Just about every single time I am out walking, I come across dogs who can barely keep it together in the presence of other canines. I see it everywhere, in all sorts of neighborhoods, and even witness it while driving.
For example, I see a woman out for a jog, taking her dog along for the exercise and companionship. But she can’t keep a steady pace because she has to stop and manage things every time they encounter other dogs.
I see people squeezing their dogs’ muzzles as we approach. I see people hiding behind cars with their dogs, or picking them up. Often people apologize to me, or try to explain away their dogs’ arousal behaviors. I see dogs yanked off of their feet or pinned to the ground for barking and lunging.
I haven’t been keeping data on this sort of thing, but it sure seems as though the number of reactive dogs has gone up over the past five to ten years. It’s been on my mind a lot, so I brought it up with some of my fellow dog training professionals and they, too, have noticed that this problem behavior is on the rise. Some report that as much as 70% of the calls they get for behavior and training assistance involve dogs who are leash reactive.
This saddens me. Dogs who behave poorly in public are most likely stressed or over-aroused in relatively low stimulation situations, too, and dogs who act out will ultimately get fewer and fewer opportunities to venture into the world with their humans. Walking a disruptive, noisy, pulling dog is not fun. It’s uncomfortable, frustrating, and embarrassing.
“Fixing” leash reactivity can take a while and can be tricky because you must go right into the triggering environment to work on changing the behavior. It’s pretty difficult to avoid situations that trigger a reaction from your dog when you’ve got to get him out for elimination purposes and exercise every day, and when you’re in the triggering situation it’s pretty difficult to teach a new and improved behavior. Difficult but certainly not impossible.
Teaching a dog to be more comfortable and confident while out on walks and to focus on you instead of outwardly on the environment can greatly reduce reactive behavior. If you are dealing with this issue with your dog, I highly recommend working with a professional trainer. You’ll make more rapid progress if you do and soon life with your dog will greatly improve.
As for why reactivity on leash may be on the rise, there are most likely a number of reasons. One possibility is that many dogs are now left home alone in isolation for many hours each day and then are expected to be “weekend warriors,” ready to take on public places with little preparation or practice and a lot of pent-up energy.
Another reason may be improper attempts to socialize puppies by letting them simply run free for long periods of time without direction. Providing impulse control and obedience exercises interspersed with playtime is a much better approach.
Attempting to “socialize” puppies after their initial period of socialization (the first 12 weeks of life) or to “socialize” inexperienced adolescent adult dogs can be asking for too much, too late, leading to stress and reactivity.
People overreacting to their dogs’ attempts to communicate in doggy ways, such as growling, or people forcing interaction between dogs may be factors, as well. The list goes on and on…
Whatever its cause, here are a few tips for reducing leash reactivity. Give your dog space. Create more space if necessary by stepping off of the path, or simply staying still rather than continuing to move forward. Stillness encourages calmness and allows you to make a connection. Motion begets high energy.
Pay attention to your dog’s body language well before you come into close proximity with another dog. Do not insist he say hello to every dog you encounter. Rather, ask your dog to pay attention to you when other dogs are approaching in public. Actively engage with your dog in a fun and rewarding way. This is so much more effective than just bolstering yourself for the oncoming barrage of barking.
Don’t just stand there! Whip a favorite toy out of your pocket! Ask for a sit or a nose touch to your hand and reward for success! Nose touching takes your dog’s body and attention away from just staring down the offending stimulus.
Rewarding your dog for doing something besides reacting (even if it’s only at a great distance at first) will help change his emotional response to a positive one in the presence of other dogs and will gradually create better habits.
As always, the key is to actively replace the behavior you don’t like with something you’d like to see more often the future. This will take some time and practice, but that’s okay! It’s what training is all about.
Kelly Gorman Dunbar is Director of the Center for Applied Animal Behavior, where she recruits and trains the instructors for the Dunbar family business, SIRIUS® Puppy & Dog Training. She is the creator of the SIRIUS Sniffers scent-detection program, and is in the process of bringing the French sport of cavage (truffle hunting) to the US. Kelly is also Founder and President of Open Paw and consults on various matters.
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