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72% of dogs show signs of reactivity. It is the most commonly reported problem behaviour - and the number one reason that dogs are surrendered to rescue or sadly even euthanised.
Reactivity in dogs is characterized by a strong, often fear-based or frustrated response to specific stimuli like other dogs, people, or objects. Begging, on the other hand, is a learned behavior where a dog tries to solicit attention or food from a person. Dog reactivity is where your dog goes crazy and over-reacts (leaping, growling, barking etc) at things you see on walks.
Dog reactivity is usually caused by three things:
Fear / Nervousness - they are trying to keep the "scary thing" away from them, so it does not hurt them or you.
Excitement - they are SUPER excited to say hello to other dogs or people etc and so go crazy when they see them, trying to get to them ASAP. As time goes on, this excitement can become more frustrated, and eventually even lead to aggression, more on this later.
Aggression / Prey instincts - their guarding, protectiveness, or hunting instincts are kicking in, or they are just being a bit of a bully - just like kids can be, it does not mean they are "bad", just that they are indulging in some unacceptable habits because they think they can, or they get something they want out of it.
Before we begin, there are 3 very big points we'd like to make about so-called reactive dogs:
1. They are good dogs with rich personalities who do not deserve to be defined by a label.
2. Reactivity is a problem that responds well to behavior modification.
3. Be patient and understanding! Reactivity can be a challenging issue to address, and progress may not always be linear.
Genetics: Some breeds are predisposed to certain personality traits, including reactivity.
Early Puppyhood: The experiences and exposures a dog has during their critical socialization period can shape their behavior significantly.
The First Year of Life: Proper socialization and positive experiences during this time are crucial.
Lack of socialization: Inadequate exposure to various stimuli during puppyhood can lead to fear and reactivity later in life.
Environment: A dog's living situation, training, and day-to-day experiences influence their reactivity.
Poor training: Inconsistent or negative training methods can exacerbate reactivity.
Fear and anxiety: Reactive behaviors often stem from fear or anxiety in response to specific triggers.
Traumatic Incidents: Negative or overwhelming events can have a lasting impact on a dog's behavior.
Medical conditions: Pain or discomfort can also contribute to reactivity.
So, WHY DOGS
BECOME REACTIVE?
Possibility #1:
Doggy Daycare - Because They Go To Doggy Daycare (Or Anywhere Else They Get To Play Madly With Other Dogs). Dogs who go to daycare become used to having ONE type of interaction when they see another dog. Which is, they see the dog, get madly excited, rush up to it, and then have a crazy play session. The PROBLEM with this (and why it can cause dog reactivity) is that your dog starts to EXPECT the same sequence of events to happen EVERY time they see another dog. So when they see another dog on a walk, they get CRAZY excited about being able to play, and will leap, bark, pull and whine, trying to get to them.
Which creates a habit of excitement reactivity when they see other dogs. If that continues for long enough, they can actually (ironically!) develop aggressive reactivity, too. Why? Because they get more and more frustrated at not being able to go and play with the other dog, that their barking and leaping because more angry then excited. The more they practice that behaviour and attitude towards seeing another dog on walks, the more they start to default to that frustrated, aggressive attitude, until what started as happy, excited energy becomes full on lead aggression towards other dogs.
Possibility #2:
A Bad Experience - Dogs can become more reactive after a bad experience, because they are trying to protect themselves from it happening again. Sometimes dogs become reactive because they are trying to protect themselves from something they have found scary, or had a bad experience with in the past. So if another dog attacked them, or even gave them a fright -even if the other dog did not mean to!, they might become aggressive to try and get other dogs to give them space, and avoid it happening again. And unless you can use an effective technique to STOP them reacting like this, they will probably do it forever or get worse!, even if nothing bad happens to the ever again.
Why? Because even though, from YOUR perspective, you'd think that your dog would eventually work out that nothing bad happens around other dogs or whatever they are reacting to, and stop reacting, the reality from your DOG's perspective is a bit different. From your DOG's perspective, the scary thing did not hurt them because they reacted to it. So every time they react (bark, growl, leap etc) at a "scary" thing and it DOES NOT hurt them, it reinforces that the reacting was a GOOD idea because it kept them safe, so they end up doing it MORE.
The only way to teach them that the scary thing wonโt hurt them, even if they DONโT react to it, is to teach them NOT to react FIRST, so that they can see that nothing bad happens, even when they do not react. AND making sure that you have their back, and protect them from being approached by dogs that make them uncomfortable, or being patted by strangers if they do not enjoy it. That way, they learn that YOU can protect them, and they do not have to try and protect themselves.
Possibility #3:
Maturity - I've lost count of how many reactive dogs I've worked with who were SUPER social as puppies and young adults. Maturity often changes your dog's outlook on life, as well as their attitude and responses to things like dogs and people. Puppies and young adults are not fully mature yet. They are still learning about the world, and are far more likely to be submissive and friendly to other dogs and people. If they do "try their luck" with other dogs or people, it is more likely to be with OTT play and general pushiness, rather than aggression, although puppies who are overly pushy and excited are often the ones who become aggressive as they mature.
