It’s safe to assume that if a dog can get over, under, or through a barrier, she will. This raises the question of how to keep a dog in the yard once she figures out how to beat the fence. To be honest, the only reliable way to keep a dog from jumping the fence is to build a better fence. Training your dog to respect boundaries can help, but there is no way to guarantee that training will hold if something frightening or exciting happens while you are not there to reinforce the behavior you expect.

Why Dogs Escape

Identifying the cause of the problem won’t change how to keep a dog in the yard; to reiterate, if a dog is capable of getting out, always assume the time will come when she will. However, having an idea of what motivates your dog might offer some insight into how to improve her life overall. While the human/canine communication barrier prevents us from knowing exactly why a specific dog might decide to leave when an opportunity presents itself, we can make some educated guesses:

• Boredom: A dog who is not getting enough stimulation may feel the need to go look for something better to do than hanging around in the same old space doing the same old things.
• Loneliness: While some dogs are fine by themselves, others don’t like to be alone for long periods of time. If company can be found outside the yard, then over the fence they will go if they can manage it.
• Separation anxiety: A dog experiencing separation anxiety may attempt to get back to where she feels safe – namely, with her humans. If this seems like it might be why your dog is trying to escape, it’s time to stop putting her out in the yard alone and first work on resolving her anxiety. Anxiety and fear can drive a dog to extreme measures such as flinging herself at the fence, biting or tearing at barriers, or forcing her way through too-small gaps.
• Fear: Similarly, if something in the yard scares a dog to the point where she feels the need to escape, she will be very motivated to find a way out, fence or no fence.
• External stimulation: There are a plethora of things that can trigger a dog’s desire to approach something they can’t reach because of the fence. Whether it’s chasing squirrels or wanting to get to another dog or human, seeing something on the other side can create a need to get out.
• Fun: Sometimes the grass just looks greener on the other side. Exploring can be reason enough to go wandering even if there is plenty of fun stuff to do at home.

Good Fencing for Dogs

While no barrier is perfect, a good fence will go a long way toward keeping your dog in and other animals and humans out. Things to consider when assessing fencing for dogs include:

• Your dog: Step one is to observe your dog, keeping in mind any traits or behaviors that might play a role in how she interacts with a fence. For example, an energetic, athletic dog may need a taller, stronger fence than one who just wants to laze around in the sun when outside. That goes double for a dog who has shown signs of wanting to jump or climb. On the other end of the fence, a small dog or a dog who wants to dig may need something that sits flush with or below ground level. Keep in mind that a puppy or a dog who is new to the household may become more willing to test the fence as she gains confidence.
• Fence height: While 6 feet is generally considered a safe bet for most dogs, there is no fool-proof guide to guessing the right fence height. Typically, taller dogs call for taller fences, but there are plenty of small dogs that can get some serious airtime and they have less mass to weigh them down when climbing. It’s worth noting that the current record holder for “highest jump by a dog” logged a leap of 75.5 inches (6.3 feet). The record was set for a clean jump; if a dog can get a paw on something to give them a lift, or jump high enough to get paws over a support and climb the rest of the way, even a 6-foot fence might not be enough if you’ve got a real athlete on your hands.
• Fence add-ons: For a determined climber or digger (see the sidebar below), there are some options to help keep them from getting out. An inward slanting panel at the top of a fence can make it harder to climb over while a concrete strip or L-shaped footer buried underground can serve to keep a digger contained.
• Gaps and spacing: Pay attention to any gaps in the fencing, particularly at corners, gates, and where the fence meets the ground. Also note how closely spaced the fencing material is. A good rule of thumb is that if the dog can get her head through, the rest of her could follow.
• Material: Discussing the pros and cons of fencing materials could be an article unto itself. In short, the best option depends a lot on the dog, location, and available budget. Of the more commonly used materials, chain link and other metal mesh fences are durable, low-maintenance, and often more budget friendly. However, they are climbable, flexible, and often have gaps at gates or corners. Wooden panel fencing provides more privacy and less external stimulation, but tends to require more maintenance, especially in harsher climates. It can also be chewable and provide purchase for determined climbers. Vinyl panel fencing is lower maintenance and longer-lasting than wood while offering many of the same benefits. It is also slippery enough to make climbing difficult, but can be more expensive and harder to repair if damaged. Brick or stone walls are great for containing dogs but can get very pricey, especially if they need to be taller than a few feet.

Extending Existing Fencing

When it comes to extending a fence your dog has already (or nearly) escaped, half measures generally won’t cut it. For example, if you were to add only a foot to a fence your dog has jumped or climbed over before, you may end up encouraging her to just try harder next time. The same goes for diggers; a footer that goes a short way past the depth your dog dug to previously might actually teach her to dig deeper. Also, filling in or reinforcing only the spot your dog dug out of may push her to try other spots along the fence instead. To be effective, fence extensions need to be significant to stand a chance.

The Dangers of Tie-outs and Invisible Fences

It may be tempting to look for other ways to restrain your dog outside if existing fencing isn’t doing the trick, especially since a new, dog-safe fence can be a major expense. Unfortunately, there aren’t many good options available.

While it was once a commonly used approach, leaving a dog outside on a line or chain puts her at significant risk of injury. First, it’s too easy for a dog to get tangled in the line, even if there aren’t any obvious objects to get stuck on. If the line gets wrapped around a leg, or worse, around the dog’s neck, it can cause sprains, broken bones, or strangulation. There is also the risk of neck and back injuries if the dog were to get jerked to a sudden stop by outrunning the length of line or chain.

Electronic “invisible” fences, which usually work by supplying a shock, vibration, or sound via a special collar when the dog goes past the set boundary, aren’t a good way to go either. Even if you pick a “pain free” option that cues the dog with sound or vibration and provide training based on positive associations, it comes back to the question of “Will it hold when something scary or thrilling happens?” Let’s say a loose dog comes running through the barrier (which he can’t see or feel) and starts a fight with your dog. In the fear and confusion, how likely is it that your dog will remember her training and prioritize staying within the boundary over her own life?

What to Do if You Don’t Have a Dog-Proof Fence

Whether it’s the expense, the circumstances (such as rental property rules), or if you’ve just found yourself sharing your life with an incredible dog who can get through anything not designed to hold a grizzly bear, building a better fence isn’t always possible. It’s worth remembering that a fenced yard is not a requirement for giving your dog a good life. As long as you are able to provide her with appropriate exercise and enrichment through walks, training, and other activities, she doesn’t need to be loose in a yard to be happy and healthy.

The post How to Keep a Dog from Jumping the Fence appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

• Age: Young puppies and senior dogs generally don’t need as much exercise as adolescent and middle-aged dogs; in fact, you can easily cause them physical harm if you try to do too much, either walking them too far or too many times in a day.
• Fitness: A lean, fit dog can go for several long, energetic walks a day. An overweight, out-of-shape dog needs to take it very easy, with slow strolls – and not too far.
• Elimination Habits. Some dogs poop just once a day; some poop three times on every walk. And some dogs won’t (or can’t seem to) poop until they’ve walked for a mile or more. When you’ve determined what works best for your dog, it will keep his physical discomfort at a minimum if you maintain a consistent schedule for his opportunities to eliminate.
• Health Walking should always be reduced in duration and frequency for short-term conditions like a scraped or lacerated paw pad, heartworm treatment, or temporary recovery from surgery. Longer-term health challenges such as chronic breathing problems or painful conditions like arthritis call for slower, shorter walks.
• Breed or Type: In general, dogs bred for high activity – sporting, herding, and working breeds, for example – can (and should) get a lot longer walks than the short-legged brachycephalic breeds like the English Bulldog, French Bulldog, and similar short-nosed dogs, or giant breeds like the St. Bernard or Mastiff.
• Environment: Your dog can suffer from extreme heat or cold, and your walks should be shortened considerably at these times. Again, it can be breed-specific to some degree; your Siberian Husky, bred to pull sleds in cold and snow, can stay out a lot longer in sub-freezing weather than your Chihuahua can, while your Pomeranian (whose ancestors were also originally bred to pull sleds!) is likely to suffer heat stress a lot sooner than the Greyhound, bred centuries ago to chase wildlife in the Egyptian desert.
• Desire: While we tend to assume that every dog loves to hike for miles, we are increasingly paying attention to our dogs telling us what they want to do! Dogs need mental and physical exercise and enrichment to thrive – but this doesn’t always have to be delivered by a walk! A “sniffari” (a slow exploration of a field or park on a long leash, completely at the dog’s pace, allowing him to sniff everything for as long as he’d like) can be as tiring – and more enjoyable for the dog – as a five-mile walk. In contrast, chasing a ball or flying disc in the backyard can be more fun and more tiring than a boring human-pace walk. Think about what your dog likes to do best, and, at times, deliver up exactly what she’d most enjoy.

A couple caveats: If your dog is an exercise addict, always wanting to go farther and faster, longer and faster walks may not be in her best interest – and may lead to her over-eager anticipation of a half-marathon or footrace every time you attach her leash. To develop a more balanced approach to her walks, alternate the long walks with shorter ones, encouraging her to sniff and look around.

If, in contrast, your dog sometimes balks on your walks, laying down or pulling for home, you are likely overdoing it – and she maybe experiencing some physical discomfort you can’t appreciate; a consultation with your veterinarian is in order. There is no valid reason to force your dog into an activity she doesn’t enjoy.

There may be medical considerations that go beyond the ones we mentioned above. Your dog’s vet is the expert when it comes to physical concerns about too much – or not enough – exercise for your dog.

The post How Often Should You Walk Your Dog? appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

Oh, wait. That’s it. The leash. He’s leash-reactive. But why?

REACTIVITY

Reactive behavior is defined as an abnormal level of arousal in response to a normal stimulus. In other words, the dog overreacts strongly to something that most dogs can handle calmly, offering behavior described as barking (sometimes screaming), lunging, snapping, and sometimes biting. It can refer to dogs who overreact to visitors at the door, people passing by the car window, trucks, skateboards, and a variety of other stimuli in addition to other dogs. Reactivity often involves aggressive behavior, but not always. The three types of dog-to-dog leash reactivity we commonly see are:

• Offensive Aggression Reactivity. The dog who truly wants to go attack other dogs because he really doesn’t like them and wants to get them.
• Defensive Aggression Reactivity. The fearful dog whose display is meant to keep scary dogs away.
• Frustration Reactivity. The dog who loves to engage with other dogs and is immensely frustrated when not allowed to do so.

