- Put your dog into a sit position BEFORE the dog engaging in the distraction. …
- Use positive distractions like a favorite treat or toy to redirect your dog’s attention back to you. …
- Reward the dog for doing the right thing (not lunging).
In this West LA dog training session, Boba, a Black Lab rescue dog, was the subject. He can be a little anxious at times and will bark and lunge at people who approach him.
While Boba has improved greatly in many ways—and I had the pleasure of working with him a few times during Corona—he is still receptive to human communication and is prone to barking when startled.
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Because they lunge at other dogs, people, or objects like cars or skateboards, is taking your dog for a walk something you dread doing? Walking an out-of-control dog is both physically and emotionally exhausting. While it may be tempting to skip walks altogether, doing so would deprive your dog of the mental and physical stimulation they require. Read on for advice on how to control and enhance your dog’s lunging behavior.
Leash-reactive dogs are frequently described as those that lunge and bark while being walked. “A reactive dog is one who overreacts to everyday situations, and a leash reactive dog is one who exhibits that behavior while being held on a leash. But why do they do this? There are three reasons why they might lunge. The least likely is aggression. Although rare, some dogs truly want to do harm. Fear is a far more common motivator. Dogs lunge to try to get rid of the feared person, dog, or other object, using the “I’ll get it before it gets me” strategy. Finally, if the leash prevents your dog from approaching a person, another dog, or an object, they may become frustrated and lose emotional control.
All of these reasons must be taken seriously, but it’s crucial to know which one is influencing your dog. Lessons in emotional restraint, for instance, are helpful if your dog is upset. If your dog is fearful, building self-confidence is key. However, some fundamental management techniques and treatments are the same regardless of the cause of the lunging.
Because every time your dog lunges, they are practicing the behavior and turning it into a habit, it is important to stop them. And the harder it is to break a habit, the stronger the habit is. But how do you stop your dog from lunging? First, never punish them for it. You will only exacerbate the problem. Your dog will intensify their fear or increase their annoyance because they’ll associate the punishment with the other person, dog, or object.
Second, use the correct equipment for walking. When your dog lunges, a buckle collar can put a lot of pressure on their throat. A front-clip harness is a better choice. When they spring forward, it will apply pressure to your dog’s chest and assist in turning them back toward you. Another choice for a leash-reactive dog is a head halter, also referred to as a head harness. It wraps around your dog’s nose and gives you the ability to steer their head like a horse’s reins. However, many dogs require assistance getting used to a halter, and they risk damaging their necks if they strike the leash’s end too hard. To avoid that, attach a leash to their halter and buckle collar so that the collar leash absorbs the force of lunges and the halter leash gently turns your dog’s head.
Finally, be proactive. Plan your dog’s walks for times when they won’t likely run into any triggers (such as other dogs, people, or objects that cause lunging). That might be late at night or with the sunrise. Also choose the quietest route. Additionally, keep an eye out for potential triggers so you can keep your dog far enough away from them to prevent reactions. That might entail avoiding the situation by turning around or crossing the street. Even better if you can divert your dog’s attention before they notice the trigger Keep a close eye on the surroundings and your dog’s body language so you can recognize lunging before it happens and take appropriate action.
Although it will stop your dog from lunging, management won’t change their behavior or lessen their emotional state. For that, try desensitization and counterconditioning. In the case of fear-based or aggressive reactivity, this technique will transform your dog’s emotional response from negative to positive, or from frenzied excitement to calmness in the case of frustration.
The trick is to place your dog near their trigger while keeping them far enough away that they don’t react. This is known as below-threshold intensity. That could be 10 feet, or it could be 40. And different triggers might have different distances. When your dog has reached the threshold, combine the trigger with high-value rewards that they would sacrifice anything to obtain, such as pieces of meat, cubes of cheese, or the opportunity to play with their preferred toy. You want your dog to associate the wonderful treats with the trigger in a positive way.
Start the process with your dog on leash. Wait for them to detect a trigger, then give them the reward right away. When they glance at the trigger again, offer another reward. Continue as long as the trigger is present. Once the positive association is established, your dog will eventually glance at the trigger then turn back to face you as if to say, “I saw it, now where’s my treat?” This tells you that your dog has realized the trigger causes the reward to occur.
You can now repeat the process by getting a little bit closer to the trigger. The objective is to gradually bring your dog closer to the trigger until they are just a few feet apart or less, all the while keeping your dog under threshold. Then repeat the entire process with a different dog or person. To persuade your dog that their trigger is what causes wonderful things to occur, keep saying it and give as many examples of the trigger as necessary. Because of this, whenever they encounter a trigger, they will look to you for a reward rather than rushing.
