Reactive dogs

Reactive dogs

While taking your dog for a walk he will, at the sight of another dog or a person, suddenly start barking and positions himself in front of you, forcing you to shout at him and drag him away. This is a reactive dog; one that overreacts to normal situations that other dogs would not react to. Your dog is not necessarily aggressive by nature but reactivity can turn into aggression, so your reaction and training becomes very important.

A reactive dog is usually a fearful dog caused by genetics, but more likely due to owner ignorance, lack of socialising, bad experiences as a puppy or a lack of training. Aggressive dogs show similar signs but they are determined to cause harm and destruction.

Triggers

 Reactivity can take place very suddenly. A new dog can appear unexpectedly on or off lead. Someone wears a funny hat or has a beard or children that the dog does not like. Some dogs are reactive to these stimuli in all situations, while others are fine when off-leash but very reactive when they are on leash. (Called leash reactivity.)

Many dog owners, taking their dogs for a walk on leash, do not relax and enjoy the outing because they are constantly scanning the horizon for dogs. When they see a dog in the distance, before their own dog has seen it, they shorten or pull on the leash and tell the dog to behave. The dog thinks, “Why is my mom so excited? It must be that other dog; I must chase him and protect her.”

After you have identified the triggers, try to avoid them while you work on a training plan. You don’t want the behaviour to become an ingrained habit. Walk your dog when others are not out or change the route you normally would have taken and avoid dog parks until you have dealt with his issues.

Take action

When your dog suddenly starts barking and pulls hard on the leash you must immediately take control of the situation by reacting quickly to stop him. Dogs are three times stronger than people and it can become difficult to stop a big dog that wants to take charge. Don’t shout because that will only encourage him to pull harder. Instantly turn to the side and walk away forcing your dog to follow you as you show leadership by being in front of him. Walk till the coast is clear and can go back again.

If there is no space to turn to the side of the street or road then immobilize him by making /forcing him to sit. Position yourself close to his head with your back to the “enemy” to show that you are not scared of them. You may have to hold his head in both hands to stop him seeing the other dog.  No punishment must be administered and continue the walk as if nothing has happened.

Start your training sessions as soon as possible.

Realistic expectations

We can’t expect dogs to get along with all dogs. Humans don’t like all other humans. Dogs also have their friends and some special enemies. It’s unrealistic to expect your dog to like all dogs you meet on a walk. Not all Shepherds like other Shepherds or big dogs and they notoriously dislike little dogs that are not part of their family. It is actually not a good idea to want your dog to meet all other dogs.

Walk past unfamiliar dogs. Tell your dog to Sit and make sure you have him properly under control before checking with the other dog’s handler if he is friendly and whether they would care to meet or play with your dog.

Safety first

Any reactive dog can be pushed into aggression, that’s why a reactive dog needs to be taken seriously. They may lunge, bark and growl and become so preoccupied with whatever arouses them that they can be difficult to control and move out of the situation.

There is no such a thing as a nice dog fight, but when dogs fight the most important question is, “Is it dangerous?” Almost all dog fights look and sound dangerous but very few are actually dangerous. Most of the “fights” Memphis (I use as a therapy dog) gets involved in is to establish dominance. No serious injuries have been inflicted in the so called fights over the last four years. Only spittle on their coats and none has had to go to a vet. The main problem is usually the overreaction of the owner/handler of the other dog.

What is needed is for me to find out if the other dog’s owner is willing to want their dog to learn to play off-lead then we can start assessing and begin loose-lead introduction to each other. Both dogs must be calm and all panting must first be stopped before the intro can start.

Training

Punishment must be avoided at all times. Dogs do not automatically know they are not allowed to bark at scary people or other dogs. So it’s up to the owners/handlers to teach them how to behave. People complain about the bad but they ignore the good. Dogs are not reactive 90% of the time. It is only the 10% that you need to fix to have a dog you can love all the time. Fix the 10% and you have many years to love your dog. If you don’t get it right you will have 10 years of reactive pain to contend with.

You need to teach one command properly to get instant control of your dog – “Sit” or “Down.” When my dog wants to fight another dog or growl at people a “Down” stops it immediately. It has to be taught so that the dog sees it as a job. “Sit” means stay sitting until you get a release command.

Train the emergency, “Down” and “Sit” as soon as possible.

For leadership start training in the house with basic obedience commands until you can control your dog. Sit means to stay sitting until you give an Okay and a hand treat. Get the dog to walk behind you around the furniture.  When you stop don’t walk another step until the dog first sits next to you. Reward by hand with treats to make your dog enjoy training and is willing to be controlled by you. “Down” is not punishment. Dogs can lie down for 16 hours a day. When all goes well, phase out the food because you do not want to keep carrying food on walks.

Start training walks with one familiar and friendly dog. Do it regularly then,

Practice walks with many familiar dogs.

Walk outside a dog park or join dog clubs where friendly dogs are gathering and walked on a regular basis.

Avoid adopting a reactive dog.

Ideally, you don’t want a reactive dog in the first place. Adult dogs can be evaluated or taken on a walk for a “test run,” but predicting a puppy’s adult behaviour can be more challenging.

Do read my articles; “Becoming the pack leader” and “Walking your dog.”