[cargo]

We are seeking advice on how to deal with occasional aggressive behaviour of our dog towards other dogs. Cargo is a 2.5 year old goldendoodle (golden retriever/ standard poodle) cross. In most respects, he is an excellent pet. He is fairly laid back and quiet in the house, affectionate with people and kids, and generally not very excitable. He walks very well on the leash, allows us to cut his hair, trim his nails, and brush his teeth. He never gets up on the furniture or beds, and is never destructive to anything in the house. He plays regularly with 3 or 4 dog friends, and has been socialized to play in a group of dogs, which he does very well with no problems. The problems occur only when he meets a new dog at a park, or on a trail. Most of time (say 7 out of 10 times), the meeting does not go well, with Cargo growling and lunging at the other dog. This can occur if the dogs are on-leash or off-leash, but is definitely worse when Cargo is on-leash. The rest of the time, he is OK with the new dog; they sniff each other and move on. He also is OK when introduced to a new group of dogs that he has not met before. We have responded to this problem by putting him in a sit when the other dog is approaching, and giving him a leash correction when he lunges. This has helped some, but if the other dog is off-leash and approaches us, he usually will still growl and lunge.

We are puzzled by Cargo’s behaviour. Why is he OK with groups of dogs, and with some individual dogs, but not with others? What approach should we take to deal with this problem?

[kelliope]

Leash reactivity is actually fairly common, I'm finding.

My dog also has reactivity after being attacked by loose dogs on our walks.

At one point I did leash corrections. They seemed to work at first but only ended up increasing her reactivity.

Now I do this:

1. I do not let unleashed dogs approach my dog. This is the hardest part. I am able to pick up my dog in a pinch, but usually try calling out to the owner to leash their dog. I am on high alert to know where loose dogs are and avoid them.

2. increase the distance between my dog and the other dog. The distance should be such that the dog doesn't react. You never want the dog to react. The whole idea is to PREVENT the reactivity.

3. when the distance is sufficient to avoid reactivity, I practice sit, etc. and reward with a treat. The idea is that you dog begins to associate the other dog with focus on you and a reward.

4. After you have that down, you can gradually reduce the distance between your dog and the other dog. If you dog shows any signs of reactivity immediately turn your dog around and go the other way and increase the distance to an acceptable level for your dog.

This all takes a very long time. But it is well worth it. It, imo, is the only method for truly curing reactivity. Other methods only increase your dog's anxiety and therefore increase the reactivity.

I wish you the best of luck. I know who stressful and embarrasing this can be. But hold you head up and do right by your dog - believe me, there are many of us out there struggling with the same thing!

[pamperedpups]

I highly recommend Leslie McDevitt's "Control Unleashed": http://www.controlunleashed.net

[riseagainstme]

Originally Posted by cargo

We have responded to this problem by putting him in a sit when the other dog is approaching, and giving him a leash correction when he lunges.

Just a guess, Im a newbie myself so take my advice with a grain of salt. But I think this is your problem. Your dog wants to approach dog->your yank leash->dog chokes->dog associates other dog while on leash with getting choked->dog wants other dogs to go away so he doesn't get choked->you yank again->dog gets angrier at other dog for making him choke... go away other dog-> etc...

As to how to correct the problem, I'd start by reading the "meet me in the middle" sticky at the top of the board.

[cargo]

Thanks everyone for their advice. I will check out the book.

I have heard various opinions about whether it is advisable to use a leash correction in this situation. I find that it seems to help a bit.

Anyone else want to weigh in on this?

[kelliope]

Ime, leash corrections will give some immediate relief of the problem, but over the long term it will only intensify the issue and your dog's anxiety around other dogs.