When your dog’s calm behavior is consistently reinforced by moving the other dog away, your dog learns to behave calmly in the presence of other dogs – and eventually no longer feels the need to try to make them go away.Ī reverse CAT procedure is used for frustrated greeters: calm behavior makes the other dog come closer.įor more information about CAT, see “ Constructional Aggression Treatment Can Improve Behavior,” WDJ December 2009. This shows your dog that a calm, non-aggressive behavior can make the unwanted dog go away. The dog with aggressive behavior is exposed to another dog/handler pair at a sub-threshold distance, and any calm choices he makes (turning away, looking at his handler, looking at the other dog calmly, etc.) are reinforced by having the other dog/handler pair move away. This is a more complicated protocol than CC&D, because you need the help of another person and dog, but it can be very effective. Constructional Aggression Treatment (CAT).Be patient, this modification protocol takes time! Working at a sub-threshold distance (where your dog is aware of the presence of the other dog but not barking, lunging, or otherwise acting aggressive), each time your dog looks at the other dog, you feed him a very high-value treat to convince him that other dogs make treats happen (see sidebar). This is my favorite protocol for all three types of on-leash aggression, as it changes your dog’s association with the stimulus (the other dog) that is creating an undesirable emotional response. Counter-Conditioning and Desensitization (CC&D).How to Modify On-Leash AggressionĪll of the following protocols can be utilized with each of the three types of on-leash aggression described above. Fortunately, it’s also the least common of the three types of leash-aggressive dogs. While the other two types of leash-aggressive dogs are often compatible with other dogs when not on their leashes, the offensively aggressive dog is generally just as much of a threat off leash as on leash. This behavior can appear even in a young puppy and can be the most challenging to manage and modify of the three types of on-leash aggression. Sadly, some dogs truly don’t like other dogs and look for opportunities to attack them. Because he knows he can move away and doesn’t feel trapped by the leash, he is less stressed about the encounter, and less likely to feel the need to aggress. Behaviors that are reinforced generally increase, so the intensity of his aggressive behavior escalates over time.Īs with frustrated greeters, this behavior is less likely to occur when the defensive dog is off leash, especially with a socially appropriate dog who respects his “go slow” signals. When other dogs leave a barking, lunging dog alone in response to his “go away” message, the behavior is reinforced, and he’s convinced this is a successful survival strategy. Puppies may shut down at first when approached by other dogs, but as dogs mature and gain confidence, they may start to offer “distance increasing behaviors” including growls, barks, and lunges toward other dogs. This occurs with a dog who is mildly to significantly fearful of other dogs and feels threatened and trapped when he is on leash and approached by others. I recommend that you allow your friendly dog to interact with others only when the dogs are off-leash and in appropriate, safely enclosed areas. To avoid leash frustration, prevent the development of frustration-causing expectations by never allowing on-leash greetings. You’ll do better to manage and/or modify your dog’s arousal so he is reasonably calm before allowing dog-dog interactions. But be careful! Other dogs may take offense at your dog’s level of arousal and respond with defensive aggression. While frustration reactivity looks seriously aggressive, in many cases, the frustrated greeter is socially appropriate if allowed to interact with other dogs off-leash. Reactivity is defined as an abnormal level of arousal in response to a normal stimulus. His resulting frustration may cause him to become reactive. This can happen with even a very confident, friendly, social dog who is accustomed to greeting other canines he meets while on leash but is prevented from doing so.
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