rigid with training

[atajulie]

My husband and I are differing on how to walk the dogs. They (2 dogs) are both very social; they go to doggie day care and  play with the neighbor dogs just fine.  When I walk to dogs, I do not like them crossing over to socialize with dogs that are going in the opposite direction.  One of my dogs used to cross over when we would run and I would trip over the leash and him.  He doesn't do that anymore.  My philosophy is that when the dogs are on the leash, we are walking and training, not socializing.  It starts from the parking lot back to the parking lot.  My husband believes that we can use our judgement on when the dogs can socialize; such as toward the end of the walk.  He believes I am being too rigid on not letting the dogs socialize when we walk.  Please help me know the correct way to walk the dogs.  We usually walk 4-6 miles at a time.

Thank you, Julie

[Adrienne]

Hi Julie, 

Welcome to the forums!

There may be various views on this, but I tend to gravitate towards the no meeting other dogs. This is for various reasons. I may be a little biased because I am often asked for help to remedy for dog-to-dog interactions gone wrong.  I will list some of reasons why I am against these meets and greets here:

-All dogs are different. Many people imagine dogs as being super social beings, but the truth is, there are many dogs who barely tolerate other dogs and some who even get defensive when "Rover just wants to say hello." So it's not surprising when certain dogs may growl or snarl when other dogs on leash get too close to them and start sniffing them all over. These dogs though aren't necessarily bad, they may just feel the need to correct dogs who are too overly enthusiastic and maybe a little pushy too in their approaches. 

-The impact of age. Puppies in general tend to get along with other pups so most of the time they are having a great time. Things though don't always stay this way. As puppies mature, and reach social maturity, between 12 and 36 months of age, they may start becoming standoffish and may no longer tolerate certain types of interactions and play. For instance, some dogs, as they mature, may struggle with dogs who get into their space and lean over them or who place their faces too close to theirs.

-Possible negative encounters. Of course, you never know what that other dog your dog is so eager to meet may truly feel. Perhaps, he's a dogs with a history of being reactive towards other dogs and the owners have invested a lot of work to get him to tolerate other dogs. Maybe he has a bite history. Maybe it's a dog who is overly protective of the owner. Owners of such dogs may be therefore constantly scanning their environment for dangers such as other dogs approaching. Here's a fact: it can sometimes take just one negative encounter to un-do all the hard work these owners have invested in getting their dogs to trust the world around them again.

Keeping a dog away from meeting every dog on walks therefore is the safest option as you many never know what type of dog is on the other end of the leash. Sure, it all can go well, but why risk it? Nobody wants to witness an ugly dog fight and the potential for paying expensive vet bills.

-Leashes getting in the way. When two dogs meet on leash, there are risks that tension on the leash causes dogs to assume unnatural postures which can trigger a fight. For example, if you hold your dog tight on leash when he meets another dog, the tight leash may cause the dog to hold his head higher which can be perceived as confrontational. On top of this, a tight leash prevents dogs from "talking with their bodies" and exhibiting natural social behaviors and calming signals, meant to calm the other dog down. This increases the chances for a squabble.

For instance, many dogs like to meet in an arc, which allows them to circle nose to bum, but a tight leash forces them to interact frontally which is not the preferred way to meet. Dogs therefore need the total opposite; they need a slack leash so that they have the opportunity to display their body language properly. Leashes may also get tangled, creating panic in dogs as they are suddenly prevent from moving freely. Panic behavior, along with restricted movements may cause both dogs to fight. On top of this, if you are tense when your dog meets other dogs, that anxiety risks traveling all the way to the leash, making your dog potentially anxious too.

-Reinforcing poor leash manners. Here the thing: when you allow your dog to meet other dogs on walks, he'll come to expect to meet all dogs. That day you won't, may lead to your dog getting frustrated. Barrier frustration is the name given to the phenomenon of dogs who want to badly meet other dogs but can't because they are restrained by a leash. This leads to barking and lunging from the frustrated potential greeter.

Most dogs who are allowed to greet other dogs on walks, start pulling and maybe even whining and barking as they can't wait to go greet the other dog. Here's the problem with this: although it may be fun watching Rover make new friends, every time he gets to greet pulling this way, the pulling behavior and vocalizations are all reinforced. This means that these behaviors are going to strengthen and repeat.  Being dragged by your dog on walks is certainly not pleasant and can lead to possible injuries and falls.

On top of reinforcing pulling, when you allow your dog to go meet other dogs on walks, unless he's calm and chill,  you are allowing your dog to rehearse out-of control, overly enthusiastic behaviors and its associated emotional responses. If your dog gets to meet other dogs on walks, unless you adhere to certain rules, there are chances that your dog will to always look for dogs on walks and get excited about the expectation. Dogs who instead aren't allowed to meet every dog on the street, are more relaxed because they don't have any expectations about having to closely interact with any four-legged Rovers and there's less social pressure.

-Health considerations. Last but not least, when you let your dog get up and close to another dog, there are risks for transmission of certain diseases. You don't know what's the health status of the other dog, so your dog may get in contact with a variety of viruses and diseases.

However, it goes without saying, that we don't want to give dogs the wrong message that encountering other dogs on walks is bad. For instance, if every time you see a dog coming close to say hello, you give a correction or tighten the leash and walk in the opposite direction, you risk teaching your dog that other dogs are bad and are best to be avoided like the plague.

So what's the best approach? Often a middle ground works best. Yes, it may be best to not allow on leash encounters on walks, but we should be prepared in case the inevitable happens. There seems to always be a chance for dog owners with retractable leash who can't control their dog who is excitedly heading our way, or our dog may meet a dog who has popped around a corner.  In such cases, it is best to be prepared. Here are some general guidelines.

Keep it Slack. Avoid letting dogs meet head-on, they do best meeting in a curve. Both dogs should be granted a ton of slack so they can display their body language properly. Learn how to circle the dogs around each as they meet in an arc in their nose-to-bum encounters.. Think of it as this way: if you have reason to keep the leash tight it's because something is not right and perhaps these dogs shouldn't be meeting in the first place.

Set the Rules. Set the rules for the greeting, informing your dog that you will allow him to say hello on your conditions. Therefore train your dog a "say hello" cue that informs him he can go meet, and a "that's enough" cue that tells your dog to move away and pay attention to you for a tasty treat as you walk away. 

-Keep it Brief. A brief meet and greet that lasts no more than a handful of seconds (5 seconds max) should be enough. This is important. Many squabbles among dogs occur when dogs are sniffing for too long and one dog grows impatient.

-Avoid Yanking the Leash. Telling your dog "that's enough" and moving away with you works better than yanking on the collar to stop an interaction. When we do that, the pressure applied on the dog's neck area in combination with the abrupt associated movements may spark a violent outburst.

Also, it's important to consider that, if your dog have a history of meeting other dogs, and now you decide you won't allow it, you may experience some extinction bursts along the way (behavior getting worse rather than better). This means the pulling to go meet will increase, and if you allow to meet at this point, you will have reinforced persistence. If you stick to your plan and not allow to meet though (keep distance from the other dogs so to keep your dog under threshold) eventually with time, the pulling should gradually decrease and extinguish. 

So when you don't let your dogs greet other dogs the first times, make sure to reward your dog for sticking to you with high value treats. You want to reward ignoring other dogs and give your dog something to decrease frustration.