Last week I received a topic suggestion from a blog reader who has a reactive dog. What in heaven’s name does one do about dogs who are off leash, while you are responsibly walking your dog on leash in “on leash only” areas, and yet some goofball dog runs up to your own and ruins all your hard work for the day/week/month?
Argh, I feel her pain. After years of working with Willie’s reactivity when he was young, I can instantly recall the feeling of helplessness and horror as some dog comes barreling toward your own.
I’ve written a lot about this, (see “Aggression Toward Other Dogs” in the Learning Center) but I thought this was a good time to revisit the topic. It’s such a common problem and affects a multitude of dog owners. Besides finding myself thinking a lot about Willie’s first years as a reactive dog (nothing like a medical emergency to start you reminiscing), we just put up a long-scheduled sale on the Dog-Dog Reactivity DVD and booklets, so this issue has been on my mind for a variety of reasons. Today I’ll link to posts and articles I’ve already written (don’t miss the comments, some of them are brilliant), but thought I’d summarize my thoughts about the issue now. Some things change, and some things never do.
YOU: You know the in-flight instruction to “put the oxygen mask on yourself first”? That’s our first job, to find a way to avoid that sense of helpless panic when a dog comes barreling toward you. Toward that end, three things:
1) Avoid When Possible: Apologies for starting with the obvious, but if I don’t say it I’d be remiss. It breaks my heart that the reader who wrote loves to walk in State Parks (so good for her and her dog) but is accosted by loose dogs that set back her treatment plan. I hate to say it, but sometimes you just have to avoid areas where you know dogs aren’t on leash for awhile, even thought it’s a loss. I found that walking Willie or client’s dogs in areas close to busy roads drastically cuts down on the number of loose dogs. Not as nice a walk for sure, but safer while you’re working on a treatment plan.
2) Feel Strong: It’s not good for you or your dog to feel helpless and panicked when a dog runs at your dog. It can’t possibly make your dog feel more relaxed, it makes it harder to respond appropriately, and it’s no fun. However, how else would we feel when we know that a dog fight might ensue or at minimum your dog is going to react badly? BUT, if you have some tools in your pocket you can radically change how you feel. I learned this the hard way when doing a house call and being surrounded by four seriously aggressive dogs as soon as I got out of my car. What did I have to protect myself with? Pretty much nothing. That’s when I began carrying a walking stick, NOT to ever, ever hit a dog with, but to protect the space around me or me and a dog. I have literally almost never had to use it (i.e., wave it at a dog or hit the ground in front of my legs), but I can’t tell you how much less helpless I felt. If you feel stronger, surely that can help your dog too.
3) Wait! What’s That? The other tool, which you literally carry in your pocket, is a handful of small, tasty dog treats to throw into the face of an approaching dog. Here are some videos that illustrate how to Stop an Approaching Dog. Basically, you throw (hard) a handful of dog treats into the face of the dog, and it stops them cold in many cases. Will this method stop a dog hell bent on attacking you or your dog? Of course not. But it is much more effective than people usually believe, and stops dogs who are loping over to ‘say hello’. I learned it from Trish King, have used it numerous times and have had consistently good results with it. Caveat: You have to practice this. Have to. I’ve learned with clients that if they haven’t tried it on a dog they trust, trotting toward them and their dog, they will never try it when they need it.
YOUR DOG: Well, how long do we have? Obviously we could talk for days about why dogs are reactive, not to mention how to define “reactive” in the first place and then what to do about it. I’m using it as a catch all phrase that includes any dog who is uncomfortable in the presence of an unfamiliar dog. Usually we are talking about dogs who growl, snap or bark at other dogs but there is no reason not to include dogs who go still and silent, turn their heads or display some kind of discomfort in the presence of an unfamiliar dog.
Dogs can be “reactive” for a variety of reasons, the most common being fear, but what’s most important in my opinion is to discover the triggers and use both operant and counter conditioning to change a dog’s response from OH NO! to OH BOY! I describe the program I used for Willie in The Cautious Canine, and illustrate several methods with a variety of dogs in my Dog-Dog Reactive Seminar DVD. But here are the basics:
1) Identify the Triggers and the Tells. Exactly how far does a dog have to be away from your dog to elicit a response? Be specific and thoughtful about context–it will vary depending on the dog, (how big, how fast, etc.), the dog’s experience in the last day or two, and any other environmental stimulus that can effect your dog. Write it all down, it will help you be more specific. Regarding the “tells,” what does your dog do to communicate he is uncomfortable? I don’t mean a full-bore lunge and explosion of barks, I mean the first time your dog’s mouth closes and he goes still. Or stops and obsessively sniffs the ground. Or… whatever your dog does to first alert you that he is uncomfortable. Put on your detective hat. Channel Jane Goodall. Take notes. Be specific. Get into it, it actually can be fun. There are many good resources out there to help you learn to read subtle signs of discomfort. One, garsh, might be my DVD, Lost in Translation. Another one is Barbara Handelman’s book, Canine Behavior: A Photo Illustrated Handbook. For more ideas, go to Dogwise, they have a great selection.