Try your best to control the environment during this process. You don’t want another dog or a stranger to sneak up and knock your dog down. Instead, enlist friends’ help so you can organize a training schedule that uses them or their dogs as the trigger. Alternatively, try placing your dog at a predetermined distance from a sidewalk or street so you can anticipate oncoming traffic but manage your dog’s proximity to it.
Teach Your Dog an Incompatible Alternative Behavior
Additionally, you can train your dog to engage in a behavior that is inimical to lunging. For instance, they are unable to simultaneously turn to face you and lunge at another dog. Your dog will eventually opt for this alternative behavior instead of lunging even when their trigger is nearby if you strongly reinforce it. Great options include “Watch me,” where your dog fixes their gaze on your face, “Touch,” where they aim their nose at something, and “Find it,” where you hide treats at your feet for them to find. Even when they are emotionally aroused, your dog can easily perform these because they are simple to teach. Furthermore, they turn your dog’s attention away from the trigger and toward you.
Whatever you choose to train your dog to do, make sure they enjoy it. Start your training session in a peaceful, distraction-free environment, and give lots of treats. This will demonstrate to your dog how simple it is to receive praise for a new task. Next, build distractions into your training. Then add the trigger at a below-threshold distance. Ask your dog to perform the replacement behavior when it looks at the trigger. Shower them with treats when they obey. Ask for the new behavior once more while gradually getting closer to the trigger. If your dog starts lunging again, you’ve moved too quickly or far. Your dog will eventually learn to interpret the trigger as a cue to perform the new behavior and receive a reward rather than lunging.
You might be able to use these techniques on your own with some dogs and have great success in a matter of weeks. For assistance with other dogs, it is recommended to consult an expert dog trainer or animal behaviorist who has knowledge of leash reactivity. A consultation with a veterinary behaviorist for your dog may also be beneficial. Medication can reduce your dog’s arousal levels during training if they are too high to learn, allowing them to advance more quickly.
Most of the time, leash-lunging can be changed into a mannerly and respectable behavior. With good management, you can at least lessen your dog’s outbursts. It takes persistence and commitment to your dog’s training procedures, but eventually you and your dog can go on walks without feeling stressed.
If you do it right, essentially you’re doing desensitization and counterconditioning simultaneously. I like to oscillate between giving the dog a treat directly into its mouth, the find it exercise and hand targeting or other easy cues. The reason we do the other exercises is so that we have a little bit of time in between them. Tossing the treats on the ground is a great way to stop dog from acting aggressive to people because they often sniff for other things that they detect on the ground when they’re looking for the treat.
I advised Boba’s guardian to practice this exercise a few times each week for 20 to 30 minutes at a time. It’s crucial to keep moving because if you go too far, your dog will become overly exhausted, which could make him irritable or reactive.
While Boba has improved greatly in many ways—and I had the pleasure of working with him a few times during Corona—he is still receptive to human communication and is prone to barking when startled.
It’s important that you teach your dog to find things before you start trying to do this kind of dog behavior modification. Teaching your dog to “find it” is easy to do, simply show your dog a treat and say “find it” as you toss it into the ground right in front of the dog. When the dog licks it up, say your marker word.
Play the find-it game or call the dog away from whatever they are looking at if you see a dog exhibiting any of these signs. You can pull them away from the leash if necessary, but this should only be a last resort. When your dog first notices something, you should be able to get it to leave if you are keeping an eye on the area.
FAQ
Why does my dog keep lunging?
Dogs lunge and bark at other dogs to warn them to “go away! go away!” They fear other dogs due to genetics, fights they witnessed as puppies, or any other frightening interaction with them.
How do you train a dog to not lunge?
Shower them with treats when they obey. Ask for the new behavior once more while gradually getting closer to the trigger. If your dog starts lunging again, you’ve moved too quickly or far. Your dog will eventually learn to interpret the trigger as a cue to perform the new behavior and receive a reward rather than lunging.
What to do if a dog lunges at you?
Try to turn away from the dog if it continues to lunge or jump at you in order to shield your face. If the dog is large enough to knock you over, curl up into a ball and place your hands behind your head while attempting to maintain as much composure and silence as you can.
How do I stop my dog from lunging at other dogs on walks?
Leash your dog loosely; a tight leash may make them more agitated. When your dog strolls alongside you, treat him; if he tugs on the leash or crosses in front of you, turn around. Use a treat to lure him back to your side. Instead of going head-on, walk toward the other dog at an angle or perpendicular to it.