VIRAL: Katherine Heigl’s Quiet Tears Over the Orphan Pup Who Became Her Whole World

Katherine Heigl revisits the rescue dogs that rewired her heart.

Written by Teoti Anderson, CPDT-KA, KPA-CTP

Last reviewed and updated: April 28, 2023

There was Mighty, an orphaned pup who arrived with no past and no guarantees. Heigl took him in and discovered that saving one scruffy dog could unravel a lifetime of assumptions about what matters.

Then she met Cherry, barely eleven weeks old and already weathering more than any puppy should. The tiny German Shepherd mix stirred something protective Heigl didn’t know she had.

When a dog is aggressive mainly on leash, it’s called “leash reactivity.” Owners are often puzzled when a usually friendly dog—a saint off-leash—becomes a different animal when tethered. But it’s common.

Some dogs get this way because they cope poorly with frustration, especially adolescents. If your dog plays with others all week but you won’t let him greet one on-leash, it’s confusing. He wants to say hi and you won’t allow it, and he may lack the skills to handle that frustration. That doesn’t mean let him run to every dog—that rewards the bad behaviour with the ‘paycheck’ of a greeting and won’t fix it.

Sometimes the gear you use creates the problem. Say you use a prong collar on a puller—it pinches sharply when he pulls, so if he pulls to greet a dog, the collar corrects him. He links other dogs to that correction, and you may have accidentally taught him to dislike seeing them. Avoid the backlash with a front-clip harness. [We like the Halti Harness, which steers from the chest.—Ed.]

Keep Your Dog Cool and Focused During Training

Three areas matter for helping Hyde control his aggressive impulses on walks—your relationship, his obedience, and the aggression itself. Build a solid base in all three or you won’t get far. Think of it as a three-legged stool: all legs must match or it just wobbles.

You likely figure you already have a great bond. He loves you, you love him—right? But does he look to you for help? When he’s barking and lunging on-leash, he’s not looking at you at all; he acts like he can’t hear you. To improve him, strengthen the relationship so he turns to you for answers instead of acting alone. One way: hand-feed all his meals. That teaches you’re the direct source of food—classical conditioning. Your hand nears him, he gets food, so he loves your hand. You give food, he loves food, so you’re awesome.

1. Obedience: The Foundation of Everything

If he won’t listen in the living room, he won’t listen mid-reactivity. Use reward-based training to sharpen his skills. One especially handy one for a leash-reactive dog is teaching him to look at you—ideally eye contact on his name. For that to work, don’t use his name elsewhere. If you say his name all day, use another cue like “Look” or “Watch Me.”

2. Always Keep High-Value Treats Ready

[We like Doog’s treat bag that keeps rewards at the ready! DoogUSA.com—Ed.] Say his name (or “Look”/“Watch Me”) once. The instant he looks, mark “Yes,” hold the treat to your eyes to hold his gaze, then give it. Repeat. Practise indoors, where you face less competition for his attention. Gradually stretch until he’ll look at you with growing distractions, then outdoors.

Why 3. his aggression is the final area to address

Here you’ll use counter conditioning—changing his view of other dogs while leashed. Bring great treats on walks. Spot someone with a dog, stop. Stand close (shorten the leash if needed) but don’t ask him to sit—no added pressure, just change his opinion. The moment he sees the other dog, mark “Yes” and give a treat. Repeat until the dog is gone. You’re teaching him: other dogs = delicious treats.

If he barks and lunges, you’re too close. Back up until he can calm and focus on your training. This can take a few sessions or quite a while—be patient and steady, and get help from a reward-based trainer if needed.

Finally, please don’t let him greet other dogs on-leash if he’s telling you it’s a bad idea. If your reactive dog is lunging, stiff, tail flagging high, fur raised on the shoulders, or barking/whining, those aren’t friend-making signs—he’s saying he’s stressed, and it may stress the other dog too. Neighbours may not love you letting him crowd their dog, adding human tension to the mix.

Leash reactivity is frustrating and sometimes embarrassing. But if he’s sweet off-leash, there’s a good chance you can help. Your furry monster can learn to be a gentleman, on and off leash.

Looking for more on dog behaviour? Learn how to solve your dog’s most common behavioural problems!