is to help your dog move away calmly. Most dogs give clear warnings long before they bark or lunge if you know what to look for.
Early signals include:
Looking away
Freezing
Lip licking or yawning
Slowing down or tensing
Subtle head or body turns
Hard stare
When you see any of these behaviors, it’s time to intervene. Say "Let's go," arc away, and reward disengagement. Each early exit prevents big reactions and builds trust between your dog and you.
Training Yourself
When walks go badly, it's not because your dog failed. It's because you missed the signs or waited too long to act.
Train yourself to:
Scan the environment early and often.
Prioritize your dog's comfort over social expectations.
Celebrate small victories, like a clean arc around a barking dog.
View a calm exit as a success.
Your dog already knows how to survive. They need you to notice, support, and guide them with better handling habits.
Build a Habit: “Step Aside”
I hike a lot with my dogs, and one of the most useful skills I’ve taught them is “Step aside.” Whenever we see another dog or person approaching, we quietly move off the trail and wait for them to pass. This is a predictable routine that removes any confusion or social pressure. My dogs know exactly what to do: we make space, stay relaxed, and then continue on our way. And yes, they get a treat every time we step aside.
It’s a small action with big benefits. There’s no guessing about what’s expected, no need for tight leashes, frantic cueing, or last-minute decisions. Everyone on the trail feels more comfortable. Most people say thank you as they pass us.
Practiced consistently, “Step aside” becomes muscle memory. It’s not obedience, it’s cooperation. It teaches your dog that seeing others means shifting out of the way and getting paid for doing so, not bracing for impact. Like “Let’s go,” it adds clarity and choice to shared movement.
A Note on Reactivity Training
Not all dogs want to move away, even when that’s an option. Some will lunge at triggers by barking, pulling, or charging at other dogs, people, or moving objects, even from a distance. It could be frustration, a learned behavior, aggression, or predation. Whatever the cause, tools like increasing distance, using movement cues, walking in arcs, and keeping the leash loose can bring clarity and structure to a chaotic moment. These same strategies give even over-aroused dogs the predictability they need to make better choices.
If you struggle to move your dog away, you're likely too close to the trigger. Add distance first. Over-threshold dogs can't think clearly or learn. Step one: get farther away.
Tools like moving away help dramatically, but they aren't the whole solution. If your dog shows signs of fear, aggression, or chronic reactivity, work with a qualified, force-free behavior consultant using counterconditioning and desensitization.
Choosing Space Over Confrontation Is Good for Everyone
By teaching "Let's go," encouraging arcs, keeping the leash soft, and honoring early signals, you can build a relationship with your dog based on trust and good choices. Don't ask your dog to sit when they're uncomfortable. Movement is the coping skill they need.
And remember, dogs aren't the only ones pulled toward conflict. Humans chase it, too, often out of pride, fear, habit, or frustration. Helping your dog choose space over confrontation can be a powerful reminder for us to do the same.