2) Operant to the Rescue: The sky’s the limit here, but I find it extremely helpful to have a couple of cues that your dog has mastered that you can use to create the response you want. I describe “Watch” or “Look at Me” in detail in The Cautious Canine, because if your dog is looking at you, he’s not lunging at barking at another dog. I found playing tug to be a better reinforcement than food for Willie, but every dog is different. You can also teach a Playbow on cue (a wonderful way to relax both your dog and the other one), “Get back” (behind me), Sit (no matter what else is happening),
You can also wait for your dog for your dog to offer the response you want on his own. See Grisha Stewart’s BAT 2.0 for a good description of how to set your dog up so that he is on the boundary of his “threshold,” and reinforce him the instant he offers a relaxed response. Some trainers believe that dogs learn much faster if allowed to initiate a behavior on their own, and I think that is true for many dogs. In my experience, it depends on the dog. I honestly like having as big a repertoire as I can (Terry Ryan talks about having a big tool box–I think that is brilliant and have always tried to follow her advice.) There are so many resources out there that can help you here. Again, the best thing I can do is refer you to Dogwise and their extensive selection of helpful books.
3) Thank you Pavlov. The line between operant and classical conditioning is much fuzzier than is often allowed, but the end goal of any kind of treatment for a reactive dog is to change the dog’s internal affect so that his or her behavior changes. That’s the basis of classical conditioning, which changes behavior by changing internal affect and physiology. Here’s a video and links to other articles that show how you can pair something your dog loves with something that scares them to change their response. They key is to start with a low intensity version of what’s scary, and a high value version of something your dog loves. (Example: Your dog sees another dog two blocks away, and you immediately give him a treat or play tug with him.
In my experience, there is no one method that is best for every dog. Terry Ryan famously said that all good dog trainers need as big a tool box as they can get, and I’ve followed that advice my entire career. Every method has its advantages and disadvantages, which is why I go through all of them in the Dog-Dog Reactivity Seminar DVD. (I promised my staff I’d mention that it’s on sale again. Can I have chocolate now?)
I hope this summary acts as a good resource for those of you out there who are dealing with this issue. I think dog-dog reactivity is a much bigger problem than it was before–so many of our dogs meet other dogs when on leash and being forced by sidewalks to walk directly toward them, and so many people are getting their dogs out more (yay!). The good news is that most dogs can learn to happily anticipate greeting other dogs. Just ask Willie, who, with a very few exceptions, loves meeting other dogs now.
MEANWHILE, back on the farm: Ahhhh, what a difference a weekend makes. Not to mention putting Willie’s major surgery behind us and knowing that he should be fully recovered in three weeks. In case you missed it, here’s a summary of last week, in which Willie had emergency surgery after collapsing on Tuesday. Here he is, resting below me as I clack away on my laptop. He is subdued (I think a great example of “learned helplessness”–great topic for a future blog, hey?) but given that they took out 1/3 of his liver and his gall bladder just a few days ago, he’s doing great. We are so grateful for the care he has received from such great veterinarians and medical teams.
And more good news: Maggie and I took a few hours off and went to John Wentz’s winter series sheepdog trial Sunday morning. (Jim was on Willie duty, bless him.) I had one goal and one goal only: Keep Maggie moving and on her feet the entire run. That’s harder than it sounds, because stopping your dog can give you a tiny moment to evaluate what the sheep are doing and decide what to ask your dog to do next. I was super happy with our run because I met my goal, although not perfectly. I said “Stand” twice, which I know is not a cue she and I have mastered, and she lay down both times (she loves to lie down), but I got her up instantly. Overall we did well, and I got to practice keeping the run flowing as I need to. I made a handler’s mistake at the second drive panel, all on me, so we didn’t get a winning score, but we had a great time, I accomplished my goal and she handled the sheep beautifully.
And John has lambs, first I’ve seen this year:
And just to pile on the good tidings: Look what is popping up through the soil! Oh oh oh. I wonder when the first bulb flower will bloom. Any guesses?
xxx case study of “lock and load” dog xxx
xx dog-dog reactivity I xxx Sept 10 2010
xxxx dog-dog reactivity II the basics xxx
Vicki in Michigan says
Thank you for all you do to help dogs (and people)!!!
I have always wondered about one of the pop-up umbrellas, if that would stop a charging dog. Or maybe just too much trouble to control and not as stiff and people-confidence-inspiring as a walking stick……………………..
Kat says
Reactive dogs, oh yeah. Finna AKA psycho bitch from hell has come a long long way but I doubt she’ll ever really be safe or sane. I have no idea what she’d do to an off leash dog that got too close and I have no desire to find out since her behavior when she sees one 20 feet away leads me to believe the results would not be pretty and would no doubt be very expensive paying the vet bill. I’m always amazed by the number of people who are offended when I try to keep their dog safe by asking them to leash their dog and not let them interact with Finna. I’m not worried about her safety she can take care of herself; and I doubt she’d hesitate to ‘take care of’ their off leash pal. I’d really like to be able to walk her in the woods near our neighborhood but all of the entitled people who believe that leash rules don’t apply to their precious buddy who has no manners and no recall makes that impossible. I’m a midnight dog walker because that’s the only time we don’t meet unleashed dogs on a regular basis. But even at midnight we still run across unleashed dogs from time to time.
