If a dog exhibits a reactive behavior (lunging, barking, growling) during a walk, the owner should immediately turn and briskly walk or jog out of the situation. The owner should be firm and calm and not yell, scold, give a leash correction, or punish the dog.
If the dog has not been leash trained before, the sight, smell and feel of the leash and collar could be frightening or make the dog nervous, which can lead to resistance or balking. A dog that has been cooped up may be overly excited to go out on the leash, which can lead to more pulling or ignoring commands.
Leash aggression is solved by a strategy called desensitization and counter-conditioning, which is trainer-speak for reducing your dog's reaction to the offending trigger (other dog, bike or cat), gaining your dog's attention and training a new behavior instead.
For any dog behavior, once it has been learned it won't be unlearned without intervention. To that end, careful and consistent training is the only reliable means to stop a dog's leash reactivity.
Practice giving them space on walks
Practice walking off the path and asking your dog to “wait” when no one is approaching. This practice will make it easier for your dog to remember what to do when they are feeling anxious. You want to be able to get your dog's attention regardless of what's going on around you.
Practice having them walk next to you on a loose leash. Then have them sit multiple times on a walk just because you asked them too. You can also change your walking speed or normal route. All of these things will help your dog learn that you are in control on a walk.
A buckle collar can put a lot of pressure on your dog's throat when they lunge. A front-clip harness is a better choice. It will put the pressure on your dog's chest and help turn them back toward you when they spring forward. A head halter (also called a head harness) is another option for a leash-reactive dog.
What Causes Leash Reactivity? Dogs who miss the opportunity to explore the world, meet new people and animals, and have a variety of positive experiences during puppyhood might be more likely to exhibit leash reactivity. This is because they're unsure of how to process new situations.
Put the Gentle Leader's muzzle loop loosely on your dog's muzzle. Be very quiet and don't talk to him. Continually feed him special treats while his Gentle Leader is on him. Keep the Gentle Leader on for about 10 to 15 seconds during the first few trials.
It may seem like just a bad behavior, but leash biting is often a symptom of a dog being frustrated or not fully understanding leash walking. It's especially common amongst young, playful, and excitable dogs, but with training, it can be prevented or eliminated.
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.
You can redirect their motion by running away from them so they chase you to a safer spot if need be. Or, you can throw a toy in the direction you want a dog to go. The better your dog's recall, the sooner they will come to you as their zoomies wind down.
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.
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.
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.
Leash-tugging is often the function of too much energy. Exercise your dog (hard) before his walk and you'll have a far less grabby walking companion.
Learning to settle and be calm in a variety of environments is a life skill many owners appreciate from their dogs. Training using positive reinforcement is an excellent way to teach calm and settle. Every dog has wants and needs, including social interaction, physical exercise, intellectual exercise, and time to rest.