Why Is My Dog Reactive?

This is a question virtually every reactive dog owner asks. We like to know why.

Are they scared?

Is it something we did? Is it our fault our dog is reactive?

THREE TYPES OF REACTIVITY

FEAR-BASED REACTIVITY

Socializing puppies before 12 weeks reduces the risk of reactivity.

Fear-based reactivity is basically what it sounds like — the dog is afraid of dogs or people and reacts offensively in an attempt to scare them off. They'll get you before you can get them. These dogs don't want conflict, and they use an aggressive-looking display to back other dogs off. They'd prefer to simply be left alone, but when they feel threatened they respond with a big, barky/growly outburst to get the scary thing to back off.

Fearful dogs use reactivity to gain space, to make themselves feel safer. Their reactive displays are an attempt to get that other dog to leave them alone.

As puppies, fearful dogs were typically pretty isolated until 4-6 months, then avoided other dogs or people. In puppy class, these puppies hid under the chairs and cowered or growled when approached by other puppies, and they rarely approached new people. They're genetically more anxious and less confident, and combined with no early socialization, it creates a fearful dog who learns to growl, bark, and lunge to back dogs away.

This type of reactivity can generally be completely prevented with proper early socialization and good breeding.

FRUSTRATION-BASED REACTIVITY

Sometimes a dog is really friendly and loves playing with other dogs, but has a complete meltdown if not allowed to approach or greet. This is also called leash reactivity, and it comes from being unable to do what they want — essentially a dramatic tantrum.

These dogs use reactivity to reduce space and get closer to the other dog — the opposite goal of a fearful dog.

This type is often seen in dogs who are naturally very social, like labs or golden retrievers, and it's made worse when well-meaning owners constantly allow their dog to greet other dogs without any rules in place. This usually starts in puppyhood under the guise of socialization, and quickly becomes a problem once the puppy begins to expect (and then demand) greetings every time they see a dog.

As puppies, these dogs had lots of puppy play, daycare, playdates, etc., that led them to feel entitled to regular dog-dog or dog-person interactions. During puppy class playtime, these puppies were often screaming and lunging on leash, frantic to be let loose to go play. They often play very roughly and pursue other puppies relentlessly, and have a hard time focusing in class because their only concern is playing with the other puppies.

These dogs often have fairly poor frustration tolerance and impulse control in other areas of life too. They struggle being told no, and this is often paired with a well-meaning but overly accommodating owner who allows the dog to do whatever they want.

People often say the cause of frustrated reactivity is "over-socialization," but it’s actually just a lack of training.

IT’S JUST FUN!

This is the least talked about type of reactivity and one that’s more common than people realize. These are dogs who are neither frustrated nor afraid - they rather enjoy the conflict. They enjoy the rush of kicking off at other dogs or strangers. It’s an extremely rewarding behavior for them, and that can make it more difficult to train away.

Certain breeds are intentionally bred to defensively go after animals and humans who don't belong. This is what makes them good at their jobs. 

These dogs are often German shepherds, malinois, rottweilers, or livestock guardian dogs who are bred to enjoy that type of behavior. If you think about a working line Great Pyrenees guarding their flock, they are hardwired to react defensively and chase off intruders. That’s normal. Put that same dog on a leash and walk through the neighborhood, and suddenly barking at unfamiliar animals is “reactivity” and a “problem behavior” - even though it’s what the dog is bred to do. This is a very innate, genetically driven behavior that these dogs find inherently fun, as they’re fulfilling their breed roles quite well.

These dogs are often very pushy, bold, and confident, fearless in their desire to respond to a dog or person who doesn’t belong. After a reactive outburst, they may proudly strut or parade, seemingly quite pleased with themselves for a job well done. These are dogs who are very watchful and alert when out in the environment - they’re watching for who doesn’t belong so they can get to work getting rid of them.

They are dogs who often don’t mind a good squabble with another dog or even conflict with a person (like bite work or protection sports). A bit of physical combat is great fun! If they were humans they would enjoy MMA or boxing and would love an adrenaline-filled job full of conflict, like law enforcement or being a bouncer.

These dogs are reactive simply because it's fun. It's what they're bred to do, or over time it's simply become a fun activity. Generally these dogs haven't had boundaries or rules established, so they don't understand this isn't appropriate behavior.

Even for dogs who start off as fearful or frustrated, a "this is fun!" component can develop over time. The reactivity becomes addicting and just another fun thing they get to do. If allowed to continue long enough, all reactivity becomes at least partially enjoyable for the dog — which is exactly why none of it should be rehearsed longer than necessary.

Even though this type isn't fear-based, socializing these breeds early and often is a significant help in teaching them that random dogs or people they encounter in daily life are not their concern. They should be heavily socialized in urban settings around lots of other dogs and strange humans milling about, to help them understand this is normal and not their business. These dogs also need very clear rules and must be taught early what behavior is appropriate and what isn't.

HOW WE MAKE REACTIVITY WORSE

There's a massive epidemic of reactivity in dogs right now. Why? Because we are failing them. Beyond the type your dog falls into, here's what's driving it at scale.

INADEQUATE SOCIALIZATION

Put simply, people are no longer socializing puppies. At all. And as a trainer, that's terrifying. It's why trainers see so many anxious, aggressive, and reactive dogs — utter lack of socialization.

The primary socialization period is between 3-12 weeks, so roughly half of that window the breeder has the puppy, and the other half the owner does. And frankly, both are dropping the ball. Adolescence begins at around 18 weeks, which is when most people are just starting to consider socializing.

I believe it's a mix of ignorance on the owner's and breeder's part, and vets scaring new puppy owners. Vets have puppy owners terrified of doing anything at all with their puppy for fear of instant parvo death, and as a result, puppies are living in isolation when they should be getting out and exploring the world we expect them to live in.