Throwing treats in the face of an oncoming dog worked a treat (pun intended) the one time I needed to use it. We were on our way home from a walk when the neighbor decided to come out and get something from their car. Unfortunately, the instant they opened the door neighbor’s reactive dog came charging out to confront mine. I hurled my handful of treats at the oncoming dog as hard as I could. The throwing motion made the oncoming dog slow at which moment treats rained from the sky, the oncoming dog stopped to snarf treats and I was able to hustle Finna down the street shoveling treats in her face as fast as I could. Thank you so much for continuing to share that tip.
Lucy says
Years ago, I had a dog who was very reactive around people. Though I walked her leashed, we would frequently encounter loose dogs on the trails we walked. The dogs were not the problem- the loose humans running after their dogs were my biggest concern.
A B &B I went to once had a wonderful solution for reactive dogs. She had acres of land fenced in, and a way for people to signal to one another that they were in the enclosure with their reactive dogs.
It would be wonderful if there were more places like that. That way, the non reactive dog I live with now could run free on trails without worry, and those with reactive dogs could also experience the same, safely, without generating blame and anger.
Thank you
Chris Wells says
For the people who want to let their dog off leash and do not have a 100% reliable recall, I recommend a 20 ft lead line. Mine is left over from my life with horses and it is great for dogs. They can wander on down the road or trail ahead of you and they feel free as a breeze, but should you need it….they are still connected to you. I would not leave home without it!
Margarita palacio says
I wish the Lucy would have identified where that B&B is located.
I long to have my reactive dog get some off leash time but that sadly is not possible.
I’ve also had an encounter where someone’s dog barrelled out their door and made a beeline straight for us. I used the treat trick with no luck, perhaps because they were still in treat bag but I’ve changed that so they are loose in my pocket.
Anyway this dog was 3 times my dogs size I could only keep my dog behind me while saying NO to him. I don’t think he was aggressive but that doesn’t make a difference to my dog who is freaking out. The worse part is woman who owned him was older and tiny and it took her a while to get him . She then says oh , he’s friendly. Walking away with her dog I hear her say ” those were mean people and mean dog”. SIGH!
Grace says
As the parent of a reactive dog (signs are either looking away & turning away or squealing & lunging), I’ve been working this issue from several angles, and especially try to take advantage of unexpected opportunities when my dog goes on high alert. 1) When we are in the house and my dog starts squealing and racing between windows when he sees a dog outside, we play the engage-disengage game; we also do this when we are out walking and encounter other on-leash dogs. 2) When my husband is outside talking to a neighbor with leashed dogs, I leash my dog and take him to just within whatever distance HE decides he can be without reacting; when he settles (however long that takes), we move a little closer but still out of contact range (he’s not ready for that yet). My friends and neighbors are happy to help with this once I explain why I’m doing it. 3) We recently started working on “emergency U-turns; ” this is most effective if I see an off-leash dog in the distance before the dogs see each other. We had an encounter with a very determined terrier recently. She was NOT interested in the kibble I threw at her, but I was able to block her access to him and we got away. Though it takes a little more space, I’ve found a plastic Easter egg with kibble inside to be more effective. The plastic Easter egg makes a bigger target – looks like a ball when you throw it – and will split and spill kibble when it hits the ground, and the plastic egg pieces are something else to investigate once the kibble is gone. I also carry Spray Shield citronella spray, but think a walking stick (telescoping/folding?) is a great idea. I am also hoping that some of your readers who routinely let their dogs off leash will read this post and be more empathetic and responsible.
Kathleen says
I have begun to consider my 15 month old pup a “reactive” dog, not because he reacts negatively toward other dogs but quite the opposite, he wants to meet most every dog (he has made some exceptions for large non friendly looking dogs). When walking leashed, he will lie down when he sees another dog – he initiated this “I want to meet. And because he is also people friendly, he occasionally does it for people. His greetings and meetings are friendly.
Although I have taught him “Stand”, his brain is frozen and I cannot get him out of his down mode. I have been working on trying to break his obsession with “Look at me”, with moderate success.
Usually when I try to explain to the other dog owner that I am trying to teach him to pass some dogs by, they bring their dog over to meet! 😆
Yesterday, he was playing off leash with a dog pal off in a park, spied another dog at some distance and ran off to meet it. It went okay but those dog owners were concerned because their dog can be reactive. This was a first but I was suitably embarrassed, apologetic and now know he can only be off leash in a dog park.
Barbara says
While staying in another town, I took 95 pound Casey for a nice long on-leash walk. A loose dog came running toward us from behind barking and looking purposeful. My first thought was, “I’m in big trouble.” I quickly put Casey in a sit-stay beside me, turned toward the other dog with my hand up like a traffic cop and yelled, “No! Stop!” several times. The dog stopped, we took a few steps, and the dog came toward us again. I yelled, “No! Go home!” several times. And he did. The best part that my big reactive boy did nothing. He stayed in his sit and did not look at the other dog. Perhaps he thought my words (in my big mean momma voice) were directed at him too. In any case, it worked.
My worst problem is when Casey sees a dog before I do and reacts (lunge/bark) before I have the chance to ask for a different behavior. This happened recently when we walked around a vehicle and he saw the other dog (on leash and not close) before I did. The other problem is that the owner of the dog is never helpful enough to just stand still until I get things under control. So Casey’s lunge/bark is rewarding because he “made” the other dog leave.
