Research tells us that most leash reactivity is caused by fear, not by aggression. Dogs bark and lunge at other dogs to warn, “Go away! Go away!” Dogs fear other dogs because of genetic reasons, fights when they were puppies, or any scary (to the dog) interaction with other dogs.
Teach Your Dog an Incompatible Alternative Behavior
For example, they can't lunge towards another dog and turn to look at you at the same time. If you heavily reward this alternative behavior, your dog will eventually choose to do it in place of lunging even when their trigger is close by.
Dogs that bark and lunge when they see another pooch approaching aren't always displaying frustrated greetings. More commonly, fear is the driving force behind reactivity. If something is making your dog uncomfortable, then being trapped on the leash can heighten their anxiety.
In most cases, the best way to get a reactive dog ready for socializing is to slowly expose them to their triggers in a controlled environment and reward them with natural dog treats until they no longer react so strongly.
There are a variety of specific reasons your dog may act aggressive to other canines while you're out on a walk. The most common reasons include your dog being defensive and/or scared, as well as being protective of its territory or owner. Dogs that are not well socialized may also have poor communication skills.
Dogs of any age can start training to improve their reactivity. You do need to keep in mind that the longer a behavior has been ingrained, the longer it will take to retrain the dog. Whether or not the dog will be “cured” in the sense of being completely fine in the presence of his triggers cannot be predicted.
The most-common symptoms of canine aggression include growling, biting, or snapping, lip lifting, staring, and lunging towards another dog. In some cases, an aggressive dog may show fearful or submissive body postures and expressions such as crouching, tucking of the tail, and backing away.
A. Lunging and mouthing are typical ways for dogs to play with each other. This play behavior is especially common in puppyhood, but can continue into adulthood. Certain breeds are more likely to jump up toward the face during play, rather than focusing on the paws, chest or side as other breeds may do.
This kind of work can take anywhere from two to 12 months, as that's how long it takes for a dog to learn a new behavior. After that time period, you should be able to substitute negative reactions with positive thoughts.
A reactive dog is usually a fearful dog. Causes can be genetic, but they are more likely due to a lack of socialization, prior bad experiences or a lack of training. Aggressive dogs show similar signs but are determined to cause harm and destruction.
Hold your dog back firmly (don't tug suddenly as this may also distress them) and calmly walk on. Block Their View Of The Other Dog- If your dog cannot see the other dog, they are likely to calm down.
Introduce on neutral territory.
If the dogs are not showing any negative behaviors, reward them with treats just for seeing each other. For example, when the dog you're walking looks at the other dog, you can say “Good boy!” in a happy, friendly voice and give him a treat. Repeat often.
Do not punish. Punishment won't help and, in fact, will make the problem worse. If the reactivity is motivated by fear, punishment will make your dog more fearful, and could lead to aggression.
Stop the game, put a leash on him, ask him to lie down, and give him something to chew on. Or, if he's already too excited, walk him on the leash and ask him to do some obedience exercises until he calms down. Don't yell at him or otherwise punish him; that's counter productive. Instead, help him calm himself.
If your dog misinterprets a friendly dog as an aggressive one, it may lash out from fear or protectiveness. An only dog is more likely to misinterpret social cues, especially if they're one dog that was never properly socialized. Having multiple dogs is great because it helps them learn about social cues.
The most effective way to help a fearful or aggressive dog is to change the way the dog feels and responds to whatever he is scared of. This is done through a process called “desensitization and counterconditioning”.