        It is the third type, frustration reactivity, that we will discuss here.

DOG-TO-DOG LEASH FRUSTRATION REACTIVITY

Frustration reactivity can be the hardest of the three for a dog’s caretakers to understand. It’s easy to grasp that some dogs just don’t like other dogs, or are afraid of them, and the resulting displays make sense. 

But when your dog clearly loves other dogs, it seems counterproductive for him to put on a show of behaviors that are usually quite off-putting to humans and other dogs alike. Why is he doing something that is likely to make other dogs want to avoid him, rather than approach? Because he can’t help it!

This behavior is most often seen in dogs who have a history of being able to approach other dogs whenever they want, on-leash or off. It may be the dog who simply has never been on-leash around other dogs – he grew up in an environment where dogs were off-leash and mingling all the time. This might have been a shelter, hoarder, or rescue situation where dogs were communally housed, or a rural community where dogs were allowed to regularly run loose. It might even be a dog imported from a street-dog colony in another country.

Alternatively, it might be a dog whose human routinely encourages him to “Go say hi!” to other dogs when walking on leash, even allowing the dog to drag her up to other dogs for greetings, often to the dismay of the owner of the dog being greeted.

In any case, this reactive dog is frustrated when he is thwarted from his desired goal of greeting the other dog, and his frustration results in an emotional display that can be quite impressive. This is often described as “low tolerance for frustration” or “lack of impulse control,” and the leash-reactive dog may well demonstrate these behaviors (perhaps to a lesser degree) in other frustration-causing situations as well. 

Where the solution for a defensively or offensively aggressive-reactive dog is usually to move farther away or out of sight, this often only upsets our frustrated greeter even more, increasing the intensity of his emotional display as he sees the object of his desire disappearing from view. So, what to do?

POSSIBLE TO PREVENT

Prevention is always better than modification; that’s why I have a “no on-leash greeting” policy at my Peaceable Paws training center as well as for my own dogs. To interact with other dogs, we go to a safely enclosed space where my dogs can socialize without the constraints of leashes, where we are not creating expectations of on-leash greetings.

If it’s too late for prevention, you have a variety of training and behavior modification options.

CLASSICAL CONDITIONING

Classical conditioning involves creating associations that result in emotional and physical responses. When Pavlov’s dogs salivated at the sound of the bell, it was because their brains had made an association between the sound of the bell and the arrival of the food. Their behavior wasn’t deliberate and it wasn’t under their control – they simply responded because their brains had come to realize that the sound of the bell reliably predicted the arrival of food.

The aggressive-reactive dog has a negative association with the presence of other dogs, and reacts accordingly – with aggression. The frustrated-reactive dog has a positive association with the presence of other dogs and reacts accordingly, with excitement.

Counter-conditioning changes an already existing association. In most cases, we are working to change a negative association to a positive one. In the case of a frustrated greeter, we are working to change an out-of-control positive association to a less exuberant but still positive association. Our goal is to have a dog who is happy to see other dogs but can still be calm and controlled about his happiness. This is a relatively simple procedure, and I have had a lot of success using it with frustrated greeters. 

The easiest way to give most dogs a new association is with very high-value, really yummy treats. I like to use chicken – frozen strips, canned, baked or boiled, since most dogs love chicken and it’s a low-fat, low-calorie food. Here’s how the process works:

1  Determine the distance at which your dog can be in the presence of, alert and aware of another dog, but reasonably calm. This is called the threshold distance. 

2  While holding your dog on leash, have a helper present a calm, leashed, neutral dog at your dog’s threshold distance. Or, alternatively, position yourself and your dog so that a leashed dog   appear at threshold distance. The instant your dog sees the other dog, start feeding bits of chicken to your dog. Pause, let him look again, feed again. Repeat as long as the other dog is present.

3  Continue pausing and feeding until the other dog is out of sight. (Or, after several seconds, have your helper remove the other dog and stop feeding your dog.)

4  Keep repeating steps 1-3 until the presentation or appearance of a dog at that initial threshold distance consistently causes your dog to look at you with a happy smile and a “Yay! Where’s my chicken?” expression. This is a conditioned emotional response (CER) – your dog’s association with the dog at threshold distance is now about chicken instead of excitement and arousal.

5  Now, increase the intensity of the stimulus (the other dog) by decreasing the distance between the other dog and your dog. In small increments, move your dog closer to the location where the other dog(s) will appear, achieving your dog’s goal CER at each new distance, until your dog is happy to be very near to the other dog. Note: It may take a number of trials over a number of days or longer to achieve this!

6  Then return to your dog’s original threshold distance, and work on increasing the intensity of the other-dog stimulus. You can do this by having your helper encourage her dog to be more active (perhaps by jogging by, or playing fetch or tug), or by increasing the number/frequency of dogs appearing. Gradually decrease distance and attain your goal CERs along the way, until your dog is delighted to have the more active/increased number of dogs in close proximity while remaining calm.

Caution: Because your dog wants to greet the other dog(s), she may become more aroused when the other dog(s) goes farther away or out of sight. If this happens, have your helper keep the neutral dog in view. Alternatively, engage your dog in other activities that she loves (such as targeting, playing tug, or catching a ball) to take her mind off the missing dog when the other dog is out of sight. 

BEHAVIORS THAT CAN MODIFY REACTIVITY

You can also use operant conditioning – teaching deliberate behaviors – to modify reactivity using a procedure known as Reverse CAT (Constructional Aggression Treatment). 

The CAT procedure uses negative reinforcement (wherein the dog’s behavior makes an unpleasant thing go away). Say the dog is stressed and unhappy about seeing other dogs. The handler sets up a situation that exposes the subject dog to another dog – and moves the other dog away from the subject dog in response to any increase in the subject’s calm or relaxed behavior. The subject dog learns that behaving in a calm and relaxed manner will keep other dogs away. Once he is calm and relaxed, he no longer feels the need to keep other dogs away, and no longer displays aggressive behavior. (For more about this, see “Build Better Behavior,” WDJ May 2008.)

In contrast, a frustrated canine greeter is reinforced by any opportunity to move closer to another dog. So the Reverse CAT procedure uses positive reinforcement (wherein the dog’s calm behavior makes a good thing happen); when he’s calm, he gets to move closer to the other dog. The procedure also uses negative punishment (wherein the behavior we don’t want – his aroused behavior – moves him farther away from the dog). 

Note: Don’t worry about the technical terms; they are confusing to even some very experienced trainers! I’ve included them for the sake of those who want to understand what behavioral constructs are at work here.

Start at your dog’s threshold distance (close enough to the other dog for him to notice, but not so close that he begins any frantic or excited behavior). Start walking toward the other dog. As long as your dog is calm, keep moving forward. As soon as he starts becoming aroused or excited about getting to greet the other dog, turn and walk away to whatever distance it takes until he is calm. As you repeat this multiple times, he will hopefully come to realize that the only way to get close to the other dog is to remain calm.

If your dog remains calm all the way up to the other dog, go on a nice, calm, parallel walk with the other dog. Sometimes (not every time!) at some point in the walk, find a safe, enclosed area where you can drop leashes and let the dogs play with a “Go play!” cue. (You don’t want to drop leashes and play immediately when your dog calmly walks up to the other dog, as this will again reinforce your dog’s belief that he gets to play with every dog he walks up to.)

This is not a simple procedure and is best implemented under the guidance of a behavior professional who is experienced with the protocol. When it works, it can happen amazingly quickly for a frustrated greeter. But for some dogs, the frustration of constantly being walked away is just too great, and they may only become more frustrated. In this case, the other protocols described here would be better.

BEHAVIORS THAT HELP WITH MANAGEMENT

If your dog is a frustrated greeter, you know that management is key to a low-stress existence. Often, management just means keeping your dog far away from other dogs. But there are times when some operant (trained) behaviors can help you through unexpected or unavoidable encounters. Here are two such useful behaviors:

• Find it! This is the easiest behavior you will ever teach your dog. Just drop a high-value treat between your feet and cheerfully say, “Find it!” If necessary, point to show your dog where the treat landed. Repeat many times, until when you say “Find it!” your dog runs to your feet to look for the treat. Your dog will have a very positive classical association with the “Find it!” cue, so it will put his brain in a happy place when he hears it. 

Note: Always drop the treat at your feet, so when he hears the cue, he will orient to your feet, taking his attention away from the other dog.

• Walk away! This is an emergency escape cue that you will associate with a fun game: “Do a 180-degree turn and run the other way with me!” This protocol also installs a positive association with the cue, puts your dog’s brain in a happy place, and gives him something fun to do instead of reacting to the other dog. 

BEHAVIORS THAT TEACH FRUSTRATION TOLERANCE

These are things you can practice with your dog to help him learn to better tolerate frustration. Teach them in the absence of other dogs so that eventually they will contribute to your dog’s ability to remain calm in the presence of other dogs.

• Wait. This is easiest to teach with a food bowl. Have your dog sit. Hold up your dog’s food bowl, say “Wait,” lower it a few inches, give a click or other marker, raise it back up, and feed a treat from the bowl. Gradually lower a little farther each time until you can set it on the floor without him getting up. You can also use it at doors and any other time you want your dog to pause and wait. (See “Wait and Stay” WDJ May 2018.)
• Leave it. Say “Leave it!” in a cheerful voice and place a durable high-value treat under your shoe. Wait for your dog to stop trying to get it; do not use corrections, and do not repeat the cue! When your dog backs away from the treat, click (or use some other marker), and feed him a different treat. 

Continue to use a high rate of reinforcement (click and treat a lot!) as he continues to leave the treat under your alone. Eventually, uncover the treat, with your foot ready to cover it again if your dog dives for it. Do not correct or re-cue! Continue to click and treat until you can eventually leave the treat uncovered without him trying to get it. (See “Leaving for Good,” WDJ June 2018.)

• Sit. Yes, even a simple “Sit” can be an impulse-control exercise. We teach “Sit” as a default behavior – the thing a dog does when he doesn’t know what else to do. It becomes a default behavior because he has been so highly reinforced for it that it is his automatic behavior choice. If, in addition to using a very high rate of reinforcement for offered sits (as well as ones you have cued), you also increase duration of the sit (gradually waiting longer and longer after he sits before you mark and treat), your simple “Sit” becomes a very valuable impulse control behavior.

GET HELP IF STRUGGLING

Even though your dog’s frustrated greeting reactivity comes from a happy place, it’s still not easy to live with and not always easy to modify. If you’re struggling, don’t despair. There are ever-more qualified force-free training professionals out there waiting to help you. Find one! 