Belgian Mom says
We are working through this at this moment, including me healing from injuries involving an incident and the new neighbor’s reactive dog that was off leash. My two, that were leashed, reacted when we were charged in our yard. I work hard at training my young dogs, a herding breed, so that they are good canine citizens and neighbors. Our new situation will continue to be long term education. Thank you for the timely post.
Chloe De Segonzac says
This is a difficult topic for me. I walk dogs and care for them when their peeps are out of town. My most important task is to keep everyone safe. I do carry a handful of treats in my pocket because of your articles. In addition I go nowhere close to dog parks, I cross the street if I see a dog on alert a block away or a large dog walked by a person who could not hold dog back. (Large Anatolian attacked Husky two weeks ago. I didn’t want to get close but I yelled at Husky owner to call 911 as the owner of large dog was rapidly taking off. She weighed under 100 lbs, and had a cane). I wish people did not drive to parks and use them as a way to have uncontrollable dogs off leash!
If the dog I care for is reactive. I give the long walk between 5-6 in the morning, and choose large streets with cross streets where I can see who is coming around corner. I may even walk in the middle of road if all is quiet. I also stop with parked cars blocking view of dogs across street.
And as you said I observe and understand the triggers.
It is very difficult to care for such a dog.
In Portland Oregon I highly recommend the Humane Society classes for reactive dogs. I have accompanied clients and I can’t say enough good things!
Barbara Byer says
You reminded me today of my grandfather who taught me at an early age about stock sense, working collies, and stewardship of the land among other lessons. He always carried a large weathered oak stick worn smooth about four feet long he called his shelaileigh. Before we went walking around the farm or in the timber, he always grabbed the shelaileigh. And he said, “Pick out a good stick. We can’t go walking without a shelaileigh.”
lora says
I wonder if you have any advice for how to know when a reactive dog is ready for off-leash time with other dogs? My Chihuahua mix rescue has made great strides and now has a dog “friend” down the street who we regularly walk with. She enjoys seeing this friend and they greet each other happily, but I still see signs of nervousness. The other dog’s owner would like them to play off leash in her yard. How do I judge if this is ok? This is my first dog and it’s hard for me to let “fo” of the leash. I have never seen my dog play with another dog off leash, which is sad.
lora says
Also, I have a suggestion that probably won’t help many people, but I’ll leave it anyway–we live in FL and have had a great time bringing our dog-reactive dog to Orlando. It is such a tourist town (and everyone flies) that the streets in the tourist areas are virtually empty of dogs. Our dog is fine with people but just can’t handle dogs, so it works great for her, especially because we sometimes worry that she is living an overly isolated life due to the dilemma of not being able to do take the dog anywhere that she is allowed…because there will be other dogs there! An experience like this keeps a dog-reactive dog “in the mix” of seeing lots of new places and people. I do have to note that you cannot bring dogs to the theme parks, but dog friendly lodging is easily possible if your dog can be crated some of the time. and there is actually a lot to do in Orlando besides parks. I would imagine there may be some other tourist areas that are sort of like this.
Janet says
@ Barbara. NO STOP works for me too. I have to constantly be on the lookout for other dogs though. It makes going for a walk not so much fun because I have two dogs. I will definitely try the treats, thrown at the other dog idea.
Minnesota Mary says
I’ve had a lot of success dealing with loose dogs while my dogs are on leash. My go-to method is to pull all my dogs behind me (anywhere from 2-4 at a time). I hold all the leashes in one hand and start with holding the free hand up, stomping my feet and yelling STOP! NO! SIT! BAD DOG! GO AWAY! If that doesn’t work and they get close enough for me to touch, I start kicking and yelling even louder. In the meantime the owner is usually trying to catch their (illegally) loose dog. I’ve never had a loose dog penetrate my perimeter, although a couple have tried to circle behind me. I live in a city with strict leash laws and usually take the time to address the issue with the owner once he/she gets their dog leashed. I’ve never had dogs under my care that remain reactive after I do this a few times and since I foster for a rescue I usually have the opportunity to do this at least once with each foster dog. The foster dog, along with my own dogs, always takes away the message that I am in charge of all dogs (even the loose dog with bad manners) and that I will protect them. With multiple leashes in my hands, I just don’t have one free to grab a handful of treats and throw them at an approaching dog. Plus I prefer not to reward bad behavior (and both the owner and the loose dog are guilty of that)
Casper O' Hane says
If someone’s dog grabbed a hold of mine, or came close enough to it, I would not hesitate to hit it with all my strength. I have one of those flashlights that also shocks, and I wouldn’t hesitate to use that either. Neither of these things unless I felt I had to, I would throw treats at the dog first for sure if I had enough time, but if I did feel I had to, I would. I personally feel that in that situation it’s my job to protect MY dog, not the other person’s.
Wendy says
Thanks for you column – with get better wishes directed to Willie!
I carry a lightweight, telescoping aluminum monopod clipped to my pants while I walk my dog (sometimes using the monopod to steady a camera). When an off-leash dog or stray approaches, I wave a monopod in its direction while saying “no” or “down” in a commanding voice. An incoming dog will usually stop its approach when s/he sees the monopod, with only a slight prod needed for the more persistent ones. People who don’t give a flip about leash laws or me and my somewhat reactive dog will usually call their dog when it looks like I might strike. My dog tends to stay quiet throughout, leading me to believe that she trusts me to take care of the matter. No reaction on her part is followed by many cookies and play.
