Please read up on Trigger Stacking in the Behaviours page before addressing reactivity
Reactivity is when a dog over reacts to things in their environment . These reactions can include: barking, lunging, and growling.
Reactivity should not be confused with dog “aggression.”
Reactive dogs become overly aroused by common stimuli. They may lunge, bark and growl, becoming so preoccupied with whatever is triggering the emotion that they can be difficult to control and move out of the situation. A reactive dog is usually a fearful dog. Causes can be genetic, but they are more likely due to a lack of socialization, prior bad experiences or a lack of training.
Aggressive dogs show similar signs but are determined to cause harm and destruction. Any reactive dog can be pushed into aggression, which is why a reactive dog needs to be taken seriously.
Reactivity is very common 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.
Some dogs are reactive all the time, some are reactive in the home (excessive barking at the doorbell for example), some are reactive only outside, and some are reactive only on lead (and not at all when off lead)
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. It can massively reduce the enjoyment you get from being with your dog.
Instead of trying to live with having a reactive dog, learn new ways to keep them calm and focused on you.
Identifying triggers
The first thing to do is to identify the specific triggers that set your dog off. The trigger is anything that acts as a stimulus to make your dog react dramatically. This might be a strange person, other dogs or both. For rescues who have been through difficult times, this may be as specific as a man wearing a hi vis jacket for example – if they have previously been abused.
Some dogs are reactive to these stimuli in all situations, while others might only be reactive in certain contexts. Some dogs are fine with other dogs off-lead, but become reactive when they are on a lead (this is referred to as leash reactivity).
Other dogs might be more likely to show reactive behavior in congested or crowded spaces, or when out walking at night.
After you’ve identified triggers, try to avoid them while you work on a training plan. You don’t want the behavior to become an ingrained habit. “Walk your dog when others aren’t out, and avoid the very “doggy” areas
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’re 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. Wear a yellow “NERVOUS” lead or jacket. This usually will help most people understand the need to respect your space.
Set Up a Routine
It’s 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 particular shoes on means they should get excited for their 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 need 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.
Your routine can take many different forms – but make sure your dog is able to predict what happens when (for example breakfast at the same time, always out on the same route for their morning walk, one hour crate time, then activity etc).
You do not have to fill their day and set your clock by them – but have predictable markers that they can use to placeholder their day.
Get Essential Equipment
To help diminish reactive tendencies, there are a few useful pieces of equipment that you can set your dog up with.
1. Head harness. Head harnesses 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. Good head harnesses are : GenCon, Figure of 8 Slip, Halti, Too Posh to Pull, K9 bridle. (If your dog is very reactive please have a second lead clipped on their harness / collar as they can squirm out of a head harness)
2. No Pull 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.
3. 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
Positive Counter Conditioning
Of course, avoidance isn’t a permanent solution. Behavior modification and counter-conditioning to help make your dog’s triggers less scary are the long-term answer — giving them coping strategies to deal with stressful situations. Counter Conditioning is the process of changing the emotion or behavior a dog exhibits in response to a specific antecedent, or “trigger” (dog, human, animal, objects, hoovers, cars, bikes).
Start by always having treats with you. Reward the dog as soon as the trigger appears. Feed them treats while the scary thing passes by or as you move by it. At first, you will want to give the reward at a safe distance from the trigger, if possible, so that your dog feels comfortable. This might mean keeping an entire soccer field between you and some kids playing, for example.
With consistent and frequent training, your dog will start to associate the trigger with something positive. With luck, eventually, they will see another dog and look to you for a treat. Toys and praise can be used for positive reinforcement too.
For conditioning to occur, two critical steps must take place.
Step 1: The antecedent or “trigger” 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.
Over time, you will be able to move closer to the scary stimulus. Enlist the help of a friend to make sure that you are in control of the situation. For example, if your dog reacts to other dogs, ask a friend with a calm dog to walk across the street from where you and your dog are working, while you use treats to refocus and reward your dog’s attention. If your dog remains quiet and focused on you, ask your friend to move a little closer. If your dog starts to get stressed, ask your friend to go farther away. This can be done with children or people in hats, for example, too.
If when you start counter conditioning your dog will not take the reward he or she is too stimulated – you are too close to whatever it is that scares your dog. Try again next time, but further away. Your dog will tell you what he or she can handle by refusing treats when you’re out of his or her comfort zone
Household Changes
To break the habit of reactivity at home, you might need to make some changes at home. A common form of reactivity at home is window or doorbell 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 a crate when you are home. You can also use baby gates to keep them away from windows.
Doorbell reactivity needs hard work from the owner. The easiest way to reduce doorbell reactivity is to train your dog to be rewarded when the doorbell rings. This requires you to ring the doorbell, and send the dog to their safe space. When they sit in their safe space you mark and treat. Train at random times, it will take some time to get the hang of this but they will get there eventually.
Another form of reactivity at home is garden reactivity. Garden 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 lead. Make sure you establish good recall so if they become riled up, you can get their attention and calm them down. If you aren’t there to teach your dog right from wrong, then you must confine them away the garden – so no unattended garden time
Body Language
Understanding dog body language will help you communicate effectively with your pup. Dogs speak mostly through body language. Learning how to speak “dog” 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!
Sign Up for a Training Class
One of the best ways to tackle your dog’s reactivity is learning from certified trainers on how to stop this behavior.
Summary
- In the early days of reactivity training, avoidance is kinder to allow them to begin to enjoy life / walks / time at home. Crate train at home, and choose very quiet walks to ensure your dog has time to reduce their overstimulation before you start to work on training
- It is important that you never punish or tell your dog off for reactivity as this will add more stress to the situation and may cause their behaviour to worsen.
- When you start working on reactivity listen to your dog – he or she will tell you how uncomfortable they are in the situation. Reactivity is almost always driven from fear – do not put your dog in situations that are going to increase their fear significantly – it is cruel and counter productive
- Male Dogs – if you have a male dog who is reactive – this is almost certainly driven from fear in situations. WE RECOMMEND YOU DO NOT CASTRATE A MALE DOG WHO IS SHOWING REACTIVITY. Taking away their one source of confidence can take a mildly reactive dog and turn it into a terrified mess. Resolve the reactivity prior to removing their testes.
- Remember every dog is different with their reactivity and if your dog has bitten or is causing you concern then we would recommend contacting a certified behaviourist to help.
If you find these methods are not working for your dog it’s a good idea to speak to your vet who can recommend a qualified behaviourist to help with your situation.