Leash Reactivity
We tend to think of dogs as very social species and when they react in a negative way toward other dogs it can be very concerning.
The reality is that most dogs are very selective about who they like to play with and many would prefer the company of humans to other dogs. Dogs have been selectively bred as companions for many generations, which is what makes them such amazing pets. Many breeds are known for their independence, while others have been developed as lap dogs or were traditionally used for guarding. These traits do not necessarily translate to being the life of the party at the dog park.
For many dogs their early experiences are formative in their social development. Dogs have a critical socialisation stage from 3-13 weeks. During this stage they need to have good quality, positive experiences with other dogs. This is a stage when they are developing their communication skills too. Dogs have so many different ‘looks’, stumpy tails, folded ears, eyes at the front of the head, rather than to the side. No wonder they need to meet a variety of dogs to be able to ‘speak’ to all these different types.
It is rare for dogs to like all other dogs, as they get older they tend to become more selective about who they are friends with, this is a trait that they share with humans.
How Does Leash Reactivity Develop?
Lack of early socialisation between 3-13 weeks can mean a dog is not very dog social. Unfortunately it is difficult to make up for this loss. A dog also needs to continue having good, positive experiences with other dogs during social maturity (6 months to 2 years of age).
If dogs lunge towards other dogs when on the lead, this tug on the neck can easily translate to a negative association with other dogs. If your dog then barks at the other dog and you tell them off, they will associate the punishment with the other dog (not their behaviour, dogs are not very self-aware).
Signs of Impending Problems
Most dogs give plenty of warning signals before overt aggression like lunging and biting. Learning to ‘read dog’ can identify early warning signs before they escalate.
One very useful thing to know is that dogs would rarely go from nothing to a bite without giving you some signals. The key is to pick up the early signs such as avoiding eye contact, freezing, licking the lips and showing the whites of their eyes. Ïf you remove your dog from the situation at this point, they are unlikely to growl or snap. If your dog has already growled, barked or snapped, get them away and change their emotional state with treats if possible. There is more information about body language here.
Encouraging Your Dog to Tolerate Other Dogs
Systematic desensitisation, also known as graduated exposure therapy is a type of behaviour therapy used to help overcome phobias, fears and anxiety disorders. So if you were scared of flying, you could even dog a course to help you get over your fears. They key is to keep the steps small enough that your fear brain is not triggered.
Counter conditioning (based on Pavlov’s research with dogs who salivated at the sound of a bell because it indicated that food was on the way) is a fancy way of saying that the appearance of dogs is instead associated with positive things (food). So instead of responding by barking at other dogs, associating the presence of other dogs with a reward instead.
A common problem when working on your dog’s aggression or fear is to push them too far, too fast. If you were scared of water, throwing you in the deep end of the pool is likely to make you much worse. Taking small, safe steps, avoiding the onset of panic is the key to overcoming fear and keeping your brain in learning mode not survival/panic mode. The key is to watch for relaxed body language when you are working on training your dog to ignore other dogs and to instead take treats from you.
Pairing Treats and Other Dogs
Ultimately the end goal is for your dog to feel happy when other dogs are around because treats occur. Treats are the quickest way to associate something negative with something good. You are not rewarding the barking or fear, so even if your dog has already started pulling towards the other dog or has lunged and barked, it is still okay to give a treat. But it is unlikely to lead to long-term behavioural changes if your dog is over threshold and stressed. Just as you need to be relaxed to learn a new skill, like the guitar, rather than worried.
The key is to ensure you have sufficient distance between the other dog and your dog. We tend to walk dogs on footpaths, which means they are often passing very close to another dog, which can be stressful on lead as there is no escape. Your dog knows they are trapped and they are more likely to be reactive as a way to tell the other dog to go away.
Stepping off the path, crossing the road or performing the emergency u-turn are all great ways to ensure your dog has sufficient distance from the other dog in order to be able to focus on the treats.
If your dog is unable to take treats on walks or too focused on the other dogs, it is possible they are too highly stressed or anxious and medications may be beneficial. Or perhaps your dog is simply not hungry, your treats are not high value enough or the other dog is too close. Working in a large, open space like an oval (preferably without any off-lead dogs!) can be a way to reduce your dog feeling overwhelmed.
What is the End Goal?
Ultimately many dogs are selective about their friends, so it can be too much to hope for to have a dog that is the life of the party. The goal is really to get your dog to not react in an aggressive manner when other dogs are around. This does tend to need constant effort and retraining, as just like any social skills, if you don’t use it, you lose it. Keep on taking treats out with you and be vigilant that your dog is interacting only with well behaved dogs. Even a small set-back with a dog rushing up to your dog and scaring him, can require a bit of work to build up positive associations.
Key Points:
● When using desensitisation and counter conditioning we need to work gradually.
● Use food to pair the appearance of other dogs with treats instead.
● Keep training sessions short, no more than 20 minutes.
For additional strategies, there is a great free resource at Spirit Dog Training to help with reactivity.