As they get older, they get more confident, more dominant, and tend to try their luck more with both people and dogs to see what they can get away with. They are more likely to react with aggression in situations where previously they would have let things slide, or run away. Which is why sometimes dogs can become reactive simply because they got older and more mature, and it becomes more natural for them to respond to situations with aggression.
Possibility #4:
Small Things Become Big Things - This is often the underlying cause of MOST behavioural issues, not just reactivity. Little things, that seem irrelevant or unimportant) fly under the radar, and so you do not do anything about them until they suddenly become big issues (that seem to have come out of nowhere!. With reactivity this can be things like: Large red lead reactive dog barking and lunging. Seemingly little things can go unnoticed, until they become so big that you end up with a fully reactive dog, "out of nowhere". Your dog getting over-excited about seeing other dogs on walks, as we covered in the point #1. This might start as REALLY small excitement (pricking their ears, looking intently, and looking "happy" to see the other dog), but it can easily grow into crazy OTT excitement.
A small growl, staring at the thing, without reacting further, a "huff" bark under their breath. General pushiness and rude manners - getting all up in their grill, jumping on them uninvited, being pushy about playing when the other dog clearly doesnโt want to. Small signs of nervousness - tucked tail, cowering slightly, hiding behind you etc - which can build into more intense fear reactivity the more they practice those behaviours and feelings in that situation.
The more your dog practices a way of feeling or behaving, the more they โdefaultโ to that behaviour, and the more intense it can become. The first signs are often so small that they go unnoticed or seem like "no big deal", but those are the moments you want to be looking out for, so you can nip any unwanted attitudes and behaviours in the bud BEFORE they become a big issue.
The truth is that no one can read your dog's mind. Any guess as to why they are behaving why they are is just that - a guess. Sometimes even your DOG might not know why they are behaving the way they are - just like you probably behave in ways you can not fully explain, due to old patterns, experiences in childhood etc. But the good news is that you generally do not NEED to know WHY your dog is behaving the way they are, you just need to know how to STOP it, and teach them what you want them to do instead. I've worked with LOTS of reactive dogs who started being reactive for no obvious reason, and not knowing "why" they were reacting did not prevent us from stopping their reactivity.
It is helpful to know whether the reactivity is fearful or aggressive, and the situations it tends to occur in, but other than that, not knowing "why" should not stop you from improving your dog's reactivity.
Reactivity in dogs can be a difficult and sometimes dangerous problem that takes time and patience to reverse. Although any dog can develop reactivity due to developmental, environmental and medical reasons, some dogs, such as terrier and shepherding breeds, are more likely to develop reactive behaviors. Many reactive dogs may be managed through training and behavioral conditioning, however, some dogs may need additional help such as anti-anxiety or antidepressant medications to control their actions and reach their full potential.
Dogs that overreact in response to certain stimuli are known as reactive. Most reactive dogs can become somewhat calmer and happier animals with training, although in some cases, medications may also be recommended.There are several behaviors that might clue you in that your dog is feeling anxious or may be in a reactive state. Some of these behaviors may include:
SYMPTOMS OF
REACTIVE DOGS
Barking
Body tense and low or forward
Hiding
Growling
Intense stare
Licking of lips or muzzle
Looking away
Lunging
Nipping
Sudden scratching
Tail between legs
Teeth bared
Urination when approached
Whites of eyes are red or pink
Whites of eyes showing
Yawning
Begging (Begging is not typically a primary symptom of a reactive dog, although it can be a learned behavior that might be present alongside reactivity).
TYPES OF REACTIVE DOGS Dogs can become reactive to any object or circumstance, but there are a few that strike more frequently than others. Types of reactivity that are relatively common include:
Dog Reactive Dogs can be reactive specifically to their own kind. In some cases, these dogs are reactive to all other canines, in others, they may be reactive to a specific category of dog, such as dogs with long hair as opposed to short, or even small dogs as opposed to large.
Leash Reactive Leash reactivity is the most commonplace of the types of reactivity, and can be quite troubling for both you and your dog. As the typical responses to fear are either fight or flight, and the dog is unable to flee due to the leash, it may instigate the dog to fight instead.
Reactive to Men or Children Although reactivity to men or children may be triggered by poor treatment or abuse, it is much more likely to be due to a lack of exposure during the animalโs socialization period.
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Triggers that may trigger reactive behaviors in dogs are typically a combination of nature and nurture. Possible components to fostering reactive behaviors may include:
Developmental factors - When abuse and traumatic events occur during a puppyโs developmental phase or if proper socialization did not occur early in life, this can cause a dog to become more fearful.
Environmental factors - When raised in either an overly sheltered environment or if exposed to an environment of violence may trigger fear and reactivity in canines; in some situations, these factors may lead to the development of anxiety disorders or PTSD, which can increase the chances of a reactive episode.
Genetic predisposition - Certain dogs or breeds of dog have a slight predisposition to developing a reactive personality; terrier breeds tend to be reactive towards other dogs, and shepherding breeds are naturally more reactive to motion, particularly forward motion.
Physical disorders - Some physical disorders, particularly those that cause chronic pain, can elicit reactive behaviors, and disorders that affect the thyroid may cause your dog to be more anxious, increasing the chance of reactivity.
