The most common complaint I hear from people is wanting to cure their dog of lunging at other dogs while on a walk.
There isn't a week that goes by that I'm not lining up my dogs to be used as bait to teach a transgressing dog how to walk politely on a leash when confronted by another dog. Since my dogs range from the tiny toy poodle to great big Gramma Peaches, matriarch of our American bulldogs, there isn't a dog-aggressive dog out there whose buttons I can't find to push.
Most dogs that are dog aggressive on walks are this way because they either garner satisfaction from the aggressive act, i.e., it's fun for them, or they are insecure individuals that are acting defensively. These dogs feel that if they come on strong, the other dog may be scared away before becoming aggressive. Although other reasons for dog aggression in leashed dogs does occur, these are the most common.
The appropriate correction is the same regardless of the scenario. Most people, while in the moment, wait too long before attempting to correct a dog's aggressive behavior. Waiting until the dog is already thrashing, snarling and lunging before attempting a correction is unproductive. The aggressive dog cannot feel you pulling, hear you yelling or see you trying to stop their behaviors. And, at this point in the behavior, it doesn't care.
The key to stopping the behavior is communication before the dog becomes aggressive. A dog-aggressive dog, when confronted by another dog, will experience a surge of adrenaline. That surge occurs as soon as the dog-aggressive dog figures out that he is in close proximity to the other dog. In the wild, this hormone surge would give the dog either the necessary speed to outrun an enemy, or the strength and ability to out-fight it.
When the hormone adrenaline hits a dog's system, many things occur simultaneously. The dog will experience tunnel vision, therefore, even with you right there, he can't see you. He experiences a roaring in his ears, so, he cannot hear you yelling at him to stop. And he becomes oblivious, or almost so, to pain so he can't feel you yanking on him or hitting him to gain his attention.
This is why waiting until after the dog is reactive is waiting too long. Even if the dog wanted to obey, he is unable to after the adrenaline enters his system.
This means that the owner must pay close attention to what's ahead on the walk. When another dog is sighted, get your dog's attention and warn him that even looking at the other dog is forbidden. This is the easiest way to avoid confrontation and an aggressive display. And, as always, a dog training class or private training is usually very helpful.
