Picture it — you’re taking your dog for a walk, and they pull on their leash every time they see another dog or child. Maybe they bark loudly or even growl. But, as soon as you get back home and take their leash off, your dog calms down and goes for a nap in the corner. If this sounds like something you can picture all too well with your own dog, then your dog probably experiences leash reactivity. Simply put, leash reactivity is when a dog reacts to external stimuli, but only when leashed. If you feel as though this situation fits your dog perfectly, then read on to learn more about leash reactivity and how you can train your dog to stop reacting when leashed. WHY DOGS REACT Dogs can react to external stimuli for a variety of reasons. External stimuli simply refers to anything that might trigger or even interest your dog. A smell, another animal (not just another dog), other humans or even a loud sound can easily trigger a response in your dog. When your dog gets triggered, their hypothalamus and amygdala work in tandem to activate their trauma response. Basically, your dog is instinctively reacting to the idea or perception of danger. Humans do the same thing. These responses are instantaneous — and both dogs and humans have little control over how they react. Most commonly, dogs will opt for fight or flight — aggression or running away. An aggressive response will typically look like bared teeth, growling, barking or even lunging. When your dog is leashed, their range of mobility is limited. They might be afraid they can’t get away, and their brain immediately triggers them into fight mode instead of flight. That’s why a quality dog collar and leash set is so important for a dog. You’ll want to make sure their leash and collar don’t harm them in any way, especially if they’re prone to lunging whenever they react. Dogs reacting to external stimuli is entirely normal. Since they can’t always think critically and process the same way humans can, dogs operate on instinct and rely on their brains to give them clues on how to behave. As a dog owner, you hold a certain responsibility in learning what triggers your dog and how to manage it. Training your dog not to react can seem like a major challenge, but there are a few things you can do to start the process of getting your dog to react less to external stimuli while leashed. REDUCING TRIGGERS Reducing your dogs’ triggers might seem challenging, but there are some things you can easily watch out for when taking your dog out on a leash. Environment. When your dog goes outside on a leash, are they typically brought to a busy place? Many owners take their dogs to breweries, festivals or other crowded places. Of course, there’s nothing that says you can’t take your dog to those places, but if you know your dog struggles on a leash not to react to external stimuli, then avoiding those places while starting to train your dog can be a big help in their leash training. Noise. Is your dog used to noise? Dogs in overly quiet households might be overwhelmed when brought into environments with loud noises. Think of it from the perspective of distraction or underuse. If you’re someone who likes to have the radio on while you work, but you go to a new office that is very quiet, you might find it more difficult to do work. The same goes for your dog. If they aren’t used to being around noise, then they might get easily distracted or even fearful of the noises around them. SIMPLE TIPS FOR REDUCING LEASH REACTIVITY Before you go out and invest in a professional trainer or DIY your dog’s leash reactivity training, here are some simple tips that can help to reduce general reactivity from your dog while they’re leashed. Don’t use retractable leashes. Your dog shouldn’t be several feet in front of you. Plus, the feeling of your dog being suddenly restrained can harm them more than teach them. The retracting mechanism can also malfunction, and no one wants that! Avoid retractable leashes when looking to reduce reactivity in your dog while they’re leashed. Only have your dog meet other dogs when unleashed. You might be a bit stumped on this one. Wouldn’t it seem safer to have them on a leash so you can easily pull them away if needed? On the surface, yes. However, an important consideration to make is dogs getting tangled up. Dogs need the space and room to get to know each other, and leashes can easily get in the way of that. It can actually do more harm than good. Discover Our Eco-Friendly Pet ID Tags & More Avoid corrective collars. Dogs operate under a simple conditioning and training process. They’re easily trainable, but that also means they learn to associate one thing with something else, even if that’s not the case. If you use a corrective collar with your dog, you probably engage it when they interact with other dogs. While you might think this trains your dog to be more polite around other dogs, it actually teaches them to view other dogs in a negative way. This will mean they’ll interact poorly with other dogs generally while reactivity training, leash or not. By not using a corrective collar, you can make the transition into leash reactivity training easier. Train your dog to sit next to you. Your dog should sit next to you when being introduced to new people. If you’ve already trained your dog to listen to simple commands, then this should be easier than if you haven’t done any training with