Recently, there’s been a trend in all barky, lungy dogs being labelled “reactive”, but actually there’s a huge difference between reactivity and aggression, or excitement… or fear…!
The risk of labelling every dog reactive is that we will treat them all the same way, and that is never going to work.
It’s not as simple as having a ‘reactive’ dog. Yes, they are reacting, but why? It could be…
Frustration
Excitement
Aggression
Fear
If your dog is truly aggressive and / or fearful, that’s okay! There are things that can be done to help them.
Similarly, we can help frustrated and excited dogs too… but they often get mistaken for aggressive, when in reality, all they want is to get to the other dog and say hi.
Some dogs who just love other dogs get naturally over excited as their arousal escalates. Some dogs have very little impulse control or have not been taught what to do when they see some thing that excites them.
Dogs that are scared may bark in fear, and people wonder why they lunge towards them if they’re scared. This is an “I’ll get you before you get me” scenario.
Top Tips:
Distance is your best friend. Keep them moving past the trigger with a wide berth.
Stay confident and calm. If you add your own frustration to the mix this will make it worse.
Be patient! I totally understand how frustrating it can be, and sometimes embarrassing too! But there is a reason your dog is behaving this way. They aren't doing it to be naughty, nor to embarrass or annoy you.
Finally, it is important that you get in contact with a dog behaviourist (not a dog trainer) who uses force-free and positive reinforcement techniques. This will allow you to work through your dog's behaviour in the best way.
If you would like assistance with your dog's behaviour on lead, get in contact! You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, or you can email me! You can also book in for a free call on this link: https://calendly.com/muckypupsdogtraining/free-discovery-call
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