Is your Frenchie leash reactive?

eeturk · Apr 29, 2015

I don't mean this in a negative, aggressive way as leash reactive generally is, but instead in an overexcited, happy way.

If Hudson sees another dog or a person who doesn't acknowledge him, he strains at the leash, stands up on his back legs, cries, etc. to try and get to say hi to the person or dog. If we don't say hi to them, he has a really hard time moving on, and will often try to refuse to keep walking, or continuously look back at them.

It's near impossible to redirect him, usually he stops once we get far enough away that he can't see them. Does anyone else have a dog like this? How do you handle it?

I'm not all that concerned about it since it's more of a happy reaction than anything else, but it'd be nice to know if anyone else had a way to get them back and focused a little quicker and avoid the embarrassment of him making a scene over someone!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Tgirl · Apr 30, 2015

He doesn't understand why everyone doesn't stop to talk to him. I don't understand either.

I would say work on obedience commands with more and more distraction. Gradually build on what he can do. This way he will learn to listen to you better with various distractions.

mmclean · Apr 30, 2015

Radar would do that. My trainer recommended the "lets go" command and turning around and going the other direction. Similar to "leave it" it changed his focus from the person/dog he was in love with back to the walk. There are some families here that are deathly afraid of dogs, regardless of how friendly and his unwanted attention was terrifying them. So, it helped. He is still super friendly but is only allowed to be when I give the okay.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

2bullymama · Apr 30, 2015

Cheli goes APE-**** when the leash is in is sight.... here is an older thread with video of him trying to be calm.... :laugh:

http://frenchbulldognews.com/french...os/1063-cheli-trying-cool-calm-collected.html

Squishy Walnuts · Apr 30, 2015

This is exactly like Wally! I've tried everything to redirect him and so far I have had no luck. He's a wee bit calmer on walks now but he tends to scare people with how excited he is. He listens so well in the house but once we're outside I can't get him to look at me.

He also gets Uma all worked up, who is good on leash, but I have no time to walk them separately so I must figure out how to get him to pay attention to me. Squeaky toys and treats only works when nothing is around. I've done the distractions thing but he just will not learn. Damn stubborn Frenchies.

shortstuff · Apr 30, 2015

This is SO Bisou! I think she honestly believes that every person (and some dogs) exists for the sole purpose of petting her. She wiggles her way towards anyone she sees, and if they even look her direction it's game over. Once eye contact is made, she becomes a stone if we try to move on. Even if we get out of eyesight, she stands there like a rock, convinced they will be coming back to see her. She eventually gives up, but it makes our walks so much longer than they should be! She doesn't do this so much when I take her to work, which is weird because a higher percentage of people near my work stop to say hello to her than at home. At work, she hardly ever pulls on the lead and listens to me when I tell her to "come on." Walks at home are a whole other ballgame... wish I had suggestions, but I'm stumped too!

eeturk · Apr 30, 2015

Well, I feel much better knowing that we are not alone!! I've tried leave it, sit, squeaky toys, etc. but he just gets so hung up. Sounds like it might just be a Frenchie quirk. Usually I just pick him up if he gets too stubborn and rowdy. We'll keep working on it.

What's funny is that if it's a dog that he knows/plays with him he's like whatever. But oh man get him around a dog who doesn't like him or is uninterested and it's game over!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Squishy Walnuts · Apr 30, 2015

eeturk said:
Well, I feel much better knowing that we are not alone!! I've tried leave it, sit, squeaky toys, etc. but he just gets so hung up. Sounds like it might just be a Frenchie quirk. Usually I just pick him up if he gets too stubborn and rowdy. We'll keep working on it.

What's funny is that if it's a dog that he knows/plays with him he's like whatever. But oh man get him around a dog who doesn't like him or is uninterested and it's game over!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Although Wally seems to love EVERY dog he sees if there's one that wants to get away from him that's the dog he will fixate on. :facepalm:

When I let him greet other dogs he has no manners and practically tries to flatten the poor things. As I tell him often on walks, he's lucky he's cute.

eeturk · Apr 30, 2015

Squishy Walnuts said:
Although Wally seems to love EVERY dog he sees if there's one that wants to get away from him that's the dog he will fixate on. :facepalm:

When I let him greet other dogs he has no manners and practically tries to flatten the poor things. As I tell him often on walks, he's lucky he's cute.

Yep, that is exactly Hudson!! We have a neighbor Frenchie named Toast who had a ton of health problems as a puppy so was never really socialized.. He is TERRIFIED of Hudson. It cracks me up to see such a timid Frenchie. We call him the XXL hamster.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Squishy Walnuts · Apr 30, 2015

LOL! Poor Toast!

We live on a dead end street and there's a rotti 4 houses down that will not play with Wally. It's not every day you see a rotti run from a Frenchie. Her owner was saying to his dog 'You're embarrassing me!'. haha! He was laughing as he knows Wally is not aggressive.

