Behavior Challenges: Reactivity on Leash
Understanding Dog Reactivity
Dog-reactive dogs often respond to other dogs by becoming visibly aroused — which can look like pulling toward them, barking, growling or lunging. Reactivity is not necessarily related to a dog’s sociability, as many dog-reactive dogs can show social behaviors in other situations. However, having a dog-reactive dog can be stressful for both the owner and dog. Owners of dog-reactive dogs may avoid walks, or accidentally use training methods that make reactivity worse.
The good news is that dog reactivity is a highly modifiable behavior, and dog training can be fun! Through prevention, training and practice, even the most “explosive” dog can learn to show different behaviors and feel calmer in the presence of other dogs.
Learn more about what causes dog reactivity and how to modify the behavior by watching this webinar on Dog Reactivity on Leash. We recommend working with a professional dog trainer to put our fear-free and force-free training methods into action — see the bottom of the page for resources!
Body Language
Learning to read and interpret your dog’s body language, vocalizations and behavior is key for preventing and responding to dog reactivity. Dogs communicate warning signs of fear, anxiety, stress and frustration — and by understanding those signals, we can prevent them from escalating. Check out this helpful YouTube video to learn more about dog body language!
Common Signs of Fear, Anxiety, Stress and Frustration (FASF):
- Pausing, freezing or becoming still.
- Ears pushed forward.
- Tension in body or facial muscles.
- Tight, high tail wags.
- Dilated pupils.
- Heavy or fast breathing.
- Jumping and pulling.
Preventing Dog Reactivity
We’ve all heard the saying, “practice makes perfect.” Well, the more your dog practices reactive behaviors, the more habitual and rigid their behaviors will become! It can be helpful to limit the opportunities your dog has to practice reactive behaviors — such as keeping other dogs at a distance or avoiding them altogether — while you are working on teaching new, alternative behaviors.
Plan your route: Try to create a quiet walking route by walking at a time when other dogs are less likely to be out, such as early in the morning or later in the evening.
Be aware: Scan your environment as you walk and keep an eye on your dog’s body language, watching out for early signals of stress.
Create space: Keep other dogs at a distance by crossing the street or turning in another direction if you notice a dog approaching.
Use a visual barrier: If another dog is in sight, block your dog’s view by moving behind a car, tree or wall. While you are behind a visual barrier, reward your dog for focusing on you and offering eye contact, or encourage eye contact by getting their attention.
Responding to Dog Reactivity
If your dog becomes so reactive and aroused that they are no longer responding to you or taking treats, they are not in the mindset for a training session. Take note of what caused the reaction — often you are simply too close to another dog — and try to prevent this situation from happening again in the future.
Keep moving: If another dog is close and your dog becomes reactive, try to avoid stopping. Encourage your dog to keep walking with you by calling them, using gentle leash pressure and offering treats. Move away quickly and create as much space between you and the other dog as possible. You can also move behind a nearby car, tree or wall and offer your dog treats to refocus their attention.
Be patient: If your dog is not taking food and it is impossible or unsafe to create space between you and the other dog, hold your leash firmly and patiently. Wait for the other dog to pass or move away.
Teaching a New Behavior
Changing your dog’s habits requires consistency and patience, both in preventing reactivity and practicing new, alternative behaviors. The training process may take weeks or even months — and often requires ongoing maintenance. Here are some tips to get started:
Use consistent sounds: Make a kissy noise, clicking noise or any other noise that you can make consistently to encourage eye contact from your dog. This is known as an “orientation sound.” When your dog offers eye contact, reward them with a treat immediately.
Practice the sound in your living room, bedroom, backyard and various areas around the house.
When your dog begins to reliably respond to your orienting sound at home, begin to use it on walks every 5-10 steps to encourage eye contact and focus on you.
Reward voluntary eye contact: Anytime your dog offers eye contact at home or while you are out on a walk, immediately offer treats and/or praise and petting.
Opening and closing the bar: Many dogs become reactive at the sight of another dog, but most dogs can detect that another dog is in their environment prior to seeing them. Therefore, this training method is best paired with the preventative methods outlined above. When practicing this method, remain vigilant and keep other dogs at a distance (roughly 20-30 feet), whenever possible.
When your dog becomes aware of another dog in their environment, open “the bar”! Take a handful of high-value treats (pea-sized pieces of hot dog, cheese, chicken — something they really love!) and offer the treats directly to your dog’s mouth one at a time, 1-2 seconds apart for as long as your dog is aware that another dog is present. Do not ask for another behavior, simply offer treats. When the nearby dog moves away and out of view, close the bar and stop offering treats.
Opening and closing the metaphorical bar is a form of training called Desensitization and Counterconditioning. If your dog begins reacting to another dog during this process, follow the steps for “Responding to Dog Reactivity” above.
Motivation > Punishment
When a dog becomes reactive, they are likely feeling uncomfortable, fearful or frustrated. If you attempt to punish reactive behaviors, your dog's reactivity may worsen as they learn to associate other dogs with punishment. Additionally, your dog may give up on communicating early signs of discomfort, fear or frustration — and instead escalate to more obvious and threatening signs of emotional distress such as lunging, snapping or biting. Learn more about why we don't recommend using punishment as a form of training with this video explaining Positive Punishment.
When you take your dog for a walk, there are many exciting things that may compete for your dog’s attention. You may encounter interesting smells, sights, sounds, other people, other animals or unusual events. These are called competing motivations, and you have to be even more fun and exciting to win your dog’s attention!
For your dog to begin offering any new behavior in the presence of competing motivators, you will need to develop a long history of repetition and practice. Be patient. Be compassionate. And, don’t give up!
More Behavior & Training Resources
San Diego Humane Society offers training classes and resources to address a variety of needs. Our training philosophy is based on the behavioral science concepts of positive reinforcement. Training your pet using these concepts will not only help them learn new behaviors more quickly — but will also strengthen the bond you share!
Check out all our Behavior & Training resources, including in-person and online classes, individualized trainer consults, a local trainer directory and more. If you have questions about our training options, please call 619-279-5961.