This can be accomplished by initiating a social structure or a nothing-in-life-is-free program.Īs part of this program, the owner should request that the dog sit before getting anything it wants or needs, the dog should be ignored when it demands attention, and the dog should frequently be asked to stay before being allowed to follow owners around the home or yard or before going in or out of the home. By setting boundaries, the owner will obtain better compliance and dependability from obedience cues. Next, owners need to teach their dogs that they are in control. It should be noted that throughout the entire training process, only positive reinforcement types of training techniques should be used. This training may require the help of a private trainer since these dogs usually do poorly in a class situation. If aggression is part of a dog's reactive behavior, the person walking the dog is responsible for others' safety and must ensure that leashes and halters are secure and that there is no opportunity for physical contact with other dogs or people.īefore the social conditioning process begins, the dog must be taught to dependably come, sit, stay, and heel on a leash. Owners need to stay as relaxed as possible and think of these exercises as games to play with their dogs. Dogs are less manageable and have difficulty learning when they are highly aroused. Training at a distance beyond the response threshold ( see “Response threshold distances” below) is absolutely necessary. The purpose of these exercises is to give owners more control over their dogs on walks and to replace lunging, barking, or aggressive or fearful behaviors with calm, quiet, and relaxed behaviors. Outlined below is a typical plan that I use to address this problem. The problem can usually be successfully treated if the owners have the commitment, tools, and correct information to get the job done. It can be caused by a variety of underlying problems, including aggression, fear, unruliness, play-soliciting behavior, or inadequate training. Reactivity on a leash is a common canine behavior problem and is often stressful for owners. He constantly barks and lunges at everything he sees. But he's a big boy and I just can't control him when I walk him on a leash. “I know he needs more exercise,” she said, “and I want to get him out more. G appeared distressed as well as concerned. “Tommy needs to pass on the midnight snacks,” I told her, “but just as important, he needs to be getting more exercise.” He weighed 10 lb more than the last time I saw him and at least 20 lb more than he should weigh. G's dog, Tommy, was slowly becoming grossly overweight. A calmer state of the pet means you can resume the game.Ms. This will prevent the play from escalating into aggression. The human must at this point put away the toy and ask the pooch to ‘sit’ or ‘lie down’ and wait for it to calm down. If a dog’s growling gets deeper, it’s best to take a recess from the roughhousing. Encourage the dog to sit or lie down for a while before resuming play. Therefore it is best to take a small break during any such activity. These games may give rise to a dog’s predatory character as these involve some elements of hunting and attacking. It is important to keep a check on your dog while the two of you engage in some roughhousing: a game of wrestling, chase or tug of war. Prevent Play from turning into Aggression Researchers also put forth that the three growls are indicative of three different emotions experienced by dogs: Play growls mean happiness, growling at some intimidating stranger means fear in the dog and protecting the bone shows aggression in the animal. The result of this research indicated play growls to be higher pitched and shorter than warning growls. Researchers electronically analyzed the three growl sounds made by canines play growls, howls aimed at frightening strangers and growls directed towards protecting their bone. An average human ear may fail to perceive this difference. These Athletes don’t need no Dog Toys to Play with: Amazing Dog PhotosĪ 2010 study published in the Journal “Animal Behavior” revealed that play growls are interpreted differently vis-à-vis warning growls by dogs. Another red flag are raised hackles on your dog’s back. A stiff tail or one that stands vertically erect is a signal for you to back-off. Your pet’s body language will help you to fully understand whether your dog is happy or angry. However humans can look out for more overt signs to interpret what your dog’s growl exactly means. Image – Ī fellow dog can easily understand the difference between a play and a warning growl. Therefore it isn’t something you need to be concerned about. It is your pet dog’s way of communicating to its human or canine playmate that it wants to continue playing a game that it enjoys a lot.
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