{"id":8178,"date":"2025-06-26T16:34:51","date_gmt":"2025-06-26T16:34:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hondenschool.vanstal.nl\/why-are-there-so-many-dogs-that-bark-and-growl-when-they-are-on-a-leash\/"},"modified":"2025-06-26T17:07:00","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T17:07:00","slug":"why-are-there-so-many-dogs-that-bark-and-growl-when-they-are-on-a-leash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hondenschool.vanstal.nl\/en\/why-are-there-so-many-dogs-that-bark-and-growl-when-they-are-on-a-leash\/","title":{"rendered":"Why are there so many dogs that bark and growl when they are on a leash?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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It happens more often than you think: dogs that react strongly on the leash. They bark, growl, lunge, or try to pull away when they see another dog (or sometimes a person). This behavior can look intense, but it\u2019s often not nearly as \u2018aggressive\u2019 as it seems. Much more often, it stems from emotions like fear, insecurity, or frustration.<\/strong> <\/p>\n

Leashed dogs can\u2019t communicate freely<\/h4>\n

A dog on a leash has limited freedom of movement and can\u2019t fully use its body language<\/strong>. Small calming signals like pausing briefly, turning the head away, making a curved approach, or sniffing the ground are often blocked or go unnoticed. These signals are essential for social communication between dogs<\/strong>. They often mean something like: “I\u2019ll leave you alone, will you leave me alone too?<\/em>” <\/p>\n

But on a leash, the dog often can\u2019t communicate that message properly, and the other dog might not perceive it well either. This can lead to escalating tension. <\/p>\n

No control over distance = stress<\/h4>\n

Leashed dogs also can\u2019t choose how far to stay away from what they find scary, threatening, or uncomfortable. After all, they\u2019re attached to a human on the other end of the leash. This lack of control over the situation causes stress<\/strong>. Some dogs respond by freezing or trying to avoid, but many resort to barking, lunging, or growling\u2014because they\u2019ve learned that it works: “If I make a big enough scene, that scary thing will go away!<\/em>” <\/p>\n

So in many cases, it\u2019s not about bad intentions, but a survival strategy. And the more it \u2018works\u2019, the more it becomes a learned habit. <\/p>\n

Frustration plays a role too<\/h4>\n

For some dogs, it\u2019s not (just) fear or insecurity, but rather frustration<\/strong>: they want to get to the other dog, but they\u2019re not allowed to. They feel stuck, get frustrated, and eventually explode. This often happens with young, social dogs who lack self-regulation or dogs who are used to always being allowed to play. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s normal\u2026 but not pleasant<\/h4>\n

Leash reactivity is very common<\/strong> and actually a very normal canine behavior<\/strong> in an unnatural situation. But that doesn\u2019t mean it will go away on its own\u2014or that you shouldn\u2019t address it. For the dog, it\u2019s exhausting, stressful, and frustrating,<\/strong> and often for the owner too. <\/p>\n

Understanding, guidance, and connection<\/h4>\n

As an owner, you can make a big difference by not only focusing on the behavior itself, but also by looking at the needs of your dog<\/strong>. A reactive dog is often carrying built-up tension, lacking social skills, or simply missing the confidence to handle the situation\u2014or the trust in their handler. That\u2019s why it\u2019s so important to invest in learning to read your dog<\/strong>: What do you see in their posture, eyes, tail, or pace? If you can recognize signs of stress or tension early, you can respond more effectively. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s also essential to know how to guide your dog in a calm and confident way through difficult situations<\/strong>. Not through pressure or control, but with safety, predictability, and calmness. By practicing together, celebrating small successes, and guiding your dog in a positive way, you\u2019ll also be strengthening something just as important as training: the bond between you and your dog<\/strong>. Trust, mutual understanding, and cooperation are key to making real progress. <\/p>\n

The Reactive dog course<\/a> is valuable for any owner\u2014whether your dog reacts strongly to other dogs or not. You\u2019ll gain deeper insight into how to guide your dog through challenging situations. You\u2019ll discover that you\u2019re not alone: within the group, you\u2019ll find recognition, support, and understanding from fellow owners in similar situations. Together, you\u2019ll not only learn to manage difficult behavior but also (re)discover joy, relaxation, and connection with your dog. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It happens more often than you think: dogs lashing out when on a leash. They bark, growl, jump on the leash or try to pull themselves free when they see another dog (or sometimes a human). This behaviour can look intense, but it is often not as \u201caggressive\u201d as it seems. More often than not, it is about emotions such as fear, insecurity or frustration. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8157,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8178","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-geen-onderdeel-van-een-categorie"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hondenschool.vanstal.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8178","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hondenschool.vanstal.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hondenschool.vanstal.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hondenschool.vanstal.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hondenschool.vanstal.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8178"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/hondenschool.vanstal.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8178\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8179,"href":"https:\/\/hondenschool.vanstal.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8178\/revisions\/8179"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hondenschool.vanstal.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8157"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hondenschool.vanstal.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8178"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hondenschool.vanstal.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8178"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hondenschool.vanstal.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8178"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}