The other day I took Kuma to meet my cousin and her dogs. On the way into the park we met two other on-leash dogs (Kuma was also leashed at this point) and I asked if it was ok if Kuma met their dogs since he was pulling/excited to see them. When he went over there was a sudden growling and like.. lunging of all three dogs and I was SO SHOCKED. Kuma has never once in his life lunged at another dog like that and I have no idea what triggered it. Normally if another dog attacks him he won't even do anything.
I didn't think much of it because it was an isolated incident but then there have been two more similar incidents since then. Once when I was about to leave my cousin's place after a doggie play date and I had Kuma on his leash as we were heading out the door. He was like.. growling and making noises. Then just tonight we met another dog on a walk and I again asked if Kuma could meet him. Then he did the SAME thing he had done with the other two dogs we met at the dog park.
I have noooo idea what to do about this behaviour and I don't want to start avoiding dogs when we meet them on walks because that will just make it worse. Do you think if the next time we're at the dog park I just keep him on his leash so we can work on it? He is fine with other dogs when he's just running around with them it seems to be only when he's on his leash. :( Any suggestions would be appreciated!
Remember to use the 'Advanced Search' function of the forum before posting a new question. There have been several other threads about leash reactivity with some great suggestions. If after reading the other threads you still have questions, feel free to choose the thread that most closely resembles your issue and add to it. This keeps the forum neater and allows other members to easily find information if they have a similar question.
Quite a few dogs do not greet well on leash. Do not allow him to interact with other dogs while on leash. There are many triggers and reasons for this, usually an insecure dog. Working with a professional will prevent barrier/leash frustration from moving to redirected aggression.
Take a look at the book Feisty Fido by Patricia McConnell. Behavior modification techniques that include: desensitization, behavior adjustment therapy (BAT), functional rewards, Feisty Fido and clicker training will help you. Seek a trainer that understands these concepts.
Hi guys thanks for your reply! I decided to make my own thread because up until about five days ago Kuma was a complete dream on leash. He loved to greet other dogs and was polite, well behaved and never batted an eye even if the other dog snapped at him. I don't want to avoid meeting other dogs.. I want to address the issue and help him go back to the way he was. I am wondering what might have caused this sudden change in on-leash behavior since up until this point he was fine! Also, Kuma is almost 2 years and has been neutered for quite awhile if that helps...
Apparently at around age 2 is when a lot of this sort of behavior can start coming up. I guess some dogs just decide at that point that they're no longer okay with other dogs or with certain types of rude behaviors from other dogs, etc.
