New dog aggressive on lead

FrostyJack

Hey guys, I have booked into classes and about to book a session with a behaviorist for our new dog, who is almost perfect but when on the lead he goes crazy when he sees another dog nearby, but I want to get the ball rolling. He is a big fella and can be quite scary when he kicks off, doing jumps and barking. I am well able to control him but other onlookers look nervous. We rescued him a few weeks ago and he is 1 and neutered. He attends daycare and has no issues and gets on great with my other dog ( who he did the same thing to the first time they met). When in the dog park he is very good with most dogs and even when he was attacked twice by two boxers he didn't over react and just defended himself. He has a tendency to get in the face of other dogs as they enter the park and if he sees them through the fence before they come in he gets really agitated and aggressive. At all other times he is a model citizen. He gets on great with all people and is very obedient and intelligent. I have tried giving him treats (very food driven) and making him focus on me when we get near a dog but so far it has only worked sporadically, I am going to continue this but I am wondering if there are any other suggestions that may help. Thanks.

frash

What kind of dog is he & how old is he?

FrostyJack

frash wrote: »

What kind of dog is he & how old is he?

Lab cross, 30 Kg's and is about 1, he was taken from pound by rescue so no exact details on him.

VonVix

FrostyJack wrote: »

I have tried giving him treats (very food driven) and making him focus on me when we get near a dog but so far it has only worked sporadically, I am going to continue this but I am wondering if there are any other suggestions that may help. Thanks.

This is a great way to start changing his emotional response to other dogs, it probably just needs some refinement!

It's probably working sporadically because half the time your dog is over-threshold. By that I mean you are simply too close to the trigger. Work on a consistent distance to start off with, for example stay 50ft away from all dogs, if he isn't reliable at 50ft, work from 60ft. You need to find the distance you can get him consistent with then stick with it, and then slowly(!) close the distance for the following 10 sessions you have with him for example.

If his leash reactivity is fear based, be sure to reward with a treat for good behaviour* (asking him to sit for example) AFTER he sees the other dog. It's important to do it after he sees a dog, otherwise your dog can build an association that treat = dog near by, which means a heightened level of anxiety so he will be on the alert and start searching for a dog.

*Reward multiple times in a row in situations where the trigger is starting to get closer than you would like and your dog is remaining in place, or you feel he is doing REALLY well considering the circumstances he is under. Or just keep treating if you're feeling he is about to break from his sit and have a 'reactive moment.' If he starts reacting, bring him away from the trigger calmly.

Teaching your dog to look at you in the eyes is also super, super useful. I use a "watch me" cue with my GSD who thinks every dog wants to play with him. I have been teaching him heel + to ignore other dogs by using this cue, we have only started doing it in public when no others are around, as he still doesn't have the focus to be able to do it with distractions. Otherwise, he is getting better at not trying to leap at every dog he sees.