Aggresive on leash

[caroline]

Hello,

How do you work/curb aggessiveness on leash?  Seti is like CUJO when i walk her and she sees anyone.  She barks and snarls and growls, very scary.  If i let her run at the dog park she is fine with people and dogs.  I can't let her run anymore because she eats everything in sight (poop) and gets sick every time so that program is done!  At home she is docile and sweet until someone comes to the door, but she calms down.  She never calms down on the leash.  Any suggestions?  My neighbor has not been able to pet her yet and she has been here almost 6 months!

[BanaerEskies]

I have one just like her that I recently took in! 

Desensitizing is often a good method for retraining the leash issues.  Keep enough distance away from the "distractions" that cause her to go Cujo and give lots of cookies and keep her focus on you (teach a watch me command).  Slowly (like a foot a day) more closer to the distractions and cookie cookie cookie for staying focused on you. keep moving closer until you are "there". 

It is not easy when you can't control where other dogs are, so that may be the challenge.  I use fenced dogs in the neighborhood mostly 

Another trick can be to find a dog not known to her, but that you know and is calm and get that owner/dog to go for walks with you.  I find that my Cujo dog will take the cue from the calm dog and settle down.


have neighbor bring her treats.  at first drop on the ground so the Seti has to move toward the neighbor to get them, make her get closer each session....make sure treats are AWESOME.  Eventually make her get treat from the top of neighbor's shoe, then in hand but off to side, eventually from hand while other hand pets. 

Keep training short (like under 3 minutes per session), sweet, and happy.  If you are not in the mood, skip the session until you can be more upbeat. 

Good luck!

[Yukon]

Nancy's advice is great!  Dogs that seem "aggressive" on leash are usually acting out because they are afraid.  They are afraid of the new dogs/people/places, and they lash out because it's a warning "stay away from me!"

Yukon became VERY reactive (lunging/barking) at other dogs when on leash when he was a teenager. Yukon was attacked by a supposedly "friendly" dog during an on-leash greeting.  Although we're still working on it, we have had unbelievable improvement using desensitization and the Control Unleashed program (particularly the Look At That game).  He can look at the other dogs and turn back to us for a reward. *Also, we NEVER go up and greet strange dogs anymore, EVER.*  A few weeks ago, we walked Yukon on leash by a dog park with lots of dogs playing and running around, and he didn't react at all!  He knew that we had cookies for him, so he'd look at the dogs and back at us for his cookies!  I had another major success with him shortly thereafter when picking him up from daycare.  I was taking him for a potty walk before getting in the car, and another dog (a big, black dog -- the type of dog that he is most afraid of) started to come up to us with his owner (they were coming back to pick up their poo), so they were about 25 feet away.  The dog started to bark at Yukon, and Yukon looked at the dog.  I didn't have a treat, but Yukon looked at me, and we just turned around and walked away.  Yukon never reacted at all!  I think it is because he has learned the new rule structure --- he never has to go up to another strange dog.  I will protect him, he doesn't have to scare the other dog away.

I just posted this in response to Paula's question about Sweet Pea, but I'll post it here too.  It is a really great book with a step-by-step program for how to deal with this type of situation.  Control Unleashed by Leslie McDevitt: http://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=1328

There's a Games Demonstration DVD (you can also buy a Video On Demand of individual games):http://www.cleanrun.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=2357
And an awesome, very active Yahoo group for folks who have read the book and are working through the program.

Good luck!