How to train a reactive dog
My main specialisation is training dogs with special effects aka problematic dogs. One of the most common problems dog owners face is reactivity. In this article I want to talk about this problem: why can it arise, what you can do, and what outcomes can you expect.
Definitions
You may have heard of aggressive dogs, reactive dogs, problematic dogs. What’s what?
Aggressive dog — is a colloquial term. Aggression is a behavioral category, and you can’t say that a dog is aggressive with no context. Let me even say: without a context, all dogs are “aggressive” because aggression is a normal part of dog’s behavioral repertoire.
You may say “a dog aggressive towards strangers” which would mean that this dog tends to show aggressive behaviors in encounters with new people. Does it mean that this particular dog always bites humans? Nope. Aggressive behaviors include a wide range of different communicative signals: from staring in the eyes intensely to biting.
Reactive dog — similar to the one above, it’s not really a term used by university professors. Colloquially, this phrase describes dogs who escalate quickly. Who tend to overreact. Who are inpatient.
Even though it’s not a common term, we can talk about different kinds of reactivity: human reactivity, dog reactivity, leash reactivity and so on. Often reactive dogs have one or two main triggers but snap at everything after encountering their trigger. Example: your dog is human reactive. If a jogger passes you by, they lunge, and bark heavily. So, you’ve passed a jogger, your dog escalated. 5 seconds later a car passes by, and your dog lunges that direction as well even though normally they ignore cars.
Basically, reactive dogs are the ones who get agitated quickly and show exaggerated reaction to triggers in the situation. These dogs find it hard to regulate their emotions.
Problematic dog — as you may have guessed, it’s also not a scientific term. I define “problematic dogs” as those who regularly show behaviors that stress, overwhelm and hurt their owners. You know it if you feel worried about going out on a daily walk with your dog, panic if you see another dog owner approaching, feel bad because you can’t leave your dog at home or invite friends over.
Behaviors you worry about can be very different, but most commonly it’s something about aggressive behaviors and exaggerated reactions in general.
The "terms” defined above often overlap, and in general we can say that we’re referring to dogs who tend to overreact in an aggressive way. It is about dogs who tend to be too bold in certain situations. It can look different, but usually feels the same: stress.
Here is a general training plan I use for reactive dogs that covers it all:
Relationships check and house rules
Mindset
Frustration tolerance
Side conflicts & basic obedience
Main conflict
Training plan for the future
And here are the juicy bits of explanation.
Relationship check and house rules
Very often, dogs do not take their humans seriously because all their wishes are always fulfilled the second they arise. Your motivation to do so is good: you think that by being nice to your dog, fulfilling their wishes and making their life exciting, you make their days stress free, get their energy out and gain their gratitude. Well, stress free days lead to inability of a dog to go through stressful events. Never hearing a “no” leads to being unable to accept it. “Getting their energy out” often consists of activities that speed a dog up and make them even more impulsive. Gratitude seems to be a too complex feeling — dogs live in a moment and try to get what feels best for them here and now.
Mindset
Our emotions influence our dog. Our tension and involuntary actions when you see a potential threat (say, another dog approaching) may make our dog more nervous, i.e. more likely to escalate. If general advice like “become more confident and lead your dog” leaves you feeling lost because you have no idea how to grasp it, you are not alone. There are specific exercises I give to my students who struggle with this part of being a dog owner.
Frustration tolerance
Learning that life is not a Disneyland, is a vital part of every living being growing up. Frustration tolerance is a skill that should be taught and developed. Humans learn it with their parents when they, for example, refuse to buy all the chocolates available at the store or tell you that you have to do the chores before going out with your friends. Dogs, similarly, learn it when faced with reality where they have to accept not getting what’s desired.
Side conflicts & basic obedience
To resolve your main problem, we have to build up a foundation. To teach the dog things like “come”, “heel”, “leave it”, etc. But most importantly, it’s time for us to learn what your dog best responds to, what are the signs that they’re beyond the threshold, what’s the fastest way to calm them down, what motivates them and what stops them. Your dog learns here that your words matter, and listening to you pays off.
Main conflict
Only then we’re ready to approach the biggest problem you’re facing: with all our tools ready. We don’t avoid conflicts anymore.
Training plan for the future
Change always takes time. Re-programming our dog is not as easy as updating software on your computer. If you’ve ever tried to start a new habit, you know how hard it is to keep going no matter what. If you’ve ever been to therapy yourself, you know how easy it is to fall back into old patterns. Dog training is never a quick fix, it’s always about people understanding the process and sticking to the plan.
In conclusion
I train reactive dogs every day of my work. It’s my passion to see how lives of their dog owners transform, how confidence grows. You shouldn’t expect an easy path though. There will be bumps and steps back, there will be deep places where you feel hopeless. My job is to lead you by the hand and be there for you when it’s hard.
Will you be able to fix your dog? Well, it depends on how your problem looks like and the definitions of “fixed”. Sometimes we see a full transformation where a dog literally gets perfect. Sometimes it’s more that you learn how to lead the dog so that they stay calm and focused on you. Most probably, you will get the combination of both. It means that there will be situations that no longer worry you and your dog is 100% chill, and there will be ones where you know you have to be fully present and act according to the rules you’ve learned with the tools you own. With time, more and more situations will drop into the first category.
Regardless of how you feel after reading this — motivated or confused, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. Give yourself and your dog a chance to get past your problems.
