My dog is becoming lead reactive

Try to find walking spots where everyone lets their dogs off-lead (I head out to a forest about 9 miles away at least once a week and to a large city park about 22 miles away once a month, as my youngest pup needs to socialise with other dogs).

If your dog is on-lead and you want to avoid an interaction, whatever you do, don't tense up the lead! Stop walking and reposition YOURSELF to act as a shield between your dog and the "obstacle" you're trying to avoid.
It’s the jerking of the lead that makes a dog think whoever they're passing is a potential enemy, whereas an owner who stays active and doesn't just treat their dog like a piece of luggage teaches them about "polite distance" before any potential contact.

Hi there, He’s barking out of frustration because he wants to go and play with other dogs... Try some off-lead walks with one or more dogs so he can burn off some energy and have some fun. You can also gradually teach him to ignore other dogs when he’s on the lead (e.g. "okay, you can go"... "no, not this time"... "okay, go on"... letting him say hello every other time, then every third time, and so on). How old is he? My Boxer, for example, had off-lead walks with other dogs almost every day until she was about 2 years old. Since then, she’s the one who lets us know when she’s particularly interested in another dog (by lying down to play, for instance). Depending on the context and the environment, we either say yes (well, she’s usually off-lead anyway 😅) or tell her to "leave it" (putting her back on the lead if needed, for example if she's interested in a dog that’s on a lead). If you meet his socialisation needs according to his temperament and age, he’ll also find it easier to leave things be when it’s not possible to play. First, focus on meeting that need, and alongside that, do a bit of work on his emotional regulation (possibly, if he needs it, though it might just be due to a lack of doggy friends).

Hi there, 

 

The trick to managing encounters with other dogs is to be as proactive as possible! For example, if you feel your dog might get on well with the dog coming towards you, let them go for it, but if you spot any signs of discomfort from either of them, don't hesitate to use your recall. It’s best not to stop them every single time, though, especially if they are clearly keen to interact.

On the flip side, if you’d rather your dog didn’t go and say hello this time, try to make staying with you more rewarding. You can use toys, treats, or a bit of a fuss, depending on what your dog likes best. You want to avoid every encounter being linked to being deprived of something, otherwise your dog might end up constantly frustrated and could start associating passing other dogs with something negative. To avoid this, you should let them interact with some dogs, but also reward them for choosing to stay by your side rather than just stopping them from going over (the psychology behind it is quite different).

 

Kind regards, 

 

Flavie

Hi there, the solution is right there in your post. Without meaning to, you’ve made him think there might be an issue... start going for off-lead walks again and let him socialise. You just need to relax and stay calm during every encounter.