I also carry a small “sound” alarm device and have toyed with the idea of tossing it should two or more dogs approach. I figure the loud noise might be a good way to startle and deter. Any thoughts on the sound bomb approach?
Jann Becker says
I’ve seen suggestions to use a bright yellow leash, or tie something yellow to your leash, to indicate that you don’t want your dog to interact with other dogs for whatever reason: reactivity, illness, training in progress, etc. I don’t think the idea was widely shared enough for many people to know what it meant though, and it’s not much help with off leash, out of control loose dogs.
I use a cane myself, and it seems to set up a perimeter around me so that a loose dog won’t come any closer. Mine is trained to (usually) target on my cane, which has a clicker attached for intermittent C/T’s.
Jane says
I once threw a full poop bag at a charging dog, when I didn’t have enough treats with me to be worth it. The bag didn’t hit hard at all, but definitely broke the dog’s focus enough for me to forcefully tell him to “leave it!” (which thankfully he responded to) and give us time to hightail it out.
I have a completely different topic I’m wondering if you could devote some time to in the future (sorry to put this here; I have no idea how else to suggest it). I might title the topic, “How do you know when you’re doing enough for your dog?” aka, combatting perfectionism in dog ownership. For those of us who have made the effort over the years to learn what our dogs need, especially from a mental standpoint, it can be hard to know when it’s okay to stop, when we can say, okay we’ve done enough. A lot of dogs aren’t particularly helpful with the cues they give back, as they often seem to have the attitude of, “That last thing you did for us with the fetch game/interactive toy/trick training was great! Now what’s next?” They would happily keep going. We have all learned so much about the inner life of dogs in recent years, and the old model of “send the dog out the door in the morning to play, and see it again at dinner” is completely archaic. But now that the pendulum has swung, how do we keep from becoming the canine equivalent of helicopter parents? My sometimes left-out husband would probably like for me to know, lol!
Beth says
Ahh, Jack is not dog-reactive at all but it can still be disconcerting to see a loose dog running towards you; one never knows if the loose dog is friendly or not, or if the loose dog is clueless or not (as he is nearly 11– how did this happen!! — Jack does not appreciate being bounced on by young adult dogs, thank you very much). And for some high-intensity dogs, “I want to play” turns into “Maybe we should fight” if they go over threshold with excitement.
I have found that putting him behind me and greeting the approaching dog myself can sometimes distract the loose dog long enough for the hapless owner to gather up the loose dog. At the very least, it avoids the full-speed greeting as the dogs try to maneuver around me.
In my mind, I differentiate between “reactive” and dog-aggressive; they are not really the same. So little has been written on training sites about the latter, and yet there was another story in my local news today about some poor person whose dog was killed by another dog who did so just for the sake of it (ran him down in a public place from a great distance with the express purpose of attacking). Our communities have a great need for educated people to speak out about this issue in a sensible way.
Julie says
I have an English Shepherd, male, neutered, 1 year old that is very reactive. I am in dog classes (on my 3rd round working on this). I have had him since he was 9 weeks old, Breeder has both parents, raised with children. I’m always asked if he is a rescue-if only I could say yes and his behavior would be more accepted. One of my big concerns is that he has grabbed my son’s leg and dragged him off of my daughter when they were playing around (my son is 5) It did not break the skin. He also grabbed by sister-in-laws pant leg and ripped it while she was giving me a hug. Very protective of me. He is fine with my husband, daughter who is 11. My son is quite loud and unpredictable. I have him feed the dog and work with him. Though he has never bitten him enough it has broken the skin, I am worried.
Kirsten says
I always carry and have successfully utilized citronella spray on loose charging dogs. Works every time.
em says
@Beth- That’s a great point, differentiating between true offensive ‘aggression’ and hostile/fearful ‘reaction’. I feel there is a tremendous amount of confusion in the general public about all sorts of dog issues, but none greater than the twin bugbears of the words “dominance” and “aggression”. Very, very few dogs that I’ve heard described by their owners as ‘dominant’ actually are socially high status in any way (being bossy or socially domineering out of anxiety is not the same as being high status, which stems from confidence), and after interacting with literally thousands of dogs over the years, off leash mostly, true aggression is also mercifully rare in my experience.
I have nothing but tremendous compassion for people who need to run the gauntlet of territorial loose dogs when out on their walks, and I have deepest sympathy with those who would simply prefer not to be approached. Otis the great dane went through a blessedly brief but moderately serious (he never tried to snap or bite, just froze, stared, growled, lunged, postured and in a few cases barked) phase of leash reactivity with other leashed dogs and it is an awful feeling so see someone coming closer and closer. Bad as a charging dog is, it was almost worse to spot a friendly face and wagging tail bopping up to you when you know your dog is likely about to create a Hulksmash! scene, especially since Otis was more than capable of overwhelming most dogs in a physical conflict.
(In our case, as a side note- Otis was bitten more than once, while leashed, by other LEASHED dogs. Leashes don’t count for much of anything if the human on the other end don’t actually prevent their dogs from approaching).
