Got a reactive dog? One who barks and lunges at innocent passers-by; grows fangs and a forked tail at the sight of another dog in the same parish; or maybe just melts with fear at the sound of a bicycle? I feel for you! I’ve been working with reactive dogs for years, and I have my own tw

Is your dog leash reactive and you want to get rid of the lunging, barking, and whatnot? Learn how to combat dog reactivity and get a confident, calm canine.

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Is your dog leash reactive and you want to get rid of the lunging, barking, and whatnot? Learn how to combat dog reactivity and get a confident, calm canine.

When working on counter conditioning and systematic desensitisation to help your reactive dog relate better to the world, keeping them under threshold is vital. What is threshold, and how can you be sure to keep your reactive dog under their threshold? Threshold is a term that often comes up when talking about reactive dogs and marks the point at which the dog feels they can take no more. This is when they feel there is no other option but to react, to display reactive behaviours to make the threat go away. To get more detail on trigger stacking and how this relates to threshold, see this article or watch this video. To be sure that the dog is not approaching threshold, there are some signs to judge the level of stress your reactive dog is currently experiencing. Eyes We can use the dog’s eyes as a way of checking how they feel about a situation. There are a few things relating to the eyes of which to be aware. Pupil size: when dogs become stressed, their pupils dilate. This allows more light to enter the eye and so visual processing is improved. Don't stare into a dog's eyes as that's rude in canine terms Direction of gaze: if something is worrying the dog, they usually keep a close watch so they can take whatever action they deem necessary to feel safe. Gaze intensity: the more bothered the dog is about something, the more intently they watch it. A fixed stare on something could mean your reactive dog is close to reacting and action is needed to keep them under threshold. This collie appears interested in something, but not concerned Ears Ears are a good barometer of the dog's feelings and keeping a watch on them can really help you keep your reactive dog under threshold. Ears hard forwards: easier to see in prick eared breeds, ears are held as far forward as possible and fixed on something. Especially if paired with eyes fixed on the same thing, these are a warning something could be concerning the dog and removing them from proximity may be the best idea. Ears back: conversely, ears held out to the side or back can denote a dog who is conflicted or fearful about something. Again this is harder to see in dogs with pendulous ears. If not allowed to leave the area, the fearful dog may feel they need to take action. This dog looks concerned, with backwards body language and ears well back It is well worth spending time observing your dog and seeing where their ears are in a normal, relaxed situation. Knowing what is normal for the dog can allow you to see earlier when your dog may be feeling increased stress and approaching threshold. Tail As with ears, it's very useful to observe your dog's tail in normal situations when they are relaxed, so you know what's normal for them. There's no substitute for knowing and understanding the dog in front of you and knowing the neutral body language for your dog's breed and type. The tail tucked under the body showing fear in many dogs is the natural neutral position for breeds such as whippets. Equally, some breeds' tail carriage naturally sees the tail curved over their back. Tail raised above the horizontal: this is a sign of increased arousal in many dogs and can be a useful way to judge when more distance is required. With my own dog, when his tail reaches around 45 degrees above horizontal we need to move, create distance and find something else for him to think about, or he might fixate and react. Ensuring the dog isn't stressed to the point of raising their tail high through over-arousal is one of the key signs to watch to keep your reactive dog under threshold. This dog's arousal come from play, but it's always important to be aware of arousal levels Tail tucked right under the body: In most breeds (with the exception mentioned above of breeds like whippets) this is a sign of fear. While these frightened dogs would generally prefer to run away but if they are prevented from being able to get away, they may feel forced to resort to reactive behaviours. Piloerection Piloerection is the raising of hair along the dog's back, commonly referred to as raised hackles, and it may appear as raised hair on the neck, the shoulders, in front of the tail, or along the whole back of the dog. Piloerection is a sign of raised arousal or interest not necessarily denoting aggressive intent but is a sign to be aware of, particularly in conjunction with the other signs of increasing stress. If any of these signs are seen, it's best to increase distance from whatever is concerning the dog if possible. Any situation where the dog feels they have no option but to react can put progress back on counter conditioning and desensitisation by weeks. The best thing is always to keep your reactive dog under threshold if you can. If you want to learn more about how to tell if your reactive dog is getting stressed and how to keep your reactive dog under threshold here are some links: Fight or Fright? A Reactive Dog Guardian’s Handbook is an empathetic guide I have written for the guardian who has discovered their dog is struggling. Inside are explanations of what is happening, both inside and outside the dog, where to find help and support, and ways to make life easier for both guardian and dog. Understanding Reactive Dogs: Why Dogs React and How to Help is my in depth examination of what can cause reactive behaviours to develop in dogs, how to recognise reactivity in dogs, and the methods that we can use to help the reactive dog develop a better relationship with the world. The book also examines the precautions and steps we can take to give puppies the best chance of avoiding developing reactive behaviours. Both of the above are available in ebook, paperback (via Amazon) and audiobook. Understanding Reactive Dogs workshop is a webinar I created for the lovely Canine Principles. It's available as part of their wonderful value Skills Hub membership or may be purchased alone. Canine Principles also have the superb Canine Reactive Behaviour Advanced Certificate. This course is packed full of information, written in an accessible manner aimed to promote understanding of what is going on in the dog's body and brain, and what we can do to help them feel safer in their world.

