Lunging at People While Walking on Leash

[Traci -Bexter & Maggie]

Bexter is doing much better with loose leash walking.  We have been practicing more.  He stays with me and is doing better about not pulling (not perfect of course, but much better).  I am using a regular flat collar & leash.  Of course he pulls more when we are in different places (Petsmart, park, etc) & there are more distractions...so I have to practice that.  But, in the neighborhood, better.  However, whenever we pass someone on the sidewalk (people or dogs, whatever) he lunges playfully at them.  Bexter believes he is the center of the universe (I don't know where he got that idea???) and that everyone loves him.  He is very friendly.  This is not aggression at all, just friendliness and excitement. 

How do I teach him that it is not appropriate to lunge at people while on the leash (or anytime for that matter)?

[Heather Martinez]

I cannot wait to hear the responses! Teddy does this too! He actually "pouts"if we pass someone and they don't want to pet him. He'll sometimes show he's not happy about this lack of attention by running fast or trying to bite the leash. Also, Teddy likes to lie down and then lunge at people when they approach.

[Carol Brand]

Holy canole!    I have to say as a dog owner and as a parent that I would be pissed if I was walking by with my dog or kids and your dog lunged at us.  Since you know this is his MO, head him off at the pass.  Don't let him get in that crouch position.  Don't let him stare down people or other dogs.  His attention should be on YOU not other people.  (See above for attention work.)

[Mimi Linna, Lilly and Lolly]

me too.. can't wait for the "been there done that" suggestions..

[Carol Brand]

Lunging is not playful.  It can be very provocative to other dogs and people who are afraid of dogs often misread the behavior.   I've also seen this escalate over time to aggressive behavior.  If your dog is this focused on other dogs, then he is not thinking about you and you basically have no control over him except for what the leash affords (what would happen for example if you accidentally dropped the leash?)

 

What sort of attention work have you done?  If Bexter is sitting next to you and you say "WATCH" or "READY".  Will he give you his attention?  This practice has to start and be worked at home before you can expect to be able to do it in public with distraction. 

 

I do it pretty simply. I like to keep treats in my mouth and deliver them out of my mouth so that the dog gets used to looking up at my face.  I put the dog next to me and give the attention command in a sharp, up-beat voice.  READY!  If the dog looks up at me... TREAT!  If not he gets a collar pop.  The collar pop (or two if necessary) will get the dog to look up at you.  TREAT!   Repeat this over and over multiple times a day at home until you can give the attention command and the dog will look sharply up at your face.  It also helps to preface all of your other commands with the attention word.  1.  You get your dog's attention and 2.  Your dogs knows it is about to be asked to do something. 

 

Now you are ready for prime time.  Go out in public.  When Bexter spots another dog, ask for attention.  When he looks at you PRAISE PRAISE PRAISE TREAT!  If he doesn't.  COLLAR POP!  When we work our dogs in class, we pass shoulder to shoulder and the dogs don't pay attention to anyone but their handler.  If they do, they get a correction.

 

Final note... if the buckle collar is not giving your dog a correction that gets through to him, step it up to prong collar.

[Camus]

Very good advice! I've gotten to the chapter about the "ready" command  in my book, but haven't started teaching it yet. Now I see better its purpose. Thank you and thanks, Traci, for the question.

[Hazel & Chester Wayte]

Can you let me know which book you are using? The training videos of Camus is great!..I have lots of walking leash issues with Chester- Classes start next week.. He is 11 weeks old.

 

[Camus]

Thank you!  I taught him these first commands the same way I taught my former dog in Moscow (no books just intuitively) and I used "Russian" signs  for "sit" and "down". A couple of weeks ago I bought "Dog training for dummies" by the Volharts (they invented the PAT test that many people use to determine puppies' temperament). I like it! I discovered many useful things and these things work! I read there about the "ready" command. I bought it on Amazon for 3,5$ + delivery. 

 

[Mimi Linna, Lilly and Lolly]

thanks.. I just bought the book on ebay...

[Julie, Boomer, Milo & Casey]

My dog did that same thing and then learned to lay down as people approached and then pounce toward them (taking all of us by surprise).    When I saw someone coming, I'd put him in to a down (or sit) and stand on his leash and turn our sides to the approaching dog/human and practice "look at me" and "leave it" and give him treats.   Eventually we were able to stop doing this but as someone approached, I'd immediately start with the "leave it" and/or "look at me" and he'd "look at me" as we passed the dog/human.    It was a process and one that I went back to training for at 18 months because I needed help in getting him to stop...now he's the perfect dog on a leash and walking is my favorite thing to do with Boomer.  

[Adina P]

I guess for us we fixed/trained out of that simply by making each outing a training outing (not a walk) and we would train attention and heeling (along with other things) and we'd use other people, dogs, etc as planned distractions.  We didn't begin training on sidewalks (as per walks), but went out to parks and we would start off far from people/dogs and gradually, purposely approach people/dogs and use those distractions as part of training with our training method.  I approached and reapproached as needed until I got the proper response out of the dog I was training.  Correction if the dog responded inappropriately, praise/reward for proper response.  Over and over and over with no opportunities for lunging.  In other words the correction began the moment the dog attempted lunging and thus the dog NEVER got far enough to actually be a full leash ahead of me.  But the how-to is part of the training method I use and not something I can just jot down in a few sentences.  I find it to be the most effective way to get good leash results: http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum2/topics/david-dikemans-command

[Adina P]

But you could also use a slip lead and just give a quick pop of the leash when he STARTS to lunge....not after the fact when he's already at the end of the leash.

[Traci -Bexter & Maggie]

Carol,

I agree with you that lunging is completely unacceptable.  I don't want people to fear my dog; I would be totally afraid if I saw a dog lunge at me.  It is with people and dogs.  Not just dogs.  People can walk by & he lunges at them.  If I were to drop the leash (since you asked), he would run right over to them & start jumping all over them.  I have no doubt.  I'm glad you explained how you do the "attention training" because I have seen this mentioned a lot on DK & didn't know how to accomplish that.  I will definitely start trying that.  You are correct that he is not paying attention to me at all because he is always looking at his surroundings.  Bexter obviously thinks he is totally cute (I'm sure all my attention is not helping), but everyone he sees, they come right up to him, ask what kind of puppy he is, kids squeal & get all excited, people talk to him in a high-pitched voice because he does look like a "live teddy bear" as they say. Now, as for the correction, what is a collar pop?  Jerk the collar?  Can you do it with a flat collar?  Or do I need a prong collar or something else?  There are certain commands I am confident that Bexter knows what I mean (sit, for example) and sometimes he chooses not to sit.  I give eye contact & point & repeat myself.  I'd rather not do that.  I would rather correct it because he needs to know if I tell him to do something I mean do it the first time.  So...I'd love to know what this collar pop thing means.  Sometimes (when he knows I'm getting ready to leave), I'll say "Go to your crate" and I KNOW darn well he knows what I'm saying, but chooses not to because he knows I'm leaving.  I do not want to be one of these people who have to chase their dog down throughout the whole house to grab then & put them in their crate.  Again, I can do collar pop when I know what it means.  Thank you for the advice.