The post Frustrated On Leash? appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

It’s no fun for the leashed dogs either, as they make their rounds around the neighborhood with their humans and are repeatedly charged at by barking, snarling dogs.

By the way, this phenomenon isn’t limited to physical fences. The underground shock fence – a most unfortunate invention for a long list of reasons – can also trigger similar responses, often exacerbated by the “fenced” dog’s additional pain association with the non-visible barrier.

I sympathize with families who live in suburban and urban environments where dogs being walked on leash on the sidewalk is a very regular occurrence – perhaps many times a day – triggering the resulting barrier aggression. It can be even more of a challenge when neighbors have common fencelines and the dogs on both sides of the fence are reacting to passersby and to each other. I have a number of clients whose dogs’ overall behavioral challenges are significantly exacerbated by the fact that they must constantly manage interactions through the fence with next-door dogs.

Why Fence Aggression?

In decades past, before we as a culture became more responsible about keeping our dogs safe at home, a fenced yard was a relatively rare phenomenon. The family dog was often allowed to roam the neighborhood and interact freely with other neighborhood dogs and humans. In general, they were better socialized and fence aggression was uncommon. Of course, dogs also routinely got hit by cars, shot, poisoned, and just plain disappeared. I am certainly not advocating going back to the days of free-roaming dogs just to avoid fence-fighting! But we do need to look for better ways to keep dogs contained in order to avoid concomitant unwanted behaviors.

The fenced dog often really just wants to investigate, explore, and approach and meet passers-by. When thwarted, she becomes frustrated. Over time this frustration becomes a classically conditioned response, and the mere sight of another dog or other stimulus beyond the fence causes frustration, arousal, and aggression.

To compound the problem, the fenced dog is also negatively reinforced when she barks in an aroused frenzy and the stimulus goes away. She has come to perceive passing dogs and humans as intruders – “bad things” – and in her mind, the aroused barking makes the “bad things” go away; this is a textbook example of negative reinforcement. (Negative means something goes away – as in “subtraction” – and reinforcement means the behavior increases.) Our dogs naturally repeat behaviors that make “bad things” go away.

To make things worse, it’s not necessarily just other dogs. Our fenced dog can develop the same arousal and aggression toward any stimulus that routinely passes – a walker, jogger, skateboard, bicycle, motorcycle, car, or child. These can all become triggers for your dog’s fence aggression.

Barrier aggression can present behavioral challenges that go far beyond the backyard. While some dogs who have developed fence aggression can behave calmly and appropriately when presented with the stimulus in an unfenced environment, many others will generalize the frustration-association and continue to aggress even when there’s no fence. This doesn’t bode well for future encounters with other dogs, joggers, vehicles, and children.

Beware of Redirected Aggression!

Redirected aggression is a common and dangerous side-effect of barrier aggression. Say your two normally compatible dogs are running the fence side by side in their yard in a frustrated/arousal response to another dog passing by. Suddenly a fierce fight breaks out between the two yard dogs. What just happened?

Their high level of arousal has just caused them to redirect their aggression to each other. The same thing can happen to you if you try to physically interrupt your dog’s high-arousal fence-running behavior – she can redirect her aggression to you, inflicting serious bites.

It is much safer to interrupt your dog’s barrier aggression with a loud noise (bang pans together, set off a hand-held air horn, etc.) or by tossing a large soft object into her path, rather than trying to touch or grab her. Be careful!

Management: The Best Defense is a Good Fence

Of course, it’s always better to prevent unwanted behaviors than it is to have to modify them later. A solid privacy fence and good management (not leaving your dog in the fenced yard unattended) can go a long way toward preventing fence aggression.

If it’s too late to prevent fence-fighting for your dog, it’s still not too late to put prevention measures in place to avoid ongoing reinforcement for the behavior. Management is critically important for successful modification, so your dog can’t continue to practice and be reinforced for the unwanted behavior.

If you can’t install a privacy fence, perhaps you can cover your existing fence with something (such as fiberglass-reinforced plastic [FRP] panels) – ideally on the outside of the fence so your dog can’t chew at it. Alternatively, you could attach tarps to the fence to create a visual barrier – although they aren’t very aesthetically pleasing.

If you share a fenceline with a neighbor dog, perhaps you can put up a second parallel fence several feet away from the existing one to create a “no-dog’s land” airlock and thereby prevent through-the-fence contact.

Other management options might include letting your dog into the backyard instead of the front (if you can) to prevent arousal at various passersby and agreeing on a schedule with your neighbor so your respective dogs are never in their backyards at the same time. If your fence-aroused dog has generalized her behavior to running back and forth at windows when she’s indoors, you can cover the bottom half of the windows and/or use gates to block access to rooms with windows.

Changing Behavior

With management options solidly in place, you can begin to work to modify your dog’s fence aggression. The goal is to give her a new association with any of the triggers that she has reacted to by feeding high-value treats when she sees another dog or any of the other various stimuli that have set her off.

To begin, choose a time when your neighbors are likely to be walking their dogs (or joggers, children, bicycles, etc. are likely to be passing by) and hang out in your yard with your dog on leash (so she can’t run the fenceline). You should be equipped with an ample supply of yummy treats. Chicken (canned, boiled, or baked) is my favorite for most dogs; it’s healthful, low-calorie, easy on stomachs, and most dogs love it.

As soon as your dog notices the presence of one of the offending triggers, feed her bits of chicken. Pause, let her notice again, and feed again. Continue this notice-feed protocol until the stimulus is gone. Then wait for the next one to appear, and repeat.

This process is called counter-conditioning and desensitization (CC&D). When you give your dog a new “chicken association” with her triggers, her emotional response changes from “frustrated and aroused” to happy “Yay, chicken!” As a result, her aggressive behavior changes to a cheerful look to you for the next chicken delivery. This is called a conditioned emotional response (CER).

The key to successful CC&D is controlling the intensity of the stimulus. Your goal is to keep your dog “below threshold” – aware of the stressful trigger, but not upset by it – as you work to create the new association. You may need to start your sessions a distance of 10, 20, 30 feet or more from the actual fence in order to succeed. You want her to notice the stimulus but not bark or lunge at it. Also, your dog should be happy to eat the treats you offer; if she refuses them, she is too stressed by the proximity of the stimulus and you need to move farther away from the fence and try again.

When your dog consistently offers “Where’s my chicken?” looks, you are ready to move a little closer and continue the CC&D. Continue your slow advance until she can remain calm in the presence of her triggers even when you are right at the fence.

If you’re lucky, your dog may generalize her new happy associations beyond the fence; once you get to that point, you’re home free! If not, you will also need to do CC&D sessions in other locations. The same instructions apply: Work below threshold, obtain consistent CERs, and gradually increase intensity of stimulus until she can remain relaxed, calm, and appropriate in normal proximity to any of the things that have caused her to be fence-aggressive in the past.

Using CAT For That

CAT stands for “Constructional Aggression Treatment,” and it uses negative reinforcement to modify aggression. Your fence-fighting dog has learned that barking and lunging makes the bad dog (or other stimulus) go away. She probably doesn’t realize the other dog would have gone away anyway! Using the CAT procedure, you could teach your fence-fighting dog that calm behavior makes the other dog go away.
Start with a helper holding a leashed neutral dog (one who can be counted on to stay calm and cool, no matter what the other dog does). Position them at a sub-threshold distance – far enough away that your dog notices but does not yet react. Position yourself in your yard with your dog, and be equipped with an ample supply of high-value treats.

Have your neutral-dog team move toward your fenced dog. (Initially you are in the yard with your dog.) Instruct your helper to watch your dog closely, and stop and stand still as soon as your dog alerts on the neutral dog – but before there is any barking, etc. As soon as your dog relaxes even the teeniest bit, your helper should turn and walk away with the neutral dog. You just showed your dog that relaxing makes the other dog go away.

Repeat these negative reinforcement approaches and departures at the original spot until your dog no longer alerts, then have your helper take one step closer and repeat the process there. In a successful CAT procedure, your dog becomes so relaxed – because relaxation keeps getting reinforced – that she eventually no longer feels the need to “make” the leashed dog go away.

For more information on the CAT procedure, see the recently released book by CAT creator Kellie Snider, Turning Fierce Dogs Friendly: Using Constructional Aggression Treatment to Rehabilitate Aggressive and Reactive Dogs (available through Whole Dog Journal). Please note that successful implementation of the CAT procedure usually requires the guidance of an experienced canine behavior CAT professional.

Keep Managing

Finally, you will need to continue to monitor and manage your dog’s activities in her yard. While the CC&D can successfully help your dog create new associations and more agreeable behaviors, the old neuron pathways for aggression are still there in her brain. Unmanaged exposure to her triggers could easily cause the old behaviors to resurface. You don’t want that to happen after all your hard work!

Author Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT‑KA, is WDJ’s Training Editor. She lives in Fairplay, Maryland, site of her Peaceable Paws training center. Miller’s newest book is Beware of the Dog: Positive Solutions for Aggressive Behavior in Dogs.

The post Fighting Through The Fence appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

More and more neighborhoods prohibit or limit the useof fencing, and as this occurs, the use of these non-visible electric shock perimeters has drastically increased. Manufacturers and retailers claim that these products are humane, effective means by which to safely confine dogs without disrupting the aesthetics of neighborhoods. Companies that sell these products generally target families who:

• Live on larger pieces of land
• Don’t want to lose their “view”
• Are looking for a cheaper alternative to fencing,
• Live in neighborhoods that prohibit fences or require expensive, decorative styles

Modern dog behavior specialists generally agree that these products are neither safe nor humane for dogs or humans. Many dog training and behavior professionals have concluded that these products are the source of many fear-based behaviors, including aggression, and are only as effective as the pain and fear they inflict upon the dogs who live behind them.

How Do Electric Shock Collars Work?

A non-visible electric-shock perimeter consists of three components: a cable, a transmitter, and a pronged collar.

The cable is buried beneath the ground, surrounding the area in which the dog is to be confined, or from which he is prohibited to enter. Usually, the location of the buried cable is initially marked with a series of flags inserted into the ground in a line.

The transmitter, installed near the buried cable, broadcasts radio signals that travel the length of the cable.

The dog’s tightly fitted collar contains a small radio receiver, which receives signals from the transmitter when the dog (and receiver) get within a specified distance from the buried cable. The dog’s skin completes an electrical circuit, allowing the prongs, typically half an inch or more in length, to conduct electricity. When the dog steps near, over, or beyond the buried cable, he receives an electrical shock.

