The Beast at the End of the Lead

Eazy Dog Training Professional dog trainer in Sydney has 10 years of experience training dogs.

 

Does your dog go crazy when he encounters other canines on lead?

This is called “leash reactivity.” The are many reasons for it, like lead frustration, over-excitement, poor socialisation and bad experiences on lead.

This is the most common situation, does it sound familiar?

Your dog goes to dog daycare weekly and has a grand time. He plays well with other dogs, and the staff love him. Every now and then your friends come over with their dogs and your dog has a blast playing with his buddies. Attach your dog to a lead, however, and he becomes a lunatic when he sees other dogs. He lunges and barks at other dogs. The hair on his back goes up, he growls, and acts like he wants to attack the other dog. What is this?

This is called “leash reactivity.” People are often confused when their friendly dog, who gets along with others off lead, becomes a completely different dog when on lead. It’s not uncommon, however.

Some dogs get this way because they don’t deal with frustration very well.

That’s why it’s also know as ‘lead frustration’. This is especially true of dogs that have been allowed to meet every dog they see. When your dog gets to play with other dogs a lot throughout the week, but then all of a sudden isn’t allowed to meet and play when he’s on leash, it can become confusing.

He simply wants to say hello to the other dog but you won’t let him. He may not have good enough coping skills to deal with the frustration very well and this leads to aggressive reaction. This does not mean you should let him run up to every dog you meet! It won’t help the problem at all. Instead, you’ll be rewarding his bad behaviour by letting him greet the other dog.

Sometimes, the problem can be created by the type of equipment you use to walk your dog.

A prong collar causes pain, and the pain can accidentally be associated with other dogs. Then seeing other dogs becomes a negative thing and can lead up to aggression.

Keeping Your Dog Cool and Focused

There are three main things to work on when helping your dog control his aggressive impulses during walks. Your relationship with your dog, his basic obedience, and the aggression itself. You need a solid foundation in all these areas.

Most people think they already have a great relationship with their dog. He loves you, you love him, right? Unfortunately love isn’t enough. Does your dog look to you for help? Are you also the pack leader for your dog, protector and discipline? Love alone isn’t enough when raising a dog. They also need boundaries just like kids.

Obedience is crucial

If your dog doesn’t listen to you in your house, there’s no way he will listen to you in the heat of an aggressive moment. Use reward-based positive dog training to gain great obedience skills.

Use Treats And Keep Them Handy

To reinforce good behaviours we need to reward them when they happen. Be prepared and have treats ready!

Handling the aggression

For this, you’ll need to use counter conditioning. It means changing his opinion of other dogs while on lead.

As soon as your dog sees another dog on lead, say “Yes” (the marker word that he did something right) and immediately give him a treat. Repeat until the other dog disappears. What you are doing is teaching your dog that the sight of other dogs means delicious treats.

Keep enough distance

If your dog barks and lunges, you are too close to the other dog. Back up until he can calm down and try again. This process can take time to succeed, so be patient and get professional help from a reward-based trainer if you need it.

Finally, please do not allow your dog to go up and greet other dogs on lead if he’s reactive. I see this happen often, while owners tell me that their dog only wants to say hi. If your dog is lunging, barking and growling these are not signs that he wants to make friends. He’s actually telling you he is very stressed. In this mental state your dog is most likely going to attack the other dog, or the other way around!

Leash reactivity is a frustrating and embarrassing problem. I know, I’ve been there myyself with my first dog. If your dog is friendly off-leash, however, there is a good chance you can help him.

Contact professional dog trainer Sydney today if you need help with your dog!