I know it's an alpha thing as he is completely different when my husband walks them but when I'm around he goes mental. Maybe he's trying to 'protect' me. I'll continue to work on him and hope for the best.

lmrowberry · Apr 30, 2015

Poor thing!!! Sounds like you are not alone though! I hope you find something that works to calm him down.

Alice Kable · Apr 30, 2015

Buster needs frequent redirection when we are on walks, too. I give a gentle tug on the leash and say let's go and it usually works. When we're walking on a very low traffic rural road and the mail person pulls over to put mail in a mailbox, he is so sure she is stopping to visit him, and can't figure out why she doesn't get out of the car to pet him!

eeturk · May 1, 2015

He finally found a friend willing to play with him today... Franco the pug! And of course it is 95 degrees and all they did was wrestle for about two minutes and then lay in the shade and roll around with each other! Lol.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1430523866.954169.jpg

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Tgirl · May 1, 2015

Awww yay!

MaplesMommy · May 1, 2015

Maple is the same but only on leash. When we walk the off leash trail at the park she meets a lot of other dogs and even though she says hello to most and plays for a little, some dogs she ignores or sniffs briefly and then carries on. When she is on leash however she HAS to greet every dog. No matter how far away they are! She used to be the same with humans but she is gotten over that for the most part. (But it still breaks her little heart when people dont stop to pet her or tell her how cute she is).
Ive tried redirecting with treats or commands /making her focus on me by giving her commands, however with some dogs its like she instantly fell in love with and nothingelse is important other than that dog. We havent encountered it so far but I believe some dogs may misinterpret her body language and may think Maple is getting ready to 'attack' them. (Because she goes up on her hind feet, pulls towards them, sometimes even starts whining/barks a little).

Jakeyjake · May 6, 2015

I am working on redirecting Stella's attention on walks as she will bolt if she sees a bird, rabbit, dog, etc. She pulls really hard (I never have to clip her nails!) and I initially tried gaining her attention outside with a treat and that didn't work, so now I take one of those mini tennis balls that squeak and she is very focused on where the ball is at all times. We kind of play a mini version of fetch as we walk and are working on "get it" "bring it" "drop it" "leave it". It's kind of a pain but it seems to be working. I'm learning that I need to be a better leader.

PugandTwoFrenchies · May 20, 2015

We're currently taking our 2 Frenchies to puppy classes, and interestingly enough, this topic has come up: "How to greet other dogs on a leash.". The short answer is, "You don't." I was very surprised by this... But according to the trainers (who have 30+ yrs of experience), they said the majority of aggression issues come from dogs being too excited/aggressive while meeting on a leash. They suggested that you just move to the other side of the street and don't allow them to meet at all. If your dog goes bonkers because of it? So be it. Even if your dog (or the other) is pulling forwards because they want to meet the other, you don't know how the receiving dog perceives it; they could be afraid, it could trigger aggression in them, etc. Even a scared dog will pull forward (as puppies they pull back, but during adolescence/adult years they pull forward, which makes no sense...hahaha!), so you're perpetuating a fear/aggression response.

If it's a dog that you know, that's a different story. They can meet somewhere, play, etc., but strange dogs? They suggested that you don't let them meet at all. Of course, the question came up, "But how do I socialize my dog then?" And the trainers said that 'socialization' doesn't necessarily mean going to an off-leash park. Socialization means playing with other dogs, taking them for a car ride, taking them to a nursery, taking them for walks to a different area they've never been to, meeting people, playing with doggie friends (at someone's house or a park), etc. People always think that if their dog meets other dogs on a leash in a friendly manner or behaves well at an off-leash park, then they're 'well socialized'. As trainers, they never, ever take their own dogs to off-leashes (which I found surprising). They said there's just too much unpredictable behavior there, and even though your dog may be well behaved, you have no control over other owners and their pets.

Very interesting concepts that totally blew my mind. I think we just had to change our own idea of what 'socialization' meant, and we just don't allow our dogs to meet other dogs on leash, period.

eeturk · May 20, 2015

PugandTwoFrenchies said:
We're currently taking our 2 Frenchies to puppy classes, and interestingly enough, this topic has come up: "How to greet other dogs on a leash.". The short answer is, "You don't." I was very surprised by this... But according to the trainers (who have 30+ yrs of experience), they said the majority of aggression issues come from dogs being too excited/aggressive while meeting on a leash. They suggested that you just move to the other side of the street and don't allow them to meet at all. If your dog goes bonkers because of it? So be it. Even if your dog (or the other) is pulling forwards because they want to meet the other, you don't know how the receiving dog perceives it; they could be afraid, it could trigger aggression in them, etc. Even a scared dog will pull forward (as puppies they pull back, but during adolescence/adult years they pull forward, which makes no sense...hahaha!), so you're perpetuating a fear/aggression response.