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Reactivity is when a dog over reacts to things in their environment. These reactions can include: barking, lunging, and growling. However, these reactions do not make a dog "aggressive." Reactivity is not uncommon in dogs. It may stem from the dog's genetic make-up or could be from a lack of social experience or a particularly scary experience. Having a reactive dog can be difficult to handle. It makes it hard to go out on walks, to the park, or being in public places. You probably do not have guests over often in fear of how your dog will behave around them. Instead of trying to live with having a reactive dog, learn new ways to keep them calm and focused on you.
How To Use Your Dog Reactivity Chart When you go on a walk with your dog, take the chart along and work on their reactivity. Make sure that they stay in the green and yellow zone. As soon as your dog approaches the orange zone, you need to abort and move out of the way of the trigger. Sometimes it can be tricky to use the reactivity chart if you live in a busy area. In this case you should pick a time to walk your dog when nobody else is out. For some dogs with deeply ingrained reactivity, walks need to be stopped.
The best way to work on reactivity in safe settings is to set up specifically designed reactivity sessions. Ask a friend and their dog to meet you in an open area, or select a park or walking trail with dogs and stay at a distance. Approach the trigger from very far away while giving your dog treats and letting them sniff the ground. Make sure the leash is loose and your dog is relaxed.
Check on your reactivity chart: Is your dog still in the yellow or green zone? If not, you need to increase the distance to their trigger. This is the only way to effectively change their response in the long run.
Set Up a Routine
It is not something dog owners think of very often or are even aware of, but dogs absolutely crave routine. Dogs know our own routines. They know when we wake up in the morning, and know putting shoes on means they should get excited for that morning walk. Routines make the world predictable. It helps them make sense of everything going on around them, good or bad. The more anxiety your dog has, the more routine they crave. A simple yet effective routine helps them feel more calm, focused and safe in otherwise stressful situations. Eventually, once your dog gets a handle of your routine, you can put your routine in action out in the real world, like: the park, on walks, or in public spaces.
Get Essential Equipment
To help diminish reactive tendencies, there are a few useful pieces of equipment that you can set your dog up with. First, is a Gentle Leader. Gentle Leaders are extremely useful for hard pullers and dogs that tend to be reactive while on walks. They can be useful when you may need to redirect their head in a new direction if your cues are not working. The Gentle Leader sits high on the back of the dog's head, which takes the pressure off of their delicate throat.
Next is an Easy Walk Harness. Unlike most harnesses, this one clips in the front of your dog. This actually discourages your dog from pulling on the leash. Your dog will be steered sideways when trying to pull, which will redirect his or her attention towards you. The Easy Walk Harness rests across your dog's chest, so there's no choking, gagging or damage to his or her throat.
A crate is also a great tool when it comes to reducing reactivity. A crate can be necessary to both ensure safety and help introduce the dog to a setting that they may not be comfortable with. Dogs, with proper crate training, think of their crate as a den. It is a space for them to safe. A crate comes in handy when you are transporting your dog. Being in a crate would lessen their reactivity in the car or being brought into the vet office.
Counter Conditioning
Counter Conditioning is the process of changing the emotion or behavior a dog exhibits in response to a specific antecedent, or "triggerโ (dog, human, animal, objects, vacuums, cars, bikes). It involves working with antecedents and consequences to change behavior. For conditioning to occur, two critical steps must take place. Step 1: The antecedent or โtriggerโ must be noticed (seen, heard, smelled). Step 2: Reinforcer must occur immediately (food or toy). It is important that the reward comes immediately and before the dog starts offering unwanted behavior. The first few signs a dog shows that they are uncomfortable is our opportunity to change behavior. At some point your dog may no longer feel the need to look at the trigger you have been conditioning.
Household Changes
To break the habit of reactivity at home, you might need to make some household changes. A common form of reactivity at home is window reactivity. The problem with window reactivity is that it is very rewarding. The dog thinks their barking made the person or dog go away, and it becomes a very reinforcing behavior to repeat. The best way to stop this is with using a tie down when you are home. It will teach your dog to stay in a certain spot and not go to the window. You can also use baby gates to keep them away from windows.
Another form of reactivity at home is backyard reactivity. Backyard reactivity is similar to window reactivity. It is very rewarding and will bleed into other areas of the dog's life. If your dog is a fence fighter or a fence runner, one thing you can do when you are home is walk them around the backyard on leash. Make sure you establish good recall so if they become riled up, you can get their attention and calm them down. If you are nืt there to teach your dog right from wrong, then you must confine them away from the hot spot area in your yard. This may mean getting rid of your doggie door, confining them to inside the home, or creating a dog run for the backyard where they don't have access to the fence.
Body Language
It is easy to confuse the body language of reactive dogs with an aggressive display, because many of the behaviors look similar. Reactive body language in a dog may include:
Understanding dog body language will help you communicate effectively with your pup. Dogs speak mostly through body language. Learning how to speak โdogโ is important because you will be able to recognize when your dog is uncomfortable, scared, or threatened. First, understand that most dog body language is contextual. For example, tail wagging can mean several things, from "I'm so happy to see you!" to "Please don't come any closer!" You will need to look at the entire picture of your dog and the surrounding environment to understand.
Happy dogs are loose and wiggly! These dogs typically have open mouths, relaxed or forward ears, and soft eyes. Pay close attention, however, because relaxed dogs can easily become uncomfortable with something or someone.