Walking your reactive dog isn't fun but there are ways to make it easier. I'm sharing the tips and techniques I've had success with over the past few years

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The Engage-Disengage Game is a great way to help reactive dogs cope with their triggers.

If I had to sum up my mission in one sentence, it would be this: my mission lies in raising awareness about how positive reinforcement can help your reactive dog. This is the number one message I’m always trying spread and stay true to. But sometimes, life with a reactive dog can get

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Is your dog leash reactive and you want to get rid of the lunging, barking, and whatnot? Learn how to combat dog reactivity and get a confident, calm canine.

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Bubble theory dog training is a really helpful way to visualize counter conditioning for reactive dogs, and get the best results. Come see!

There are a lot of articles that offer advice and support for the reactive dog owner. Even I have written a fair few. This last week I got a candid email from a reader that brought up a great point – there are two sides to every dog encounter. Yes, there is the owner of the reactive dog, but there is also another person that plays a role in how this scenario unfolds. So today we are addressing the person who ... Read more

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Help is here. CARE is a resource for reactive, aggressive, growly, dogs who bark and lunge on leash. CARE is a positive, effective treatment for dog reactivity.

Get a dog, they said. It'll be fun, they said. Think of all those great, social dog walks, they said. So why am I stumbling around a field at 4.30 in the morning? I've had a number of dogs over the years. All have had their distinct personalities, but all were fairly easy going, and liked meeting people and going to places. Owning a dog meant that people would sometimes smile as we walked past them in the street, children would come up and ask if they could fuss them, and our dogs loved all of the attention. And then along came Finn. He knows he's gorgeous! Finn is the most adorable goofball of a dog at home with the people he knows and trusts. That extends to a grand total of 5 people. I had never heard the term ‘reactive dog’ when we picked up the little ball of fluff at 8 weeks old and brought him home. I knew that some people had ‘aggressive’ dogs but I would never have one of those. Surely aggressive dogs must have been abused, or poorly raised, right? Finn is somewhat of a perfect storm of what can cause reactivity. His mother is a very nervous dog, and he himself has definitely inherited that. He’s very jumpy around strange noises and the unfamiliar. He missed out on socialisation during the critical learning period through illness. When we were then later playing catch up, I will admit I pushed him a bit hard to meet new things, having never had a dog quite as nervous in nature as him and not knowing what I was risking. And lastly, just to really put the nail in things, he was bitten by another dog out on a walk. I had no idea what I was looking at as he started to shy away from things. I tried my best to reassure and encourage him to check out the new things but nothing seemed to work. And then, finally, it happened. He full on reacted, lunging and barking at some other people walking their dogs. I will never, ever forget the look they gave me. There are any number of articles that you can find about how to reassure and help your reactive dog. There are far, far fewer that in any way prepare you for the emotional rollercoaster that is being the owner or handler of a reactive dog. I’m going to be brutally honest here. I love the very bones of Finn, he is the most beautiful dog to look at. He sleeps on my bed, keeps me company wherever I go in the house and is always up for a game in the garden or an ear rub. As I’m typing this, he’s using my foot as a pillow while he snoozes. I will never pass this dog on to someone else because of his issues. He is reactive to all dogs, and all people with the exception of a very small circle which consists of me, my husband, my mum, my sister and one of my brothers. Everyone else is told to go away loudly. He’s utterly terrified of children. So no, I would never pass him on. There have been times, however, when I will admit that I wished I’d never set eyes on him. I have cried more tears over this one dog than over any other animal I’ve ever had, even the ones that I’ve had to say that permanent goodbye to. Because of Finn, I have been patronised, pitied, sworn at and despised. So we walk at 4.30 in the morning. It’s a lovely time of day in summer, light and cool but with no one else around to worry about as we ramble over the field. Less so now as we leave and get home in the dark. It does mean though that we just have to dodge a couple of people out on their way to work early or for an early morning jog. We’re all largely used to each other, so I just move out of their way and use the encounter as a little training session and we’ve gone from massive handfuls of food being sprinkled on the ground to one treat at a time, looking calmly at the moving torch of the other person between each treat. When the weather gets worse, we will start going out mid-morning, once