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leash reactivity vs aggression

Basenji Training
  • A

    Re: Leash aggression/pulling with other dogs
    I found that getting aa FRONT clip harness, that the leash clips at the breast bone works extremely well for leash reactivity. Many dogs have leash reactivity and not actual aggression to other dogs. The difference is, when dogs meet head to head at the end of leashes a buch of physiological things are happening that signal the dog to pull and bark. After awhile this becomes a habit. A snug fitting front clip harness ( take it off at home) will cause the dog to turn and look at the leash handler in stead of the physiological response of pulling that happens with a collar or back clip harness. You may still have some work to do with the dog it the pulling and bark or snapping has gone on for awhile. A great resource for this is the book "Ckick to Calm" Not every one loves clicker training and you can use a verbal marker instead of a clicker. The book has an excellent protocol for this issue . I am not affiliated with the author or Karen Pryor.

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  • eeeefarmE

    Sounds good in theory, doesn't seem to work that well for the people using that type of harness in my area. The best tool I've seen is a modification of the gentle leader, one version of which is called the "Perfect Pace", which seems to do the trick for dogs that pull and lunge on leash without risking damage to their necks, since it doesn't turn their head. If you want the dog to look at you instead of the other dog, that behaviour is easily taught and put on cue with clicker training.....

    "In order to get along with a Basenji, you have to be at least half as smart as the dog!"

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  • DebraDownSouthD

    @arbust91 said in leash reactivity vs aggression:

    Ckick to Calm"

    Click to Calm is by Karen Pryor. I admire her work, but I don't agree with this one. Dogs are leash aggressive or leash reactive for many reasons. I'd rather go back to step one, teaching loose leash walking, "look at me" , down stays and other commands and training that get the dog to do what you want through positive training. Having a dog pulled around can create MORE reactivity.

    http://www.clickerlessons.com/

    Debra

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  • tanzaT

    I would never use a harness...and I do not recommend its use for any pups that I place, especially on a young dog of any breed... it restricts their movement and can lead (IMO) to problems later on as they need to adjust their strides to compensate for restrictive front end movement... Especially for any dog that might be a show dog and a pet... (as my are).... Try a head harness that works like with horses...

    Pat Fragassi

    Tanza Basenjis

    www.tanzabasenjis.net

    1

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    Leash aggression/pulling with other dogs

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    It's a slow process, be patient and consistent with her. We adopted Bolt 6 years ago, he's 12 y/o and 3/4 Africain. We don't know his history, but at some point he got into a dog fight. He has the scars to prove it. When we walk, there are certain dogs that will trigger a violent reaction from him. Over the years I've gotten very good at reading other people, and how they walk their dogs, plus reading their dog's body language. A high straight up tail tightly wagging will send him off the rails. I've worked extensively with him to the point that he is manageable when he sees other dogs. I usually make him sit, or give as wide a distance as I can allow. BUT, he is a biter, so I'm extremely cautious when I'm around other people. All bets are off if that other dog is not leashed!! It does get better, and yes you can teach an older dog new behaviors, I certainly did.
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    Do you have walking on leash tips?

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    DebraDownSouthD
    I have worked with feral dogs in rescue who had never been on a leash, adults. Teaching loose leash walking isn't hard, but you need to back it with the "leave it" command. Mary's site is so simply it will make you feel faint. And it works. No pop and jerk, just good positive training. The lessons are on the left, other issues on the right. http://www.clickerlessons.com/index.htm I certainly would go through most the training, then get into an obedience class, but make sure by positive trainers .. go watch a couple of sessions first.
  • NerdyDogOwnerN

    Aggression and initiating fights. How to deal with it?

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    C
    My advice is to leave the park the moment you see a dog you believe may trigger him. And make sure you see it first! To change your dog's reaction, you need to begin a desensitization and counter-conditioning program. Which means that you cannot expose him to his "scary thing" to the intensity such that he begins to growl. Once he's tipped into an emotional behavior, you've missed the boat on your opportunity to change his internal reaction. If he's growling at say, 20 feet, you can probably start to notice other warning signals before hand, such as a freeze or hard eye. Even that's too late. You have to get to him before he starts to tip - while he's still comfortable. Which means working in a controlled environment. That is with dogs on leashes. A good trainer can create a training program for you and work with you on this, but repeatedly exposing him to large, dark dogs and waiting until he's already growling to get outta dodge is reinforcing his fear. And the recent scuffle really reinforced it. I'd say you really need to up your situational awareness or start skipping the dog park. Every time he has an unpleasant experience with a large, dark dog just tells him he was right to be uncomfortable, even if the other dog does nothing but appear.
  • N

    Lost on the other side of the leash

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    Thanks a lot, a lot! I am going to make a couple of phone calls since there are two trainers that I see are not too far away. It might work! I will let you know :)
  • N

    A good leash

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    My Basenjis agree that leather is much nicer!! They eat them asap.!! So far the metal parts have escaped! Any one would think I don't feed them!! However I think that there is nothing nicer than a good leather lead, I keep mine for best or when I don't have too many dog out together so that I can't watch them all at the same time. I use a 2cm for walking and a 1cm for showing.