Nervous dogs have tense overall body posture. They will use calming signals and exhibit displacement behavior which calm themselves down, show non-aggressive intent, or diffuse situations. Calming signals are used to signal to other dogs that they mean no harm. Displacement behaviors are displayed when a dog wants to do two different conflicting things at once.
Alert dogs have tense or forward overall body posture. These dogs are interested in something and are undecided how to react. This body posture usually only lasts briefly before the dog decides to react in playfulness, fear, or aggression.
Dogs exhibiting aggressive body language will be very tense and stiff, possibly frozen. These dogs will probably be baring their teeth and their hackles will be raised. If you ever encounter a dog and he or she starts to exhibit aggressive body language, stop your approach, move slowly, and appear non-threatening. In addition, avoid eye contact, look away, and remain calm and confident. DO NOT run away!
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Yes, living with a reactive dog is challenging, but there is hope! In addition to training, keep the following tips in mind:
Protect Your Dog!
Immersing your dog in situations that where they are not comfortable will increase their fear and may make their behavior worse. When you are out with your dog, be vigilant. If you see a person or dog who is likely to upset your dog, avoid them if possible. Give your dog a chance to have some walks and calm outings, so you can praise them for being a good dog and they can start to relax. Remember that your dog does not have to be friends with all people or every dog. You need to be your dog's advocate. For example, protect them from a stranger looming over them to keep them from feeling like they need to defend themselves. If the person continues to approach your dog or tries to pet them, calmly but firmly tell that person that your dog is working, shy or in training. This usually will help most people understand the need to respect your space.
Learn Your Dog's Reactivity Triggers
What causes your dog to go off into a spiral of reactive behavior? Triggers can be good or bad. For example, a dog barking at the window may think he "chased off" a squirrel intruder OR he may be asking the squirrel to play. Your dog might react to people, to certain traits of other dogs, or certain situations. Watch them carefully and pay attention to what they notice right before your dog reacts. Learn their triggers and make plans to help minimize those triggers and be ready to practice the tools above when you encounter a trigger.
Minimize Exposure to Reaction Triggers
When trying to help your dog reduce reactivity, the first step is to reduce their exposure to triggers. If your dog barks at the window or fence, keep them away from the trigger area. You may put a leash on a reactive dog when they're outside or set up a dog run so they can't get to the outer fence. You may use baby gates or even an indoor tether to keep your dog from barking at the window. If the reaction is to sounds - like a truck going down the street - use white noise indoors or possibly a DAP diffuser while training your dog to be calm and to calm down on command. If it is other dogs on your walk, try a new route that doesn't pass the trigger houses. Pawsitive Futures recently wrote a great article about alternatives to neighborhood walks for reactive dogs.
Do not punish your reactive dog:
This is true of all training and behavior scenarios. Punishment, whether from physical "corrections" to yelling, is based on outdated and disproven training techniques, and it can have serious behavioral fallout, as well as a negative impact on the bond between you and your dog. Keeping your dog away from their triggers is all the negative reactions you need to have. Dogs don't respond as well to punishment as they do to reinforcing positive behaviors - and punishment can sometimes make reactivity worse when related to your dog's anxiety. Instead, try reconditioning how your dog responds to their reactive triggers.
Recondition Your Dog's Reaction to Triggers
The key to reactive dog training is to help your dog respond differently to their triggers. You want to help your reactive dog associate triggers with a chance to be good and get treats. Instead of barking at the mailman, you want your dog to sit pretty and wait to be rewarded for not barking. To do this, you want to learn your dog's body language.
Recognize Your Dog's Moods and Reactions
Learn to spot when your dog is about to react. Their body language will tell you when they are alert, nervous, or getting excited. A forward-leaning or tense pose is anxiety, and tail wagging can be an attempt to say "hey, I'm not dangerous" to whatever is scaring them. In addition, give them activities, stimulus, or walks to tire them out and improve their overall mood, which may decrease reactivity. For example, a dog who reacts strongly when people come to your home may be able to resist triggers if he has a good walk before company arrives. If your dog pulls heavily on the leash, the Freedom No-Pull Harness is a great solution and can make it easier to train your dog. If your dog is fearful or reactive of strangers, you might use an "I Need Space" vest, collar, or leash.
Distract Before they React
When you see your dog becoming tense in response to a trigger, redirect immediately. Before your dog has a chance to express a bad behavior, reinforce good behavior. Use calming "sit" and "be good" commands and give them a treat for focusing on you instead of on the trigger. Each time a trigger presents itself, try to catch that exact moment between notice and reaction. This will help you recondition your dog's reaction to those triggers - so they expect treats for good behavior instead of needing to bark or jump.
Use Routine to Create Stability and Safety
Reactive dogs often feel unstable or unsafe about something. The trigger might be unfamiliar or related to a previous bad experience. The best way to help your dog become a calm, cool animal all the time is to offer them a predictable routine that reinforces stability and safety. Walking your leash reactive dog at the same time every day can also reduce unexpected encounters with scary things like trash trucks and school buses.