Puppy owners tend to sit idly by as the critical socialization period passes, and then spring into action far too late — usually once problems have already begun. Owners and breeders alike need to do better and socialize the puppy or puppies in their care. This goes for shelters and rescue groups, too.

POOR BREEDING

Dogs who are reactive or anxious should NOT be bred. Period. There is a strong genetic component to both of those things, and a good breeder knows that and is breeding for a solid temperament. Anxious or reactive dogs are more likely to have anxious/reactive/defensive puppies who grow up to have the same behavior struggles. This is where ethical breeding and smart puppy buying come into play. If you're buying from a breeder, ask questions. Are the parents reactive, or were they ever? Is any dog in the house reactive? How have the puppies been socialized? To what? How many new dogs and new people have they been exposed to? Ask to meet the parents. If the breeder says no, walk away. If mom or dad seem anxious, nervous, barky, or stressed, walk away.

NOT MEETING THE NEEDS OF OUR DOGS

Most dogs aren't getting their needs met. We force dogs to spend the day in isolation in a crate for 8-12 hours a day. If they're lucky, they get a leashed walk around the block.

They don't get enough exercise, enough to do, enough play, healthy food, or enough social time with new people and dogs. They live wholly unfulfilled lives without ever truly getting their needs met. They don't want to spend their lives coddled and confined — they want to do dog things: run down forest trails off leash, play with you, roll in grass, swim, chase critters, roll in dead things, dig, play with new dogs, and meet new people. They want to do what they were bred to do: chase, herd, retrieve, guard, etc.

We bred these dogs for thousands of years to perform specific jobs — and then we took those jobs away. Now, instead of working, they sit all day in a house doing nothing. We are failing them.

Dogs need more than food toys and leashed walks. They need more than daycare or a fenced yard.

GETTING THE WRONG DOG FOR YOUR LIFESTYLE

Choose your dog wisely and realistically. I get it, a working-line German shepherd sounds really cool! But if you think they’ll be happy with a leashed walk here and there, think again. They are bred to be busy, defensive, working dogs, and they will make your life hell if you don’t meet their needs. Do not get a Great Pyrenees or an Anatolian from working stock to be a pet in your suburban home. They're bred to be defensive and chase away predators, and they WILL bark at other dogs.

Don't get a working-stock border collie or cattle dog and keep them cooped up all day, expecting them not to be frustrated and barky. They're bred to be triggered by and intensely react to movement, and are likely to be reactive.

Don't get an intelligent, active breed if you won’t train them to be off leash, take them on hikes daily, and play with them daily. If you want a couch potato, maybe a cat is more your speed. Or an elderly dog from a shelter.

Choose your dog and your breeder wisely. Working dogs are bred to work — and sometimes that job entails being reactive, which is perfect for a guard dog, less perfect for a pet dog. They also have high drive and high energy, which will lead to reactivity, among other behavior problems, if you can’t keep them fulfilled.

NOT TRAINING PROPERLY

Positive reinforcement only can lead to reactivity.

In other words, force-free training. This is a major factor in virtually all reactivity.

Too many owners are convinced that setting and enforcing boundaries, saying no, or punishing bad behavior will traumatize their dog for life. Instead, they end up with dogs who are spoiled and feel entitled to do whatever they want, whenever they want.

A classic example of this is a golden retriever I once worked with — I'll call him Ernie. Even as a puppy, Ernie was quite pushy and bossy. He called all the shots. Wanted to sniff that tree? He'd just drag his owner over. Wanted to say hi to that dog or person? Same thing. Everything he wanted, he got - by demanding it.

Ernie's owner would never tell him no. She'd let him pull her wherever he wanted to go. It was cute! He was just so happy and loved everyone!

The occasional times Ernie wasn't allowed to greet someone, like in the middle of class, he'd bark and lunge explosively in frustration. And instead of telling him to knock it off, his owner would THEN ALLOW HIM TO GO SAY HI to get him to stop! This blatant tantrum-throwing was massively rewarded, and his reactivity grew until they could barely walk him or make it through class.

I wish this story had a happy ending, but truthfully I don't know. Ernie's owner stopped training with me, frustrated that I kept explaining she'd need to set boundaries and stop letting Ernie do whatever he wanted.

Unfortunately, I see this scenario play out regularly. Dogs need rules, and they need to understand that some things aren’t allowed. They need real training, not a constant barrage of treats. These things help them live successfully in our world — and when they can't, it's our dogs who pay the price.

WE INFANTILIZE OUR DOGS

In the days of old, dogs were dogs. They roamed the neighborhood freely. They came home at night. They spent their days free and happy — being dogs. They played with each other, explored, dug holes, chased cats, played with neighborhood kids, swam… They were dogs.

Now dogs are substitute children. We infantilize them. They aren't dogs, they're "fur-babies." We aren't dog owners, we're dog moms, dog dads, pet parents. We carry them in baby slings and dog purses. We push them around in strollers. We dress them up like little dolls and put bows in their fur.

They don't roam free; they drag their owner around on harnesses (if they get walked at all). They pee on pads inside the house. They eat junk-food kibble out of plastic slow feeders. We're constantly toting them around to places they aren't equipped to handle — noisy grocery stores, restaurants, breweries, dog parks, sporting events — forgetting we never socialized them or trained them, and they don't have the coping skills for it.

Dogs of yesteryear weren't toted around in a puppy stroller wearing a dress. They roamed the farm, ran wild, got dirty, and had a good time. They just got to be dogs - happy, confident, socialized dogs.

If You’re In Spokane

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