Does your dog tend to pull on the leash during walks? Then he might be suffering from a behavioral issue known as “leash reactivity,” according to the American Kennel Club.
+ Why do we identify dogs as male and cats as female? Psychology has the answer
+ Humans can communicate with dogs using devices with buttons, study suggests
According to the AKC, dogs that are “leash reactive” typically react with overexcitement, fear, or aggression to the leash during walks. When he does this, he’s developing a habit, and the more he does it, the harder it becomes to break this habit. So, what to do?
Don’t punish your dog
The AKC explained that you should not punish your dog for attacking the leash, as this will likely worsen the problem. Your dog will associate the punishment with the other person, dog, or object, which may strengthen his fear or reactive response.
Be proactive
Plan your walks for times when it’s unlikely that your dog will encounter any triggers. This might mean adjusting your schedule to walk when fewer people are out, such as in the evening or early morning.
Change your dog’s emotional response
According to the AKC, desensitization and counterconditioning can help alter dogs’ behavior by changing their emotional responses from negative to positive or from uncontrolled excitement to calmness.
One way to do this is by training with rewards or treats. “Start the process with your dog on a leash. Wait for them to notice a trigger and immediately offer a reward. When they look at the trigger again, offer another reward,” suggested the AKC.
“Continue while the trigger is present. With enough repetition, your dog will eventually look at the trigger and then look back at you, as if to say, ‘I saw it, now where’s my treat?’. This indicates that your dog has realized that the trigger makes the reward happen, so a positive association is being formed.”
“Now you can get a little closer to the trigger and repeat the process. The goal is to slowly reduce the distance between your dog and the trigger until they are a few meters or less away while keeping your dog below the threshold. Repeat the entire procedure again with a new dog or person,” said the AKC.
“Keep repeating with as many trigger examples as necessary to convince your dog that the trigger makes great things happen. They will look to you for a reward instead of attacking,” the experts added.
After a few weeks, you can start taking walks at a comfortable distance from others. Make sure to reward your puppy because he reacts, as every negative experience will set him back. If he reacts, increase the distance next time and repeat the steps.
This content was created with the help of AI.
