Because we have made all other options unavailable, fight-going on attack/striking first-is all that remains. Hence, flight is also unavailable.įight is the last option, which is the response people call leash aggression. As they are being moved closer, avoidance is also unavailable regardless of what would be better for either of them.įlight would be the next possibility, which would mean getting away from the situation altogether, but there is the leash. As a result, appeasement is unavailable.Īvoidance would be another possibility, but that would mean not getting closer. So even if that dog would read your dog correctly and respond appropriately, it can’t. ![]() The dog on the other side is also on a leash. Even if the dog can display clear body language signals of discomfort, they are often neither seen nor understood by its owner. Possible Responses to Unfamiliar SituationsĪppeasement requires freedom of movement, which doesn’t exist on a leash. If a dog is being walked on a leash towards another dog that makes it uncomfortable, it can only do a few things. The options are appeasement, avoidance, flight, or fight. ![]() What they choose depends on their state of mind and comfort level in a given situation. When confronted with unfamiliar situations, dogs have four response options. We will probably never know the true distribution but let’s explore these. I have probably seen more fear-based behavior, but I know other trainers who have seen more of the habitual variety. There are generally two main reasons a dog displays behavior owners describe as leash aggression: fear or habit. The issue tends to be the context of the behavior. Reactions, in general, are usually not the issue. ![]() He asked what does it mean? Is a dog reacting in some way? That seems okay because it was probably dead if it didn’t do something. I heard well-known ethologist Rodger Abrantes discuss the phrase ‘dog reactivity’ in one of his lectures. It only indicates that a dog is having an aggressive reaction for some reason. Both are used interchangeably, so to explain this behavior, I will stick with leash aggression as it is probably more commonly used.īut what does leash aggression mean? It’s a pretty useless phrase as it doesn’t describe what is happening. And there is, of course, the close relative of this term, leash-reactivity. Off-leash the dog may even be totally fine. Most dog owners use this term if their dog loses their mind at other dogs, people, cars, bikes, or whatever, when on a leash. Leash aggression in dogs is one of those phrases we hear regularly.
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