How Are Dogs Trained with Shock Collars?

Traditionally, a dog is allowed to wander into (or is actually encouraged to walk into) the boundary area – the “shock zone” – in order to receive an electric shock. The unit on the dog’s collar makes a beeping sound just before the dog enters the shock zone. This is repeated until the dog clearly indicates that he doesn’t want to enter the shock zone (and thus leave the yard), often by freezing, dropping to the ground, pacing and whining, etc. The dog may also yelp, panic, or try to bite.

The handler increases the intensity of the shock if the dog does not exhibit overt avoidance-type behaviors. Eventually, the dog associates the sound of the beep with the physical sensation of the shock. The beep is now a signal that warns the dog of the impending shock, and most dogs learn to stop their forward movement when they hear the beep.

Instead of shocking the dog, some handlers walk the dog on leash near the perimeter flags, jerking him away when the beep sounds. After several repetitions, the dog may avoid the flags because, in his mind, flags and beeps cause annoying or painful leash-jerks. If the handler excludes the beep during training, she negates its function: to provide a warning to the dog.

Some handlers may use food or play to encourage their dog to remain in the safe areas of the yard. However, without some sort of painful stimuli being paired with the flags or the shock, at some point the dog is bound to attempt to leave the yard and will be shocked.

Some owners are instructed to simply put the collar on their dog and let him into the yard, allowing him to enter the “shock zone” on his own. Families are falsely assured that this will prevent the development of problematic behaviors because they’ve made no attempt to warn the dog about the shock; it occurs “naturally.”

Once the owner thinks that the dog has been successfully trained to stay in the unfenced yard, the flags are gradually removed, one or two flags at a time, until none remain.

Problems Related to Shock Collars

Adverse Side Effects

The following are signs that a dog is experiencing harmful side effects of a non-visible electric-shock perimeter:

• Pacing back and forth along property lines

• Cowering or running from neighbors or passersby

• Conversely, chasing cars, bicycles, animals, passersby, etc.

• Regression in potty training

• Hesitating or refusing to venture far from the house

• Refusing to leave the house

• Refusing to leave the yard for walks

• Excessive barking and jumping toward people or other pets, especially as they enter or exit the property

• Lying in the middle of the driveway or under or behind vehicles when people try to enter or exit the property

• Refusing to enter or play in certain parts of the yard

• Developing a fear of getting into the car or leaving the property inside of a vehicle

Dangerous behaviors may appear quickly, or may not appear for a year or more following initial training to the system:

• Aggressing toward neighbors, passersby, vehicles, etc.

• Aggressing toward people leaving by foot (examples: children getting on the school bus; owner walking to the mail box)

• Nipping or biting children, especially when playing outside

• Attacking other pets or people who are close to the dog, especially in the presence of passersby

• Attacking someone or another animal upon exiting the yard, or a person or animal who enters the yard

Many (if not most) of my training colleagues have been consulted by owners of dogs who developed serious behavior problems (such as the ones that appear in the list above) not long after a shock-collar boundary was introduced to their habitat. In many cases, the dogs’ owners were mystified. How and why did this happen?

Dogs are motivated by what works for them. They gravitate toward safety and avoid danger. Non-visible shock perimeters take advantage of the dog’s survival instinct: what lies beyond the yard harms (shocks) them, so the dogs try to protect themselves.

Many of the problematic behaviors related to these products are caused by the initial training process. Others are a result of the constant threat of being shocked, similar to a dog who, after being swatted with a newspaper several times, may become frightened of newspapers in general; if his just owner picks up or touches one the dog stops whatever he’s doing because newspapers are dangerous.

Some dogs are willing to suffer the shock to investigate something outside of their yards. Some may not even notice the shock because they are so highly aroused. These dogs may also develop unsafe behaviors. Boredom may be the culprit for dogs in the first category, and over time they may become desensitized to the shock. This does not mean that the dog has forgotten about the shock – the threat is still there, but the shock has become irrelevant in some situations.

Dogs in the second category tend to be high-energy, highly motivated working breeds, although any breed of any size or age may break through a non-visible shock perimeter, especially if highly aroused. When stress-hormones levels spike, the dog essentially “turns off” to everything else, and his body does not perceive a signal from the brain when he is shocked.

More Arguments Against Shock Perimeters

Here are other drawbacks associated with these systems:

• There is no protection for your dog from other animals, humans, vehicles, etc. coming in from outside the “fence.”

• Dogs often associate the shock with things that are present or nearby when he’s been shocked, like other animals, family members, or yard decorations, and can react badly to them as a result.

• Collars can short out when they get wet, increasing the risk of malfunction and injury.

• Collar malfunctions can lead to constant shocking or none at all.

• Dogs may get stuck in the shock zone, unable to move, causing intensified, long-lasting pain, increasing the likelihood of injury and a bite to anyone who may reach to pull them out.
Electronic devices on the same frequency (such as garage-door openers) can trigger random shocks.

• Dogs may generalize the beep to similar sounds made by microwaves, car door locks, utility vehicles, etc. and develop a phobia to those sounds.

• Manufacturers instruct that collars be worn for no more than 10 to 12 hours at a time, but many product trainers advise that dogs wear them constantly, claiming this prevents the development of adverse effects.

• Dogs may need regular retraining.

• Dogs who leave the yard often don’t return, even if the collar is removed.

• Dogs can learn to run down the battery by waiting where the beep occurs until the beep stops so they can leave without getting shocked.

• The signal only goes to a certain height, and some dogs learn to jump higher and/or will walk out if snow piles up.

• Dogs may run from the yard in panic during storms, fireworks, when gunshots are heard, etc.

• An owner may be liable for any injuries or damages, including medical and veterinary bills, counseling and behavior modification, or property damage associated with events resulting from the dog leaving the yard.

• Homeowner Associations which prohibit fences and other outdoor confinement may be responsible for injuries, deaths or damages caused by a loose dog, and/or injury or death of a loose dog, particularly those which require dog owners to use these products.

• Many breeders, shelters, and rescues will not place dogs in homes where these products are used.

• Dogs in multi-dog families may feel the shock at different intensities.

• If the dog is put on the system during one of the critical fear periods of development, the adverse side effects may be more severe.

• Owners and veterinarians have reported moderate-to-severe bacterial infections, contact necrosis, and electrical burns from the use or misuse of these systems.

Deception in Electric Perimeter Advertising

Marketing professionals sell their clients’ products by invoking pleasant emotions about the product being presented to the consumer. To achieve this, they sometimes take liberties with facts by skewing them to achieve these ends, incorrectly redefining words like “fence” and “safe,” and taking advantage of individuals’ personal interpretations of the word “humane.”

For a better understanding of how marketing can lead well-meaning families astray, here are the actual definitions of some of the words being used to describe these products.

Fence: A barrier enclosing or bordering a field, yard, etc., usually made of posts and wire or wood, used to prevent entrance, to confine, or to mark a boundary; a means of protection.

Safe: Free from harm; not able or likely to be lost, taken away, or given away; not causing harm or injury, especially having a low incidence of adverse reactions and significant side effects when adequate instructions for use are given; having a low potential for harm under conditions of widespread availability.

Humane: Inflicting as little pain as possible, not cruel, acting in a manner that causes the least harm to people or animals.

Shock Collar Conclusions

Given the ample anecdotal and scientific evidence, it’s clear that electric-shock perimeters have detrimental effects that can cause moderate to severe behavioral and physiological problems in dogs, and also pose a threat to the communities in which they are used.

Frankly, if it’s not visible, it isn’t a fence. If something that is marketed as a protective product works by purposely inflicting pain and/or fear on the subject it’s supposed to protect, it’s neither safe nor humane.

What does this mean for dogs and their families? Simply put, a visible, physical barrier always trumps the absence of a physical barrier, especially when the product in question is so widely known to yield such an abundance of harmful side effects.

Lauri Bowen-Vaccare, owner of Believe In Dog, LLC, is a member of the Pet Professional Guild. Her specialties include reactivity, resource guarding, bringing outside dogs in, outside dogs, and transitioning to a new home.

The post Do Electric Shock Collars Harm Dogs? appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

In either case, it’s very possible the experience has left your dog leery of other dogs. And with good reason! In many dogs, this well-founded fear presents as an aggressive front; after all, the best defense is a strong offense. While your dog might look like he’s trying to be a “tough guy,” what he’s really saying is, “HELP! I’m very frightened of that dog. Please don’t let it come any closer. Get back! Get away!”

This is problematic for many reasons. Owners are often embarrassed by their dog’s outbursts, not understanding that the unwanted behavior is rooted in an emotional issue (fear) and is not a display of disobedience. A recent Facebook post (author unknown) sums it up beautifully: “Your dog isn’t giving you a hard time; he’s having one!” Yes!

Dog Reactivity Comes from Distress

Beyond the human hang-ups and logistical challenges associated with a dog who now displays reactive behavior in the presence of other dogs, we must consider the impact on the dog. Reactive outbursts are the product of distress, and distress is serious business. It takes a long time for the body to recover from the jolt of hormones that happens during a distressful event. This altered brain state can leave your dog susceptible to triggers he might not otherwise react to, which is why many dogs can seem “edgy” for some time following a particularly stressful event.

According to Sara Reusche, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KSA, CVT, of Paws Abilities Dog Training in Rochester, Minnesota, while the initial adrenaline spike begins to subside after about 15 minutes, it can take between two to six days for glucocorticoids, like cortisol, to return to baseline levels, provided no other stressors occur. This is especially challenging for dogs who react to stimuli (other dogs, kids, skateboards, etc.) while on daily walks, as it’s unlikely their cortisol and related hormone levels ever have a chance to return to normal.

Reusche adds that dogs who live with chronic distress are more likely to experience chronic health issues such as allergies and gastrointestinal disturbances. Chronic distress can also hasten the aging process, decrease cognitive function, and weaken the immune system, delaying wound healing and making the dog more susceptible to disease and infections (such as urinary tract infections). Here are things you can do to get the stress monkey off your backs:

1. Give yourselves a break.

Like the joke goes, “I told my doctor it hurts when I bend my elbow. His solution? Don’t bend my elbow!” Avoidance is not without its merits.