That said, I’m a little taken aback by the intensity of some of the reactions mentioned here. I could be misreading some of the comments as expressing a sentiment harsher than was intended. If my dog were being attacked or we were being charged in an apparently hostile or predatory way, I absolutely would do whatever I could to protect myself or my dog from harm, and if that’s all that’s meant, I am completely agree. I also understand the frustration of dealing with people who are not doing what they are legally supposed to be doing. BUT, there is a world of difference between chucking a soft item, shouting, stamping, or using a stick to block and discourage an approaching dog, and striking, kicking, shocking, or using citronella or pepper spray to burn the eyes and nose of that dog. I’m not saying I’d never take the more extreme measures, but certainly I would only feel justified in doing so in the case of an actual violent attack.
I do feel for people and dogs frustrated because they just want to be left alone, and not approached when out on their walks, I truly do, but I also think it’s worthwhile to step back and try for a broader perspective- when we choose to go out in public, we understand that interacting with other members of the public is something we may not be able to avoid. Again, I would NEVER say that anyone is unjustified in defending themselves from attack, but reacting with violence to a friendly approach is not normal, expected, or socially acceptable behavior, for dogs or humans.
Everyone, person or dog, SHOULD be able to set their own boundaries when it comes to physical space, and I absolutely agree that it is always aggravating and sometimes terrifying when people or dogs ignore or violate them, but there is a difference between politely declining to shake hands, speaking sharply to a person ignoring your preference, slapping away a person touching you without permission, and punching someone in the face for holding their hand out to you. There needs to be parity between the offense and the consequences.
And, just to stir the pot even more, if you know that your dog falls into the camp of extreme, violent reactivity, it really isn’t fair to be indignant that other people aren’t always doing exactly what they are supposed to be doing when things go wrong, much the way it wouldn’t be ok to go to a cocktail party with a human who had the habit of flying into a rage and punching people in the face any time he was unexpectedly touched and then feel annoyed that the people he punched didn’t respect the fact that they shouldn’t have brushed past him at the buffet.
I say this with no blame or judgement- ANYONE can find themselves with an aggressive or reactive dog. Trauma and instinct are hard to overcome, and so much harder for a dog who is forced to live by human social rules and to whom things can’t be explained, and who themselves can’t explain their needs and wishes in words.
But that said, if you know that you! or your dog might attack a friendly dog just for approaching you, is it really very different from knowing that you or they might attack a friendly person? Isn’t the onus on you to protect yourself, your dog, AND the public?
Chris from Boise says
When we had finally made enough progress with Habi to take her on leashed trails, off-leash dogs were our nemesis. That’s one of my biggest “pet” peeves. Even difficult dogs need outdoor time/time in nature; irresponsible/ignorant dog owners can spoil things in a flash.
Our approach: I heard somewhere that if a confident dog turns its back to an incoming dog, the incomer seems to think “Whoa, that must be one tough dude! Maybe I’ll think twice about approaching”. Our dear departed Aussie Bandit, who had great dog savvy, would turn away and casually, with great dignity, stroll away. It always worked to defuse potential space-invaders (friendly or not-so).
So we took the same approach with dog-clueless Habi, teaching an emergency U-turn with mega-value treats. The (presumed) psychology behind it, plus the actual “retreat” out of the other dog’s space, has worked well for us over the years. However, we had to practice it a lot in less difficult situations, so that not only she, but I, would remember what to do when taken by surprise.
When we take “fine in any situation” Obi on off-leash hikes, we model good ownership by calling him to us and asking an approaching dog owner if they mind a friendly greeting. When they answer “ours is fine”, we release Obi with a “go say hi!”. Then we explain that we have a reactive dog at home who taught us to always ask before allowing a greeting. I think it’s really important to educate dog owners at every opportunity, as most of us started out ignorant too (at least I did!). Most of us are, or were, goodhearted but clueless.
Casper O' Hane says
Jane: ha! Helicopter parents, ha, ha! I plead guilty.
Trisha says
A few thoughts here: Reading through these comments emphasizes to me how many people have “reactive dogs”, how varied that category actually is, and how varied are the responses to a dog running up to your own. I am also reminded how recent this issue actually is. “Loose dogs” were the norm when I grew up, and no one would have objected to another dog running up to their own. But of course, the fewer “loose” dogs, the more dogs, always on leash, have become defensive. A vicious circle if you will.
What strikes me especially is how much fear there is about dogs running up to our own. I absolutely understand it, believe me, been there. That’s part of why I’ve learned that taking away the fear (in us, not our dogs) is crucial for our sake and that of our dogs. I wonder if that explains some of the more draconian reactions too, the ones that ’em’ talks about–citronella in the face of approaching dogs, etc. I too would never want to cause suffering in another dog who just happened to come over to greet one of my dogs. (A full out attack is another thing altogether, but those are so very rare.) I do think we need to be benevolent to all out there, including people whose dogs aren’t under the control that they think they are. It’s easy to fall into “ain’t it awful” (and again, believe me, I’ve been there), but given that our dogs aren’t always perfect… well, then… I’ve found that thinking through feeling safe when walking your dog has a huge impact on how we, and our dogs, behave.
