![]() In any case, this reactive dog is frustrated when he is thwarted from his desired goal of greeting the other dog, and his frustration results in an emotional display that can be quite impressive. ![]() It might even be a dog imported from a street-dog colony in another country.Īlternatively, it might be a dog whose human routinely encourages him to “Go say hi!” to other dogs when walking on leash, even allowing the dog to drag her up to other dogs for greetings, often to the dismay of the owner of the dog being greeted. This might have been a shelter, hoarder, or rescue situation where dogs were communally housed, or a rural community where dogs were allowed to regularly run loose. It may be the dog who simply has never been on-leash around other dogs – he grew up in an environment where dogs were off-leash and mingling all the time. This behavior is most often seen in dogs who have a history of being able to approach other dogs whenever they want, on-leash or off. Why is he doing something that is likely to make other dogs want to avoid him, rather than approach? Because he can’t help it! It’s easy to grasp that some dogs just don’t like other dogs, or are afraid of them, and the resulting displays make sense.īut when your dog clearly loves other dogs, it seems counterproductive for him to put on a show of behaviors that are usually quite off-putting to humans and other dogs alike. It is the third type, frustration reactivity, that we will discuss here.įrustration reactivity can be the hardest of the three for a dog’s caretakers to understand. The dog who loves to engage with other dogs and is immensely frustrated when not allowed to do so. The fearful dog whose display is meant to keep scary dogs away. The dog who truly wants to go attack other dogs because he really doesn’t like them and wants to get them. The three types of dog-to-dog leash reactivity we commonly see are: Reactivity often involves aggressive behavior, but not always. It can refer to dogs who overreact to visitors at the door, people passing by the car window, trucks, skateboards, and a variety of other stimuli in addition to other dogs. In other words, the dog overreacts strongly to something that most dogs can handle calmly, offering behavior described as barking (sometimes screaming), lunging, snapping, and sometimes biting. Hopefully that will not be the case, and this harness works for you.Reactive behavior is defined as an abnormal level of arousal in response to a normal stimulus. ![]() I just wanted to throw that out there in case you end up not having the success you thought you would. Then I learned from a trainer that a harness is better after they are trained. I only mention this because I thought the Balance Harness we got would help, and it really did not. When used properly, meaning right behind her ears, there is no pulling, and the best thing, is that we have control of her head, to bring her to us, where the treats are, instead of that doggy across the way. Works like a bitless bridle for horses, and it is pretty neat. We got a Blue 9 Balance Harness, but she still pulled like crazy, and we just did not have the control I was hoping for while training. She also has Siberian Husky in her, and is a terrible puller. We have a very reactive girl when other dogs are around. ![]() I love the harnesses they are coming out with now, but in all honesty, you really need to get control of the head. If you report a comment, please also message the mods so that we don't miss it. The tips and advice here cannot replace a qualified certified trainer or veterinary behaviorist - if you are struggling please consider these resources for your dog. Please be aware of your tone and language. Positive reinforcement, it’s not just for dogs! People will be much more receptive to criticism and advice if it is constructive and comes from a place of compassion. This is a place for owners of reactive or formerly reactive dogs to discuss progress, setbacks, ask for advice, vent, and get support. Having a reactive dog can be an isolating and frustrating experience. ![]() We are a community for people that own reactive dogs! (A reactive dog is not required to join, but please keep discussions and posts focused on dog reactivity.) We support the LIMA (Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive) approach to dog training. If you are asking for help for the first time, use our questionnaire. ![]()
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