your dog at all. Once your dog is comfortable sitting next to you on its leash, you’ll want to reward it every time it stays seated when meeting new people. Soon, your dog will associate sitting with positivity. The goal is always that your dog wants to be more focused on you than anything else. TRAINING YOUR DOG TO BE LESS LEASH REACTIVE After you implement some of the simple tips to reduce your dog’s leash reactivity, you can start training your dog to stop reacting on its leash. As leash reactivity is behavioral and also requires intensive training, you might want to consult professionals on this, especially if you try these steps and your dog still reacts whenever they’re on a leash. Always practice indoors first. When training your dog to not react on their leash, you’ll want to start indoors. This reduces the amount of triggers as a whole. Indoor leash reactivity training is the first step in their overall training, and it will help them immensely. Choose a word for them to associate with the reward. Some professionals recommend using a clicker for this part of training, but you might not always have your clicker with you. A verbal marker, or command, is a simple and effective way for your dog to remember their cue. Start simple with a toy. While your dog is leashed, hold up one of their toys. When your dog notices the toy, use your marker word and reward your dog for noticing their toy. Rewards are typically food based, so use some of their kibble or even a high value food item, such as shredded chicken, as a treat! The more and more you do this, the more and more your dog will associate recognition with positivity. Move outside. As you make this transition, consider starting in your yard or other enclosed area. If you aren’t able to move to an enclosed area, then visiting a park or other public area during its less busy times will be best for your dog to practice and train not to be as leash reactive. Identify a trigger. By this point, you probably know what sets your dog off the most. You should always be looking out for your dog’s triggers and see it before they do. Keep some distance between your dog and the trigger, but position yourself and your dog so they eventually recognize the trigger, too. Enforce the verbal marker. As soon as your dog recognizes the trigger (you’ll notice their ears pull back and their body tense), use your verbal marker. They should look at you without any other reaction. If they do react in any way besides looking at you, then move farther away and try again. Recognize that you will probably need more distance between your dog and their trigger than you initially think. Keep it up. As you do this more and more, eventually your dog should get to the point they turn to look back at you as soon as they notice the trigger. This is ideal! It means they notice it but don’t have a desire to react beyond looking back at you. Take it on the move. Once your dog can recognize triggers when sitting next to you or stationary, practice it while moving by the triggers. Over time, you’ll notice that your dog will stop reacting to their triggers entirely. Of course, that doesn’t mean there might not be something major that your dog reacts to, but overall, your dog will be much calmer and less reactive while on a leash. KEEPING YOUR DOG SAFE WHILE ON A LEASH Your dog’s health and safety is important. As you take your dog out more and more, especially after you’ve trained them to be less reactive on their leash, there are a few things you can do to ensure they remain safe. Invest in quality gear. Your pet’s only as safe as the equipment you get for them. Our TraQ dog tag is the Tile for pets — perfect for keeping tabs on your dog wherever they are. Using Tile’s state of the art Bluetooth technology, our TraQ tags allow you to see your dog’s current location. Even if they happen to react while on a walk and run away from you, you can use their TraQ tag to find them quickly and safely. Be aware of your surroundings. Keeping yourself safe is quintessential to keeping your dog safe, too. Make sure to cross the street at designated crosswalks and look both ways to ensure you avoid oncoming traffic. Being aware of your surroundings can allow for you to stay alert and prepared to care for your dog no matter where you are. Always have your dog wear a collar and leash when outside. This is especially if they’re going beyond the barriers of your yard. When outside, your dog should always have a collar on, at the minimum. On their collar should be an ID tag with their name and your updated contact information. Our silicone pet tags are a great option for all pet owners. You can easily add your phone number, your address and even your dog’s medications or medical concerns right on their tag. They’re silent, clean easily and don’t get in the way when your dog is running and playing outside! THE BOTTOM LINE If your dog lunges, barks or growls at other dogs, humans or animals when they’re leashed, they might be experiencing leash reactivity. Training your dog to be less reactive when on a leash is simple, but it does require commitment and effort from both you and your dog. It’s always important that you consult with professionals as you train your dog to ensure you’re training them properly. Your dog will benefit from leash reactivity training, and getting your dog trained will make outside walks easier on you and your dog!