When helping a dog recover from a reactivity issue, it’s important to keep your dog sub-threshold. This means going to great lengths to avoid putting the dog in situations where he feels so overwhelmed that he exhibits an emotional outburst. In densely populated areas, this often requires taking neighborhood walks during off-hours, or skipping the neighborhood altogether in favor of a shorter walk in a nearby shopping center. Both tactics serve to reduce unwanted dog encounters, especially when you aren’t prepared to train your way through the situation.

Similar tactics include ducking behind parked cars, heading up a driveway, crossing the street, or abruptly changing directions. These are all reasonable, supportive measures that can be taken in an effort to quickly increase distance between yourselves and another dog. Obviously, this is easier when the other dog is on leash. For tips on handling loose-dog encounters, see “Tips on Stopping a Loose Dog from Approaching You,” WDJ May 2016.

Distance is your friend! Staying “sub-threshold” is largely about understanding at what distance your dog can acknowledge another dog’s presence yet still feel safe enough to not react.

2. Don’t punish your dog!

Harsh reprimands, leash-pops, and other forms of punishment might appear to offer relief, but, in reality, punishment often suppresses behavior only temporarily.

Reactivity is an emotional issue. The dog growls, barks, and lunges because of how he feels. Punishing the behavior is an ill-fated attempt to address the issue by focusing on the symptoms, not the cause. It’s important to get to the root of the behavior – the dog’s fear of other dogs, which is what’s driving his behavior.

Punishment can also make problems worse when dogs, who are masters at making strong associations, pair the punishment with the trigger. For example, let’s say a dog growls when other dogs get too close. When he does, his owner issues a sharp collar correction and a harsh, “Quiet!” – both of which are unpleasant to the dog. Many dogs will begin to associate the sight of another dog with the impending act of aggression from the handler. In the dog’s mind, “See! Other dogs are bad; they even make my owner aggressive!” And then the dog works even harder to keep the “bad dogs” away!

3. Change your dog’s emotional response to his trigger.

As you work to keep your dog sub-threshold to help manage his behavior, you can also aim to change how he feels about other dogs. Counter-conditioning is a powerful tool to help change a dog’s emotional state in the presence of a trigger. You can use two different types of counter-conditioning for a dog who has been traumatized: classical counter-conditioning and operant counter-conditioning.

Counter-conditioning is used in situations where the dog has already formed a negative association with something, because you’re trying to counter, or change, the association. This is most often accomplished with a powerful primary reinforcer, such as high-value treats, but access to favorite toys can also work for dogs who are highly motivated by toys.

In classical counter-conditioning, the goal is to try to transfer the positive feelings the dog has for high-value treats (or toy play) onto the trigger (in this case, the presence of other dogs), thus creating a new association in the dog’s mind. For example, when you know at what distance your dog can see other dogs, but still feel safe enough to not react, be prepared to feed a steady stream of treats the entire time the trigger (another dog) is within eyesight. As soon as the dog is out of sight, the treats stop.

Trainer Jean Donaldson, author of The Culture Clash, calls this “Open Bar, Closed Bar.” When the trigger is present, the bar is open and the treats flow freely. Once the trigger goes away, the bar is closed. People often mistakenly refer to this as using treats to “distract” the dog, but behavioral science is hard at work behind the scenes!

Also useful in mild cases of reactivity for building a new, improved response to the trigger, is operant counter-conditioning: when in the presence of the trigger, the dog is asked to perform a specific behavior that is incompatible with the unwanted behavior.

For example, a dog who might otherwise bark or lunge at other dogs is asked to “look,” “watch,” or “sit” instead. It works because, through training, the dog has learned to enjoy performing the alternative behaviors (and being rewarded for doing so), and those good feelings help create a new and happy association with the trigger.

Note: If this seems difficult for your dog, you’re not keeping him at a sub-threshold distance from his trigger.

4. Manage your own stress signals.

Owners, too, often become tense in the presence of the dog’s trigger, either because they’re also on hyper-alert following an attack, or because they worry their dog will react undesirably. They may tense their shoulders, hold their breath – and they almost always tighten the leash. These behaviors can all be huge red flags to our dogs – a clear sign that danger is imminent!

If you find yourself tensing up as triggers appear, consider the following:

Remember to breathe. When anxious, our breathing often becomes shallow. Deep, purposeful inhalations and exhalations help relieve tension (yours and your dog’s!)

Shake it off. Just as dogs use full-body shake-offs to relieve tension, humans also benefit. Practitioners of Tension & Trauma Release Exercise® believe a good shake helps release muscular tension, calms the nervous system, and encourages the body to return to a better state of balance.

Sing to your dog. My training mentor often asks clients to sing “Happy Birthday” to their dogs when she sees them visibly tensing up. It sounds silly, and people feel silly doing it, but that’s why it works. It’s much harder to remain physically tense when you’re laughing about singing to your dog. Plus, most of us have strong positive associations with the song. (Operant counter-conditioning for the win!)

Relax the leash. Your emotions travel down a tight leash like the Autobahn! Plus, a tight leash restricts natural dog body language and can make your dog feel trapped, increasing the odds he’ll react defensively.

5. Create “safe” encounters with other dogs.

Dog encounters out in public are unpredictable, which means it can sometimes be hard to keep dogs sub-threshold while on the road to recovery.

While it’s important to try to do the best you can during everyday outings with your dogs, it’s also useful to recruit dog-owning friends to help. Dogs with mild reactivity often benefit from casual dog walks with mellow dogs who are indifferent to other dogs. Consider, also, attending a well-run good-manners class where a dog in emotional rehab can remain sub-threshold while building trust in his owner’s ability to keep everyone safe around other dogs.

Stephanie Colman is a writer and dog trainer in Southern California.

The post How to Help a Leash-Reactive Dog appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

Felix Renaud | Dreamstime.com

Reasons Dogs Escape

Before we even address ways to stop your dog from escaping, we need to examine reasons why your dog may be so dedicated to breaking out of your yard. If all we do is to block his exits, he may put all his energy into finding new ways out. If we address his motivation for escaping, he may stop trying, or at least not be as dedicated to overcoming the new obstacles you put in his path.

Boredom in Dogs

Your dog may be bored. Adding more mental and physical stimulation to his life and his backyard might help him become more content to stay home. Kiddie wading pools offer a huge variety of entertainment options. If your dog loves water, fill the pool with water for actual wading and splashing fun. For a dog who loves to dig, fill the pool with dirt or sand and bury toys and treats for him to find. If you don’t want the mess of dirt or sand, fill the pool with plastic balls of various sizes and let him pounce among the balls looking for his toys and treats. There are now tons of puzzle toys that can keep him engaged in his yard; Kong Wobblers and other Kong treat-dispensing toys are some of my favorites.

By the way, speaking of boredom: your dog should not be left in the yard for long periods of time (long enough to get bored) and should never be left in the backyard all day (while no one is home) or all night (when he could easily be safely and happily indoors with you).

Arousal from Outside Stimuli

Getting stimulated by the sight of exciting things is another reason dogs are driven to escape their yards. Chain link and other livestock-wire fences are the scourge of good dog containment. They are certainly easier on the wallet than a privacy fence, but many dogs are compelled to escape when they are constantly overstimulated and frustrated by seeing a parade of dogs, humans, cars, trucks, motorcycles, skateboarders, bicyclists, mail carriers, and more passing by their yards. The added danger here is that an aroused, frustrated dog who escapes is likely to be aggressive when he finally has access to his targets.

If you can’t install a privacy fence, consider attaching something solid to your wire or chain-link fence so your dog can no longer see through it.

Male Dogs Looking for Sex

With the current trend to wait longer to sterilize (not a trend I necessarily support, but that’s another article), there are more dogs, especially intact male dogs, who are very motivated to escape to court the neighborhood female in season. The obvious solution here: neuter.

Canine Anxiety

This category brings up a whole different class of behavior challenges. Dogs who suffer separation or isolation anxiety or thunder phobia are driven to escape by their panic. Because severely stressed dogs can become destructive, owners sometimes leave these dogs outdoors to avoid damage to their homes. This is not an acceptable solution, as the panicked dog who escapes is even more likely to run in front of moving vehicles, bite someone who tries to help him, and/or run fast and far away, decreasing chances that he will be found and returned home.

You must treat the anxiety, often with medication as well as behavior modification protocols, and never leave these dogs alone outdoors. (See “Relieving a Dog’s Separation Anxiety,” July 2008.)

Dogs Just Want to Have Fun

Finally, with a history of reinforcement for escaping, your dog may simply have learned that it’s great fun to run loose, loot garbage cans, chase cats and other small animals, play with the neighbor kid, read pee-mail without interruption, romp with other neighborhood dogs, and engage in lots of other forms of canine mischief. Make it more fun for your dog to stay home, and keep on reading for thoughts on how to make it more difficult for your dog to breach your fence. (Note that I didn’t say impossible . . . .)

Management

Now that you understand some of the possible motivations for your dog’s obsession with escape, let’s talk about an overall management strategy.

First things first: If he escapes when you leave him in the yard on his own, don’t. You must always be with him in the yard, whether it’s a brief potty break or an extended “enjoy the sunshine” session. If he can escape, even if he doesn’t do it every time, he simply can’t be trusted by himself. Ever.

If he escapes even when you’re watching him, ignoring your calls to come back as he scrambles over or squeezes under, then he only goes out in the yard on a leash or a long line. Every. Single. Time. Remember, every time he gets loose and has fun chasing cats around the neighborhood, visiting his pals and getting into garbage cans, he has been reinforced for escaping, making it more than likely he will try that much harder to escape the next time.

You also need to make sure everyone in the household is on board with your management plan. It does no good for you to implement scrupulous management if your dear spouse or offspring blithely open the back door and turn Houdini loose to escape one more time.

Another important piece of management is teaching a fail-safe recall so if and when he does get out, you can get him back easily without reinforcing his “Catch Me If You Can” game of keep-away. (See “Reliable Recalls“, September 2012.) When you do get him back, make sure to do something delightfully fun with him so coming back to you doesn’t mean the fun is over. Then start improving your fence so he can’t escape.

Dogs Who Jump Over Fences

Some dogs are aerial artists, sailing over or scaling barriers with the greatest of ease. Although not exclusively, these tend to be the athletic herding, sporting, and working dogs, as well as the lean and lithe sighthounds – although some of those little terriers can surprise you with their physical abilities. If your dog is going over your fence, you’re most likely to succeed if you make the fence significantly higher. If you raise it by six-inch increments, you are simply training him to jump or climb higher and higher a small step at a time. Raise your four-foot fence to six feet in one fell swoop (assuming your local ordinances allow a six-foot fence) for the best shot at stopping your escape artist in his tracks. (Note: Also make sure there are no handy “launching pads” near the fence – a dog house, a firewood box, your child’s trampoline; even a tree can give your dog a head start over your fence.)