Consider your dog's health:
Sudden or escalating reactivity may mean that a dog is dealing with undiagnosed health issues, such as pain or reduced vision. Schedule a trip to your veterinarian to rule out illness.
Relax, and mind the leash:
Your response to reactivity can have an impact on your dog's behavior. Try to keep tension out of the leash, and donโt forget to breathe!
Exercise your dog:
Frustration-based reactivity can stem from a lack of exercise, so make sure to work your dogโs brain and body. Play with your dog and try some enrichment games like "find the toy" or trick training to help chip away at your dog's exercise needs.
Help Your Reactive Dog Learn to Stay Calm
Reactive dog training methods can help you and your dog enjoy time together by teaching them to stay calm. When you can help your dog see their triggers differently and anticipate rewards for good behavior, they will choose good behavior more often over time. In addition, regular exercise and mental stimulation can help on many levels. With the right equipment like pet gates and no-pull harnesses, you and your over-excitable doggo can find a happy peace where only balls and frisbees need to be chased and only real danger needs to be barked at.
There are many common mistakes that people tend to make with reactive dogs โ some of which are human nature, and some of which are actually caused by common dog training advice. If you have a reactive dog, chances are at least one of these (probably more!) are part of what's keeping you stuck, so letโs dive into the common mistakes with reactive dogs!
#1: Talking To Them Soothingly While They are Reacting Patting or talking soothingly to your dog while they are being reactive can sometimes have the opposite effect to what you intended. This one's totally understandable from a human perspective, but often causes issues for our dogs. When their dog is barking or growling at something, many people will attempt to reassure them that everythingโs ok, by talking to them softly (saying โitโs okโ etc) and often patting them. Which from our human perspective looks like reassurance. But from our DOG'S perspective, is often interpreted as PRAISE for what theyโre doing in the moment (growling/barking), and can accidentally encourage them to do it MORE.
This is not to say that you should yell at your dog instead, but it IS to say that doing something that can be interpreted as a reward/praise while theyโre doing something you DONโT want, usually is not the best idea!
#2: Thinking They Should Make All Their Own Decisions or Leaving Their Behavioural Choices Up To Them
Common training approaches are often based around letting your dog make their own decisions, and then encouraging the ones you want by rewarding them with treats, toys, praise etc, and just ignoring the ones you do not. Letting your reactive dog make all of their own decisions about what they do and do not! do is usually a bad idea, because they are not equipped to make sensible choices in a world they do not fully understand.
While this is a nice idea in theory, it can create a lot of stress for both dogs and owners, even though the intention is to do the opposite! This is because it is basically leaving your dogโs choices totally up to them, and they are often not going to make good decisions that benefit them in the long run. For example, most dogs are reactive because they get something they wanted out of over-reacting. Which all means that if you leave your behaviour up to your dog, chances are theyโre going to KEEP making that wrong decision, because it is self-rewarding - they get something they wanted out of doing it.
#3: Trying To Distract Them With Food Or Toys Distracting your dog with a treat when there is a dog or cat on the other side of the road is like trying to have a conversation with a sports-mad kiwi bloke. Is trying to distract or bribe your dog with treats or toys REALLY the best way to stop them being reactive to things like dog, cats and bikes? If you have tried this strategy before, you are not alone, it is super common advice for reactive dogs. But if it worked so well, why are SO many dog owners still struggling with their dog's reactivity? The problem with this approach, is that the treat or toy has to be the most exciting option available to the dog for it to work.
And for most dogs, there are at least some, and probably many, things in the world that they find more exciting (or tempting) than a treat or toy. So, trying to distract them, or encourage them to ignore something that they REALLY want to go crazy at, with something that is far less interesting, is like trying to talk to a sports-mad kiwi bloke (or blokess) while they are watching the rugby. In the fight for their attention, you probably do not even feature!
So, what's the solution? Teaching them to control themselves around the things that used to make them go crazy so they can listen, focus and actually do what you asked them to, is the much easier and more effective route. That is why self-control, your dog's ability to hold themselves back even when they REALLY want to do something else is the secret ingredient to getting your dog to listen and behave around distractions. It is something that most dogs do not possess much of, but it CAN be taught (yes, really, even your "untrainable" dog!). We will be talking more about self-control and teaching your dog to listen reliably, even when they REALLY want to go crazy, in the next section on dog training for reactive dogs.
#4: Thinking That All Dogs Are Naturally "Social Butterflies" There is a common misconception about dogs that they are inherently social, and therefore should love EVERY dog and human they come across and want to interact enthusiastically with them. But how many people do you know who genuinely love and want to interact deeply with every single person they ever meet? Even massive extroverts have people theyโd rather not spend much time with, let alone introverts who are more than happy with a handful of key relationships with their favourite people, and who are not interested in socializing with random strangers. So why do we expect every dog to love and enthusiastically interact with every other dog or person they encounter?
Just like us, dogs have unique personalities and preferences when it comes to socializing. Some do love almost everyone they run into, while others are happy to keep their distance from strangers and just interact with "their" people. It can be really challenging trying to navigate social situations with other people and dog owners who do not understand this concept, because they have always had "social butterfly" dogs. Letting your dog run up and enthusiastically greet strange dogs is the equivalent to a person running up and bear-hugging every stranger they see in the street. So it is ok to advocate for your dog, and step in to prevent other dogs from making yours uncomfortable because of their lack of social etiquette.
