Barking At Other Dogs While On Leash

[Guest larock]

Our 5 year old female, Ella had started barking at other breed dogs while we're walking on leash. We've tried distracting her when the dog goes by and this has worked some of the time. We've also tried letting our male, Roodie, meet the other dog first so she can see the dog is OK. Also when we introduce her to other breed dogs we pay close attention to how she interacts but the last two times she lunged and snapped at them. Big small, doesn't seem to matter. The later, just breaking the skin on the poor dogs nose, like a rug burn. Then after all this she just ignores them so I don't think it aggression or fear.

 

The additional frustrating thing is when she starts barking at a dog accross the street, our sweet goofy Roodie will start barking too - which makes it hard for one person to walk them both. Of course then the other dog(s) go nuts too and we all look like a bunch of idiots, with bad dogs (not the image we were going for - like, "there go the idiots with the idiot greyhounds" = not good).

 

We could really use some suggestions about what we should (or shouldn't) be doing to discourage this behavior.

Edited June 20, 2011 by larock

[JJNg]

How long have you had Ella, and any idea what might have triggered her to start this behavior? There are a number of reasons dogs can be reactive toward other dogs while on leash, ranging from fear and insecurity, to frustration and over-excitement. What has her history been with other breed dogs? Is her response different when she's on-leash vs. off-leash? Are the lunging and snapping at other dogs, and barking while on leash, recent developments?

 

With any change in behavior, especially with no obvious outside trigger (like a recent traumatic experience), the best place to start is a good physical exam by your vet to make sure there are no medical issues contributing to the problem. Then it may help to look at her body language to try to figure out what her underlying motivation might be.

 

Also when we introduce her to other breed dogs we pay close attention to how she interacts but the last two times she lunged and snapped at them. Big small, doesn't seem to matter. The later, just breaking the skin on the poor dogs nose, like a rug burn. Then after all this she just ignores them so I don't think it aggression or fear.

Was she on or off-leash during these interactions? What were the dogs doing, and what was their body language/posture immediately before she lunged and snapped? If on-leash, was the leash loose, or were you holding it tight because you were concerned about what she might do? Leash handling, and tension being transmitted through the leash from a nervous handler, can have a large effect on the dog's reaction. Can you give more detail about the situation and what was going on when she just ignored the other dogs after that initial interaction?

 

The additional frustrating thing is when she starts barking at a dog accross the street, our sweet goofy Roodie will start barking too - which makes it hard for one person to walk them both.

It may be best to walk them separately while you work on this issue. If you want to walk them together, try to go at off-peak times, or find locations where you will be unlikely to come across other dogs. When walking with Ella alone to work on this problem, take treats with you. In addition to distracting when other dogs go by, reward her with treats and praise for focusing on you and staying calm in the presence of other dogs. In the beginning, you may need to walk her in areas where you will be far enough away from the other dogs to easily distract and get her attention.

 

Hopefully others will chime in with additional suggestions as well.

[Guest BlackandBrindle]

Some easy tips.

 

 

Always keep treats in your pocket. When she notices the other dog just flood her with treats (as long as she's not reacting negatively) so she associates them with good things.

 

Secondly, it's a really bad idea to introduce dogs while on leash. Every behaviorist I've worked with has strongly advised against it.

 

Teach her the 'look at me' command.

 

Teach her the 'look at that' command.

 

Keep her far enough away from the dogs that she doesn't react.

 

Spud has a lot of fear aggression on leash and these things have made our life together so much simpler.

 

Definitely work with her individually. Taking both of them and trying to train is like trying to herd cats.

 

I stongly recommend getting the book "Click to Calm." It's wonderful and will take you step by step through what you need to do. Good luck!

[Guest mariah]

Chips is not great with other dogs on-leash. Redirecting his attention for a treat really has worked wonders, he now looks at me expecting one whenever we encounter another dog. The big thing is to not let other dogs invade his space on walks. This has meant pulling him off to the side to let other dogs pass, crossing the street, and even letting other dog owners know that he's "not good with other dogs," which isn't exactly true, but I know that he will not have a positive interaction with a dog he is meeting for the first time on leash. I believe the reason for his barking/growling/reactivity has to do with him being very uncomfortable with meeting other dogs when he's on leash, and not feeling that I can be relied upon to protect him from their unwanted advances, so he must deal with the situation himself.

 

My parents did watch him recently and had some problems with him being reactive. Their dog, Bobby, loves loves loves other dogs, and when they took them both for walks together and encountered another dog, Bobby would be trying to entice the other dog to come closer and play, and Chips would be bristling and growling for him to stay back. This can be very stressful and frustrating for all three dogs involved, so I agree that it may help matters to walk Ella and Roodie separately (if possible) as you work on these issues.

[Houndtime]

The late John E had severe leash aggression. We took him to a behaviorist at the U of Penn. The most basic training suggestion was as stated. Carry treats and divert his attention. There were other things to work with, but the treats and attention diversion was the the most successful. He would see another dog approaching and look for his treat.

