On-Leash Aggression: Don’t Watch That. Watch This!

Solutions for on-leash aggression are not 500, or even 1000 word blog posts.

I’m going to go over a few things you can do in a series of entries while also dipping, ever so slightly, into the theory behind them.

While working on this issue, keep safety at the very forefront of your mind. Also, avoid trouble spots and avoiding getting your dog into problems where you know she will lose control. Think of every incident as “practice” for the aggressive behavior. Also think of how unhappy and stressed she gets. Dogs don’t enjoy being aggressive. They are usually terrified.

Consider Getting Help

If you are having a very difficult time with this on-leash aggression, find a dog trainer. Any kind of aggression is serious stuff and some help and guidance from a professional can make a huge difference.

Don’t Watch That, Watch This!

If you’ve been reading my blog for any amount of time you should be able to guess what I am going to talk about first. Attention. Grab a piece of paper and write down all of the things that your dog cannot pay attention to on-leash when she is paying attention to you instead. Got it? That’s why this is important.

You’re going to have to work extra hard on this. Play the “name game” everywhere. Until you can get your dog’s attention outside, in the face of serious distractions, this strategy isn’t going to work. But when this does work, there is a lot more going on than just a useful tool to distract your dog.

Your dog has a conditioned emotional response. When she sees a dog her emotional state changes and she is responding by barking, growling, and/or lunging. If you can get her to redirect her attention to you when a dog first comes “in range,” you can slowly change her initial reaction and take the opportunity to start to change her opinion.

Before:
See/smell/hear dog -> become fearful/angry/frustrated -> bark/lunge/growl.

After:
See/smell/hear dog -> think of Mommy/Daddy -> look at Mommy/Daddy.

The timing is the tricky part here. You want to figure out when she first notices the other dog and get her attention before she reacts. Easier said than done, I know. You may need help, perhaps from a “spotter” that can focus on the environment for you so you can focus on your dog.

Hardware

If you have a big and powerful dog, or even a medium-sized and not-so-powerful dog, control on-leash may be an issue. Dogs are strong and can generate a lot of pulling force very quickly. Collars anchor the leash very close to where they can generate the greatest amount of force. Traditional harness actually do anchor it where they are the strongest. (Ask any dog sledder.)

A front clasp harness, like the Sense-ation or Sense-ible from Softouch Concepts, anchors the harness in front of the dog. This takes away most of her leverage and can prevent you from ending up face down on the pavement. They do this with simple leverage – it’s really hard to pull a leash forward when it is attached to your chest. Also, rather than hurting your dog or making her uncomfortable they actually eliminate the stress a collar can cause.

For tougher dogs, or situations where there is a greater mismatch between the strength of the dog and strength (or size) of the handler, a head halter may be necessary. The Snoot Loop has become my favorite of late. This can be uncomfortable for some dogs, but in cases where a lack of control can lead to a safety hazard, it may be necessary.

Next week: power steering and anti-lock brakes.

Video of the Week?

I think these videos are starting to become a tradition. What do you think?

I can’t say “Don’t Watch That, Watch This!” without taking you…One. Step. Beyooond!!

And now you know why, when I first saw that famous scene with Gerard Butler in “300,” I busted out laughing.