This blog post is associated with the Frusrated Types infographic. Scroll to the bottom to view/download
Reactivity on leash can stem from many different motivations on the dog’s end, and one of the most misunderstood “types” are dogs who are frustrated. Because their behavior on leash appears as if they don’t want the other dog to come closer, it’s easy to assume they should be kept away from other dogs. But this is often the last thing they want. And for frustrated dogs who are behind other barriers such as a kennel door at a shelter, they can easily be labeled dog aggressive, lowering their chance at getting adopted.
Your leash reactive dog might be the frustrated type if…
- They have dog friends, and do not display the same type of reactive behavior towards dogs off leash. You’re probably embarrassed by their behavior, because you know they are friendly, they just don’t appear that way on leash
- They are impulsive – quick to react to things in general and without much forethought
- Are on the younger side – less than 3 years old
- Their reactive behavior on leash got worse with time vs coming “out of nowhere.” You may have also seen their reactivity increase if you moved to a more densely populated area that is saturated with dogs
Addressing Frustration Related Behaviors FIRST
When treating leash reactivity, it’s all too common to focus on modifying the behaviors the dog is displaying when it sees another dog. I would argue that yes, that’s important, but that prioritizing the other areas where impulsivity and frustration related responses are popping up should come first. When dogs are frustrated, it’s because they are at odds with something:
- They want something, but it’s not happening fast enough
- They want something, but it’s unclear to them how to access it
- There is a mental or physical barrier that is preventing them from accessing something
Frustration coincides with acquiring something, not from wanting to avoid something. That’s an important distinction, and should shape the ways you teach the dog to learn to cope with frustration.
I like to play games of “opposites” with frustrated dogs.
You want this handful of treats? Moving away from the hand is how you get them.
You want to exit the door? Staying put until released pays off far more.
Pulling on leash to get to something? Moving away from leash pressure and walking close by will allow you to gain access.
By teaching frustrated dogs what to do when they want something, and being clear about how they can access something, strengthens those behaviors, making it less likely that the dog will resort to whining, barking, or lunging. I like to think of it as building a self-control “muscle.” It’s going to be weak at first, so we need to strengthen it. Finding small, every day routines that the dog can practice these skills in will eventually build to the ability to cope with bigger wants, such as seeing other dogs on walks. It also helps these dogs learn calmer responses, making them easier to live with, improving the relationship with their humans.
Clarity First & Breaking It Down
Clarity is critical when teaching a dog who leans towards frustration. If you are sloppy with your cues, your timing, or your reinforcement delivery, they will tell you about it. And if you’re not careful, you might accidentally teach them to offer the very same behaviors you are trying to avoid. Get clear on your reinforcement systems. Video yourself training your dog and see if there is anything you may need to adjust. For instance, are you inadvertently moving your hand towards your pocket with treats before you’re ready to reward your dog? Your dog will take note of that, wonder why you aren’t actually pulling a treat out, and become frustrated. It’s often inconsistent messages such as these that the dog is receiving, but the human is completely unaware they are doing it. Hence why videoing your training can be a helpful diagnostic tool.
You’ll also want to prioritize “low stakes” items or distractions to practice with to start. Low stakes are when the dog is interested in something, but it doesn’t mean that much to them in that moment. For example, don’t train at mealtime with a hungry dog, a bowl full of food, while trying to teach calmer responses such as staying still until you put the bowl down. That’s not fair to the dog and they will most likely display frustration based behaviors because what you are asking is too hard.
Instead, train after meal time, and consider changing the picture entirely such as practicing this exercise in a different room than you feed the dog in, and with a different container than their food bowl. Contextual changes such as these make a big difference in setting them up for success, because dogs make strong associations between specific contexts and their behavior. By making it look “new” or different to the dog, AND breaking your process into small steps, frustrated behaviors will be less likely to surface. From there, you can slowly move towards more real-life scenarios as the dog is successful.
Is Self Regulation a Fair Ask?
When we set out to teach a frustrated dog how to be calmer and exhibit more self regulation, we need to ensure that they have the mental and physical capabilities to do so. This comes down to meeting your dog’s needs. The vast majority of my clients with these types of dogs fall into one of two categories:
- Not meeting the dog’s exercise needs. The majority of exercise is on leash, and in busy spaces. The dog has very little autonomy, which exacerbates their frustration on leash.
- Over doing the exercise with too much high arousal activity. Daycare for hours on end + dog park + nonstop fetch in the yard every week. When a dog spends the majority of their time in a highly aroused state, their ability to self-regulate will be an uphill battle.
Before we can expect the dog to respond to training, we need to provide a routine that supports a dog’s behavioral health.
Some strategies that have worked well for my clients include:
- 45-75 minutes of exercise in the morning. This is especially important for adolescent dogs, whose energy levels increase during that stage of life. By exercising them in the morning, they are more relaxed the rest of the day.
- 45-60 minutes of off leash exercise at minimum 2-3 days a week. Some dogs require every day. Ideally, this off leash exercise does not include nonstop fetch or constant play with other dogs. Movement, sniffing/exploring, training and some play is ideal.
- Avoiding busy spaces when you can. I know it’s not always feasible for people to take their dog to quieter areas, but it makes a big difference.
- Understanding your dog’s genetics and providing breed specific outlets for them. If you have a herding breed and you live in an apartment and you’re wondering why they are so hard to manage around cars and running children, they are simply exhibiting behaviors they have been bred for. By finding appropriate outlets for your dog, they are less likely to exhibit problematic behaviors, or at the very least, the intensity and frequency of those problematic behaviors goes down.
Every dog is an individual, and there’s no such thing as a cookie cutter routine that will work for every dog. You’ll know you’re on the right track when your dog is more relaxed in general, they sleep more often, they choose to lie around at home instead of needing constant stimulation. You’ll also notice that they respond faster to training, and exhibit less frustration related behaviors.
Practicing Your Skills Around Other Dogs
In many cases, access to another dog is a far more motivating and valuable reinforcer to frustrated types than the biscuit their human is offering them. Other dogs are competing motivators – which means you need to find a way to be more interesting to your dog. It’s not complicated, it just takes a systematic approach. My best tips? Find reinforcers that your dog loves, whether that’s high value food, toys/play, or both. When practicing on leash around distractions, make it easy for your dog to “choose” you. You accomplish this by staying at a farther distance from harder distractions, while making it a point to practice in closer proximity with easy distractions. This conditions your dog that engaging with you while distractions are present is fun, easy, and pays off big. This takes time to condition, over a matter of weeks, not days. Be patient, stay consistent, practice in many environments, and gradually increase the level of difficulty as your dog is successful. Eventually, that distraction will be another dog, and your dog will have learned Oh that distraction over there? I’ve got this, what fun game are we going to do now?
If you need help with your dog who exhibits frustration on leash, reach out to a qualified behavior consultant at www.iaabc.org.
*Every single word on this page was written by me, without the use of AI. Thank you for supporting real writers*