# On leash aggression



## Weezie (Jul 31, 2008)

What is the best way to deal with the following scenario?
The park where we walk during the week has numerous off lead dogs with their owners with zero recall or should I say owners with little to no desire to recall their dogs.

My Daschund X has a very low tolerance of strange dogs. We've got to a point where I can successfully keep her attention if the other dogs are on leash. She's also a very fearful little dog and finds new/strange situations difficult to cope with, she deals with this by acting the bada$$.

Our problem is where off leash dogs are approaching us, I can't really blame her for getting on the defensive, but it isn't exactly polite dog behaviour and I'd like to get her to a point where she eventually "ignores" other dogs. I'd also like walks to have less stress and worry for the both of us.
The way I currently deal with the situation is to:
a)Just carry on walking purposefully ignoring the behaviour(obviously my dog is on a leash), if the dog doesn't appear to be on a mission to come say "hi". If she so much as looks at me I become a pez dispenser lol
b) If the dog appears to be gamboling towards us, then I place myself between my dog and the other dog, with her in a sit position, again if she focuses on me I once again become a human pez dispenser.
BTW Her reaction to off leash dogs within a certain distance is to go nuts on the end of her leash, pulling and barking, hackles up.

To give a bit of background, she's 11 months old and has always been fearful of strangers and strange dogs ever since she was a tiny puppy. She was a rescue that was away from her mum way to early. Having daschund and we believe mini pin in her also predisposes her to a fear of strangers, etc.
She attended puppy socialisation (she dispayed fearful behaviour during controlled 'playgroup' and never warmed up to socialising) and we're currently training for Beginner obedience having succesfully passed elementary beginners. 

Sorry for the insanely long post.


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## sskmick (Feb 4, 2008)

I stopped taking my dog to the local park for that reason, he isn't dog aggressive but he will defend himself, whether he is on the leash or off. He will play like a pup if the other dog is friendly.

My dog went through a phase of trying to be king pin. I didn't try to struggle past another dog on a leash, I had Duke wait and focus on me usually a piece of cheese hovering around his nose and provided he ignored the dog he got the cheese and lots of praise.

No doubt other members will be able to give you some good sound advice.

Sue


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## Weezie (Jul 31, 2008)

Unfortunately this park is the only safe dog walking place close enough in winter, as it gets dark pretty early and we go for our walks in the evening after I get home from work, as do every other person in our area it seems :/

On the weekends I take her to a different park that is very quiet, so she can actually get to have a romp off leash. If we do come across any dogs and their humans  everyone's considerate enough to put their dogs back on their leashes (as do I).

As summer approaches I'll probably start taking Foof in the early morning before work, the park is blissfully quiet at that time. 

I just want to see if we're on the right track and if anyone has some ideas on how to curb her "small man syndrome"


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## smskar (Apr 7, 2009)

Hiya 

I have the same problem with one of my dogs. When she is on the lead and we walk down the road, she becomes really aggressive towards other dogs. The fact that I become embarrassed certainly doesn't help! But she is totally fine when we are in the woods and she is off the lead. I think it is fear / aggression and by being embarrassed I am making things worse.

I cannot get her to focus on me, say tempher with food, as I take both dogs out at the same time... 

If anyone has got any suggestions for dealing with this type of aggression while walking 2 dogs, please let me know. 

Thanks


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## hutch6 (May 9, 2008)

This a tough one to overcome because it is so easy to over the step the mark and set the dog back becasue of intruding dogs.

I had a GSD that was like this and worked at this with her. It took lots of time and patience but eventually she came round.

There will be a threshold of comfort where your dog is comfortable witht he the other dog being a set distance away. As soon as the dog comes closer than your dog is ocmfortable with it sets your dog off. The key is to slowly work your way towards another dog and as soon as you see a chnage in your dog's body posture towards the other dog you have reached the so called "aggression zone". When this happens you need to make your dog sit and observe, relax and try not to focus on the other dog too much.
After a bit of time at this distance you will find that you can get closer until it can be around other dogs and realise they pose no real threat.

It is best to get othe rpeople and their dogs involved in what you are doing becasue then between you you can control the distance at which the dogs first see each other which will allow you to gauge the distance of reaction and work from there.

If you want a step by step i will do one when i am not at work and have more time. Let me know.


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## james1 (Sep 21, 2008)

id use a leave command and attend training classes, most training is done on lead with other dogs around so this would be the best route to get her used to things


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## williamsmith (Apr 2, 2010)

Its sounds good to me


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## cullamubba (Apr 2, 2010)

This might not be right for you, but my westie was exactly the same to other dogs as she had never been taken off the lead. I took her to a training class and spent the whole time in the corridor because she wouldnt stop barking at the other dogs. The trainer gave me some tips but kept stressing to me that the biggest reason why she is doing it is because she is restricted on the lead and all she wants to do is go and check them out or just go and say hello.

She is 6 now and we hadn't ever taken her off the lead because she is soo easily distracted and we were worried that if she got distracted off the lead, then she would never come back when we called her.

A couple of weeks ago I plucked up the courage and took her to a playing field that was fenced on 3 sides so it was pretty safe, and it was empty. I took her off the lead and practised calling her back and she was brilliant. 
The next day we took her over the forest and took her off the lead and to my suprise she was brilliant. There were plenty of other dogs which she would normally bark and growl at, but this time, although she ran straight towards them, she did come back as soon as I called her once she had the chance to say hello. She even started playing with one jack russell which I never thought I'd see!

As I say this might not be right for you, depending on what type of dogs you normally encounter on your walks, but it sounds like you have a head start on me as your dog already listens to you on the lead. 

As I live on the edge of the new forest, people do tend to be pretty considerate when it comes to their dogs and controlling them as they are loads of ponies everywhere so peope know they can't have dog causing havoc or they could get seriously hurt. 

Good luck!


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## mazeem1234 (Jul 3, 2011)

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## ClaireandDaisy (Jul 4, 2010)

Turn round and walk briskly away. Walk out of the Park if necessary. Other owners will soon get the message. 
It`s not you that is at fault. There is no need for off lead dogs to approach yours. 
If you want her to socialise, find a friend with a nice dog to walk with.


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## Irish Setter Gal (Mar 17, 2011)

cullamubba said:


> This might not be right for you, but my westie was exactly the same to other dogs as she had never been taken off the lead. I took her to a training class and spent the whole time in the corridor because she wouldnt stop barking at the other dogs. The trainer gave me some tips but kept stressing to me that the biggest reason why she is doing it is because she is restricted on the lead and all she wants to do is go and check them out or just go and say hello.
> 
> She is 6 now and we hadn't ever taken her off the lead because she is soo easily distracted and we were worried that if she got distracted off the lead, then she would never come back when we called her.
> 
> ...


Sometimes it is the leap of faith that is required - well done you, practise the 'happy recall' loads now.


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