There is a social etiquette the other way, too though. Just like you wouldnโt run up and hug every stranger on the street, itโs also not ok to shout abuse at the ones you do not like the look of. Dog snarling at other dog who is up in its face. It is ok for your reactive dog to not want other dogs or people in their face, but that DOES NOT mean it is ok for them to "hurl abuse" at them from the other side of the street - social etiquette is a 2-way street. It is ok to not like someone, or not want them in your space, but it is possible to be polite about it, and our dogs should learn this, too.
This means that even if your dog is uncomfortable about other dogs or people, they should still be able to walk calmly past at a safe distance without "hurling abuse" at someone on the other side of the street. If you have a more "introverted" dog, the right training can help them learn to be polite about it while they are out and about. Being willing to advocate FOR them, and stopping people or dogs from interacting with them if itโs likely to make them uncomfortable is a big part of building their trust in your ability to take care of things for them, rather than them feeling like they have to do it themselves. Wearing a vest that says "Give Me Space" can also help others realise that your dog is not going to be keen on socializing with them or their dog, which helps your dog feel more confident out and about, too.
#5: Being Inconsistent With Your Approach, And What You Let Them Do / Not Do Consistency is a super common word in dog training, most people know that they should "be consistent". Problem is, it is hard to be consistent when you are following common training advice, for a few key reasons:
Reason #1 - You are not sure if what you are doing is working / you are doing the right thing. As we have covered, a lot of the common dog training approaches for dealing with dog reactivity do not tend to work that well. Which means it is hard to stay consistent with your approach, because you are often not sure if youโre doing the right thing, or if it is working. So you tend to jump between approaches, or sometimes do them and sometimes do not, which ends up confusing the crap out of both your dog, and yourself! This is why having a clear, consistent approach to addressing dog reactivity (that actually works!) is so important.
Reason #2 - Life happens. The business of life in general mean itโs hard to be consistent with your reactive dog all the time. But being inconsistent in their training, rules and expectations in other areas usually undermines your attempts to train them to stop being reactive, too. This one can be tricky, but it is something to at least be aware of from your dogโs perspective. Everyone's busy with life, kids, works, home, family and friends, community etc. And no one is perfect and 100% on-point all of the time. We all have days where we are tired, cranky, or distracted (our dogs do too, actually). And it is easy to let things slip on those days.
To not make sure they are walking, behaving and listening exactly as they are supposed to be, and let little behaviours slide, either because you donโt notice them happening, or because you can not be bothered dealing with it. It is totally understandable, but it is also causing part of your problem. Because from your dog's perspective, if the rules and expectations changes based on your daily mood, then they are never clear on what you actually want from them, because it keeps changing based on factors they can not understand.
Which makes them really confused, and can stress them out. PLUS, many dogs are natural gamblers, and if there is a one chance in ten that they will get away with doing something, they will always take that chance and have a crack! So if you sometimes let your dog away with a behaviour, or with ignoring your commands, they will naturally test you more in general, to see what you will let them do in that moment. Not because they are being deliberately naughty, although some dogs definitely have a cheeky or defiant streak, but because theyโre experimenting to try and figure out what the rules actually are.
So, noone is perfect, but try as much as possible to keep your rules and expectations of your dog consistent, even on your "off" days. That can also mean avoiding areas of your walk that are more challenging on days when you just donโt feel up to dealing with that, as well as trying really hard to be as consistent as possible in general, even when youโre tired, stressed or distracted.
Reason #3 - Your training in other areas, whether they listen to commands reliably, behaviours at home etc, affect your dog's willingness to listen and follow your guidance when they want to react. The piece of the puzzle that a LOT of people miss, is that your dog is forming a picture of you as a person and as a leader, ALL the time, not just during training sessions, or on walks. If you have accidentally taught your reactive dog that listening is option in some situations, which treat based training often does, they will take that concept and apply it to their reactivity, too. Which means that even if you are 100% consistent with your approach to dealing with their reactivity, you can still be accidentally undermining that in other areas, usually without even realising you are doing it.
If you are inconsistent about following through with commands and rules in general, then your dog will learn that you do not always mean what you say, and they will be less likely to follow your instructions in other areas too, especially if they are really motivated to do something else. So for example, if you sometimes ask your dog to "sit" and then either have to repeat it multiple times before they listen to it OR let them wander off and ignore it completely, then you are teaching them that your "sit" command is optional. Which may not seem like a huge deal, if you are not that bothered about them listening reliably to the "sit" command.
HOW TO SOCIALIZE REACTIVE DOG This material proudly presented by WHOLE-DOG-JOURNAL.COM and Kathy Callahan
In the dog world, the word "socialization" is usually meant to describe the process of preparing a young puppy to be comfortable in the wider world and feeling relaxed around other dogs. But what if your dog is already an adult, and is displaying big feelings about fellow canines, barking and lunging at them? Is it possible to socialize an adult dog who is reactive to other dogs? Technically, we can not "socialize" an older dog that ship sailed before he lost his baby teeth, but we can help him feel more relaxed around his fellow canines. It can take a lot longer at this age, though, and it requires a solid plan. Please note that this can be a nuanced, time-consuming effort. It would be a wise investment to enlist the help of a great force-free local trainer for an initial consult and for key moments along the progression.
