If you're a dog owner there's no doubt you've heard the phrase - “Don’t worry! They’re friendly!” To a seasoned owner or dog handler, those four words can strike terror almost immediately. This phrase is usually accompanied by a dog either pulling their owner down the street to approach you, or - worst case - the dog is already loose and is currently making a beeline towards you and your own companion.
When this happens, it very rarely spells good news for you and your dog. The dog approaching clearly has little to no boundaries and approaches you and your own dog as if they were long-time friends. To your surprise your dog, who regularly attends daycare, reacts and snaps towards the approaching dog. But why does this happen? Your pup is so friendly in daycare, all of the staff love them, and they’ve been told how much of a dream they are! Why is your dog that is supposedly so sweet and plays so well in daycare acting so aggressive in this situation? Have the daycare attendants been lying to you? Is your dog really aggressive? Before you jump down that path, know your dog is likely not aggressive and your daycare is likely telling you the truth - to the best of their ability. Here’s what you need to know to understand the dog that acts so negatively on leash, yet is somehow a saint in a group setting.
The Leash: A Double-Edged Sword
The first thing you, as an owner, needs to understand is what your leash really does for you. A leash on your dog is there to give you some degree of control over any situation in a world full of free radicals
. The leash protects you and your dogs from potentially very dangerous situations; traffic, strangers, strange dogs, etc. Which is why we have leash laws in the first place. However, if we do not communicate that to our dogs what the leash is good for, that which was meant to protect them - now restrains them. The tool once meant to keep them close, now keeps them from creating space when they are nervous. A dog who feels fear for any reason - no matter the minority of the situation - commonly responds in one of three ways: fight, flight, or freeze. Most dogs given the chance, will choose to flee, creating distance to separate them from the stressful situation so they can assess and make a decision from a safe space. When on leash, the choice to flee is removed. A dog who feels like they can’t flee when they want or need to - and doesn’t know how else to cope or address the situation - must now choose one of their other two options. If they cannot flee, they may choose to fight. Now the are reacting and showing uncharacteristic behaviors, simply because they feel in whatever situation they need to protect themselves.
Why Don’t They Do This in Daycare?
Most daycares, especially well formed and structured ones, will sort your dog into various group styles. They base this choice on a plethora of reasons; size, age, and general temperament being the most common three options. Likewise, any restraints are typically removed for safety reasons. Leashes, collars and sometimes harnesses are taken off so they don’t get pulled at or damaged during play - if your dog feels the need to move away and assess a situation or get a read on a fellow playmate, they now have the freedom to do so. This opens up lines of communication to each dog in the group so that ideally nothing ever has to escalate beyond what either dog is comfortable with. Alongside all of this, daycare staff are typically trained to watch each dog’s behavior and responses to help playgroups work through what is appropriate and inappropriate and redirect the problem dog to a better playmate. This creates a balance where an unsure or nervous dog can fall back on the attendant for guidance, without feeling the need to handle the situation themselves. Creating a realm of trust between everyone.
Does this mean I take my dog off leash when this happens?
No of course not! In an ideal world, every dog would have the healthy and structured upbringings, stable genetics, and a natural born ability to safely communicate with other dogs. They would always respond when we needed them with a rock solid recall. Leash laws exist for a reason in almost any outdoor space, and should always be adhered to. This is not an ideal world, where kind souls rescue dogs who have a hard past. Those dogs did not get the strong foundation we would like, they’ve had it rough, and that poses problems when expected to behave a certain way in what they could consider a stressful situation. We, as dog owners, need to create a new line of communication between ourselves and our dogs and build their confidence in us. We need them to know that we will protect them, and advocate for them when push comes to shove. If your dog is on leash, they need to understand that this means they can relinquish control. You will handle any situation that comes their way, you will step in and protect them from the “Don’t worry they’re friendly!” dogs of the world. So they can relax and let you handle it.
Building up this degree of confidence and communication between you and your dog is exactly what we at Final Call Dog Training aim to do for you. Giving your dog the confidence and trust to give you more control of any situation you may face will let you step into that leadership role and confidently handle those “Don’t worry! They’re friendly!” high-stress situations in the world with ease.
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