®Dogs can lunge or bark at things when they are on the lead for various reasons, such as excitement and attempts to chase. Sometimes it is caused by fear which may initially result in avoidance behaviour but aggression can develop. It is more likely that a dog will become confident in the use of aggression as a way of coping if it gets lots of opportunities to bark at people, other dogs, traffic etc. and witness them going away. This is particularly likely to develop where the dog cannot move away e.g. when it is on the lead, and in territorial situations. The fact that the things a dog barks at go away making it increasingly ready to show aggression and display it more intensely. Sometimes the dog will even pull or lunge at things that come near if it is frightened of them and is so confident that the aggression will work that you can no longer see the fear in its body language. Of course, what they are barking at was going to go away anyway but to the dog it seems that they go away as a consequence of its behaviour.
There are various approaches to the problem of lunging and barking when a dog is on the lead and these are dependent upon the cause. However the development of an association between relaxed behaviour and pleasant experiences is helpful in all cases. Head-collars, such as the Halti or Gentle Leader and clickers have proved to be a useful combination of training aids in this development and if your dog reacts appropriately some of the time you will have the opportunity to use these tools. However, if your dog is lunges at everything that worries or excites it, or some things very badly, the help of a pet behaviour counsellor, such as a member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC) can be of use. This help should be sought via your veterinary surgeon who will be able to refer you. For the majority of minor canine reactionaries this simple approach should prove beneficial.
Clicker training has become well established as a means of reinforcing desired
behaviour with precise timing. Firstly an association between the sound of
a “clicker” and titbits has to be established. Sit in a chair
with a clicker in your hand and some palatable titbits by your side. Make
the sound of the click a moment before throwing a tit-bit to the floor. This
should be repeated until the click becomes associated with the arrival of
a titbit and your dog looks for the food as soon as it hears a click. Once
the association has been established you will be able to reward the behaviour
you want your dog to perform with a click as soon as it happens. After the
introduction process described above it is important that you only click
to reinforce the behaviour you want your dog to repeat. The clicker must
never be used in an attempt to get your dog's attention, recall or distract
it when it is doing something you do not want it to do because you will be
rewarding the very behaviour you are trying to train your dog to stop doing.
There are lots of applications for the use of the clicker but to prevent or resolve the problem that it is the subject of this article you can follow this procedure. When your dog remains relaxed in the presence of something it often inclined to avoid, lunge or bark at reward it with the sound of the clicker. This will tell it that it has just earned the tit-bit (or game with a toy) you are about to produce from your pocket. The use of the clicker will enable you to mark your dog’s correct decision as soon as it makes it. If your dog does react to something it will be ‘punished’ by the absence of the click, which will encourage it to make a better decision next time. In addition to rewarding relaxed behaviour the technique reinforces relaxation at an emotional level. This is because agitation can cause a loss of appetite, but conversely the reward of food will reduce the potential for anxiety.
The use of a head-collar will enable you to turn your dog away from something it might react to. At the moment it turns toward you use the clicker and follow with a treat. If your dog does react by lunging or barking move back to the end of the lead and wait until your dog stops and turns towards you. As it does walk backwards so as to incline it to move towards you. As soon as this happens click the clicker and follow with food to reinforce that behaviour. As ever practice makes perfect so set up training sessions whenever you can.
Go Click! (Elizabeth Kershaw) Edited by David Appleby. This is a booklet for those who just cannot wait to pick up a clicker and get going, but are not sure where to start. It discusses the theory needed to progress through the initial stages of training.
©: David Appleby 2000
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Please note that the Pet Behaviour Centre and David Appleby cannot be held responsible for death or injury to people or animals, or damage to property caused by the correct or incorrect use of the techniques described in this article.