Tips to Stop a Dog From Lunging at Dogs on Walks

For this Omaha dog training session we worked with 1 year–old Boxer mix Huxley Baxter; sharing tips to stop a dog from lunging on walks.

Since Baxter Huxley had taken our puppy classes, he already had a great foundation in place. This allowed us to move faster and skip installing basics like marker words, dog consent, etc. instead we spent a few minutes discussing his progress since puppy school and his habit of lunging at some dogs on walks.

Since this was an intermittent problem, it was a little bit more of a challenge. When dogs do things consistently it’s much easier to modify the behavior than if it’s inconsistent.

We discuss the importance of observing and recognizing dog body language. Often, dogs will communicate that they are uncomfortable before reacting. If we’re able to recognize those cues and solve the dog’s problems (for example moving them away form the scary thing), the dog does not need to react. This is a subptle way to stop dog lunging behavior.

How to Stop a Dog From Lunging on Walks

Anytime your dog is lunging, snapping or barking at other dogs or people in an alerting way – they are trying to make the other thing go away. A tip to stopping dog lunging is to manage the distance between them. Sometimes dogs dont usually think to move away.

We headed out for a short walk so that I could share some tips to stop Dog lunging. I showed the guardians how to use the find it game to distract a dog. I also went over how I like to practice a version of this that I call find it away. Find it away is a great way to distract a dog while simultaneously increasing the distance.

Right after demonstrating both of these exercises as well as a few other tips to stop dog lunging, we encountered a neighbor dog that was staring Huxley down. I attempted to redirect him but when the other dog got close enough, Baxter did lunge at him.

If I had it to do over again I probably would have shown the guardians how to use the engage disengage game to help huxley have a more positive positive association. The other dog behavior tips I shared will help manage or avoid the lunging at dogs behavior, but the engage disengage game can help Huxley develop a positive emotional response towards that dog.

It would be awesome if the guardians could determine when that particular dog walks in the neighborhood so that they can be outside to practice the cage disengage game. If they can do this frequently or daily for one or two minutes each time, they should start to see a noticeable change in Huxley’s behavior around that particular dog.

When we returned to Huxley’s home I pulled out my camera and sat down on the floor with this handsome pup to summarize the dog behavior tips I shared in this Omaha dog training session.

If you have a dog that lunges at other dogs or people, you should definitely check out the free positive dog training video below for some tips on fixing dog lunging behavior.

Summary to Stop a Dog From Lunging

• Learn your dog’s body language
• Move your dog away when they get tense or show signs of discomfort
• Distract dogs before they start to feel uncomfortable
• Look for ways to create a positive emotional response
• Never punish or correct a dog from lunging. The behavior is an emotion so punishment wont help.