If it's a dog that you know, that's a different story. They can meet somewhere, play, etc., but strange dogs? They suggested that you don't let them meet at all. Of course, the question came up, "But how do I socialize my dog then?" And the trainers said that 'socialization' doesn't necessarily mean going to an off-leash park. Socialization means playing with other dogs, taking them for a car ride, taking them to a nursery, taking them for walks to a different area they've never been to, meeting people, playing with doggie friends (at someone's house or a park), etc. People always think that if their dog meets other dogs on a leash in a friendly manner or behaves well at an off-leash park, then they're 'well socialized'. As trainers, they never, ever take their own dogs to off-leashes (which I found surprising). They said there's just too much unpredictable behavior there, and even though your dog may be well behaved, you have no control over other owners and their pets.

Very interesting concepts that totally blew my mind. I think we just had to change our own idea of what 'socialization' meant, and we just don't allow our dogs to meet other dogs on leash, period.

Oh wow that's super interesting! I have definitely heard that them meeting other dogs on leash can produce an aggressive reaction -- something about them feeling trapped or like they can't get away. I also never take Hudson to the dog park or any other off leash play place since I've known a handful of dogs in the last year who have been brutally attacked at our local park. H only gets to play off leash with dogs we know well. I think your trainers are right on with their advice. Thank you for sharing all of that!!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Squishy Walnuts · May 20, 2015

PugandTwoFrenchies said:
We're currently taking our 2 Frenchies to puppy classes, and interestingly enough, this topic has come up: "How to greet other dogs on a leash.". The short answer is, "You don't." I was very surprised by this... But according to the trainers (who have 30+ yrs of experience), they said the majority of aggression issues come from dogs being too excited/aggressive while meeting on a leash. They suggested that you just move to the other side of the street and don't allow them to meet at all. If your dog goes bonkers because of it? So be it. Even if your dog (or the other) is pulling forwards because they want to meet the other, you don't know how the receiving dog perceives it; they could be afraid, it could trigger aggression in them, etc. Even a scared dog will pull forward (as puppies they pull back, but during adolescence/adult years they pull forward, which makes no sense...hahaha!), so you're perpetuating a fear/aggression response.

If it's a dog that you know, that's a different story. They can meet somewhere, play, etc., but strange dogs? They suggested that you don't let them meet at all. Of course, the question came up, "But how do I socialize my dog then?" And the trainers said that 'socialization' doesn't necessarily mean going to an off-leash park. Socialization means playing with other dogs, taking them for a car ride, taking them to a nursery, taking them for walks to a different area they've never been to, meeting people, playing with doggie friends (at someone's house or a park), etc. People always think that if their dog meets other dogs on a leash in a friendly manner or behaves well at an off-leash park, then they're 'well socialized'. As trainers, they never, ever take their own dogs to off-leashes (which I found surprising). They said there's just too much unpredictable behavior there, and even though your dog may be well behaved, you have no control over other owners and their pets.

Very interesting concepts that totally blew my mind. I think we just had to change our own idea of what 'socialization' meant, and we just don't allow our dogs to meet other dogs on leash, period.

That is very interesting! It does make sense though. Wally is a nutcase on leash when he sees other dogs so I usually do cross the street or move away from the other dog to try and calm him, and the other dog, down. My other dog Uma isn't as bad but sometimes Wally can get her going too so I have 2 crazies on my hands. Most people think they're cute because they clearly are not aggressive and just want to play, but some people will scoff and 'tsk tsk' at me. I ignore those people and just keep walking.

By their meaning of socialization then my dogs are very well socialized. Wally's trainer also said the same thing about off leash parks. I found I was looking after everyone else's dog because most owners go there to chit chat with friends and do not pay attention to their dog. It was too exhausting for me to discipline all the dogs while looking after my own. Then Wally got a bad bite on the head from just going over to play with a group of dogs so we stopped going.

PugandTwoFrenchies · May 20, 2015

I hear ya... I have mixed feelings about off leash parks. On the one hand, I think they're a great opportunity for friendly dogs to meet with other friendly dogs and get some playtime in, but on the other hand, bad things can happen. I had our male pug (who was at the time intact, as the contract we bought him under said we couldn't neuter him for 2 years) attacked out of nowhere by a giant dog, and ever since then I'm quite leery of going to off leashes.

That being said, there is going to be a big French Bulldog meetup here in Calgary in July, and I'd love to go to that. So, I think I'll pick and choose where and when I decide to take Penelope & Fergus. I'm ok with them going to a park that's close to our house and meeting one or two dogs at a time, but an off leash where there are tons of them roaming around? No... I'll pass. Just too unpredictable.