Some American Ninja Warrior dogs find it a simple matter to scale or sail over almost any fence, regardless of height. You can install the canine equivalent of the “warped wall” by adding an extension to your fence that angles inward at the top. This makes it much harder for your dog to judge the fence height, and ensures he can’t grab the top and pull himself over. The longer the inward extension, the harder it is for your dog to navigate a jump or climb.

If you know he is climbing rather than sailing over, consider the “Coyote Roller,” either the commercially available product or a do-it-yourself project, suspending PVC pipe on a wire at the top of your fence. Originally designed to keep coyotes out, it can be just as effective at keeping your dog in your yard. When he scales the fence and tries to grab the top to pull himself over, the pipe rolls, he can’t get a grip, and he drops back inside his yard.
Another tactic that works for some for jumpers (but not all) is to plant shrubbery inside the fence line at his take-off point, so his flight path is interrupted. Of course, bushes take time to grow, so this would be a longer-term solution.

Dogs Who Dig Under Fences

Some dogs are masters at burrowing under fences. While no particular type of dog has a patent on digging, terriers and scent hounds do logically seem to excel in this behavior, given what they were bred to do. A quick fix for the groundhog dog might be to set heavy cement blocks (as in “so heavy you can barely lift them”) all along the inside perimeter of the fence. This might stop some of the more fainthearted diggers, but chances are it may only stall your dedicated digging dog while you plan and implement the more work-intensive project of burying wire 12 inches deep along the bottom of your fence, setting the cement block into the hole and covering it with dirt.

If you’re just putting up a new fence, be sure to bury it six to 12 inches into the ground to save later headache. If you want to go the landscaping route, try planting something with thorns along the inside of the fence.

Dogs Who Run Around Barriers

Beware the door dashers and gate crashers! Gate crashers are close kin to door darters, but perform their escape maneuvers from within the yard rather than the house, charging through the gate as soon as it is opened a crack by some unwary human. There doesn’t seem to be any particular type of dog that favors this behavior; any sufficiently motivated dog can learn the dash-and-run routine.

It’s not always the dog who is at fault; those most often guilty of aiding and abetting gate crashers include children, meter readers, visitors to your home, and other adults who aren’t fully committed to keeping your dog in his yard.

The best way to foil a gate crasher is to install a double-gate system like those used at many dog parks. This handily keeps the dog away from the gate to the outer world while the human enters the yard, secures the first gate behind herself, and then opens the gate into the dog’s inner yard. Other than that, your best option is to padlock all your gates and only enter the yard through the house.

Of course, you can teach your dog a solid “Wait” cue, and use it every time a gate is opened. But then you are relying on children, meter readers, visitors and non-committed adults to remember to use the “Wait” cue when they go in and out the gates. So, even better, teach your dog that the opening gate is the cue to “Wait” until he is invited out. While you’re working on that, though, better install those padlocks!

Dogs Who Go Through Fences

Then there are those dogs who just blast their way through a fence. Big, strong dogs (Rotties, Pitties, etc.) have the best shot at this escape technique, although if the fence is weak enough, smaller dogs can do it, too. Most fences seem to have boards nailed on the outside – probably for aesthetic reasons – so if nails are loose or boards are starting to rot around nail holes, a good shove from the inside can push them off.

To foil these escapees, either repair your fence so boards are solidly nailed on, or nail a solid barrier on the inside of the fence. If you are putting up a new fence, try nailing boards on the inside instead of the outside, or installing pre-built panels so boards are on the inside. Thorny landscaping might also help you here, but, again, plants take time to grow.

A Stay-At-Home Kai

Last year we adopted a year-old Australian Kelpie we named Kai. We knew our four-foot, somewhat dilapidated fence might not be adequate to contain this energetic, athletic dog. Fingers crossed, we let him into the backyard with our older dogs.

All was well for several days. Then, one morning as I was feeding chickens in the lower barn, I heard a ka-thump from the backyard. Next thing I knew Kai had joined me at the chicken coop. Clearly, he had found a way out. I prayed that he had gone through, not over. Tightening up our boards would be a much easier (and cheaper) fix than raising the fence or installing a new one.

I reported the news to my husband, Paul, also known as our farm handyman. Upon inspecting the fence, he found the loose board, and spent the afternoon re-placing and re-fastening any boards that were the least bit suspect. Kai hasn’t escaped since. Phew!

May your own escapee fixes be as simple – or at least as successful!

Book author and trainer Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, is WDJ’s Training Editor. She and her husband Paul live in Fairplay, Maryland, site of her Peaceable Paws training center.

The post Why (and How) Dogs Escape Fences appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

Sadly, SUSFs are popular for several reasons:

1. They are less expensive than a physical fence, easier and faster to install.

2. Many homeowners associations prohibit physical fences (don’t even get me started!) .

3. SUSF companies, other shock-collar companies, and trainers who use shock tools, have done a very good job of convincing many dog owners that these tools are effective and harmless, using deceptive terms such as “stim,” “tickle,” “e-touch,” and “electronic” to disguise the true nature of the shock. Incredibly, some even claim that they are using positive reinforcement when they use shock.

What Can Go Wrong with a Shock Collar?

SUSFs are, after all, legal to sell. They can’t possibly be that bad, can they? Yes, they can. Here are some of the bad things that can happen if you use a SUSF. I have seen the fallout firsthand and heard credible reports time and time again:

1. Some dogs become very aggressive, associating the shock with whatever was passing by at the time: another dog, a skateboarder, a child . . . I had a lovely Golden Retriever client who was ultimately euthanized as a dangerous dog because of this. Even after the SUSF representative came out and “retrained” her by putting a second shock collar around her groin to keep her in the yard, this previously aggression-free dog continued to run through the fence and attack dogs and humans passing by. Her aggression generalized to other non-fence situations, and her owners ultimately decided they could no longer trust her.

2. Some dogs are so traumatized by the shock that they are terrified to step foot into their own yards.

3. Some dogs are so traumatized by the warning beep associated with the shock that other, similar beeps – such as the beep of a camera, microwave oven, smoke alarm, electronic watch alarm – will send them into a total panic. I had a Greyhound client who was misdiagnosed with separation anxiety for this reason.

4. A SUSF doesn’t protect your dog from intruders (other dogs, humans) and hence puts her at risk from them (maybe an aggressive stray dog, a rabid fox who wanders into your yard, or a human with evil intentions), and puts innocent intruders at risk (a child, perhaps) especially if your dog has become aggressive due to the shock association.

5. Some dogs learn how to run through the fence. Some ignore the shock in a moment of high arousal over a passing dog, car, human, or other exciting stimulus. Some will deliberately accept the shock as the price they pay for their freedom. Still others learn to stand in the beep zone until the collar battery dies from the constant beeping and the dog crosses the fence line shock-free.

Positively Not Positive Training

Despite what those who market them might try to have you believe, there is nothing positive about an SUSF. Certainly they do work to keep many dogs contained in their yards, but at a high price. Shock is a very strong aversive. That’s not even open to debate. Even if you’re convinced you’d like to try one (shame!), you won’t know until it’s too late if your dog is one of the many who suffers one or more of the above-listed problems. The potential damage to a dog’s emotional health and physical safety should put these products in the “Never, Ever” category for any caring dog owner.

The post Why We Don’t Recommend Electric Fences (Shock Collars) appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

It’s the stuff of nightmares: You and your dog are enjoying a walk through the neighborhood when all of a sudden, you spot an unaccompanied canine rounding the corner and heading your way. It can turn into a bad scene even if you and your dog are both young, healthy, and your dog is confident and well socialized. But what if your or your dog is frail or fearful? What if you’ve spent months trying to rehabilitate a dog whose is extremely reactive to other dogs?

Being approached by loose dogs, especially when my dogs are on leash, is my least-favorite experience as a dog owner. When we’re walking in a public place, such as a beach or park, I can usually identify the owner and ask that he please wrangle his dog. Of course, this request may be met with varying responses, ranging from appropriately apologetic for their dog having invaded our space, to accusatory, suggesting I am the problem for not allowing my dogs to roam free and socialize. But as uncomfortable as it may be to deal with unpleasant dog owners, it can be even worse to deal with a loose dog whose owner is nowhere in sight!

While every situation is different, conducting an on-the-spot risk assessment and having a mental list of possible tactics can boost your confidence and help you make clear-headed decisions when every second counts.

Following are five non-assertive strategies that you can use to deal with loose dogs (or avoid them!) while on walks. As we all know, some situations call for more urgent actions. If a dog rushes at you or your dog, here are some alternative ways you can keep yourselves safe.

1. Avoid the Situation

As a dog trainer, I work to avoid avoidance in my canine students (since it’s a stress response), but I will happily work to avoid loose dog encounters. If I know there’s a certain house where the dogs are likely to be uncontained and free to rush toward, follow, or otherwise harass my dogs and myself, I pick another route for our walk.

Yes, it stinks that I have to change my behavior as a result of someone else’s inconsiderate habits, but my priority is the emotional and physical well-being of my dog and myself. At best, it’s unfair to ask my leashed dog to tolerate interaction with a loose dog – even a friendly one. At it’s worst, being ambushed by a loose dog can quickly spell disaster for dogs who are sensitive or reactive to dogs invading their personal space. And, of course, somewhere in the middle are the “we love everybody” dogs who would enthusiastically greet any dog, and whose enthusiasm quickly creates an excited frenzy that’s difficult for an owner to control. From a training perspective, the last thing we want to offer the overly social dog is the chance to go nose-to-nose with the loose dog – even when it’s a friendly dog – since that would be rewarding the over-excited behavior.

In general, leashes interfere with natural dog body language, especially when owners get nervous about the situation and without thinking or being aware of it, shorten (tighten) the leash. In this situation, the leashed dog is unable to use his natural language to effectively communicate with the approaching dog.

Dog body language is like a ballet of subtle and not-so-subtle behaviors that facilitate an exchange of valuable information. When held close to the owner on a shortened leash, a dog is unable to defuse an uncomfortable situation by changing positions relative to the intruding dog, or simply walking (or running) away.

Also, the sudden tightening of the leash easily becomes a red flag to your dog that you are uncomfortable, which can further stress both dogs. It is for this reason that trainers generally discourage on-leash greetings between dogs (even when both are willing participants in the interaction), or at least remind owners to maintain a loose leash during greetings where both parties have given consent.

