# Leash Aggression with humans and dogs...HELP!



## DixieMae (Jan 22, 2018)

My almost 11 month year old has been all of a sudden lunging at neighbors when they get close on our walks. She is definitely being aggressive and I am afraid she would bite them if I gave her enough room on the leash. If I can get her to calm down and then sniff the person she is fine and I have no issues. But prior to that, she is a maniac and it is embarrassing and definitely alarming. 

She does the same with dogs, to a lesser degree. But it is easier to walk away from other dogs than neighbors she hasn't quite met yet. 

When we go to a dog park, she has absolutely no issues with dogs or strangers. She doesn't even bark at either of them. Clearly it has something to do with the leash and fear but I don't know what to do. Everything I have read is about strangers giving treats to my dog, which I do at the dog park but it's not as easy outside the park.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. This is new behavior that started a couple weeks ago out of nowhere. I am so confused.


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## Click-N-Treat (Nov 9, 2015)

Before I make any suggestions, I'm going to urge you to contact an animal behaviorist through your vet. This situation could get out of control and I don't want that to happen. In the meantime, stop having your dog meet people and play the Look At That Game, in every room of your house, in the yard, and around people from a long distance. 

Your dog needs to learn to calm down around people and focus on you. You decide if a person is a friend or foe, not your dog. I generally don't let my dogs meet people, it's enough for me to have them stay quietly at my side. Not everyone gets to say hi. If your dog is reacting to people that aggressively, not saying hello is your first step. Your next step is finding a professional to help you.


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## DixieMae (Jan 22, 2018)

Thank you. I have contacted a behaviorist. All of the ones that seem the most qualified use heavy positive reinforcement with e-collar when necessary. But she is a fearful dog so that doesn't work. I have reached out to a few others. I need something more than group training for her I think as well. She is so smart and I have done the 6-week training at PetSmart and she did so well so I know that I will see fast positive results, I just need help until I can find the right person. She also hasn't been fixed yet, so I have heard that might be part of an issue. I have also heard a few people tell me that she just hit the teenage years and it could be that.

I definitely know I need professional help, but am also looking for suggestions on the type of person who could best help me and suggestions until I find that person.


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## snow0160 (Sep 20, 2016)

Hey I thought my dog Kit was leash reactive but after getting a new trainer, he told us I was completely wrong and laughed. She doesn’t have leash reactivity, she is just an over excited teenager who wants to meet people, which I already kinda knew. After two weeks of training, she is soooo much better. No more jumping, lunging, but still occasional whine barking. 

If your dog just lunges and barks, I recommend two things 1. Gentle leader or 2. Herm sprenger Prong collar. Some dogs work better with the prong others with GL. 

Does your dog snarl or bear teeth? To me that is what aggression looks like.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

snow0160 said:


> Hey I thought my dog Kit was leash reactive but after getting a new trainer, he told us I was completely wrong and laughed. She doesn’t have leash reactivity, she is just an over excited teenager who wants to meet people, which I already kinda knew. After two weeks of training, she is soooo much better. No more jumping, lunging, but still occasional whine barking.
> 
> If your dog just lunges and barks, I recommend two things 1. Gentle leader or 2. Herm sprenger Prong collar. Some dogs work better with the prong others with GL.
> 
> Does your dog snarl or bear teeth? To me that is what aggression looks like.



I was going to say the same thing. Are you sure it’s not excitement leash pulling ? Beckie is soooo excited on our walks that she transforms into Kujo when we see other dogs and sometimes people. She screams, barks and lets out this bizarre noise that sounds like a pig being butchered. She pulls on the leash as much as she can and she makes 360’s. Someone without experience of that kind of behavior might think she’s aggressive, but she just lacks self-control and is very, very excited. Mind you she’s just 7 pounds so she’s not scaring anyone but if she was bigger, people would be afraid.

I hope your dog is just excited too. This is easier to control and fix.


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

Sounds like an exuberant teenager, restricted by the leash. Remember tension travels down the tether, so if you are transmitting tension, (oh, no a stranger and she’s gonna go wild...”) it’s going to amp the encounter. I would skip the dog park until she’s solid on her leash walks.


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## Click-N-Treat (Nov 9, 2015)

If your dog isn't snarling and growling, it could be explosive excitement. I'm curious about the body language, more than the barking and lunging. Is it lunging because I want to say hi and I'm so happy to see you, but this leash is in my way. Or is it lunging because I'm feeling nervous and I want to make this person go away.

What's the tail doing? What's the body posture? https://www.thesprucepets.com/dog-body-language-wagging-tail-1118252 This may help you.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

You've already gotten some great comments, but I will add some other thoughts. First if I were inclined to go to dog parks I would not be going with a dog that didn't have impeccable manners under all circumstances. I would treat that outing as a reward for excellent behavior, not as a way for a dog to get to run like a loon. Therefore I would use dog park time to do some other things like lots of LAT training along with working on focused attention.


Focused attention is the foundation for all other things we do with our dogs. If you have excellent ability to get your dog's attention no matter what the distractions you can control what happens when you see people and dogs while you are out for on leash walks. Most dogs don't have an easy or automatic ability to sustain eye contact with their handler. It has to be developed. Once that behavior is installed you can help support your pup through these exciting moments. A game I play with my dogs for attention is the five cookie game. I think you will find descriptions of it around here if you search for it. If it doesn't come up LMK and I will describe it again.


