Two Types Of Leash Reactivity In Dogs: Which One Is Your Dog?
Written By Lauren Tsao, MS, CDBC, CPDT-KA
If you are holding onto your dog’s leash for dear life on every walk because your dog tends to bark, lunge, or growl at each passerby, your dog could be displaying leash reactivity. This can make daily tasks like exercising your dog; or taking your dog to potty nearly impossible and oftentimes, embarrassing. However, people rarely know that there are actually two emotional states that can cause this behavior and it doesn’t always mean that their dog is a truly aggressive dog. This blog post will discuss two types of leash reactivity, frustration-based reactivity, and fear-based reactivity, and their differences.
Frustration-Based Reactivity
The first type of leash reactivity is frustration-based reactivity (sometimes called “excitement-based reactivity”.) This occurs when your dog doesn't get to do what he wants to do (i.e. chase a squirrel or greet the dog being walked across the street) and gets frustrated as a result. The good news is that this type of leash reactivity is usually easy to address with behavior modification because these dogs are usually quite friendly — almost too friendly!
In my experience, I usually see this type of leash reactivity commonly in dogs thought to be sociable breeds, like Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, and various Doodles. This is likely because these dog owners selected a social breed because they themselves are social and they allowed their dog to perform on-leash greetings during puppy socialization thinking that was the best thing for their dog. However, allowing your dog to decide when on-leash greetings should occur, ends up reinforcing pulling on the leash towards people and other animals that they want to greet. When you finally grow tired of being pulled around or the puppy socialization period has ended, you now have a dog who is frustrated that you no longer allow this behavior like before. Thus, the name “frustration-based” leash reactivity.
Fear-Based Reactivity
Another common cause of leash reactivity is fear. When a dog is afraid on a walk, it's usually because they're feeling intimidated or threatened by something - whether it's another person, animal, loud noises, or unfamiliar surroundings. When dogs feel afraid, their natural instinct is to flee the scene - but since they're on a leash, they can't just run away. As a result, they may lash out in an attempt to defend themselves. The good news is that this type of leash reactivity can also be addressed through behavior modification, but it might take a little more time and effort than treating frustration-based reactivity.
These dogs can have some traumatic event that occurred spurring this behavior, like another dog attacking them on a leash being a common cause of this behavioral concern developing. However, it can sometimes seem to have no identifiable cause that the owner can discern. In these cases, it could be due to genetics/epigenetics, limited socialization, or past learning experiences that the owner is unaware of. I have also seen dogs become leash reactive due to pain or illnesses and then return to their usual selves once the medical condition is treated. So, if your dog is older and suddenly displaying leash reactive behaviors, it might be a good idea to take them to the vet for a check-up before you begin training or behavior modification.
Leash reactivity doesn't have to ruin your walks! By understanding the root cause of your dog's leash reactivity and following the proper behavior modification protocol, you can enjoy walks with your furry friend again in no time! Enlist the help of a certified dog behavior consultant to help you create and execute a plan to address your dog’s leash reactivity — no matter the type. You can contact me, a certified dog behavior consultant and certified professional dog trainer for help in the Jackson, MS metro area or virtually for help conquering leash reactivity.