We tend to think of dogs as very social species and when they react in a negative way toward other dogs it can be very concerning.
The reality is that most dogs are very selective about who they like to play with and many would prefer the company of humans to other dogs. Dogs have been selectively bred as companions for many generations, which is what makes them such amazing pets. Many breeds are known for their independence, while others have been developed as lap dogs or were traditionally used for guarding. These traits do not necessarily translate to being the life of the party at the dog park.
For many dogs their early experiences are formative in their social development. Dogs have a critical socialisation stage from 3-13 weeks. During this stage they need to have good quality, positive experiences with other dogs. This is a stage when they are developing their communication skills too. Dogs have so many different ‘looks’, stumpy tails, folded ears, eyes at the front of the head, rather than to the side. No wonder they need to meet a variety of dogs to be able to ‘speak’ to all these different types.
It is rare for dogs to like all other dogs, as they get older they tend to become more selective about who they are friends with, this is a trait that they share with humans.
How Does Leash Reactivity Develop?
Lack of early socialisation between 3-13 weeks can mean a dog is not very dog social. Unfortunately it is difficult to make up for this loss. A dog also needs to continue having good, positive experiences with other dogs during social maturity (6 months to 2 years of age).
If dogs lunge towards other dogs when on the lead, this tug on the neck can easily translate to a negative association with other dogs. If your dog then barks at the other dog and you tell them off, they will associate the punishment with the other dog (not their behaviour, dogs are not very self-aware).
Signs of Impending Problems
Most dogs give plenty of warning signals before overt aggression like lunging and biting. Learning to ‘read dog’ can identify early warning signs before they escalate.
One very useful thing to know is that dogs would rarely go from nothing to a bite without giving you some signals. The key is to pick up the early signs such as avoiding eye contact, freezing, licking the lips and showing the whites of their eyes. Ïf you remove your dog from the situation at this point, they are unlikely to growl or snap. If your dog has already growled, barked or snapped, get them away and change their emotional state with treats if possible. There is more information about body language here.
Encouraging Your Dog to Tolerate Other Dogs
Systematic desensitisation, also known as graduated exposure therapy is a type of behaviour therapy used to help overcome phobias, fears and anxiety disorders. So if you were scared of flying, you could even dog a course to help you get over your fears. They key is to keep the steps small enough that your fear brain is not triggered.
Counter conditioning (based on Pavlov’s research with dogs who salivated at the sound of a bell because it indicated that food was on the way) is a fancy way of saying that the appearance of dogs is instead associated with positive things (food). So instead of responding by barking at other dogs, associating the presence of other dogs with a reward instead.
A common problem when working on your dog’s aggression or fear is to push them too far, too fast. If you were scared of water, throwing you in the deep end of the pool is likely to make you much worse. Taking small, safe steps, avoiding the onset of panic is the key to overcoming fear and keeping your brain in learning mode not survival/panic mode. The key is to watch for relaxed body language when you are working on training your dog to ignore other dogs and to instead take treats from you.
Pairing Treats and Other Dogs
Ultimately the end goal is for your dog to feel happy when other dogs are around because treats occur. Treats are the quickest way to associate something negative with something good. You are not rewarding the barking or fear, so even if your dog has already started pulling towards the other dog or has lunged and barked, it is still okay to give a treat. But it is unlikely to lead to long-term behavioural changes if your dog is over threshold and stressed. Just as you need to be relaxed to learn a new skill, like the guitar, rather than worried.
The key is to ensure you have sufficient distance between the other dog and your dog. We tend to walk dogs on footpaths, which means they are often passing very close to another dog, which can be stressful on lead as there is no escape. Your dog knows they are trapped and they are more likely to be reactive as a way to tell the other dog to go away.
Stepping off the path, crossing the road or performing the emergency u-turn are all great ways to ensure your dog has sufficient distance from the other dog in order to be able to focus on the treats.
If your dog is unable to take treats on walks or too focused on the other dogs, it is possible they are too highly stressed or anxious and medications may be beneficial. Or perhaps your dog is simply not hungry, your treats are not high value enough or the other dog is too close. Working in a large, open space like an oval (preferably without any off-lead dogs!) can be a way to reduce your dog feeling overwhelmed.
What is the End Goal?
Ultimately many dogs are selective about their friends, so it can be too much to hope for to have a dog that is the life of the party. The goal is really to get your dog to not react in an aggressive manner when other dogs are around. This does tend to need constant effort and retraining, as just like any social skills, if you don’t use it, you lose it. Keep on taking treats out with you and be vigilant that your dog is interacting only with well behaved dogs. Even a small set-back with a dog rushing up to your dog and scaring him, can require a bit of work to build up positive associations.
Key Points:
● When using desensitisation and counter conditioning we need to work gradually.
● Use food to pair the appearance of other dogs with treats instead.
● Keep training sessions short, no more than 20 minutes.
For additional strategies, there is a great free resource at Spirit Dog Training to help with reactivity.