Reactivity is often confused with aggression. However, reactive dogs are simply dogs who become overly aroused by common daily stimuli. Reactive behaviors can include aggression, but reactivity may also manifest as over-excitement, frustration, or fear that goes beyond a normal level for the situation.
Keep Dog Under Threshold The first phase of this canine makeover involves arranging your dogโs environment so that there will be no canine exposures that make him feel the need to (over)react. It does not really matter whether your dog is reactive because of over-excitement, frustration, or fear โ we are going to prevent him from getting close enough to other dogs to react to them. This is what we call keeping your dog "under threshold," and it is critical to the success of this project. Why is it important to keep your dog "under threshold"? Every time your dog barks and lunges at a dog, he is practicing behavior that we are trying to extinguish. The more your dog practices a reactive response, the more deeply that neural pathway - dog sees other dog, dog barks and lunges, becomes worn into his brain - it becomes the most-traveled path through the woods. We need to change that. We need that undesired pathway to become overgrown, while we create a nice new calm alternative path.
If your regular walk is filled with other folks walking their dogs, and your dog "goes crazy" almost every time he sees or passes those other dogs, he is practicing the behavior and feeling the feelings that we want to eliminate. If you want to eliminate your dogโs over-reaction to other dogs, you can not keep gritting your teeth and putting up with the embarrassing reactivity. Those "practice sessions" of unwanted behaviors must stop!
To create that much-needed, calm new pathway in your dog's brain, we want to set things up so that your dog only experiences other dogs at a distance where he can remain under threshold. When he is calm, he is able to learn from you. Here is what you can do to get the distance from other dogs that your dog needs:
Change the timing of your walks - Shift your walks to when few dogs are out.
Change the location of your walks - If your neighborhood is dog-filled, drive to a park.
Keep to wide open spaces - If your park has a narrow path where you might be forced into passing another dog at close range, do not take that path.
Be vigilant. Be constantly aware of your surroundings - Keep an eye for other dogs out on walks and be ready to cross the street, change direction, walk up a driveway, use bushes or cars to create a visual barrier between your dog and any other dogs.
Do not go anywhere that you might encounter off-leash dogs - Sometimes the search for wide open spaces can mean youโre risking encounters with the dreaded off-lead dogs who have no recall. Those dogs โ no matter how "friendly" - destroy this training, because the main thing we are trying to establish is that leash walks are predictably non-interactive. Do everything you can to avoid that situation.
Don't Make Your Dog's Reactivity Worse! When people become aware that their dog does not appear to be friendly to other dogs, some decide they need to "socialize" their dog immediately and head to the local dog park. Ack! That scenario is the exact opposite of what the dog needs. At the dog park, you have no control over other dogs, so you can not give your dog the distance and predictability that would build your dog's confidence and guarantee his safety. Do not take a reactive dog to dog parks!
Another common mistake folks make is to punish their dog when he barks or lunges at passing canines. That yelling and yanking is wholly ineffective; those owners are only making their dog's reactivity worse. The dog already had too-big-to-manage feelings at the sight of another dog and after that punishment, the presence of a strange dog now means their trusted person becomes scary. That is a recipe for more reactivity, not less. Do not punish or admonish.
A third common mistake is to bring your own stress from past incidents to all future dog situations. If the moment you see another dog approach, your heartbeat increases, you swear under your breath, and you tighten up your leash, it will strongly influence your dog about how she should feel about other dogs. Try to relax and breathe!
Helping Your Dog Form Better Associations Now youโre ready to start building new "It is cool, no biggie" feelings about the sight of another canine. Take your treat pouch and head to a place where you will see a handful of dogs at a distance you can control. A big park is a good bet. Remember that your dog needs to stay under threshold - no barking or lunging, the entire time, so err on the side of too much distance! The goal is to teach your dog that the presence of another dog signals a predictable and positive experience: food, from you. Keep one eye on the environment and the other on your dog. When another dog (the "trigger dog") comes into view, you produce a delicious morsel and calmly say something like, "Oh, hey, I see a dog. See the dog?"
DIAGNOSIS OF REACTIVE BEHAVIORS IN DOGS This material proudly presented by WWW.WAGWALKING.COM
When visiting your veterinarian regarding behavioral issues such as reactivity, information will be collected for a complete behavioral history. The type of data that is needed for a complete behavioral history typically includes information about the patientโs sex and age as well as anything else that may be known about the breed of the canine and their medical history. Facts about the circumstances prior to reactive episodes will be very helpful in diagnosing any underlying conditions, as will information regarding your dog's behavior after the incident is over.
Details regarding the patient's daily diet will be required, as well as any information regarding any new medications that have been introduced recently and the veterinarian will also need to know which corrective methods have already been tried and what the result of those methods was. As some cases of reactivity may have a physical or medical component as well, a thorough physical examination will also be completed, including standard diagnostic tests such as a complete blood count, biochemistry profile, and urinalysis.
