How to manage leash aggression?

Jany Bartell
2025-06-17 02:59:03
Count answers
: 14
Manage all interactions with the public.
Avoid exposing your dog to triggers when you aren’t training.
Use physical barriers (leashes, crates, baby gates, basket muzzles, etc.) to prevent access to triggers.
Keep your dog on leash when walking in public places.
Walk your dog on either a harness or a head halter instead of a collar.
Tension and stress increases when your dog pulls on her leash and collar resulting in a more reactive dog.
Be selective about where you take your dog.
Always carry high-value treats.
Use these treats to reward your dog for responding to her name, sit, down, and other skills while on walks.
Use these treats to distract your dog if you come across a possible trigger.
Be very aware of your surroundings.
The instant you notice a potential trigger determine how to change your path so that you can maintain as much distance as possible between your dog and the trigger.
Distance makes it easier for a dog to tolerate a trigger.
Ask your dog to focus on you as you calmly lead her away from the trigger.
Practice the 4 Rs (Retreat, Reorient, Respire, and Reward) if your dog has a reactive episode.
Retreat far enough from the trigger that your dog stops reacting.
Encourage her to Reorient to you using her name/noises or a food lure.
Work with a professional trainer experienced in using reward-based training.
While management is the first step to resolve reactivity, training can make it easier to manage your dog and teach her to be more comfortable around triggers.

Pete Brakus
2025-06-16 21:26:15
Count answers
: 13
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. On-leash, both dogs feel trapped, unable to get away from each other. 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. 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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