An Overview of Leash Reactivity

Alison Smith, CTC

Barking and lunging at dogs, skateboards, people, etc is a behavior that is unnerving for all involved and can really make going for a walk a chore rather than a pleasure. Left alone the problem will grow worse. The quality of life for both the dog and the handler will suffer. Harsh corrections may stop the barking and lunging for a while but may also risk making it worse or cause the dog to turn on the handler. To effectively change this behavior takes some awareness of your dog’s arousal levels, some basic obedience type training, planning and compassion.
Arousal is any emotional stimulation, positive or negative. When your dog is excited to see you or to go to the park he is aroused. A dog is aroused when he greets another dog, chases a squirrel or smells something interesting on the ground. Often the dog is already aroused from sniffing the ground and in this heightened state seeing the dog across the street sends him over the edge. Before the dog launched himself at the dog across the street there were signs, body language, which indicated his change in demeanor and predicted what he was about to do. These signs vary from dog to dog. Sometimes it is as subtle as the skin tensing or as obvious as ears straining forward and tail straight up. Any time your dog is aroused there is an increased potential for it to turn from excitement and anticipation to frustration and aggression.
This is easier to understand when you picture a dog on a chain trying to play with the neighborhood kids, hitting the end of his chain day after day. Soon his curiosity and enthusiasm turn to frustration. Then when he sees a kid he anticipates feeling frustrated. Now you might think that the dog would give up trying to play with the kids. But they don’t. Dogs learn in two ways; by consequence and by association. Association is like Pavlov’s dogs and the bell; the bell is associated with food and therefore causes the dogs to drool as if the sound was food. He associates the kids with the jerk of the chain on his throat. The presence of kids makes him feel the same way as being jerked by the chain. In an aroused state, whatever the dog is focused on becomes the cause of the consequence. The dog doesn’t relate it to his own behavior.
The dog on a chain is an obvious source of problems. This same relationship between the dog and his surroundings exists any time there is arousal and restriction. This condition is called Barrier Frustration. The most common situations are windows looking onto the street, fences with a dog on the other side, front doors, being on a leash and being inside a car. Not every dog will develop Barrier Frustration nor will a dog have this reaction in all of the situations I described. It is however common for the problem to expand from one situation to another if it is not treated.
The treatment has two parts. One is changing the dog’s negative association with the trigger (kids, dogs, bikes, skateboards). The other is changing what he does, his behavior when the trigger is present. To change the association with the trigger you must find a way to present the trigger that does not cause the dog to react. Typically there is a distance at which the dog can tolerate the presence of the trigger but you can also diminish the impact of the trigger by putting it behind a screen, or just presenting the smell or sound without the visual. At this point, when the trigger is present and the dog is not reacting, you begin to reward with special foods, praise, toys. When the trigger is not present the goodies stop. This is known as The Open Bar method, when the trigger is there the bar is open, when the trigger is gone the bar is closed. The goal is to build a new association: whenever the trigger is present, great things happen.
For the second part of the treatment the dog is taught a series of behaviors that will be used to direct his attention away from the trigger and also give him a defined ‘new response’, something to do instead of lunging and barking. These ‘new responses’ are taught through repetition and reward in a low distraction situation. The goal is to have the dog respond to the command or cue without thinking. When the dog ‘knows’ something so well it is like a direct connection between your cue and his body it can then be employed direct your dog’s behavior when the trigger is present. At first it is better to use quick simple behaviors that can be repeated. A sit can be too much of a commitment for a wound up dog to make. Instead a nose to the palm, a target or touch exercise, can be more effective to redirect the dog.
These two parts of the treatment are combined. Initially using more of the first, creating a positive association with the trigger. If the dog’s reaction to the trigger is too intense for the dog to be able to focus on the handler, even for a second, use the Open Bar method to get that little space in the dog’s attention. The trigger equals great stuff. Soon the dog will see the trigger and quickly orient to the handler before barking and lunging. I call this the ‘crowbar of understanding’, creating that little space where learning can occur. When the dog gives the handler that little bit of attention it is an opportunity to ask for a little more. This is where the practice at home pays off. When the dog is able to do a couple touches or even a sit before focusing on the trigger the process of replacing the old response with a new one has begun.
When you put all the parts together the process goes like this. First you develop an awareness of your dog’s body language so you can recognize signs of arousal before a full-blown reaction occurs. Select a location for practicing where you can control the distance and duration of the session, ideally using a partner who will follow your directions. Using this awareness as a guide you place your dog at a comfortable distance or otherwise minimize the impact of the person, dog or thing that causes the reaction. At the first sign of arousal you begin Open Bar, giving your dog liverwurst and sardines as long as the trigger is present. Keep these sessions short, 3 or 4 appearances in a 5-minute session. You continue doing this until the dog looks at you when the trigger appears. Start asking for simple behaviors that your dog knows really well. As your dog’s ability to stay focused and working increases begin to decrease your distance from the trigger and increase the duration of the appearances. Eventually move your practice to less controlled locations to practice unplanned and sudden appearances.