Leash Aggression in Dogs
Canine Road Rage
To understand what’s fueling your dog’s leash aggression, consider this formula: agitation + frustration = rage. Remember the last time you were driving in heavy traffic, late for an appointment, and another driver pulled into the intersection ahead of you when there was no room for his car? The resulting gridlock blocked your ability to go forward when the light turned green. Despite your good manners and “Peace” bumper sticker, you may have resorted to cursing and less-than-gracious gestures. The agitation you felt from rushing around amid the chaos of hectic traffic was compounded by the frustration of not being able to move. The result might have been rage, seemingly out-of-proportion to the situation and out-of-character for you.
Dogs walking on-leash with their owners also can experience this combination of agitation and frustration. The general novelty of the smells and sounds in the area can cause excitement and some nervousness, but often the sight of another dog is the most salient trigger. The appearance of another member of their species can create intense curiosity and a strong desire to greet. But dogs who rarely get to meet and interact with a variety of other dogs may have underdeveloped social skills. These inexperienced dogs lack behavioral subtlety; they’ve never had the play opportunities necessary to develop nonchalance in novel social interactions. So, in their excitement to get close to the other dog, they lunge to the end of the leash, and feel sudden frustration. They can’t get where they want to go. The excitement of seeing another dog + the barrier frustration of the restraining leash = the canine version of road rage.
Notice that this formula hints at options for decreasing your dog’s rage. You can lower your dog’s level of arousal or her frustration, or both.
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