Is Your Dog Leash Reactive?

An on leash reactive dog is one that shows aggressive behaviors to stranger’s dogs while on leash. The same dog while off leash is normally not aggressive. There are a number of reasons why a dog may show aggressive behaviors. A “leash reactive” dog is mainly reactive on leash but usually does not show the same intense reaction while off leash. A true dog aggressive dog most likely will be aggressive on and off leash. The presence of the leash is an essential element to predict the aggressive reaction of a dog that is “leash reactive”. The leash is actually a signal that the dog recognizes but it’s not the only signal. Other elements may become a signal for a dog to produce an aggressive response such as: the owner’s body language, sounds, walking in certain places, or the presence of another person or dogs from the same family. It is not uncommon for a leash reactive dog to have developed multiple problems such as: reactivity to strangers, anxiety, resource guarding, etc. For more help on these behavior problems please contact It’s A Dog’s World at 909-548-3150. Before beginning a behavior modification program, it is imperative that you start with the correct tools.

•  Collar and Leash. It’s a good idea to replace your current collar and leash with a different one. If the handler needs more control over their dog, a head collar such as Gentle Leader or Halti is recommended. (Gentle Leader and Halti requires some work to get used to them.) Leash length should not exceed 6 feet.
• Rewards. The use of food as the primary reward is very important in training exercises.

When starting a new training program it is always important that the dog is receiving adequate, daily exercise. It is also important to find the time every day to do the assigned exercises for at least 6 weeks. Management ExercisesTraining a dog to stop being leash reactive requires teaching the following skills that need to be used to avoid and minimize accidents.

•  Focus exercises – watch me, touch
• Loose Leash exercises – tension on the leash may become a signal that informs the dog about the presence of a dog.
• 180 and 90 degree U-Turns -should be trained in a controlled environment and not associate with other dog presence.
• Emergency/quick/automatic Sit
• Recall
• Leave It

All these skills need to be trained in a controlled environment before exposing the dog to real situations. Once the dog is ready for real scenarios, the handler can start practicing in a training environment where the trainer and a target dog (a calm, well-trained dog) is present. For more information on how to train these management exercises and behaviors, please contact It’s A Dog’s World K-9 Academy, Inc. at 909-548-3150