Leash Aggression in Dogs

A very common hurdle that many dog owners often face while walking them is that of leash aggression. Leash aggression generally refers to a calm dog suddenly getting aggressive and confrontational towards other dogs while being led on a leash. Many owners find it hard to explain why this happens, and this sudden change in their dog takes them by surprise. It is generally, harmless as the dog on the leash simply snarls and barks at another dog but does not bite them. Nevertheless, owners who are walking the dog can get quite perplexed by this phenomenon.

Even though, the dog never really ends up harming another dog or person, this uncalled-for aggression ends up posing a lot of problems for the person walking the dog. Inadvertently, that pet owner ends up changing their walking patterns and this is not a healthy thing. Walking a dog is meant to be an enjoyable and relaxing experience, for the dog as well as for the owner. The aggression ends up ruining this experience for both parties, and something should be done about it immediately.

Also known as leash reactivity, this behavior ends up confusing many people. The primary reason for this is that the animal only ends up showing aggressive behavior when it is on a leash. The same animal appears to be very friendly and amicable with other dogs when it is not on a leash. This drastic change in behavior cannot be traced back to any particular incident in the dog's life, and it seems to be an inherent quality in many pet dogs.

Understanding Leash Aggression
It is important for a dog owner to understand that a dog will display leash aggression when its social skills are underdeveloped. Dogs who are used to interacting with other dogs rarely display such qualities, and it is said that the combination of the agitation and frustration builds up to the outpouring of rage. When a dog is outside there are a lot of different sights and smells that sometimes leave the dog very confused. This results in the building up of a lot of agitation. Its triggering occurs when they sight another dog and just simply 'lose it'. The combination of all these factors ends up in such an occurrence, and the best way to treat it is by ensuring that the dog interacts with other dogs since a young age.

Imagine that you are walking outside and wish to explore all the new sights that you see around you. You want to move around freely and go from one spot to another, but are unable to do so because someone has a leash tied around your neck and is willing you to go wherever they want. This is bound to get you frustrated as well and inadvertently, you will end up removing this frustration on a poor unsuspecting soul. This is exactly what happens, and there is no immediate cure for it. Only proper conditioning and dog leash training can change this attitude of a dog.

Containing the Aggression
There are a few ways to get rid of this problem, but you must realize that these methods take time and patience, and also require a certain amount of change on the owners part as well. You have to train your dog well and make sure that he listens to your commands as and when the time arises. This can only be done through a patient training routine, and by providing the dog suitable rewards when he is obedient.

Understand your dogs behavior well and learn to recognize the signs of leash aggression and other behavioral problems in their initial stages. There will be certain distinct movements by the dog and you must learn to stop this behavior by distracting the animal at the first sight of these signs. The more you let the behavior escalate, the harder it will be to curb. The most important thing though, is for the dog owner to stay calm and composed. Leash aggression does lead to a lot of tension in the owners and this is translated into physical actions in no time. The dog immediately senses this change in the posture, change in breathing, tightening of the leash and change in movement of the owner and gets further agitated due to this. In order to avoid this, the owner must stay calm and talk to the dog soothingly but firmly, and take him away calmly.

Ultimately you must remember that leash aggression rarely ends up in actual violence. It is simply a way for the dog to intimidate the other animal. The key here is for you to stay calm and not get panicky, and divert your dogs attention away.