#1 Dog Behavior Issue

When I talk about behavior issues (vs. training issues), I typically mean aggression, anxiety or fear. With that definition, did you guess it?

The behavior issue I am contacted about most often is lunging and barking at other dogs when out on leash walks. This is also called “leash reactivity”.

Sound familiar?

I see this every day when I’m out in the neighborhood or hiking on local trails. The reactive dog is pulling frantically, often walking on 2 legs, and barking nonstop until the other dog is out of sight.

The person at the other end of the leash looks away embarrassed and tries to hurry by mumbling an apology for their dog’s unruly behavior. It is embarrassing and quite stressful for both the owner and the dog.

Why is this happening?

There are 3 main reasons for leash reactivity:

Fear - your dog is worried about the other dog getting too close so tries to scare them away

Frustration - they are frustrated that the leash is holding them back from being able to go over and visit the other dog.

Over Excitement - other dogs are super exciting and cause your dog to go from zero to 100 in a nanosecond

Will my dog just outgrow it?

Nope. Dogs get really good at any behavior they practice. When they’re young, if this is how they respond to other dogs when on leash over and over again, they’re going to continue to do so when they get older.

Changing reactivity through positive reinforcement

I’ve been working with leash reactive dogs for over 20 years and there’s so much we can do to help dogs using positive reinforcement training methods. There is a strong emotional component behind reactivity and treating it with kindness, compassion and understanding are first and foremost in achieving lasting results.

If you have questions about your dog’s reactivity, please get in touch. Or if you’d like to join my Rowdy Rover class for leash reactive dogs, here’s the link for more info.

Ready to get started? Here’s what some students have said about my Rowdy Rover program:

“I feel so much better about taking my dog for walks now. He used to go crazy when he saw a dog a block away. Now he mostly ignores dogs across the street and just walks on by. That’s a big win for us!”

“Wendy’s class has helped us enjoy our walks in our neighborhood again. The lessons each week were easy to practice at home and we had fun doing them.”

“I almost lost hope that I could ever take my dog anywhere in public without creating a scene. The Rowdy Rover class helped us so much. She won’t be a café dog but we have found some great places we can go where she is happy.”

Categories: barking, Behavior Issues, Dog Training, fear, lunging, reactivity