Make sure to watch our 6month reactivity update here:    • 11 Reactive Dog Training Hacks: Walki...  

Dog leash aggression is a common issue for many owners. Dogs who lunge, bark, or growl at other dogs while walking on a leash are often either overaroused or frightened of other dogs.

This is a common issue for dogs who have not been socialized as puppies.

Walking a reactive dog on leash can be tough, but many owners have had success through counterconditioning leash reactive dogs by clicking and rewarding for calm behavior.

There are many great dog training videos about how to train a reactive dog.

Instead, this video is about common mistakes owners may make with a reactive dog. I have my own reactive dog and have made plenty of mistakes while trying to work on his leash aggression. Hopefully you can learn from my mistakes!

Major mistakes featured in this video include:

1. Not Enough Distance. It's essential you find your dog's threshold and work below it. If your dog is not responding to clicks or treats, you are too close. Give your dog more distance from his trigger to help keep him calm and allow him to move his focus away from the other dog.

2. Too Much Stationary Time Near the Other Dog. With the Ds of dog training, this is referred to as "duration". The longer your dog is forced to stare at the other dog and restrain themselves, the harder of a time they'll have.

3. Other Dog Walker On Cellphone (Or Otherwise Distracted). Owners of reactive dogs often have to deal with handling owners of nonaggressive dogs. From other owners talking on cellphones, simply not paying attention, or even allowing their own friendly dogs to walk off leash, you'll need to learn how to stay away from nonattentive walkers.

4. Not Giving Your Dog Your Full Attention. While walking our own reactive dogs, we may become distracted by a text message, our podcast, or may simply get lost in thought. Unfortetunyl, this is a luxury we can't afford. We must always be on alert and always be attentive to what our dog needs to practice good leash behavior!

5. Not Treating Frequently Enough. Especially in the beginning, your dog may need a lot of help staying calm and focusing on something else besides that strange dog walking by. Don't be afraid to click and treat nearly constantly when a dog is walking by.

6. Not Using HighValue Treats. If you're struggling with your reactive leash training, try highervalue treats! Not all treats are created equal. The stinkier and wetter, the better. New and novel treats also tend to keep a dog's attention more than standard treats he gets every day.

Dealing with dog aggression on walks is no fun. However, with enough practice, you can teach your reactive aggressive dog that walking by other dogs is nothing to freak out about!

If you want to stop aggressive dog behavior with other dogs, remember that every time your dog is able to lunge or bark at another dog on a walk, the behavior is being reinforced simply by your dog physically practicing that behavior.

It's essential you work on minimizing the occasions your dog has to reinforce this behavior. Management strategies as immediate solutions may involve walking your dog at off times, but training and counterconditioning will be essential for a longterm fix.

Training an aggressive dog can be difficult, so don't hesitate to reach out to a qualified dog training (or especially important with aggressive dogs a certified dog behaviorist).

Good luck!