What Is a Reactive Dog Trying to Communicate?
Dog behavior can be complex and, at times, difficult to understand. One of the more challenging types of dog behavior to deal with is reactivity. A reactive dog may become over-excited at the sight of certain stimuli like other dogs, cats, children, and squirrels, among other things.
It may not always be easy to understand what prompts this reaction. Yet, we do understand some things about reactive dog behavior and how to treat it.
What is a Reactive Dog?
Not all reactive dogs are reactive in the same way. Some dogs are only reactive when they are restrained on a leash. This is called leash reactivity. Contrarily, other dogs are reactive at the sight of their trigger regardless of circumstances.
We don’t always know why dogs behave this way, or what they are attempting to communicate. Generally speaking, however, dogs are reactive because they are over-excited at the sight of a certain trigger. Their over-excitement could stem from fear, confusion, anxiety, frustration, or any other emotion. For instance, leash-reactive dogs might become frustrated at the sight of other dogs because they want to socialize, but are restrained by their leash.
There are a few potential causes of reactive dog behavior. Some dogs are reactive around other dogs because they don’t get enough socialization as a puppy. Reactivity in dogs might also be an exaggerated protection instinct in some cases, or an unknown fear response. While we can’t always figure out why they respond this way, we can train them to reduce reactive behavior.
Reactive Dog Training Tips
Avoid Triggers
The first reactive dog training tip that most experts recommend is simply avoiding your dog’s triggers whenever possible. For instance, if your dog is triggered by the sight of children playing, you should avoid walking them near playgrounds and other common play areas.
If you are walking your dog and notice a potential trigger nearby, you should stop at a distance until the trigger has passed, or change your route.
Positive Reinforcement
Avoiding triggers is an effective solution to reactive incidents, but it is not a cure for reactive dog behavior. Preventative reactive dog training is necessary to achieve this goal. This can be done by rewarding dogs with Treats, toys, or praise when encountering their trigger. As soon as you notice your dog’s trigger, stop to give them a treat or positive emotional reinforcement.
Over time, such positive reinforcement should reduce your dog’s excitement or anxiety around its trigger stimulus. With effective reactive dog training, you should gradually be able to move closer to your dog’s trigger without prompting a strong reaction. This is because they’ll begin to associate their trigger with treats, or something more positive.
Though this process takes time and consistent effort, it is well worth it in the end!
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