A single event can cause “leash reactivity” to become an ongoing problem for dogs and their parents. When people first bring a new dog home, they may not have the skills they need to walk a dog safely and successfully on a leash. They also may be a little worried about this new dog getting away from them and running away. A handler’s inappropriate responses can contribute to the development of “leash reactivity,” which can be an ongoing behavior problem.
End Leash Reactivity Before it Starts
You should be extra safe in handling a new dog who is not used to your home, your neighborhood, or you. The best way to address this is to work on training in your home, in your back yard if you have one, or in close proximity to home if you have to take the dog out on a leash for potty breaks.
Use the safety measures that are available – preferably fenced areas and leashes together – to protect your new dog from danger and yourself from heartbreak. You’ll have the opportunity to teach good leash skills, keeping your dog safe while also preventing leash reactivity from ever rearing its ugly head.
Train the Leash Skills You Need
The key is teaching your dog (and yourself) good leash skills. When a dog understands what to do when he’s on a leash with you, he will be able to perform those functions in more situations as they present themselves. That’s the key: he has jobs to do. His jobs can become routine, so he does them wherever the two of you go. That takes effort. You must know what your dog’s job is when he’s on a leash, and his job is not “leash reactivity.” You have to teach him. To do that, you have to understand your own job and have good leash skills yourself. It’s a big responsibility, but completely achievable.
Leash Him Up!
As humans, we tend to be a little lazy. I know I am. It’s so much easier to just open the back door and let the dogs out to go potty than it is to put a leash on and take them out. But how are they going to learn their jobs if we don’t put the leash on?
Practice
Even if you have a fenced back yard, it can be really helpful for potty training and leash training to take your dog out on a leash. A leash in a fenced yard can help the two of you learn to walk as partners in a safe space where the human is not worried and the dog can feel safe from sudden visual, auditory, and olfactory intrusions. It also gives the human a chance to learn to predict those intrusions and behave in a way that helps the dog learn appropriate behaviors for responding to them, rather than leash reactivity.
Cooperate for Leash Training
Start today to face the task of putting your dog on a leash in the easiest situations – around the house, indoors, and in the back yard. You’ll start to see where the problems lie so you can start to build the leash skills both of you need. Are you chasing your dog around just to get the leash on? Stop it. Invite him over for treats, show the leash, and start there.
No Bolting
When you’re leaving to go for a walk, does your dog immediately bolt out in front of you as you start to go out the door? Begin by opening the door just a little and giving him a treat for waiting. Close the door if he moves forward. It’s that simple. Register for our Beyond Basic Manners course that weaves leash skills throughout the program as you learn the basics and then some.
Chicago Leash Reactivity
We were in Chicago a few days ago and I saw somebody with a little black dog walk out of the UPS store. Actually, the dog walked out the door first, with Mom following closely behind at the end of a taut leash. (Not unlike the two pictures above.) Just outside the door on the sidewalk was a human couple with a baby stroller and a Bernerdoodle on a leash, looking at a display in the next-door window.
The little dog paused, looking at the Bernerdoodle who was about 6 feet away. His mom inadvertently kicked her dog’s back foot, as she was looking somewhere else while her dog was stopped, gathering information about this new environment he was suddenly in. After being inside the store, he was suddenly outside, on a sidewalk with multiple odors from passersby, both human and dog, and there was a dog about twice his size that he was probably not expecting to see.
The Beginnings of Leash Reactivity
I was in my car and saw the little dog visibly jump up as he startled at being kicked. As he and his mom walked away, he looked a bit frantic, glancing back and forth over at the Bernerdoodle who was standing by his parents. I was focused on the little dog so didn’t see exactly what body language the doodle was showing, but he stood in one place. The little dog’s leash was tight as his mom dragged him along with her until he caught up. It seemed clear that she missed the whole incident, as did the doodle’s parents. Unfortunate, because that interaction may carry forward into the little dog’s future, and not in a good way.
Leash Reactivity in the Future
It is possible that the little dog will now show “leash reactivity,” or react much more strongly to the sight of another dog. Why? Because while looking at that doodle, his mom kicked his foot, a stimulus that was strong enough to cause him to startle and jump away. This is how “leash reactivity” can begin.