A few other comments: I didn’t directly mention teaching “Get Behind” or “Emergency U-Turn” (which is in Feisty Fido and several of the links), but I’m glad that several commenters did. I’ve found them to be oh so useful. Again, with a nod to Terry Ryan, the bigger our tool box….
Casper O' Hane says
Maybe I’m mistaken but I don’t remember anyone saying they would spray/shock/hit a friendly dog. My own words were “if another dog grabbed a hold of mine,” as in, with its teeth. Recently in my neighborhood a loose dog ran up to someone’s dog, picked it up, and shook it, almost killing it. All I’m saying is, in that situation, I’m not going to stand there helplessly yelling “No! No!” And watching my dog be ripped to shreds. I’m going to do whatever it takes to protect her. I think that’s justified.
Trisha says
Casper: Absolutely agree with that!
Margarita palacio says
Unfortunately not all dogs signal their intentions.
I had a loose pit bull charge my 17 year old 12 pound dog.
He immediately grabbed him by the neck and started shaking.
No bark. No growl. Just a silent attack. My son had to kick pitbull in the head/ mouth to get him to release, this encounter caused injury to my dog and injury to my wallet. I now have pepper spray on both leashes.
Will I mace every dog absolutely not but I will not hesitate to spray a dog intent on harming either one of my dogs.
I feel that if I take all the precautions necessary to make sure my dogs don’t bite you or your dogs then you should do the same or bear the consequences.
Barbara L says
When we first had our then 1,5 year old rescue Galgo she was quite insecure with other dogs. But I found out that yelling at the approaching dog (or just being “firm”) scared my dog whom I was trying to protect – she oviously thought I was yelling at her… so trying to sound happy and not at all worried with that other dog helped her more. Also I still try and give her space, sometimes drop the lead if possible, if another dog approaches us. Now she is 10 years old and usually she can manage although in some situations she will still bark at other dogs when on leash. If she is off leash she usually is quite confident and relaxed by now.
em says
@Casper, I did worry that I might be misreading your intent, and I agree that in the case of attack, all bets are off. What gave me pause was the phrase “if a dog grabbed a hold of mine OR CAME CLOSE ENOUGH TO IT”. I see now that you meant “an attack equivalent to grabbing”, but initially I thought you might have meant ‘any dog coming close enough to grab my dog’, which could have included a friendly approach.
I apologize for the misunderstanding.
T says
Trisha, if you see this, I’m curious what you would suggest for a shy/timid dog who takes time to warm up to new dogs. His reactivity I would say is more that he wants to go the other way and avoid confrontation. He is a pup who has had a few run-ins with another dog-aggressive dog, so I understand where his fear and trepidation come into play. He’s never offered anything beyond the “turn and run” or “stay still and hope the threat leaves” responses. How would you help change the mindset and increase comfort in meeting other dogs? So far I’ve found the best solution to let him “investigate” on his own, which he does very respectfully and cautiously (with dogs that I know and know to be friendly/welcoming dogs). It’s when he feels forced/trapped/unable to get away that he gets extra nervous.
Alex Speers says
@Jane, omigosh would I love a discussion on “How do you know when you’re doing enough for your dog?” I worry about this CONSTANTLY. I have a coming two Border Collie girl named Zucchini and she seems pretty happy and fulfilled. Still, we live in the city and she very rarely gets unstructured off-leash time (i.e. NOT trail running in the woods or hiking practicing recall, playing with balls in a park, attending treiball or agility or Control Unleashed classes). She’s not a dog park dog. I try to let her have plenty of sniff time on our walks, but I’ve noticed that even if I let her off leash in a park or field, she orients to me to play and doesn’t do the wander and sniff self-occupied activity my country dogs growing up did. I think she gets enough exercise (I run marathons and we hike and do plenty of walks and park-play), but is she bored? Do I need to play with her more? Train her brain more? Would she be happier with a puppy playmate? I try to engage when she wants to play in the house, but when is enough enough? I don’t have always have the enthusiasm of a young border collie after working all day, but I don’t want to be unfair to her. She’s an excellent doggo and lives loose in the house with no issues but dangit do I worry.
lynn says
I love Jane’s suggestion for a blog post on combating perfectionism in dog ownership. Of course, this is especially relevant to me right now because I just adopted a new puppy and am having literal panic attacks over my ability to do all the right things for her (the days are passing; things are getting better!).
My experience of living with a severely fearful dog, who was a very challenging flavor of “reactive,” is that it also makes *us* become reactive. I still remember the time my partner bought himself a heart rate monitor to wear while jogging — it would beep when his heart rate reached a certain point, telling him to adjust his pace. When he went running with our reactive dog, he discovered that each time he saw other people/dogs, his heart rate monitor would start beeping madly. In effect, our dog’s triggers became our triggers too.
Controlled set-ups helped a lot with managing our emotional state…and were good for our dog too. Now, I have so much retrospective compassion for all of us — at the time, I so often felt like a failure, but now I wonder why I thought I had to be constantly calm and resourceful. It makes me wish there were more caregiver resources for dog owners (and, as always, renews my appreciation for the tone of your writing, Trisha, which manages to be full of compassion for every species).
Great to hear that Willie continues to improve, and that you and Maggie are doing the herding work you love. It’s warm and spring-like here too, which is wonderful news for me: if I don’t mind chilly toes, I can race outside for potty training without stopping for shoes!
