Frustration greeter

A dog that lunges and screams at other dogs because it desperately wants to reach them, not because it wants them gone.

Also called: he's friendly · barrier frustration · wants to say hi

From two metres away this is indistinguishable from aggression, and it is regularly treated as aggression, which is how a sociable dog ends up frightened of the thing it used to love.

The giveaway is what happens on arrival. A frustrated greeter that finally reaches the other dog is delighted; a fearful one is not. The body is looser, the tail is high and fast, the noise is higher-pitched.

The fix is close to the opposite of the fearful plan: the dog learns that calm is what opens the door, and that the lead is not a permanent barrier to everything good.

If this is your dog

Related words

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