Leash reactivity is without a doubt the biggest dog behavior dilemma we are ever called in to address. We have created a full list of dog training tips to determine: If your dog has leash reactive behavior. Then, you can decide what you will do about it. And if you do nothing, you can get him back on track, get him used to leash training, and most importantly, have a happy dog.
The number one dog behavior concern that causes so much grief is leash responsive dog pulling. Dogs that constantly pull, shove, and jump all the time just aren’t very happy. If you see your dog doing these things, you should do one of the following. Find out the reason your dog is doing this and take the necessary steps to correct it. Some dogs have a genetic predisposition to leash responsive dog pulling, and you just need to find out what that is.
If your dog isn’t genetically predisposed to leash responsive dog pulling, you might have to do some “tricks” to get him over it. One easy trick is to get your dog used to being on a leash. You might start with something as simple as taking him for a walk, letting him off the leash and letting him get used to your presence. This could take anything from several minutes to an hour, but make sure you don’t rush it. He needs to get used to your presence and your voice, and you need to make sure he can hold it until you come back.
Another thing you can do to ease the tension is to teach him some walking skills. There are many different dog training tricks you can use to train your dog to walk on a leash. If you’ve got a really good harness and leash, then you can go ahead and teach him some basic walking skills using this equipment. Walking is the first step toward learning how to deal with leash reactive dog pulling.
Some people recommend the use of a spray collar to retrain your dog. I don’t necessarily support this method, as I’m not sure how effective it would be in correcting a dog that has already developed a habit of pulling. The spray is unpleasant to the dog, and it may not be very effective. You also have to remember that if you use this method on a dog that has a history of reactive dog behavior, then you risk the possibility of creating another habit.
When you do decide to take your dog into a professional dog training program, it’s highly likely that you’ll be required to sign a contract of obedience. This contract spells out the expectations of both you and the behavior consultant working with you and your dog. You should always be aware that there is a possibility that the behavior consultant may back out of the deal at any time, without providing any reason.
Leash reactivity and lunging can be prevented by using a bark collar with a transmitter. This will stop the dog from either hurting himself through barking, or lunging forward to attack a person. Whenever the dog lunges forward, the dog is put on a leash. This method has been shown to have much better results than other methods for dealing with leash reactive dogs.
The last thing I’d like to point out here is that while there are many ways to correct these behaviors, I believe the most important thing is for us as pet owners to avoid punishing our dogs when we don’t catch them in the act. We should instead make it easier for them to avoid bad behaviors by rewarding them when they are done or giving them treats. As long as we continue to do this, our dog will learn that when they misbehave, we will provide them with some form of punishment, instead of being their friend. Be sure to keep up the good work though, otherwise their confidence will be low and they might lash out again.