How to deal with leash frustration?
Most dogs don’t want to fight, so they display a number of behaviors designed to prevent it. These d Read More
How do you fix lead frustration?
Kenneth Morar
2025-07-17 06:01:59
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: 18
Lead frustration arises when a dog feels restricted by their leash, leading to accumulated stress and energy. Identifying early signs such as excessive pulling, growling, or fixation on other dogs or people is key to preventing escalation. Proper Socialisation: Introduce your dog to a variety of settings and beings early in their life. Regular Exercise: A well-exercised dog is less prone to stress and energy build-up. Positive Training Techniques: Encourage calm behaviour on the leash using rewards and praises. Desensitisation and Counterconditioning: Gradually expose your dog to triggers in a controlled environment. Professional Help: Expert advice from trainers or behaviourists can be critical in complex cases. Maintaining calm and assertive leadership can instil a sense of security in the dog. Consistent training, walking routines, and uniform interaction patterns by different family members help in clear communication with the dog, reducing confusion and aiding progress. Avoiding Crowded Places: Reduces stress by preventing overwhelming situations. Using Comfortable Control Tools: different styles of collars or Harnesses suit different dogs and can offer better control without causing discomfort to the dog. Recognising their body language, like stiffness, pinned ears, or a tucked tail, can indicate discomfort or anxiety before it escalates to aggression.
Darrel Botsford
2025-07-09 15:27:14
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: 17
When our dogs meet on leash, they are typically forced to approach head-on and are often unable to turn their bodies. Their forced body language, and our own, tell our dogs that we want to fight with one another. Most dogs don’t want to fight, so they display a number of behaviors designed to prevent it. These distance-increasing behaviors includes barking, lunging, or growling — anything to make the threat go away. Often, owners have their dogs on tight leashes, thinking this will help if anything happens. Unfortunately, a tight leash tells your dog you're stressed, making your pup more stressed in return. As a result, both dogs may start barking, switching from their flight instinct, to fight. Many people correct their dog for any perceived display of aggression. Some may force them to sit or lie down in an approaching dog’s path thinking this will help correct the behavior.
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How to deal with leash reactivity?
When our dogs meet on leash, they are typically forced to approach head-on and are often unable to t Read More
Charley Schroeder
2025-06-28 03:01:59
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: 27
I've had some moderate success with the DMT strategy of saying yes or nice every time she spots a dog from afar and giving her a treat, and I have gotten better and redirecting her focus away from those dogs to me. I've been trying the same strategies for quite a few months now with very little progress and it some ways it actually feels like she's regressing. One thing I’ve been thinking about doing is taking her to the dog park but sitting outside at the benches and practicing just observing dogs from a distance without interacting. I’d love to hear if anyone has tried this and if it helped your leash reactive dogs ultimately be more desensitized to other dogs. I know one of the pillars of training is managing behaviors while you’re working on training your dog so that the dog doesn't get to keep “practicing” the undesired behaviors, but its so hard to avoid these moments and I worry that they’re setting us back in our training. I would love to be able to walk past other dogs at a closer distance and have her show some reasonable interest or excitement but be able to quickly move past it without a big reaction or over-arousal.
Maye Gleichner
2025-06-28 01:55:02
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: 28
Maintain a Calm Demeanour: Your dog is incredibly sensitive to your energy. If you get anxious or tense during walks, your dog will pick up on those cues and become more stressed. Project a calm and assertive attitude, demonstrating your ability to handle situations with confidence. Loose Lead Walking: Ditch the tight grip and adopt a loose lead walking technique. This allows your dog more freedom and communicates that you trust them. Reward them for staying close and focusing on you. Gradual Exposure: Don’t overwhelm your dog. Start by exposing them to other dogs at a comfortable distance, gradually decreasing the distance as your dog becomes more relaxed. Reward calm behaviour throughout the process. Positive Reinforcement: Focus on positive reinforcement techniques when working with your dog. Reward calm behaviour around other dogs with treats, praise, or a favourite toy. This encourages your dog to associate positive experiences with being around other canines. Seek Professional Help: If your dog’s frustration is severe or you feel overwhelmed, consider consulting a qualified dog trainer/behaviourist. They can provide personalised guidance and training techniques to address your dog’s specific needs.
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Can you train out leash aggression?
Many owners don’t recognize rude behavior in their dogs, thinking they’re just overly friendly. They Read More
How do I stop my dog reacting to other dogs on walks?
Teach them a Watch Me, do this randomly throughout the day, start where there are no distractions, a Read More