[NeylasMom]

Always keep treats in your pocket. When she notices the other dog just flood her with treats (as long as she's not reacting negatively) so she associates them with good things.

This is really the only tip you need, especially if this behavior is relatively new. Any time she sees another dog, the treats start coming. And actually, in this case it doesn't matter how she's behaving. You are just feeding a string of treats until the dog is out of sight, then the treats stop. You're creating a very basic association between something scary (the other dog) and something good (the treats). You'll know she has the connection when she looks at you automatically for the treat when she sees a dog.

 

In the meantime, no dog greetings. If she does react, or becomes so worked up she won't take the food, your solution is to say "let's go" in an upbeat voice and turn and walk away from the dog.

 

Also, use HIGH VALUE treats, something she doesn't get at any other time.

[Wonder]

What if they don't like treats?

[NeylasMom]

What if they don't like treats?

The age old answer is either your treats aren't high value enough or the dog is too aroused/anxious to take them.

 

I realize though that with new dogs, especially dogs right off of the track, it can take a little while for them to be comfortable taking treats outside. Try first in a setting where there aren't any other dogs or stimuli and see if you can find a food the dog will eat - canned chicken is a favorite of Pat Miller, lunch meat & microwaved hot dog pieces are also good ones, I always save my scraps from my meals (steaks especially) and cut them into teeny tiny pieces.

[Guest larock]

Thank you so much everyone. The day I posted this I was a bit frantic, DH was out of town and I had to walk them both but I was afraid to meet another dog and have them both go off. We went though and the walk was a good one, I kept her close and she did a lot better.

 

I think I've figured out what caused this new behavior; DH and I have switched dogs about 2 weeks ago. I went back to walking Roo and he got Ella back. The reason we switched in the first place is for her to get some remedial leash training (she's a brute at the best of times). Any way, DH is a great guy but a little soft when it comes to the houndies (actually, he's a complete push over...). I think Ella was totally taking advantage of this. She knows she can't get away with this crap when I'm walking her but she just pulls him all over the place and he lets her sniff and do whatever she wants (Bad, DH, BAD!!!). Good thing we didn't have kids....holy mixed messages....

 

Anyway, we switched back and I'm walking Ella again and for two nights in a row she went by 4 dogs and didn't even look at them, not even a peep. We didn't even try to meet them, that's another chapter, but for now using positive praise and keeping her moving seems to be working. Oh, and did I mention that until she gets better at this she's got about 12 inches of leash, slack leash but not a long one...

 

Thanks everyone! Walks are staring to become happy times again.

[Guest Shermanator]

I'm glad to hear she's back to 'normal'.

My sweet bridge boy Patton was attacked by another dog during a walk, and Patton was never the same. We tried everything mentioned above, and we just couldn't stop it. He'd go Cujo, like 'I'm gonna eat your face off before you get me.' I finally realized I was the problem. I felt so bad for him, I'd try to soothe him, and talk to him, and he could've cared less. I realized I was scared too, (of another attack,) and he felt my lack of confidence. I started changing my behavior, and it helped. I'd walk past another dog quickly, confidently, and kept Patton on the othe side of me with a short lead. He started to settle down. Soon, it was a warning growl when we'd pass other dogs, and as soon as they passed, he was back to normal. However, if I did not pay attention to my surrounding, and another dog came near us and did not pull Patton into a short leash, so he was right next to me, he'd go Cujo. We worked with him every day we walked him for the rest of his life to help him gain more confidence.

 

I'm glad to hear she's back to 'normal'.

My sweet bridge boy Patton was attacked by another dog during a walk, and Patton was never the same. We tried everything mentioned above, and we just couldn't stop it. He'd go Cujo, like 'I'm gonna eat your face off before you get me.' I finally realized I was the problem. I felt so bad for him, I'd try to soothe him, and talk to him, and he could've cared less. I realized I was scared too, (of another attack,) and he felt my lack of confidence. I started changing my behavior, and it helped. I'd walk past another dog quickly, confidently, and kept Patton on the othe side of me with a short lead. He started to settle down. Soon, it was a warning growl when we'd pass other dogs, and as soon as they passed, he was back to normal. However, if I did not pay attention to my surrounding, and another dog came near us and did not pull Patton into a short leash, so he was right next to me, he'd go Cujo. We worked with him every day we walked him for the rest of his life to help him gain more confidence.

[msjpk]

After reading this post, I decided to re-train Lou as his manners on leash are not to be desired.

I started using chicken bites, at least he is paying attention to me and we will see how it goes when other dogs are around

[Guest conrad0491]

When my grey King would go on walks if he spotted another dog he would stop immediately, stand perfectly still and drool all over himself and my shoes. I could also feel his muscles tense and then hear that deep in the chest growl. It used to give me the chills when he did that.