![]() We are simply working on ways to reduce her stress in order to get a more controlled behavior in the on leash situations. Shes kinda a curmudgeon, and prefers the company of other dogs without engaging in play much. I doubt Arizona will ever be a happy go lucky worry free leash-er. Learning who your dog really is at heart, and not where you want them to be personality wise. This was insanely useful getting to know the specifics of my dog and what she recommended for further training. She worked at a doggy day care and had my pup for a full 8 hours, watching her behaviors and how she interacted with dogs. Initially I had a consult with a behaviorist. There has been MAJOR improvement though! Here are some of the things that I have found helpful. It has been an ongoing training process for the last three years I have had her. I learned from this sub that this is a very common thing! I was so frustrated at first (kinda still, tbh) when my pup would go bananas on leash, but was totally fine at the dog park. ![]() If you report a comment, please also message the mods so that we don't miss it. The tips and advice here cannot replace a qualified certified trainer or veterinary behaviorist - if you are struggling please consider these resources for your dog. Please be aware of your tone and language. Positive reinforcement, it’s not just for dogs! People will be much more receptive to criticism and advice if it is constructive and comes from a place of compassion. This is a place for owners of reactive or formerly reactive dogs to discuss progress, setbacks, ask for advice, vent, and get support. Having a reactive dog can be an isolating and frustrating experience. We are a community for people that own reactive dogs! (A reactive dog is not required to join, but please keep discussions and posts focused on dog reactivity.) We support the LIMA (Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive) approach to dog training. There is a good chance you are dealing with this issue, whether it’s just minor and slightly annoying, or it is a major problem and extremely aggressive.If you are asking for help for the first time, use our questionnaire. Once your dog is heeling, we can enforce the next rule, no staring at other dogs nor people unless we are going to meet them. That is our job, to determine what is the best solution for you and your dog, and how to best correct the problem. How do you do that? Back to our above statement, good leash skills and putting a rule in place that we are able to enforce. We need to start correcting the problem at a level 1/2/3. Once they get above 8, you’re in deep, let’s say “doggie-doo”. Imagine that your dog has a “freak-out” scale of 1-10. Stopping your dog from being able to fixate on other dogs is the biggest piece to the puzzle. The longer they stare, the more their chests puff out, frustration builds, and the inevitable, and altercation. Dogs, when staring at each other, are much like two men sitting across the bar staring at each other. Prolonged eye-contact will inevitably get your dog in some serious trouble. Once we teach your dog to heel and walk properly on leash, we will run into our second issue, fixation. However, that expectation, that new standard on the walk, has to be set in stone ahead of time, and enforced indefinitely while on the leash. If we can teach our dog to heel, without stimulus around first, only then can we pass the dog with perfection. If your dog isn’t listening to the rules when there is no stimulus around, why all of the sudden would they listen when a dog/person/jogger walks past? If there is no expectation set beforehand, your dog will fail. You will see a lot of weaving, pulling, smelling, and realistically a dog who has no understanding of heel, of following their human being. Terrible leash manners even before the stimulus comes into the picture. Out of the next 100 leash reactive dogs that I will train over the next few weeks, I can guarantee 99 of them have two things in common. ![]() Most owners of a dog who is severely leash reactive believe that the lunging at other dogs is the problem, but I’m here to tell you that it’s not the issue. “Vinnie my problem is that my dog lunges, pulls, snarls, or tries to bite people or dogs when they are on the leash”
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