The dog i am sitting refuses to let me put a leash on him, he did it before for me during the meet and great but now he is refusing to let me near him when i try to put the leash on he gets slightly aggressive, i contacted the dog owner and she hasn't had much to say about it. what should i do?
My younger dog used to be very reactive to being touched, especially around her neck, so leashes were an issue. I opted to use a slip lead for her, which allowed me to loop the leash around her neck without having to get so close. You can use his normal lead backwards if you don't have a slip lead around. Just run the end that clips to his collar back through the hand loop at the other end, and pull it to make a small loop. Then you can carefully place the loop around the dog's neck (sometimes dragging it up their body works better than trying to hold the loop with your hands), and pull it tighter so it doesn't fall off. A lot of professionally made slip leads even have an adjustable stopper, so it can't be pulled too tightly around the dog's neck. I keep a variety of collars, leashes, and harnesses around to experiment with in case the equipment the owners brought isn't working out well for me.
only problem is he is getting aggresive and it is one that goes around his mouth too and he jumps back and runs away and gets very aggresive.
If his normal leash won't work to make a slip lead, any cord of sufficient length will do. Just tie a small loop in one end, and thread the other end back through to make a lasso shape. Sit on the ground, hold the loop up and offer treats to encourage him to lean his head through the hole. It may take a while to gain his trust. You may be sitting on the floor with treats for a long time. But it's probably your safest option for getting him leashed.
It could be a trust issue. Its different when an owner is around. A dog sometimes behaves differently when their owner is near by because they feel safer and more secure with a new person getting close to them. You don't want the leash to be an issue especially if you will be dog sitting this pet again or for a long period of time. It might be good to try to different approaches. If you are approaching the dog from above or standing over him when trying to place it around his neck, he may see you in a threatening way. Try sitting on the floor and getting him to come to you. Start off by petting him on his back or massaging his whole body (its just as relaxing for pets as it is humans but be gently )and slowly getting closer to his neck. Keep doing this throughout the days which will show him, you have no intentions of hurting him. Gradually add the leash into the mix. For instance while petting his neck, lay the leash near him where he can see it so he equates good feelings with the leash. After awhile, maybe even have the leash in your hand while you massage or pet his neck. Then try to place it on him and see what happens. It usually has nothing to do with the leash. Dogs are very sensitive to a persons feelings. If you are getting nervous during this time, he can sense it and that may be making him more nervous. Aggression isn't always a sign of an angry dog; a lot of times aggressive behavior is due to nervousness. Try to take a deep breathe when you are doing this too. Relax and he will relax. Good luck. It doesn't hurt to have treats around while petting and massaging him too. Equating positive actions with a difficult experience can help alleviate the negative emotions. When you're nervous, doesn't it help to have something with you that helps ease the nerves?
If i get on this dogs level on the floor i think i might get my throat ripped out.