Help for dog that pulls on leash, chases grandchildren

Dear Cathy: We adopted a

2 ½-year-old boxer mix, and have had her for about five weeks now. She goes after cars, bicycles and people jogging when we walk. She is a handful to hold back. We have a choker on her, but it doesn’t help. She also has the habit of play biting. I have small grandchildren who like to run around the house, and she sometimes runs after them, knocking them down.

— Emilio, Ridge, New York

Dear Emilio: You can address her lunging for people, animals and cars through training and using a head collar, like a Gentle Leader or a Halti, when you take her for a walk. Instead of pulling on a collar and leash from her neck and shoulders (the strongest parts of her body), the head collar controls her movements around her muzzle, much like a horse harness, making it easier for you to control this behavior. Put the head collar on and take her for an immediate walk, so she gets used to it quicker. Also, train her to “heel.” Say the command, then make a sudden turn and walk in the opposite direction so she has to follow. When she does, use a clicker or a reward word to mark the correct behavior and give her a treat. Practice this on every walk until she learns to stay by your side.

As for the grandkids, they are triggering her prey drive to chase. To ensure the kids’ safety and reduce your dog’s play biting, teach the kids not to run or scream around the dog. If the kids need to run and scream, separate them.

Dear Cathy: Your recent column on changes in pet behavior after surgery was interesting.

When my Lab, Zena, was 6 months old, she had a terrible accident on the beach that required emergency surgery. After bringing her back to the vacation rental that evening, someone walked by with a well-behaved shepherd, and Zena had an adverse reaction. I was shocked. Before that, she was a friendly pup. She had no fear or problems with people or animals. Since then, she has been horrible with other dogs. I learned to walk her in the opposite direction of other dogs.

A trainer said she was not aggressive but was in an “I’ll get you before you get me” posture and agreed something happened at the vet’s office that day. Maybe another dog approached her viciously in the post-op area or maybe on the way out to be reunited with me. It always bothered me that I never knew who or what had changed her that day. It was so sad. I had this beautiful dog until she died at age 13.

— Susan, Bushkill Township, Pennsylvania

Dear Susan: As I noted in the column about pets’ changed behaviors after surgeries, it’s not uncommon for dogs to develop fears or anxieties after traumas, surgeries or extended illnesses. The behavior you describe sounds like “fear aggression,” when a dog becomes confrontational out of fear of an approaching animal or person.

Knowing what changed a dog’s behavior is not always possible. While Zena could have had a scary experience at the vet’s office, the behavior changes more likely resulted from the accident on the beach. You didn’t provide details but said it was a terrible experience. That’s precisely the kind of experience that can make a dog fearful. It’s no different from us experiencing something traumatic and then having a post-traumatic stress reaction when faced with similar triggers to the experience later on.

In the future — and for anyone who has had a dog with severe behavior changes after a traumatic experience, illness or surgery — you can help your dog by building their confidence again. This involves more training to reinforce the bond between pet and owner, and slowly reintroducing previously positive experiences to recondition the dog’s reactions.

Begin by keeping the dog farther away from the trigger to prevent a reaction. Move closer to the stimulus over time as your dog’s tolerance increases. An example might be to take a dog to a pet store parking lot and stand at the far end where she can see other dogs but is not close enough to react. Each visit to the parking lot would result in getting closer and closer to the trigger to build the dog’s confidence that those other people and animals are not a threat.

Thanks for taking care of Zena all those years.