Dogs are much better at reading body language than most humans so if we interfere at any point we may create a situation that was never going to happen purely because we bring in our own uncertainty or tension. It is more common for greetings “on lead” to result in conflict than when dogs meet “off lead” and this is because the dog is allowed to be dog and go about his business for himself and trust his own judgements. A lot can be felt down the leash – so tension, anxiety and stress from the handler can be felt by the dog going down the leash. If the dog feels the handler is worried, then it can associate this worry with the other dog – it might feel it needs to be defensive of both itself and its owner. Dogs are sensitive to our energy and they pick up on it much more than humans. The human element can add in confusing messages for the dog – miscommunication goes on down the lead to a dog and the energy of the human effects them. This may also be termed “lead reactivity” and the term “barrier frustration” is also sometimes used.
The same applies with all animals and in horsemanship training we use an interesting exercise where one student shuts their eyes and grips a long rope as hard as they can. The belly of the rope is lying on the ground and the trainer then starts to lift the rope. The student is then asked to speak out when they feel the rope move. Often the rope lifts very high before the student can feel it. The same exercise is repeated with the rope held very slack in a relaxed hand. This time the student usually feels the rope when it has only just left the ground! The horse therefore feels tension and relaxation down the rope, but also if there is tension in the rope, the human also can not read small movements from the horse and when it applies to the reins and the human is on top – tension can quickly lead to trouble as the horse feels like a predator is gripping onto it and trapping it. The same principals apply to the leash attached to the dog. Humans too often make assumptions that something will go wrong and by being overly ready for this, they create the very problem they wished to avoid.
If dogs are already in an attack mode, human intervention, if not done in the right way can also escalate events as excited or aroused dogs can redirect their aggression onto a newly available target.
Humans and human energy are the biggest challenge in animal training. Animals are relatively easy to help/fix, but humans are difficult. Children are usually easier to teach because they do not come with preconceived ideas and they are still at a stage where we can build in good habits – with adults it’s not the training that is difficult, it is the un-training them of old habits and preconceived ideas that is hard..
There are a number of ways behaviourists can address these issues. By setting up foundations whereby the dog/human relationship can be re-established and trust regained and by using things like Grisha Stewart’s BAT (Behaviour Adjustment Training) Techniques.
Understanding and using the “Three Second Rule” is also very helpful.