Why is my dog aggressive on leash but not off leash?
Zackery Okuneva
2025-06-24 03:19:56
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Dogs are reactive to distance themselves from unfamiliar people or dogs. When dogs are on a leash, the opportunity to move away and create space is completely out of their control. We miss their subtle cues and continue moving closer to what they may view as a potential threat—the motivation to become reactive increases dramatically. Dogs then begin barking or lunging, and we quickly notice, and the space is then created. When dogs are off-leash, they can control the distance between themselves and people or dogs. The less motivated they are to become reactive. The larger the space, the more control they have and the more likely they will do other things besides becoming reactive to create that space. What is very interesting about these cases is that many of them are not reactive when off-leash.
Most of these reports are inaccurate when I analyze the individual dog’s reactivity. The most common misconception about reactivity is that a dog wants to say hello or play. That is usually not the case, but there are always exceptions.
Reactivity is, unfortunately, a double-edged sword. Reactivity is either reinforced by the increased distance or, worse, strengthened when the distance from other people or dogs is not increased.
Gloria Stamm
2025-06-15 23:34:58
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Leash reactivity is when a dog exhibits fearful behaviors that may become aggressive when the dog is restrained by a leash, confined to a small space, or otherwise feels trapped. It is characterized by barking, lunging, growling, air snapping, or even biting. Leash reactivity is caused by a variety of factors, including fear, anxiety, lack of socialization, and past negative experiences. Dogs that have not been properly socialized with other dogs and humans are more likely to develop confinement/leash reactivity, as they may feel threatened, nervous, or uncomfortable when they encounter people or other dogs. This feeling increases when the stimulus or trigger moves closer into your dog’s comfort zone. There are certain risk factors that can lead to this type of reactivity, including being physically or mentally punished during training, having negative experiences while being on leash, such as being attacked by another dog, or exhibiting fearful behaviors while outside due to a lack of socialization. In some cases, leash reactivity may be due to an underlying medical condition such as pain, discomfort, or illness.
Devin Donnelly
2025-06-15 22:26:51
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The most common reason that a dog barks and lunges at other dogs when he is on-leash is fear of dogs. Dogs that are afraid of and react to other dogs require a certain distance from another dog in order to feel safe. When a dog is on-leash what option is taken away from him, he can’t run or move away, he’s tethered to the human. The only option left to increase distance between him and the other dog is to attempt to get the other dog to move further away. Fearful dogs frequently use the offense-is-the-best-defense strategy when they are afraid of something, this includes getting other dogs to move further away. Dogs on-leash have few options, if they are fearful of other dogs, they may use aggressive behaviors in an attempt to create more distance between them and other dogs. Dogs that are off-leash have all kinds of options when it comes to physically relating to other dogs, for example, can move away from other dogs in a dog park because they are not tethered to anything. It’s a classic offense-is-the-best defense strategy.
Read also
- What is the difference between leash reactive and leash aggressive?
- Why does my dog listen better off leash than on leash?
- How to manage leash aggression?
- Do gentle leaders help reactive dogs?
- Are dogs more aggressive when on a leash?
- What to do if an off-leash dog attacks your on-leash dog?
- Can a leash reactive dog be cured?