dog is agressive when on the lead

dmm82

Hi I have a 3 year old lab cross, we fostered her from a dog rescue around 4 months ago and have now adopted her. She is a lovely dog, really calm and gentle manner but on the lead this changes and it seems to be getting worse. When she sees another dog she starts barking and jumping and growling and dragging me over towards the dog, she is big and black so can look very scary to others when she does this. Usually once she gets near the dog she just wants to smell them and is then fine but the other day she went so far as to snap at the other dog. I was scared as was the other dog owner.

I don't know what to do as at home she is grand and when off the lead around other dogs she's fine too. Shes really strong and I'm terrifed that next time I won't be able to pull her away.

muddypaws

dmm82 wrote: »

Hi I have a 3 year old lab cross, we fostered her from a dog rescue around 4 months ago and have now adopted her. She is a lovely dog, really calm and gentle manner but on the lead this changes and it seems to be getting worse. When she sees another dog she starts barking and jumping and growling and dragging me over towards the dog, she is big and black so can look very scary to others when she does this. Usually once she gets near the dog she just wants to smell them and is then fine but the other day she went so far as to snap at the other dog. I was scared as was the other dog owner.

I don't know what to do as at home she is grand and when off the lead around other dogs she's fine too. Shes really strong and I'm terrifed that next time I won't be able to pull her away.

Whereabouts are you, people may be able to recommend a behaviourist or training classes to help you work on the issue, its actually a very common one, so don't worry. The rescue you adopted from should also be able to help.

dmm82

i have gotten some training, I had a girl come out to my house and I know what I should be doing but when she sees a dog i just cant control her, she goes crazy i'll contact the dog rescue and see what they say

muddypaws

dmm82 wrote: »

i have gotten some training, I had a girl come out to my house and I know what I should be doing but when she sees a dog i just cant control her, she goes crazy i'll contact the dog rescue and see what they say

Maybe a really well run training class would be beneficial, as she would then be near other dogs, but explain to the trainer before you sign up, what your issues are.

It is difficult, I have a dog like that myself, and you need to get them focused on you before they see the other dog. Do you have any friends with dogs that could work with you, maybe just them and you, in a quiet area, with the 'stooge' dog off in the distance, then gradually getting nearer? Is that what the trainer that came to your house did?

Tranceypoo

I have a dog like this too, one of the (few) benefits of living in the backside of nowhere is that I can usually go for walks without meeting other dogs, so it's not a huge issue most of the time, however on the down side of that, I never get a chance to train her round other dogs. Having said that when I've taken her to doggy type events, you know summer dogs shows and the like, she's actually fine, she even won a prize in a show last year, so I'm not sure what her trigger is, maybe it's walking on 'her turf' I really don't know.

Some advice I was given by a trainer was to get her to focus on me, now this is impossible when she's already seen the other dog, so start at home, with a high end treat, food or toy whatever works for your dog and really try and perfect getting your dog completely focussed on you and use a word 'me' or 'look' whatever, only then can you take it outside into 'the real world', as muddypaws says if you could get friends with dogs to help you practice that would be great.

tk123

OP where are you based? If you're in/near Dublin and can afford €90 there's a seminar this Saturday in Positive Dog Training about leash reactive dogs. The trainer doing the class is Nando Brown and is one of the best trainers I've met.

Dodd

A front attach harness might help cut down on the pulling.