The treatment for reactivity issues will be dependent on both the severity as well as the underlying trigger for the behavior. Certain chronic reactivity issues can become potentially dangerous and should be addressed by a veterinary professional. The management for dogs with reactivity disorders should be a cooperative effort between a professional trainer or behaviorist and the animalโs owner. It is crucial not to scold or punish a dog for its reactive behaviors. Scolding your dog for behaviors that are motivated by fear generally tends to enforce their feelings and increase the chances that fearful behavior will develop into more aggressive reactions.
A commonly utilized training method to treat fear and reactivity is known as desensitization, a method in which treats and praise are used in conjunction with the presence of the object of fear to cause the feared object to become a more positive and familiar presence and thereby reducing any reactivity related to it.
Obedience training may also be employed to mitigate fear and anxiety, which will reduce the likelihood of a reactive response, and be used as a distraction from negative stimuli in a technique known as a counter-conditioning. In severe cases, behavioral therapy and training are not enough to calm the patient, and anti-anxiety or antidepressant medications may be recommended to calm your companion.
Recovery of Reactive Behaviors in Dogs Drugs that are administered to treat behavioral issues frequently take several weeks before they become fully effective, and it is essential that your veterinarian is aware of all of the other medications being administered to the patient. The way that canines metabolize medications can be very different from the way that a human metabolizes the medication and dosages can vary based on your dog's specific response to the medication. Many antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications have contraindications with certain pain medications, antihistamines, and even herbal treatments. These drugs alone are rarely effective in eliminating challenging problem behaviors, and continuing with behavioral training will help your pet to become a happier and healthier individual.
HOW TO TRAIN REACTIVE DOG This material proudly presented by PACKLEADERHELP.COM and Brianna Dick
STEP 1 Understand Why It is important to understand reactivity is a symptom, not the root issue. Dogs react because they feel the need to. This is generally related to fear, insecurity, over-excitement and frustration. Yes, reactivity is reactivity but you need to figure out where it is stemming from in order to address the cause.
STEP 2 Take inventory of the day-to-day I have found it extremely useful for owners to really take a hard look at their day to day interactions with their dog to consider what behavior they reward. For example, do you feed, leash or let your dog out when they are excited? Do you practice any consistent rules in the house? Is everyone on the same page?
STEP 3 Get clear with your communication We can not help a dog if we are not clearly communicating what we want and what we do not want. We believe:
โข Teaching proper pressure and release with a leash (usually a slip lead, transitional lead, gentle leader, prong collar or starmark collar)
โข Marker word (yes or clicker)
โข Energy and body language
โข Consistency
are all necessary components to your foundation to address why your dog is reactive make sure they have a clear understanding of leash pressure and your marker word.
STEP 4 Focus on calm & invitation I understand calm can feel cryptic in the dog training world, so check out some of my videos on what that looks like. You can condition dogs to only get what they want when they are more relaxed by doing that in every single situation. If they want to go back inside? They can not pull you. If they want to get their toy? They can not bark at you and be pushy. They want to go outside? They need to calmly wait at the door for your release Everything needs to be on your terms for a period of time.
STEP 5 Address reactivity in the home Every reactive dog that I've ever met who reacted on walks to dogs/people/scooters etc was practicing reactivity in some way in the home. There are so many triggers in the home to work through before expecting your dog to not react outside. Door noise, seeing people /animals outside, people coming home reactivity etc are all areas to address with your dog immediately. You can not let your dog react to other things in the home where they spend most of their life and then expect them to ignore things outside.
STEP 6 Impulse control You can not have whatever you want whenever you want it. Your dog must learn to wait for things and offer calmness before getting to do what they want or eat what they want. Most times dogs can not even leave a treat on the ground but you want them to ignore another living moving thing? That is a weird expectation. Teach your dog to come when called, stay in an area when you tell them, leave things like food, toys, people or animals when you say so start small. We have plenty of videos on this on Instagram.
STEP 7 Confidence Building Confidence building fixes 95% of my reactivity cases. Dogs just want to feel safe with their handler and they want to know what is coming next. If we are not working our dogs through things that stress them out, we're pretty useless to them in reactivity situations. Take note of the things at home that make your dog even slightly uncomfortable and get them comfortable with them. Start adding in structure, rules and consistency in your message to build your dogs confidence.
STEP 8 Hire a Trainer and Breath Find a trainer who focuses on relationship building and not obedience only. Obedience is not going to address most of these issues. Someone who has a proven track record of rehabilitating reactivity and not just suppressing or avoiding it all together. Reactivity is hard but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. It comes from you addressing your day to day interactions with your dog and changing how you make them feel in the world around them. I believe in you!
SOME ADDITIONAL TRAINING TIPS FOR REACTIVE DOGS Identify your dog's triggers: Understand what causes your dog to react, and develop a plan to avoid or manage those triggers.
Desensitize your dog to triggers: Gradually expose your dog to the trigger at a safe distance, starting from a point where they are not reacting. Reward calm behavior and increase the proximity over time.
Teach basic obedience: Focus on basic obedience commands like "sit," "stay" and "leave it" to help your dog develop self-control and respond to cues.
Practice calm behavior: Reward your dog for calm behavior in the presence of triggers, and avoid reinforcing reactive behavior.
Seek professional help: Consult with a professional dog trainer or behaviorist to develop a customized training plan tailored to your dog's specific needs.
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