If your immediate neighborhood offers limited options for re-routing a walk to avoid problematic areas, consider hopping in the car and driving to another neighborhood, or even to a local shopping center where it’s far less likely you’ll encounter other dogs. It may seem horribly inconvenient at first, but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure – especially with dogs for whom encounters with loose dogs are especially challenging. It’s much easier to prevent significant behavior problems than to modify them later.

Depending on the situation, you can always visit the house where the loose dog is often seen (without your dog), and kindly ask the owners to contain their dog. If the dog is frequently running loose and you know where he lives, consider timing your visit for when you will likely encounter the dog, leash him up if possible, and knock on the owner’s front door. With this approach, it’s wise to point out how the loose dog is at risk for getting hit by a car or lost when he’s not properly contained, and you’d hate to see anything happen to him.

Although you’re likely to be annoyed, and the dog owners are in the wrong, as the saying goes, “kill them with kindness.” Find something to compliment about the dog, even if you’ve generally only see his less-than-desirable side. Something as simple as, “His coat is such a nice color,” or “I love his eyes” can often go a long way toward defusing the potential for confrontation and help maintain peaceful relations with neighbors.

Consider explaining that your dog is afraid of other dogs and it’s scary for her to have dogs run into her space, or that he’s “old and cranky” and you don’t want their (loose) dog to get snarked at by your dog. Yes, this approach can be a test of your emotional self-control since, if you’re like me, you’re likely to be supremely annoyed by the loose dog owners’ mind-blowing sense of entitlement. But remember the end goal is to encourage owners to contain their dogs, not to prove you are “right.”

If this fails, or past experience tells you it’s not a safe approach, there’s always the option of reporting a loose dog to animal control, or, if the dog can be safely handled, collecting the dog when he’s loose and unsupervised, and taking him to the local shelter. Some owners must experience some positive punishment before they are willing to change their behavior. (Note: In this case, “positive” is an operant conditioning term denoting the addition of something. In the case of “positive punishment,” what is added is unpleasant – having to visit the shelter to retrieve the dog, possibly pay a fine, etc.)

2. Pay Attention to Your Surroundings

The earlier you spot a loose dog, the easier it is to adjust your walk on the fly or prepare to manage a potentially sticky situation. I’m always shocked to see neighborhood dog owners walking dogs with leashes draped over their wrists and a coffee cup in hand, as they stare intently at their cell phones. All I can imagine is a loose dog rounding the corner, causing all heck to break loose in a very avoidable situation.

When you’re out with your dog, pay attention – especially if you know your dog doesn’t take kindly to interactions with unknown dogs, or if you worry about known loose dogs in the area.

If you do spot a loose dog, quickly changing direction is often an effective strategy, as many loose dogs are patrolling their perceived territory and aren’t likely to follow you all the way home. Stay calm as you instruct your dog to turn around with you, and remember to not choke up on the leash, as a tight leash is a glaring red flag to your own dog.

I typically walk with a favorite toy and/or treats and readily use one of these tools to capture my dog’s attention as I escort us out of the area. In that situation, I’d rather my dog not even notice the other dog, or if he does notice, I’d rather he not pay prolonged attention to the dog, since the more attention my dog pays to the loose dog, the more attractive we are likely to become.

The success of this U-turn approach depends largely on how readily your dog complies with your instructions. That’s a training issue. Never underestimate the importance of training.

In general, it might not seem like a big deal if your dog’s focus defaults to the environment and you find it hard to get his attention while on a walk, or if his loose leash walking is mostly acceptable, except when he sees other dogs, he gets super excited and starts pulling toward the dog. But when you find yourself in a sticky situation, not being able to get – and keep – your dog’s attention in the face of distractions can create unnecessary challenges.

3. Remain Calm and Try “Calming Signals.”

If you aren’t able to avoid an unwanted interaction with a loose dog, do your best to remain calm and use calm body language as a way to tell both dogs – yours and the intruder – that everything is fine, there’s no need for conflict.

Calming signals is a term coined by Norwegian dog trainer Turid Rugaas to describe a collection of behaviors dogs often exhibit when faced with stressful stimuli, including looking away to avoid eye contact, yawning, lip-licking, and sniffing the ground. Rugaas has postulated that these behaviors are used by dogs to communicate peaceful intentions and avoid potential conflict. Other behaviorists speculate that those behaviors are meant, in varying shades, to signal deference or avoidance – but the overall intent is to keep the dog who offers these behaviors safe and whole, not to “calm” the other.

We don’t know for certain what these signals mean, but most dogs understand them, so even humans can use them to help defuse a tense situation. The other dog won’t suddenly think you’re a dog just because you’re “speaking his language,” but the ability to communicate in a way he’s likely to understand can de-escalate an encounter that might otherwise turn into a confrontation, and can also help your own dog feel more relaxed during a challenging situation.

4. Body Block

My main goal when we encounter a loose dog on a walk, aside from ensuring our safety, is to prevent the loose dog from making contact with my dog. To help accomplish this, I will purposefully position myself between my dog and the incoming dog, asking my dog to sit and jockeying position as necessary to keep the approaching dog at bay.

Depending on my interpretation of the incoming dog’s intent, I might posture a bit, weight forward as I sternly tell the dog to “Go home!” or “Get back!” Sometimes asking a loose dog to “sit” in a firm voice helps stop the dog’s forward motion. From there, you can toss a handful of treats behind the dog and as he turns to eat them, you now have valuable time to move away.

In the face of a loose dog coming at you and your dog, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist Patricia McConnell, PhD, suggests taking the tossing of a handful of treats one step further; she actually suggests throwing a handful of treats into the charging dog’s face. She admits it would not stop a “highly motivated, hard-charging dog who is laser focused on attacking you or your dog,” but she made a video and posted it on her blog to show that it can work. See tinyurl.com/grrftsf.

5. Other Alternatives

When it comes to managing encounters with loose dogs, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Following are some additional tactics to consider:

Deterrent Spray

We don’t recommend traditional mace or pepper spray, including those sold as animal deterrents, such as Halt! Dog Repellent (hot pepper-based), due to the potential risk of blow-back into your eyes or your dog’s eyes. (Even the faintest waft of mace or pepper spray can be extraordinarily painful.)

However, a citronella-based deterrent spray such as Spray Shield (formerly sold under the name “Direct Stop”) can help stop the unwanted advance of a dog, or, in extreme cases, can be used to help break up a dog fight, and is far less caustic in nature.

Air Horn

The sudden, loud blast of an air horn can often frighten a loose dog and cause him to turn-tail and head home. Pocket-sized air horns can be found in sporting good and marine stores. The downside to an air horn is that the noise can scare your own dog, too. If this is a tactic you’d consider using, it’s wise to desensitize your dog to the noise first.

Walking Stick

Many people carry a walking stick, golf club or other similar object that can be brandished as a weapon when faced with an unwanted approaching dog. The goal here, is to intimidate the dog in an effort to stop his approach, not to cause bodily harm. The crisp “crack!” of a stick slapping the ground, or the audible “whirl!” of a club slicing through the air will often deter an approaching dog without ever needing to make physical contact. Some people also report success using the sudden burst of an opened, push-button umbrella. With any of these tactics, be mindful of the potential for scaring your own dogs.

Head up a Walkway/Driveway

Heading toward a neighbor’s front door or up the driveway as though you live there often gives loose dogs second thoughts, as they can be leery of more confined spaces and of being captured.

Unconventional Exit Strategies

Depending on the size of your dog, objects in the environment can provide unique protection against approaching dogs. A client once told me her husband quickly jumped into the back of a parked pickup truck with their small terrier to avoid an aggressively approaching dog. The quick-thinking client of a fellow trainer once put her little dog in a trashcan to keep him safe as she dealt with the problematic loose dog. Lucky for them, it was trash day and the cans were out on the curb!

Whatever approach you choose, do your best to remain calm so as not to escalate the situation with your own panicked behavior. After any altercation with a loose dog, carefully assess your dog for injuries and consider taking him to the veterinarian, as bite wounds can be difficult to spot under thick fur. Write down as much as you can remember about the incident, such as location and a description of the dog, and contact your local animal control agency.

Stephanie Colman is a writer and dog trainer in Los Angeles.

The post Tips on Stopping a Loose Dog from Approaching You appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

2. No talking on cell phones except in an emergency.

3. Practice makes perfect. Ask for (and reinforce) your dog for loose-leash walking, and polite sits at street corners and when you stop to talk to someone.

4. Use good equipment that is appropriate for your dog (for example, if not well trained, giant dogs probably need more than a flat collar – and retractable leashes are not considered safe, ever). Inspect the fit and condition of all your equipment frequently. Ensure that your dog wears a tag with current information.

5. Pay attention to your dog’s body language. Chances are she will alert you about anything amiss on the street or trail long before you become aware of it. Whether that’s another dog walker approaching, a mountain biker flying down the trail toward you, or a mountain lion trailing you, an early warning can help you manage the situation – but if only you are paying attention.

6. Carry really good treats. Professionally trained walkers know that good training is built with top-shelf reinforcements.

7. Make sure your dog is healthy before starting any exercise program.

8. Do not let your dog run off-leash unless he has a reliable recall. (The only exception would be in a fenced dog park, during off-peak hours, so you could work on your dog’s recall!)

9. Manage your dog’s behavior! Don’t assume that it is okay for your dog to interact with every dog and every human you come across. Not only is it rude, but it can also trigger unexpected, and maybe unwanted, reactions.

The post 9 Expert Tips for Walking Your Own Dogs appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

Joan Morse, CPDT-KA, CA-P1, CNWI, of Tailwaggers Canine Campus in Newark, Delaware, recommends Leslie McDevitt’s “Pattern Games” when teaching loose-leash walking. She describes one of those games:

“The Two Step: drop a treat on the ground. Take two steps forward while the dog eats the treat. The moment he looks up at you, click, drop another treat right by you and take two more steps. This game develops a pattern or rhythm for the dog that will keep his attention on the handler and keep him moving as she moves. You usually get a nice loose leash walk quickly.”

Jackie Moyano, of Wholistic Hound in Alexandria, Virginia, suggests targeting. “If the dog can target the end of a stick, the walker can hold the stick at knee level and have the dog target during the walk.”

