Breaking Down Reactivity

Reactivity is by far one of, if not the most common behavior issue in dogs. It can be an extremely difficult issue to understand and address. So I’m going to do my best to break it down.

What is reactivity?

Reactivity can present itself in a few different ways. Most commonly, it’s going to be barking, whining, jumping, pulling, and lunging on the leash when around a stressor.

Why is my dog reactive?

That’s going to depend on what you mean when you ask that question. Do you mean what is the cause, is it something you did or what is it based on? There are a few reasons why this could happen. First of all is improper training. They weren't taught how to act in this situation so they resort to using their instincts. It could also be due to an association being built surrounding their stressor. For example, a doggy dare care is going to either create really good or really bad associations with other dogs. This is why I NEVER will recommend dog parks and doggy day cares. It can also be in their genetics. Some breeds are simply more prone to it than others. I'm gonna get hate for this and I honestly don't care. Pitbulls. are. prone. to. reactivity. and. aggression. There, I said it. Fight me. It's true. And that's just one example. Other breeds like belgian malinois, german shepherds, cane corsos, mastiffs, and I’d be lying if I didn’t mention chihuahuas. 9 times out of 10 is probably a combination of the two. It’s also a common issue in mutts and BYB dogs.

Now for the bases of reactivity. There are 3 types. Fear, excitement, and genuine aggression. With fear based reactivity, you will see the dog’s tail is tucked, they’ll avoid walking past the stressor, and sometimes they may even act in an aggressive manner.

With excitement, they will pull toward the stressor, bark, whine, and lunge. Their tail will typically be wagging and they’ll fixate on the stressor before and after the reaction.

With aggression, you will see growling, snapping, teeth bearing, barking, and lunging. They have the intent to hurt/ kill the stressor. This is a VERY serious situation and a trainer needs to be hired ASAP.

How do you fix reactivity?

Now that's where it gets complicated. It's really going to depend on the type of reactivity.

For fear based, I will not use a prong collar until MAYBE later. An E-collar will be introduced. E-collars are great for boosting confidence and motivation and also lots and lots of treats. They are scared and need to create a positive association with that stressor. If the dog has a history of reacting in an aggressive manner, I will also introduce the muzzle to prevent a possible bite.

For excitement, I will introduce the prong collar and the E-collar. The prong collar is to give corrections and to quickly stop a reaction. Most dogs are super responsive and will understand what it means immediately. The E-collar is to give commands and get quicker responses out of your dog. I will always train a heel when working with reactivity because it gives the dog a job. It gives them something to focus on instead of reacting. The E-collar helps to improve heel and I’ve also found that the E-collar is great to help with our automatic sit. I will use the same methods for genuine aggression cases plus the addition of the muzzle.

If you are struggling with your dog feel free to Contact Me. If you are unable to hire a trainer due to a financial situation please reach out to me so we can come up with a plan that will fit your budget!