the school run is finished, and start letting him see a few more people. Will he react? There’s a chance it will happen at some point, but there are some things I have learned to help me cope since first discovering that I have a reactive dog. There is a good chance you will cry at some point. It happens. Nobody sets out to have a dog and not be able to have those lovely sociable walks with your dog playing happily with friends. I’ve been dealing with this for over a year now, and still have days where it all weighs me down and I crack. Don’t try and hold it in. Concentrate on the fact that you know what the issue is and can work on it. Let the emotions out so that the next time you take your reactive dog out, you can leave the negative emotions behind and focus on your dog and what you need to do to help them learn to cope. Get help. Whether it is a good trainer/behaviourist (and it DOES need to be a good, positive one for this issue), books written by said good trainers or behaviourists or the help of a community of people that understand what you and your dog are going through (Reactive Dogs UK were an absolute lifeline for me) it is vital to find yourself advice and a support network. Living with a reactive dog is an emotional situation, and one that you cannot get through on your own and remain sane. Educate yourself on reactivity, the causes and the things that you can do to help. There are courses that help you understand what is going on in your reactive dog’s brain and why they do the things that they do. Canine Principles have an amazingly detailed and informative course in Canine Reactive Behaviour that I would thoroughly recommend if you want to understand the science behind reactivity and fear aggression. A couple of UK based dog trainers that write knowledgeably and accessibly about reactivity are Janet Finlay who runs the Canine Confidence Academy and Beverley Courtney of Brilliant Family Dog. Another excellent read (and overnight bestseller when released on Amazon!) is written by Canine Principles founder and mentor to many (including me) Sally Gutteridge, titled 'Inspiring Resilience in Fearful and Reactive Dogs' and can be found HERE. Don’t let the attitudes of others get you down. Concentrate on you and your dog. Remember that everything you are doing is for the good of your dog, and what others think if you suddenly veer off and ‘ninja’ behind some bushes on seeing another dog approaching, cross the road or about turn and head home on seeing something that you know your dog is scared of really does not matter. The most important thing is that you know your dog can trust you to keep them safe and keep them away from the things that scare them. The more you do that, the more your dog will come to know it and trust you to do so. Finally, what I think is the most important thing to remember: your dog behaves the way he does because he’s scared. Reactivity stems from fear. It’s not being aggressive for the sake of it, it’s your dog trying to frighten off the scary thing before it can get close enough to hurt him. It doesn’t matter if it seems like a ridiculous thing to be scared of. We once had a situation where Finn reacted to something and I couldn’t for the life of me see what it was, as there were no dogs and no people in sight. I watched and watched him as I tried to work out what he was scared of so that we could find a way past it. What was it? A bin on someone’s driveway that was 6 feet away from where it normally was. It was different, so it was wrong and going to get him. I admit, I laughed for a second as it seemed so ridiculous to me. But then I realised it didn’t matter what I thought, to Finn it was a monster because it had moved. The fear was very real to him. Living with a reactive dog is never going to be easy. It can be rewarding as they come to trust you more, but it can be completely draining as well. There are times when it feels like one step forward then two steps back. Stick with it, accept the fact that it’s going to be tough but remember that when you do make progress, the feeling will be amazing and it will have happened because of the work that you have put in. As a friend reminds me on the days I’m feeling down, it’s not the easy dogs that make us good handlers and trainers, but the difficult ones. The complicated ones. Finn has been the reason for many, many tears but he has also been the reason for some incredible highs. Because of Finn, I found some amazing groups of people that have supported me in my journey with him and with dogs in general. In my case, my reactive dog is the reason for a complete life change, for putting me on this new route in my life. I will always be grateful to him for that. Seriously, total goofball! 😍

If you have a reactive dog and already know the patterns for keeping your dog focused on you and can perform these in the presence of distractions relatively close by, you’re 80% there. Here are examples of how you can apply these exercises to situations where you see a human or dog approaching on a path and need to keep your dog focused so he won’t bark, jump or lunge at them.

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Is your dog leash reactive and you want to get rid of the lunging, barking, and whatnot? Learn how to combat dog reactivity and get a confident, calm canine.

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