On-Leash Aggression: How to Stop It
by Trish King
It’s an all-too-familiar phenomenon for some people. You are walking your otherwise wonderful dog when you see another dog approaching. Both of your dogs are on leash, as they should be. Your dog begins to pull frantically toward the other dog, in all likelihood because he wants to meet a "new friend." You know that if you both dropped your leashes, your dog would race up to the other dog, do a dance around her, and offer to play. But you do not know how the other dog would feel about this attention. Likewise, the other owner has no idea what your dog is just about to do.
Now your dog is not only pulling, but his hackles are raised, his tail is flailing wildly, and he’s beginning to bark. He’s tugging so hard his nails are digging into the cement! The other dog and her owner are looking alarmed, and you can see that they think your dog is aggressive. You shout "He’s friendly!" But let’s face it, he doesn’t look friendly. He looks like he’s trying to attack.
You’re right, of course. Your dog isn’t aggressive; he’s frustrated. He’s actually throwing a canine tantrum. Like a child trying to get candy in a grocery store, your dog is being prevented from getting what he wants, the freedom to meet other dogs. Unfortunately, not all dogs want to meet all other dogs, and there’s no reason why they should have to.
If puppies were not separated from adult dogs, they would learn how to greet their elders, slowly and carefully, making sure their intentions were properly interpreted. They would learn this as an adult chastised their too-enthusiastic greeting. By the time they reached adolescence, our dogs would be well aware of canine etiquette. Without such an adult-to-puppy education many dogs develop greeting problems.
Keeping the bark worse than the bite
If this pulling, tugging, frantic behavior continues, a dog’s frustration may indeed develop into real aggression, so it’s important to work on it as soon as possible. The first behavior to control is very basic but very difficult to change: pulling on the leash! Teaching the dog not to pull will reduce her frustration and help prepare her for more training.
Why is it so hard to stop a dog from pulling on its leash? The reason is that pulling gets them where they want to go, and you too. By tugging and pulling, they get to the side of a road for a sniff, they get to meet another dog, or they get to enter a dog park.
Frustrating? Just imagine how very frustrating it would be for a dog constantly to have to tow his guardian around in order to get where he wants to go! If the dog got nowhere every time she pulled, she would learn that it doesn’t work. But the dog isn’t the only being who wants to get somewhere. We do too! We may fight with them for control of the leash for awhile, then give up, and finally just let them pull. Inconsistency is our worst sin. Sometimes we work on it; sometimes we don’t. Often we’re in a hurry, and may just lose our temper and yank on the leash.
The right tool for the right job
Although the first part of the cure, disallow pulling, sounds easy, it isn’t. You can, however, set yourself up for success by first choosing the right equipment, and second following through.
The equipment you choose should help you manage and contain your dog without the use of pain, which often will exacerbate the tantrum. If your dog stares and pulls towards another dog and feels pain on his neck (like that delivered by a pinch or prong collar) he may identify the pain with what he’s focusing on, which may increase his arousal.
A no-pull harness like the Sense-Ation or Easy- Pull helps control her (the leash attaches on the front, so when she pulls she will tend to make a Uturn. If a dog is a champion puller, a Halti or Gentle Leader can be appropriate. These devices go over the muzzle and when pulled move the dog’s head to the side and away from what they are charging after. They allow the dog full use of their mouths and noses and thus do not cause discomfort. When dog meets dog, fur can fly. It's best to be prepared by training your dog how to meet and greet other dogs when restricted by leash.
Use a short leash. Three to four feet at first is ideal, so the dog cannot get a lot of early momentum. Flexi-leashes, which extend 15 to 20 feet are contra-indicated in most cases, since with these a dog can get a good running start towards another dog. If this happens she may pull you off your feet when she reaches the end of the tether at a high rate of speed, or the leash might get wrapped around your legs causing you to fall or become injured.
Let’s get started…er, stopped!
The simplest way to train is to start a walk. When your dog just begins to pull, maybe even as soon as you sense his attention begin to shift elsewhere, stop, move back a couple of steps, and gently pat your leg until he returns to your side. When you have his full attention, you can begin to move again. Within just a few minutes, he’ll realize that if he wants to actually go anywhere, he needs to look at you. When he does, be sure to smile, and tell him he’s good.
What you’re actually doing, besides training a loose leash walk, is developing a relationship of working together, not one of adversaries. You can sweeten the training by giving him a treat as he’s walking next to you.
As with all training begin at home where you’re likely to be successful, rather than on a walk when he’s not "with you" mentally. As the pair of you get better, move your practice outdoors, then onto a sidewalk or road.
Another really handy and very simple exercise is "find it." Just toss a small, soft treat close to your feet, and say "find it." Wait for your dog to find it, eat it, and then look back up at you. Toss another treat. Soon she’ll be grabbing the treat and looking up at you for more. What she will not be doing is looking elsewhere. Begin to walk, tossing treats close to you and saying "find it" as you walk. Most dogs will find the treat then eagerly trot to catch up to you.
Zen and the art of passing
Back to our leash-aggressive dog. Once you’ve taught him what you want, he has to learn the "Zen of dog meets dog," which is "before you meet a dog, you must learn to pass a dog." And oh, what a chore that can be. If a dog is very reactive on leash, you have to start pretty far away, at the dog’s threshold. He should be able to see the dog, but not react to it. Walk past the other dog and as you pass, do one of two things. Begin feeding your dog a treat before, during, and after you pass, or do "find its" as you pass.
These are just a couple of exercises you can do to help your frustrated dog learn to relax near other dogs. Leash aggression is a difficult behavior to modify, and many people find they progress much more quickly if they are assisted by an experienced consultant or trainer.
Trish King is the Director of Behavior & Training at the Marin Humane Society, and the author of the book Parenting Your Dog (TFH Publications). She conducts seminars around the country on canine behavior and training.She can be reached at Fetch the Paper
Loading recent content...
Post Comments
Add Your Comment!