Zach is almost 7 and it's getting to be a problem that he's normally so incredibly chilled out; I mean REALLY chilled, but he can suddenly see a kid (about 10) and he'll dive at them for attention.

The parents always think he's being aggressive but he really just wants attention (he's not biting or anything, just throwing himself at them).

It only ever happens on a lead as he all but ignores them when he's on his walks (I mean it's like he doesn't see them at all). I've started really holding him on a really short lead when we're walking to the park, etc, but this morning one woman went crrazy when he did it to her son (they're always about 10 - boys and girls).

Any ideas what could be causing it? It's happened maybe five times now (more the last year).

Back to basics and teach a reliable no lunging I would think. Elsie is just one year old and work in progress and has never lunged or touched a child because I am hyper aware she is big and children need to be protected. Betty at 2 years won't even approach a child with out my say so and then keeps all feet on the ground. Takes a while but it can be done.

Trouble is he's deaf and has absolutely no interest in treats. I think it's an attention thing but it HAS to stop.

It only happened today because I stopped to answer this little kid's question about sound waves (I'm such a nerd). But it CANNOT happen again.

BTW. You always help and give such great advice! THANKS!!!

Oh thank you !

Well deaf is different we have had dogs who have gone deaf as they got older and key with them is teach to look to you before lurching off somewhere. If food is not an attraction (have you tried liver ? never met a dog wouldn't lay down for a bit of that) you need some other treat, a toy ? perhaps something you only use for this, is never offered at any other time.
Do you use signs for him ? we taught a sign for each request, sit was raised open hand, beg was raised closed hand, down was open hand in downward movement. Really simple movements and they catch on really quickly we found.

He knows *sign language* for sit, stay, come, well done, etc.

He's really insanely good, but it's just the jumping (aggressively) when on a lead.

I would be tempted while I tried to address the problem to pop a muzzle on him. Reason I say this is children and adults will be less likely to approach or walk near you when you have a muzzled dog. Gives you space to address the problem safely.

Can you get a trainer ? Expensive I know but it may be best to get someone who can work with you on it.

Have you tried getting him to stay in a sit until the child has walked past?

Otherwise like molliepops I'd suggest a behaviourist that specialises with deaf dogs.

A dog trainer once told me that to stop a dog pulling on a lead you should stop and walk backwards a few steps each time it happens. So the dog eventually learns that pulling = less progress. I wonder if similar tactics could work here? Ie jump up at child = immediate return home
But I also like the idea of getting the dog to sit. It would help if you could enlist a co-operative child to fast track the training. The child should totally ignore the dog unless it is sitting politely.

The problem is getting people to cooperate, it sounds like the children must be coming quite close to this dog and if he is deaf it may just be he gets a shock so lunges out of fear.

You have to get everyone you know to cooperate and ignore the dog when it jumps up. But easier said than done I know. Used to have some friends who thought it a great wheeze to get my dog all excited and jumping up at them - despite me asking them not to. They weren't so pleased when they got muddy paws all over them. I think maybe they expected my dog to reason 'I won't jump up at them today because I'm a bit muddy'

I know I kept telling my neighbours not to encourage Elsie to jump when she was a puppy, it's cute on the stairs to say hello to a Labrador puppy, so now I have to check no one is there before we leave as a blooming big over excited Labrador of 14 months is not quite so much fun to meet. But they created the problem !