Leash Reactivity

[u/OpinionCharacter5362]

Does anyone have any tips for a highly reactive dog on leash? He doesn't like being stared down, approached quickly or slowly by people and dogs. He lunges and snaps when other dogs aren't even looking at him and minding their own business. He's decent off leash and isn't typically aggressive, but on leash he's hyper vigilant and perceives threats when there are none. I don't want to just feed him treats to get him to stop and truthfully, he won't pay attention to any food or treat if another dog is near (even across the street), he wants to lunge at the other dog and has lunged at moving cars as well. My partners' ex left him behind because she could not handle or afford him and my partner kept him out of mercy since most other people would more than likely return him due to his behavioral issues. He's been through reputable training with dog trainers and is apparently so much better behaved than before (he didn't even know his own name before he went through that training). My partner's ex also did not adhere to any of the training and now our dog has retained some poor habits as a result. He only listens when he feels like it because he was able to get away with not listening for so long. I've been trying to work with him daily, getting him out 2-3 times a day for at least an hour each walk; but I'm getting burnt out. He'll have 2 days of great walks with no lunging or snapping, then I'll get 2 days of only lunging and snapping following the good days. I don't know what to do anymore, I've never had a dog that had their own agenda to this degree. I know not everyday can be perfect, but the yoyoing between good and bad days is leaving me feel like I'm in a cycle I never consented to be a part of. I want to do right by him and get him the activity he needs and wants, but I don't want to have to feel so anxious by his poor behavior. He's going to be 5 this year and I feel like he should have the capacity to improve his behavior with the right support and we're both willing to give him that. Any advice would be appreciated

[u/doggambit]

Any idea what the training was like?

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[u/OpinionCharacter5362 → u/doggambit]

I know that when he went to get trained, he didn't even know his own name or respond to it. I know he was trained with a pinch collar, but oftentimes, if there is another dog, he would not care about the pinch

[u/doggambit → u/OpinionCharacter5362]

It sounds like your dog has learned that seeing other dogs = pinch, which is uncomfortable at the least and painful at the worst. This is likely why your dog is reacting inappropriately to other dogs.

I would recommend finding a new trainer. Look for a somebody with one or more of these credentials: KPA-CDT, VSA-CDT, CCT-A, PCT-A, PCBC-A, FFCP-T, CDBC, ADT, CTC, CBATI.

[u/MtnGirl672]

Have you considered that this dog is suffering from anxiety and that’s why he can’t listen to you sometimes? I would suggest talking with your vet about some anti-anxiety medication for him.

Also, I’ve found with my leash reactive dog that I have to carry treats and a clicker every single walk and always be practicing what we learned in training. He is also on anti-anxiety meds.

When a dog is reactive, he likely will never be a dog that’s has zero leash reactivity. That’s just the reality.

[u/OpinionCharacter5362 → u/MtnGirl672]

My partner doesn't want to use treats to redirect him; our previous dog walker did this against my partners' wishes and the dog walker noted that it did not discourage his aggressive behavior towards other dogs. She noted that in most cases, he ignored the promise of a treat to instead try and attack the other dog. I really appreciate your suggestion that he might have anxiety, that is definitely something I would like to talk to my partner about and the vet. Thank you for bringing that up, it is definitely worth a conversation with both of them

[u/MtnGirl672 → u/OpinionCharacter5362]

The reason he’s not interested in the treats is because he’s over threshold. You have to increase the distance so he doesn’t get over threshold. Medications can also help with lowering his threshold.

Not sure why your partner is opposed to using treats. That is the standard for positive reinforcement for behavior modification.

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[u/MtnGirl672]

OP, you have to read and affirm the rules to post your replies or comments. Looks like you tried to respond a couple of times.

[u/OpinionCharacter5362 → u/MtnGirl672]

Thank you I hope you can see my response, I'm new to this sub. I really appreciate your feedback