What is a reactive dog on a leash? Your usually friendly dog begins to bark and rush when he sees or hears another dog or when a noisy jogger or truck passes by. And you wonder what happened. After all, off leash he is calm.
Many dogs can ignore these sights and sounds and accept them without difficulty. But a reactive dog on a leash responds to certain stimuli at a higher level of intensity than normal. Its reactivity is the result of the stress it undergoes. Here are some tips to help you manage your dog’s reactive behavior on a leash:
First, determine what he reacts to (eg, cars, people, or other dogs) and why. Reasons behind leash-reactive behavior can include genetics, behavior that has been successful for the dog in the past, and barrier frustration, akin to being stuck behind a fence. Then decide how to manage and develop a program to modify the behavior.
14 Tips for Managing a Reactive Dog on a Leash
There are many steps you can take to help manage your dog’s responsiveness while on a leash.
- Stay calm and don’t pull or squeeze the leash.
Your dog can read your voice, your body language and your scent. If you are stressed, he also becomes more anxious. A tight leash can lead to reactivity.
- Keep your dog below the threshold.
Make sure he isn’t overly stimulated by things, animals, or people that would otherwise make him reactive. Often this means keeping it at a sufficient distance from the stimulus. So, for example, if he becomes overstimulated by dogs that are 29 feet away but not when they are 30 feet away, stay at least 30 feet away while you work on the problem.
- Ensure safety with the right equipment.
Use equipment that your dog can’t escape, such as a properly fitted harness, a Martingale-style collar, or a combination of the two. Do not use aversive equipment, such as clamps or shock collars.
- Socialize your dog at his own pace.
As you work on the cause of his reactivity, slowly expose him to everyday sights, sounds, people, and animals that he can handle and isn’t reactive to. Always use positive reinforcement from treats, praise and play.
- Train your dog to perform certain behavioral cues.
Teach some behavior cues without distractions first so your dog can focus.
The two most important cues to teach when modifying reactive leash behavior are “look” and “turn”.
Teach a “look” signal. And also teach your dog to pay attention to you by default. Teach him to walk on a loose leash. These skills help him focus on you rather than the environment. You can also teach your dog to target your nose towards your hand, as long as he doesn’t redirect his frustration on you.
Teach an emergency U-turn when giving the “turn” signal. Entice your dog to turn 180 degrees with you in the other direction of the stimulus, praising and rewarding him immediately after the turn.
Add distractions after he understands and executes the signal. Finally, you can use signals when you are on the go with your puppy.
An added benefit of this training is that your puppy is more confident because he knows what is expected of him.
- Don’t let him greet other dogs on a leash.
A leash interferes with the natural way dogs greet each other by sniffing each other, displaying body language that everyone understands and can move back and forth. On a leash, a dog can’t back down when he feels threatened or isn’t in the mood to engage. In addition, leashes can get tangled, even resulting in a fight.
- Don’t reward leash-responsive behavior.
If your dog is frustrated with the leash, is reactive, and wants to greet other people or dogs, don’t allow him to greet them even if he is friendly when off the leash. If he pulls and barks to reach them and you allow him to, you are rewarding his behavior. He will continue to be reactive the next time he sees people or canines, believing he will be allowed to greet them. And he would probably step over the threshold and not react appropriately if he was allowed to salute.
- Exercise your dog physically and mentally before your walk.
Exercise helps her relax and unwind. Help your dog succeed.
- Take your dog for a walk at “off-peak” times.
If it’s responsive to traffic, for example, try not to ride it during rush hour or on busy streets. If he reacts to dogs or people, take routes at times when they are unlikely to be around.
- Classically condition your dog’s response to the stimulus.
You are changing your dog’s association with – aka the emotional response – to the stimulus. You want to change the way your dog feels. It is a conditioned emotional response. Any change in behavior, such as a lack of responsiveness, is an additional result of your dog’s new positive association with the stimulus.
Here’s an example: If the stressor is a person, as soon as your dog sees them, give them a steady stream of tasty treats, like small pieces of boneless chicken. Do this for about 20 seconds to a minute, depending on your dog’s responsiveness. The goal is for your dog to realize that the onset of the stressor causes great things to happen.
If your dog crosses the threshold, continue to feed chicken, but move away to a distance beyond his threshold distance where your dog is unresponsive. Then start again.
- Add your dog’s counter-conditioning and desensitization (CC&D) to the stimulus.
Once your dog has given you the conditioned emotional response you desire – happily enjoying the presence of the stimulus – you can counter-condition and desensitize your dog to the stimulus.
Here’s how: Do training setups where the stimulus is beyond your dog’s threshold distance. If your dog reacts on leash to other dogs, for example, use a dog handler with a non-reactive test dog who will ignore your dog. Stay at a distance where your dog is below the threshold.
Ask the handler to go in sight, then out of sight. When the pair are in sight and your dog is calm, give them a series of treats until the pair are out of sight. The presence of the stimulus causes the delicious chicken to appear.
Keep this exercise short and positive. Don’t overdo it and stress your dog. Eventually, your dog should turn to you when he sees the other dog, expecting you to provide him with the chicken pieces. This demonstrates that he understands that the other dog’s appearance makes the chicken appear, and he adopts a default behavior of staring at you.
Alternatively, you can have the pair in place and you and your dog go on sight, out of sight a few times.
Of course, you give a stream of treats when the other dog is in sight and give no treats when the other dog is out of sight. End the session on a positive note.
Once your dog understands that he gets treats when a dog appears and he doesn’t become responsive, add a cue. Say in a cheerful tone, “Where’s the dog? when the dog appears. During subsequent training sessions, your pup will become happy when the dog appears, seeking his delicious treats from you.
If your dog becomes reactive, move away to a distance at which he succeeded.
During your next training sessions – as your dog can manage – very slowly approach the other dog to desensitize him to other dogs. Don’t rush the process. It can take weeks or months – or longer – for your dog to move forward. Each dog is an individual and moves at its own pace. But, if you do CC&D properly, you should see progress. Keep your dog below the threshold.
Also, over time, have him generalize this with many other dogs as test subjects, as well as new parameters. It takes time and many training sessions.
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Redirect your dog to another activity.
Take a favorite toy that you immediately throw in front of your dog and tell him to pick it up. Or have about five yummy little treats in your hand and toss them (with him watching). Tell him to “find it”. It also has the benefit of classically conditioning your dog for something positive to happen when the stimulus, such as a dog or person it is reacting to, appears.
- Use holistic aids if your vet approves.
Many types of products can help reduce a dog’s stress while on a leash. These include CBD Oil, Calming Tabs, ThunderShirt, Adaptil, and Rescue Remedy.
- Get professional help if needed
If your dog’s reactivity is severe, engage the services of a veterinary behaviorist or other qualified behavior specialist.
What not to do with a reactive dog on a leash
Don’t punish your dog for being reactive. This inevitably makes matters worse as he is already stressed and will likely become more reactive. And you will lose his trust.
Also, don’t let others interfere with your puppy’s behavior modification. For example, if your dog is afraid of new people, don’t let people rush towards him.
In order to make your canine best friend’s life less stressful, find out why he reacts on a leash. Then you can handle the situation and solve its problem successfully. And you can both live less stressed, happier, and more fulfilling lives.