Viviane Arzoumanian, CPDT-KA, CBCC-KA, PMCT-2, of PumpkinPups Dog Training in Brooklyn, New York, likes the tried-and-true “treat-spitting” method: “Teach your dog to catch tossed treats, and teach yourself to spit treats for the dog to catch (I use string cheese). Practice walking with the dog first without distractions, spitting treats to the dog for eye contact and being at your side.

The post Some Quick Tips for Loose Leash Walking appeared first on Whole Dog Journal.

– Avoid dog-dog greetings when your dog is on-leash to prevent frustration aggression.

– Identify the motivation for your dog’s on-leash aggression and address it accordingly.

– Teach yourself and your dog to practice deep breathing to reduce both your stress levels when faced with an approaching dog.

If you hang around with other dog owners, you’ve no doubt heard the same comment I have, over and over again: “My dog is fine with other dogs when he’s off-leash; he’s only dog-aggressive when his leash is on.” You may have even said it yourself.

The reason it’s an often-heard comment is that it’s a common behavior: A lot of dogs who are fine with other dogs when left to their own devices become aggressive if they are leashed when they meet other dogs.

We know that aggression is caused by stress. (See “Understanding Aggression in Dogs,” WDJ October 2010.) Clearly, there is something about being on a leash that a lot of dogs find stressful enough that it prompts aggressive behavior. There are several reasons for this. Let’s take a look at each of them.

Leashes Interfere with Dogs’ Normal Social Interaction

Picture in your mind two dogs meeting and greeting, off-leash. They engage in a social dance – advancing, retreating, moving around each other, sniffing various body parts, giving body language signals intended to keep the interaction civil. Sometimes the movements are slow; sometimes they are quick. If one dog is cautious or fearful of the other, he can retreat as he wishes, using social distance to keep himself safe.

Now picture those same two dogs meeting on-leash. The dance is stilted, inhibited by the restraint of the leash. One dog tries to circle the other, and the leash tangles around his legs. The cautious dog would like to retreat to safety, but knows the leash restricts his movement, and elects to act out his second option to increase distance – a growl and a snap to signal to the other dog to move away – who cannot, because he is leashed. The fight is on.

In the future, the cautious dog will offer a growl and snap before he’s close enough for the other dog to make contact. The best defense is a good offense. Alarmed, owners move away from each other, and the fearful dog’s aggression is reinforced by the increased distance. Behaviors that are reinforced repeat and increase, and the cautious dog’s aggression escalates as he realizes that it’s a successful behavior strategy for him – it keeps other scary dogs away. You now have a leash-aggressive dog. Absent the leash, he still chooses to move away from the other dog – his first behavior choice.

Leash Restraint Frustration

This is the dog who would love to visit with other dogs, on- or off-leash. In fact, you have reinforced his “I wanna go see the other dog!” behavior by frequently allowing him to greet other dogs on-leash, being careful to keep the leash loose, as your instructor showed you in class, to avoid having the leash interfere with the dogs’ normal social interaction. However, sometimes owners of approaching dogs give a clear indication that they don’t want to allow their dogs to greet yours. You politely comply, restraining your dog with his leash to hold him back.

Your dog, who suffers from low impulse control and low tolerance for frustration, becomes highly aroused when his desire to greet the other dogs is thwarted. His frustration and arousal turn into aggression, and your dog is labeled as “reactive.” Absent the leash, he would have happily greeted other dogs without any frustration or aggression.

When the Dog Owner is a Stressor

Stories abound of dogs who are ferocious if the owner is in the room, or holding the leash, yet turn into pussycats when the owner leaves or hands the leash off to someone else. One possibility is that the dog is protecting his owner. Another more likely one is that the owner’s presence gives a fearful dog enough confidence to act aggressively, but the dog shuts down when the owner leaves. Yet a third and perhaps most likely explanation, is that the owner is stressed in anticipation of the dog’s behavior in the proximity of other dogs, as well as other coming events – such as obedience ring competition. The stress of the human is an added stressor for the dog who is well aware of his owner’s emotional distress (they are masters at reading human body language, remember?) and that’s enough to put him over his aggression threshold.

Prior Negative Association with Events that Happened On-Leash

If you ever made the mistake of punishing your dog for inappropriate behavior toward other dogs on-leash, you may have given him a negative association between the leash and the presence of other dogs. Verbal corrections, a jerk on the leash or, horrors, a zap from a shock collar, are all stressors that your dog might now associate with the presence of another dog when he’s on his leash. That added stress can cause him to be aggressive when he otherwise might not have been.

Perhaps he was attacked by another dog when he was on his leash. Attacks can create very strong negative associations; you will often see a dog who is on-leash-aggressive toward a particular breed, type, or color of dog that reminds him of a prior aggressor.

Tightening of the Leash as a Stressor/Trigger

Sometimes introductions seem to be going well until one owner turns to leave, and pulls on the leash to get her dog to come along. Suddenly a fight breaks out for no apparent reason other than the leash tightening.

If things were already a bit tense between the dogs, the tightening of the leash can easily trigger an aggressive outburst. For one thing – it’s a stressor. Imagine if you were engaged in conversation with someone, and someone grabbed your arm – or worse, your shirt collar – and tried to pull you away. Annoying, yes? Well, annoying equals stress – perhaps enough stress to trigger an outburst.

For another, picture two dogs standing nose-to-nose, with some tension between them. Now envision the dog’s body language when his owner pulls back on the leash. The opposition reflex (scientifically named “thigmotaxis”) causes him to lean forward, tighten his muscles and stand a little taller – all of which mimic an assertive, perhaps aggressive body posture in a dog. If the annoyance-stress isn’t enough to trigger aggression in that dog, his offensive body language is likely to trigger an aggressive response from the other dog. You can find an excellent example of this phenomenon on this YouTube video.

What to Do About Leash Aggression

Each of the causes for on-leash aggression has its own remedy. Some require preventative action – proactive steps that reduce the likelihood of future aggression. Others respond well to intervention in the actual moment of potential aggression. They all require that you keep a cool head when you identify possible trouble spots.

Leash interference with normal social interaction: 

I make it a pretty strict rule not to introduce dogs while still holding leashes. My dog-to-dog introduction routine involves letting the dogs see each other from a distance and, if all appears copacetic as the dogs near each other, dropping leashes and letting the dogs interact normally, without human interference. If the meeting unravels, we can grab leashes and separate the dogs without risking a close encounter with flashing teeth. If all goes well, however, we remove leashes after a moment or two of greeting, and allow the dogs to play freely.

Leash restraint frustration:

My rule about “no greetings on-leash” works well to proactively prevent leash-restraint frustration. Because my dogs aren’t in the habit of routinely greeting other dogs on-leash, they don’t develop that expectation, and therefore don’t become frustrated when it doesn’t happen. I teach my dogs that when they are on leash, they are with me, and their job is to pay attention to me. Only when and if I drop the leash and give them the “Go play!” cue do they expect to interact with an approaching dog.

For this reason, we do not teach an on-leash greeting exercise in our good manners classes (greeting humans, yes; greeting dogs, no). We aim to convince our students of the value of the no-greeting rule from Day One of their first class, in part to decrease the potential for on-leash frustration-aggression. (If your class instructor wants you to participate in an on-leash dog-to-dog greeting exercise, feel free to politely decline.)

Owner presence as a stressor: 

This one might be more about you than it is about your dog. I generally counsel my clients not to leave their dogs in the hands of strangers – even veterinarians. Without you there to protect your dog, some may resort to inappropriate use of force to coerce your dog into cooperating. Forcible restraint is likely to exacerbate your dog’s stress and resulting aggression. Your veterinarian may be able to get the job done, but your dog’s behavior could escalate and worsen with each subsequent encounter.

You need a two-pronged approach to this behavior – modification protocols for your dog and you. Meditation, yoga, biofeedback, and other self-calming procedures are useful to train and remind yourself to stay calm during interactions that might otherwise cause your dog to react to your stress with aggression. “Square breathing” is one simple technique you can use to calm yourself and reduce your own stress. You can also teach your dog to breathe, and then ask him to breathe on cue – reducing his stress – and giving you something to think about and do, which also reduces your stress. (See “Teaching Your Dog Calm, Slow Breathing“.)

Prior Negative Association with On-Leash Events: 

The greater the intensity of the prior negative association, the harder you will have to work to overcome it.

If your dog has perceived that the presence of another dog causes pain or discomfort to his neck – from the shock of an electronic collar, the pinch of a prong collar, or even the choking of a flat collar – start by changing the equipment.

Then implement a counter-conditioning and desensitization program to other dogs. Dog at a distance makes chicken happen (the other dog needs to be far enough away (“sub-threshold”) so as not to elicit an aggressive response to your dog). Let him look at the other dog; feed him chicken. Let him look again; feed chicken. Look – feed. Look – feed. Over and over, until, when he sees another dog his brain thinks “Chicken!” – and he no longer stresses over the presence of the other dog.

Then gradually decrease the distance between your dog and the other dog, and increase intensity of the stimulus in other ways: multiple dogs, more movement from the dogs, direct eye contact with the other dogs, offset walking (walking in the same direction but not right next to each other); parallel walking (next to each other, dogs on the outside humans on the inside); offset approaches, and finally, direct approaches.

If your dog was actually attacked by another dog on one or more occasions, the negative association may be even more intense, and modification even more of a challenge. If the mere presence of another dog is a very strong stressor for your dog, you may want to seek the assistance of a behavior professional for your modification program, and a veterinary behavior professional, for a discussion of behavior modification medication.

Leash Tightening as a Stressor:

The solution for this is absurdly simple: just teach your dog that the tightening of the leash reliably predicts wonderful stuff. You need your dog, on-leash, and a large supply of his favorite treat, cut into pea-size pieces. Now pull gently on his leash – and feed him a treat. Do this multiple times, until a tug on the leash prompts your dog to turn happily to you in anticipation of a goodie. Then increase the pressure on the leash, and the duration of the pressure. Next, practice the “leash pressure equals treat” game in the presence of increasing distractions, and finally in the presence of other dogs.

Identify and address the specific cause of your dog’s on-leash aggression; manage his on-leash behavior to prevent the frustration, arousal, stress, and fear that are the root causes of his undesirable behavior; give him new associations with the presence of other dogs; and keep him safe from inappropriate social interactions (canine and human), and he will be well-positioned to succeed.

Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, is WDJ’s Training Editor. She lives in Fairplay, Maryland, site of her Peaceable Paws training center, where she offers dog training classes and courses for trainers. Pat is also author of many books on positive training, including, Do Over Dogs: Give Your Dog a Second Chance at a First-Class Life.

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