I suspect your pup's craziness on leash is most likely over excitement rather than aggression although video of what happens would clarify that. Over excitement is well countered by teaching impulse control. My number one impulse control game is to sit (on a chair with a larger dog or the floor with a small one or young pup). Have a good supply of nice little treats and put some in each hand with your hands closed. Let the pup know you have those treats and allow them to try to pry your hand open, but don't let them get anything from you. Pretty soon out of a little confusion/frustration the pup will back off your hand. Immediately offer a treat from the hand the pup was interacting with. Repeat over and over. The pup will figure out that molesting you is not what works to get the treat. Once they know not to mug you they will start to make eye contact to see when you will give the treat. Build duration on the eye contact. Once you have good duration for the eye contact open your hands. Close quickly to avoid a quick steal if needed. Pretty soon the dog will sit and look at you even if you put the treats on your knees or on the floor. Eventually you will be able to have food on the floor and have the dog wait until you release it to the food even if you walk away from the food. The end result of this is a dog that knows to look to you for all good things. As an example I give Javelin his dinner at the start of my lecture class during summer school. I put his food on the floor just a couple of feet in front of him. I do not stand between him and the food. I wait until he offers me sustained eye contact before I release him to eat. My students think it is some sort of miraculous thing that he waits the way he does, but I think it is just our mutual respect for our time together.


ETA I also do think that gentle leaders and pinch/prong collars can be great tools (actually prefer pinch collars), but don't just put either of them on your pup and take off for a walk. You need to take time to introduce them properly so that you don't create problems that don't already exist.


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## DixieMae (Jan 22, 2018)

I am starting to think it is because she is over excited. There is no snarling or showing of teeth. Sometimes in her barking her teeth snap. I put my hand to try to re-direct her and got teeth but she never bit down. Again it did seem like she was over excited and frustrated but just sounded vicious. Both my trainer and vet have witnessed the behavior and have said that she is not aggressive. My trainer has specifically seen this behavior and has seen her at the dog park. I am going to try the gentle leader first and the other collar if that doesn't work. My trainer said she will meet me to correctly fit her and help get her used to it. Thanks for the advice. I had been thinking that might help.


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## DixieMae (Jan 22, 2018)

I brought her to the park on the advice of my trainer and vet. They felt a lot of the issues were fear based and due to lack of socialization. My trainer assessed her prior to going and is usually on the more cautious side. I have had no issues with her at the park. In fact, the same barking she does that I am deeming leash aggressive, is the same bark she gives the second we pull into the dog park. She only stops when I let her out and then she runs to get in. That is what makes me think it is more excited barking. The dog park is definitely helping. She kind of plays with the other dogs but mostly she just sticks near me and sniffs them if they come around. She is starting to come out of her shell though. Again, not one issue while at the dog park, not even barking.


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## Latte12 (Jan 3, 2016)

*Over active teenager!*

Hi, I see you have had a lot of comments, I think the one about the over active teen is the best. 11 months is still early, Std poodle won't start to mature until 2+ years, My Latte was 3 before he was able to show some control. He is now 6 and I get compliments where ever we go. I was at Home Depot today and wandered about 50 feet from the dogs as they just sat there watching everyone. I didn't realize I had walked off looking for something, until someone commented that my dogs were to well behaved. Everyone needs dogs like that! Right. But personally, I look at the owners when I see a dog with bad behavior. Do you spend enough time with your dog, do you exercise him, do you give him a job, do you show discipline???? Read a good book and of course go to dog obedience training with your dog. Most of all love your dog as a King dog, not as a human.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

Click-N-Treat said:


> Before I make any suggestions, I'm going to urge you to contact an animal behaviorist through your vet. This situation could get out of control and I don't want that to happen. In the meantime, stop having your dog meet people and play the Look At That Game, in every room of your house, in the yard, and around people from a long distance.
> 
> Your dog needs to learn to calm down around people and focus on you. You decide if a person is a friend or foe, not your dog. I generally don't let my dogs meet people, it's enough for me to have them stay quietly at my side. Not everyone gets to say hi. If your dog is reacting to people that aggressively, not saying hello is your first step. Your next step is finding a professional to help you.


I absolutely agree with Click-N-Treat. A behaviorist is not just a normal dog trainer''. This behavior is being rewarded and could become ingrained, and then much harder to overcome. 
How would you feel if your dog bit someone? Or if someone called animal control?

I know you can do this


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## Latte12 (Jan 3, 2016)

*Strangers giving treats???*

I reread you message this morning and noticed your comment about strangers giving treats. Do you think he might be expecting this from any human that walks by?? I'm no dog "behaviorist" but never allow strangers to give my dogs treats, even if someone we know asks to give them treats, the dogs usually take it and spit it out later. Is your dog food motivated or play motivated? Both of mine a play motivated, holding a ball in the hand when training works better for me than giving kibbles; though a clicker worked when they were about the age of your dog. Now, it doesn't work at all.


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