Being on a lead can limit your dog’s ability to show natural body language, move freely (especially if the leash is tight) and it inhibits their flight response (running away from danger). As a result of that you often see ‘fight’ behaviours like lunging, whining, barking, pulling on the leash, which can be interpreted by other dogs as threatening behaviour.
Find out more about why dogs react, what it means, and how you can help in our full article on Reactivity In Dogs here.