The Little Dog’s Experience
Looking at this event from the little dog’s point of view, he saw a larger dog, baby stroller, and two humans, smelled a variety of odors, heard a variety of street sounds including cars going by, human voices, and who knows what else? He felt a tight leash followed by a sudden, painful kick, and then an even tighter leash pulling him along afterward.
What Happened?
Don’t focus on my statement that the kick was painful. I’m not saying the owner was abusive or anything along those lines. We’ve all bumped our dogs in various situations and they weren’t injured and we didn’t create leash reactivity. However, in this case, there was surprising pain at a level that caused the dog to jump up. It was part of the experience that included all the various things going on out there on the street. From what I could see, no part of the little dog’s response looked positive in any way. The combination of stimuli is likely to have resulted in a change of behavior that will show up later.
Dogs are Learning All the Time
We can’t really know exactly what associations are being made through Pavlovian, a.k.a. Classical, conditioning at any given time, because there are a multitude of stimuli constantly available to our dogs. What we do know is that dogs don’t miss much, they are learning all the time, and association is a powerful form of learning that often lasts a lifetime. That little Chicago dog learned something from the incident I witnessed.
What Will Happen Next Time?
What will that dog-mom think when her little dog refuses to move forward with her in the presence of another dog? Will she be surprised when her dog barks at a dog on the street for the first time? “He’s never done that before!” But he will probably do it regularly now, if she doesn’t take steps to change this behavior, which began as an emotional response.
Auto-Pilot is Not the Best Technique
My impression of this dog/handler team was that they go up and down the Chicago streets regularly, into and out of shops, doing potty walks in the downtown area, and passing people, dogs, cars, and more. They did not look like newbies in this environment. They’re out there all the time, so this dog-mom was probably functioning somewhat on auto-pilot, assuming everything was going well because she just didn’t see what happened. Her dog is medium-sized, so it’s easy to ignore a tight leash. Things might be different if her dog was big and strong.
Granted, she’s not the only dog owner moving on auto-pilot. Remember, we humans are a bit lazy. But we need to remember that we are responsible for our dogs’ experiences along with our own. Don’t overlook your dog’s learning when he’s out with you. He is learning all the time.
Behaviors of Leash Reactivity
“Leash reactivity” often becomes a continuing behavior problem after experiences similar to this one I witnessed in Chicago. I’m not fond of this label because I don’t like to label dogs at all. Behavior should be described carefully so we can modify it. Labels limit dogs and our own abilities to use behavior science to change things. “Leash reactivity” can usually be described as barking, lunging, whale eyes, pulling toward the other dog, growling, body-stiffening, raising hackles, jumping, and/or spinning.
Another Way Leash Reactivity Starts
Another common way that “leash reactivity” begins is when the handler notices the first time their dog starts to display some of the above behaviors as they pass another dog. Caught by surprise, the handler instinctively jerks back on the leash, trying to pull their dog away. Their dog associates that jerking and pulling on his neck with the passing dog and becomes even more worried about the dog.
Leash Reactivity as a Routine Response
Typically, the next time this team sees a dog, the handler will tighten the leash immediately because now, he fears the dog will show these scary behaviors again. The dog’s reaction may be stronger because in his experience, that previous dog “went away” as a result of his barking and lunging. His emotional response is probably fear and stress when he sees that other dog, so “making the dog go away” may have reinforced his behavior, since that made him feel better. He might still enjoy playing with other dogs when the leash is off, because the leash is part of the scenario of his learning this lesson – a lesson that his owner would rather he had not learned.
“Happy” Leash Reactivity
“Leash reactivity” can also occur when a dog wants to get closer to interact with the other dog. The body language will be different, showing excitement as the dog wants to meet or play with the other dog, where in the previous description the dog was trying to make the other dog go away because he was afraid.
Remember that stressful body language can occur with positive emotions also. You’re likely to see the same barking, lunging, pulling on the leash, whale eyes, body stiffening, jumping, and/or spinning that you’d see when the dog is trying to increase distance, although growling probably won’t be involved.