Trisha says
When is enough enough? GREAT topic for a blog! Coming right up, not next week (am overwhelmed with Willie care, writing Keynote for Penn Vet, etc etc) but soon soon soon. Off to do a radio interview (taped not live). Jim on the Willie Watch (every second, 24/7–NOTHING protects him enough from scratching the one #^#%!& part of his incision that doesn’t want to heal except Eyes On every second), my turn again soon.
Wendy says
I’m interested in knowing more about how the reactions of “city” dogs may differ from those of “country” dogs. I live in a city and I and many others walk our dogs (most of whom have been cooped up inside all day) along a narrow hike/bike path that borders a freeway. While signage reminds people of leash laws, roughly 10% of people insist on walking, running and biking with off-leash dogs. City police don’t patrol the path, so it’s pretty much an “anything goes” area. The noise from the freeway complicates matters, making it difficult to hear those coming up behind you. My dog responds to off-leash dogs who run up from behind and startle her by barking and lunging – although whenever I see the dog in time, she will walk with me off the path, sit, and watch me in response to a “leave it.” My ongoing concern relates to the potential for attacks, with two of my past dogs having required surgery after being bitten by off-leash dogs on this path (with the owners having taken off afterwards). While some off-leash walkers will temporarily place their dogs on leash when asked, more than half respond rudely. So I now carry a pole for the dogs (and mace for a couple of perverts who live in the adjacent homeless encampments) and discourage all unknown off-leash dogs from approaching. We walk many miles together, with some walks turning into a series of “running the gauntlet” exercises. Wish I had better options, but short of getting into the car and driving outbound for 45 minutes, every walk inevitably involves encounters with one or more hyped-up off-leash dog and their insensitive owners. How is it that dogs in European cities tend to get along, while the situation in US cities is so much different?
Chris from Boise says
Trisha – a couple of years ago, we ended up sedating Obi at night when he couldn’t keep from gnawing on the staples from an Achilles tendon tear. During the day we kept an eagle eye on him, but after a couple of sleepless nights, Mike and I asked the vet for sedatives (for Obi) so we could sleep. It helped all of us. Just a thought.
John Parsons says
I don’t remember who to credit but recently read an excellent way to help destress a dog…teach it to sniff on cue. It is an awesome way to divert your dog’s attention and sends the right message to the approaching dog.
John Parsons says
Just found the credit for putting “sniff” on cue. Donna Hill made a post about this on Facebook on March 12, 2018.
Dr. Tom Morgan says
Your books are incredible. Thank you for everything you do for dogs and helping all of us with ours. I am a huge fan and listen to many of your books while driving. The education of Will is certainly a favorite.
Linda Miller says
For those of you who attempt to use the ” Treat Distraction” for both your dog and other dogs,
you need a “High Value Treat”! Kibble does not qualify as a high value treat for very many dogs.
I use nitrate free hotdogs for the TRAINING of my two reactive, sometimes psycotic lovebugs!! There hasn’t been a single “OTHER” dog that thrown a fistfull of hotdog pieces wouldn’t go after those, while me and my two turn and walk away. I chop a hotdog into quaters lengthwise and then cut them across. My dogs are 10 lbs. each so they need to be small. FYI bigger dogs respond just as positively to small pieces as my smaller ones.When I have Max and Maggie in serious training mode I back off on their regular food. You can find this special treat at Walmart, surprisingly enough!!
Stephanie Israel says
I have had problems over the years with the numpty owners of an aggressive Husky/GSD mix who has no recall, has attacked many other dogs and also bitten a dog owner I know. They had been warned to keep this dog away from mine after it tried to have a pop at my elderly (& dog-friendly) Kerry Blue terrier. I was on a wood near where I live and had just let both my dogs off leash when I spotted this dog about 30 feet away. I shouted out “Keep your dog away” and grabbed my Kerry Blue terrier’s harness. He wouldn’t have started anything but woud not back down if this dog was aggressive to him. They couldn’t get their dog back so I walloped it a few times to get it away from my dog. After numerous problems with my previous friendly Kerry Blue and Staffies I took up nordic walking to have something to protect my dogs should the need arise. they then threatened me and called me very rude names. I got their number plate and reported them to the police for this ou t of control dog and also a public order offence in how they had spoken to me. I am frustrated that all the dogs that had previously had been attacked by this dog didn’t have owners who reported it to the police, especially the man who got bitten by this dog as it tried to grab a treat from his hand that he was giving his own dog. We also live near another numpty owner who has a reactive Balck lab who he didn’t walk on a leash near roads. I had always managed to cross over the road to get away form it with my dogs but one morning it just charged around the corner at my dogs. My dogs were very good and didn’t react back-again I hit it to get it away from my dogs as I didn’t want it to bite them and them get hurt and myself end up with a vet’s bill. Owner should not have had a dog off-lead near roads-especially as he knows it is reactive to other dogs! I warned him that if this dog was seen off-lead again near roads where i live he would be reported to the dog warden. the dog also had no id tag on which is against the law too. My dog is now reactive to other dogs on leash and I have always worked very hard to socialise and train him-it is so frustrating but I will carry on and help him. Stupid owners and irresponsible owners have a lot to answer for!