Humans with dog companions often find that their dog behaves very differently on a leash versus off-leash and free to roam, especially when encountering other dogs. Leash behavior is a subject that dog behaviorists commonly discuss, but I decided to let the dogs weigh-in, to share their first paw opinion!
To a panel of three dogs, I asked: what affects your behavior while on a leash?
The first dog that I communicated with is a big, young fellow who feels exuberant while walking with his family and has an unusual bark that can be intimidating. I noticed that he appears to be much calmer when we pass him when his teenage boy is handling him, compared to a very erratic bounce when his adult male person (the boy's father) is on the other end of the leash!
The dog said that he is in training, that his boy is the person working most with him, and the boy very much enjoys learning the techniques and working with his dog. The dog says that the father regularly visualizes all the negative things that could happen while walking with the dog. The dog "receives" these visualizations, becomes confused and anxious, and subsequently "acts out." Of course, this negative communication reinforces the anxiety cycle between the dog and the human dad!
The second dog carries herself quite differently when walking with her human, rather quite calmly, close by her person's side. This gal says that she loves her human connection and is immensely proud to be next to her human, physically "linked" via the leash.
She wants to be in sync with her person while walking, sharing nature's beautiful peace and energy. However, she notes that if her human becomes concerned about another passing dog, she picks up on this and becomes ready to protect!
The third dog on the panel exhibits some unusual behavior to the casual observer while on a leash with his human; it can hardly be considered a "walk." He occasionally comes to an abrupt stop as his human continues to move forward, resulting in a taut leash with his human-looking back perplexed.
I asked the dog, oh, please share with me, why do you do this? The dog stated that he wants the walk to include an active engagement with his human and that sometimes his human does not stay in the present; his mind wanders off to other concerns. By behaving belligerent, the dog attempts to get his human to stop daydreaming and engage at the moment.
Animals are sensitive and can feel our thoughts and emotions quite easily. How does your dog behave on a leash? What is he/she trying to tell you?
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