“Joyful Leash Reactivity” is Still “Leash Reactivity”
Even though the dog in this description shows “happy excitement,” the situation is still dangerous because the handler doesn’t have control over what is going on. The other dog and handler may be frightened or overwhelmed by the display, making the situation more unpredictable. Fortunately, there’s a set of responses you can use to start making positive changes. The same training will help you, whether your dog’s behaviors are based on “happy” or fearful emotional responses. Start from the moment you first see them.
Preventing Leash Reactivity
If your dog does something new, if you see a behavior you didn’t notice previously, don’t overlook it. Don’t assume it will “just go away” because it might have resulted from a previous experience you missed. Notice any over-reactions from your dog. This is good guidance for training in general! Build your observation skills so that you can notice the first hints of behavior, before they become full-blown problems.
- If your dog is over-reacting, you need to keep both of you safe and prevent the situation from getting out of control, whether he is fearful or excited to get closer.
- Your dog’s over-reaction indicates that he is having a problem dealing with something. He needs your help.
- Do what you can to prevent additional negative stimuli from playing a role in the associations your dog is making during these events. Don’t pull on the leash, accidentally kick or step on him, or scold him. Use the “Open Bar” or “Look at That!” games to help him do the right things, provided you’ve practiced these at home in preparation for your walks. This goes for both types of over-reactions – fearful and happy.
Pay Attention to Changes
The best way to deal with these behaviors is to prevent incidents like the ones described here. Keep your eyes out for changes in the environment, like the appearance of a dog in the area. Notice, make sure you respond appropriately (not by pulling on the leash or inadvertently kicking your dog!), and support your dog making a good association with this stimulus. Provide distance by moving away. When you’re at a distance where your dog is not barking, lunging, pulling, etc., ask him for easy behaviors that you know he’s good at. Give him treats for performing those behaviors in this difficult environment. Those treats will also be part of his good association with a passing dog.
Plan for Your Dog’s Experience
Paying attention to your dog’s experiences gives you a chance to prevent your dog from feeling overwhelmed, threatened, or defensive. If your dog associates good feelings with the dogs he sees, those positive experiences will go in the books and help him respond in a good way the next time he sees one.
Don’t forget that while you’re waiting at the vet, walking out to your community mailboxes, or entering the grooming salon, dogs might be present. These learning processes need to happen in those settings as well as when you’re out on the street. Even in your own fenced back yard, you can often do these exercises when a dog passes on the sidewalk or when your neighbor’s dog comes outside.
Good Leash Skills
If your dog already has good feelings, wanting to interact with the other dog but over-reacting from that standpoint, he needs you to help him remember that he has a job to do when the leash is on. The two of you may need more practice on your leash skills to help him manage his emotions in these situations by sticking to his job.
Leashes Made for Dragging
A word about leashes: Leashes are made for dragging. That’s literally their intent. If a handler isn’t dragging a dog by his leash, chances are the dog is dragging the handler. But you can do things differently! I recommend teaching yourself and your dog to walk by your side with the leash loose between you, making sure your leash isn’t ever used for dragging.
Training Prevents Dragging
If an emergency arises, you can always drag your dog away by his leash. Short of a life-threatening event, you should be using your voice, body language, and previously established companionship with your dog to walk together, both of you knowing your roles and choosing to move together as partners.
In fact, with training and practice, you and your dog can have a set of behaviors you can use. The training you work on will help build your relationship. It will also give your dog tools for making good choices on his own. Your dog might just routinely hang out at your side with the leash loose. He might come right to you when you call, even in the midst of a distracting situation. Your dog may never have to be dragged away, even in an emergency, if the two of you have learned the skills you need to manage your experiences out in the world.
Leashes and Seatbelts
Leashes are required in public places for good reason. You should always have one on your dog – one that your dog cooperated with attaching. But a leash should not be used as a first-level mechanism for keeping your dog with you against his will. Leashes are like seatbelts: if there’s a crash, or even a potential one, either might save your life. If everything goes smoothly, you might not even notice they were there.
Be the first to read our monthly training application blog posts like this one, designed for you to try with your own pet, right away! Subscribers also receive a monthly educational and inspirational post about training and behavior, best enjoyed with a cup of coffee or the relaxing beverage of your choice. Sign up for our mailing list at the bottom of this page!