Teach Your Dog an Incompatible Alternative Behavior For example, they can't lunge towards another dog and turn to look at you at the same time. If you heavily reward this alternative behavior, your dog will eventually choose to do it in place of lunging even when their trigger is close by.
Dogs that bark and lunge when they see another pooch approaching aren't always displaying frustrated greetings. More commonly, fear is the driving force behind reactivity. If something is making your dog uncomfortable, then being trapped on the leash can heighten their anxiety.
Give your dog a cue, such as “turn” and lure him towards you. As soon as he turns, treat and continue walking forward rewarding the heel. A turn can be used to create distance between your dog and another dog, and allows you to focus on calming behaviors until your dog learns to relax when another dog is nearby.
Dogs who feel like they can't flee are more likely to fight. Instead, at the first appearance of another dog, create distance. Then engage your dog in something he really loves to do with you, and reinforce it frequently and well. The distance part is key.
Research tells us that most leash reactivity is caused by fear, not by aggression. Dogs bark and lunge at other dogs to warn, “Go away! Go away!” Dogs fear other dogs because of genetic reasons, fights when they were puppies, or any scary (to the dog) interaction with other dogs.
Many dogs are out of control when they see another dog. They will whine, bark, lunge, etc… even when the dog is at a great distance. Dogs can act this way out of excitement, frustration, fear, pain, and sometimes out of aggression. There is a much greater chance of improving our dogs behavior when it is predictable.
In most cases, the best way to get a reactive dog ready for socializing is to slowly expose them to their triggers in a controlled environment and reward them with natural dog treats until they no longer react so strongly.
It is important to work on your dog's leash reactivity. Dogs do not grow out of reactivity and this behavior pattern will only get worse and worse unless it is addressed in training. The first step towards working with a leash-reactive dog is to keep the dog from crossing his threshold.
Introduce on neutral territory.
If the dogs are not showing any negative behaviors, reward them with treats just for seeing each other. For example, when the dog you're walking looks at the other dog, you can say “Good boy!” in a happy, friendly voice and give him a treat. Repeat often.
Keep introducing your dog to other dogs
There are lots of ways to do this: dog parks, play groups, play dates with friends' dogs, and simple leash walks can all help accomplish this. Without this experience, dogs can lose their ability to know how to behave appropriately around other dogs.
It's never too late to socialize an adult dog. If your woof lacks experience in the world, take them outside and get started today. We wish you the best of luck and, when your pooch is ready, we'd love to see them at Hounds Lounge for doggie daycare! While we're on the topic, get social with us.
Stop the game, put a leash on him, ask him to lie down, and give him something to chew on. Or, if he's already too excited, walk him on the leash and ask him to do some obedience exercises until he calms down. Don't yell at him or otherwise punish him; that's counter productive. Instead, help him calm himself.
This kind of work can take anywhere from two to 12 months, as that's how long it takes for a dog to learn a new behavior. After that time period, you should be able to substitute negative reactions with positive thoughts.
If you keep consistently working on your dog's reactivity, it is very likely to improve a lot over time. Plan for about 1-2 months of dedicated training. If done correctly however, you should see the first small results within as little as one week.
Leash reactivity is an involuntary emotional state that overwhelms the dog's senses, and is triggered by the fight or flight center of the brain. The loud display of a reactive dog is an irrational and reflexive symptom caused by the underlying emotions of stress, anxiety, excitement, fear or frustration.
A reactive dog is usually a fearful dog. Causes can be genetic, but they are more likely due to a lack of socialization, prior bad experiences or a lack of training. Aggressive dogs show similar signs but are determined to cause harm and destruction.
Hold your dog back firmly (don't tug suddenly as this may also distress them) and calmly walk on. Block Their View Of The Other Dog- If your dog cannot see the other dog, they are likely to calm down.
Dogs will typically react aggressively towards other dogs for two reasons, fear, or they believe the other dog represents a threat. Your dog may perceive a threat to their status or safety, or they may even be protecting you against an apparent threat.
Reactive behaviors usually crop up in adolescence around 6 to 18 months of age and tend to get worse as the dog reaches social maturity around 2 or 3 years of age. Your pup will not “grow out of” this behavior.