Reactivity in Dogs
WHAT IS REACTIVITY?
Reactivity is simply an overreaction to something harmless (not a real threat) and often looks like barking, lunging, growling, and hackling. Reactivity is usually a loud, dramatic display, often appearing aggressive or frantic. The most common things that dogs are reactive to include other dogs and unfamiliar people, but dogs can also be reactive to moving cars, bikes, kids on scooters, lawnmowers, etc.
People are reactive to things as well. Think of the stereotypical 1950s housewife, jumping on a chair and screaming when she sees a mouse. That’s reactivity.
EMOTIONS BEHIND REACTIVITY
Reactivity is driven by emotions. There are two main emotions that drive reactive behavior: fear or frustration.
FEAR
Why would dogs be afraid of other dogs? This can happen for a variety of reasons, and for some dogs it may be a combination of several things, including inadequate socialization prior to 12 weeks, a bad experience, learned behavior, or genetics.
INADEQUATE SOCIALIZATION
Dogs are often afraid of other dogs due to inadequate socialization during their early puppyhood. The socialization period of development ends at approximately 12 weeks, so if your puppy didn’t have positive or neutral exposure to other dogs before 12 weeks, they’re more likely to have reactivity issues as an adolescent or adult. Many pet owners think that exposure to their littermates is enough or exposure to another dog in their home is enough - it’s not.
BAD EXPERIENCE
Fear can also be due to a traumatic experience, like being attacked by another dog. I’ve seen quite a few dogs, including my own, who were dog-neutral or dog-friendly until they got attacked by another dog. This causes them to become fearful and vigilant, always worrying they’ll be blindsided and attacked again. In fact, maybe it’s best to just get that other dog before they can get you. For very sensitive puppies or dogs, this can even happen by an overly friendly but rude dog who barrels up in their face and won’t back off, maybe even trying to initiate play in an intense, pushy, relentless way.
GENETICS
Anxiety has a large genetic component, so anxious mothers are more likely to birth anxious puppies. Anxious puppies are more likely to have reactivity issues, so if you’re buying from a breeder, be sure you meet the parents and make sure they’re confident, social dogs. Not only that, but mom’s stress hormones are passed to the puppies in utero, preparing them to enter into a stressful and scary world before they’re ever born. Any situation where a pregnant dog is chronically stressed or anxious will negatively impact the puppies, such as puppy mills, backyard breeders, a stray pregnant dog, a pregnant dog in a shelter environment, or it just that mom is naturally an anxious dog.
In addition, breeds who are genetically prone to being defensive against other animals, people, or moving things are more likely to be reactive to certain things. Working line German shepherds are notorious for dog-reactivity, as are bully breeds. Border collies are notorious for being reactive to things like bikes and cars.
LEARNED BEHAVIOR
In addition to genetics, puppies also learn behavior from watching mom. Imagine a litter of puppies, from birth to 8 weeks old, watching their mom go ballistic at the fence every time a dog walked by or a visitor entered the home. What are those puppies learning? They’re learning from a very early age that new dogs/people are scary and threatening and must be kept away by any means possible.
These fearful dogs use reactivity to gain space to make themselves feel safer. Their reactive displays are an attempt to get that other dog or person to back up and leave them alone.
FRUSTRATION
Sometimes a dog might be really friendly and love playing with other dogs but has a complete meltdown if not allowed to approach or greet another dog. This is also called leash frustration and comes from being unable to do what they want - essentially a dramatic doggy tantrum. These dogs often have poor frustration tolerance and poor impulse control, which is likely seen in other aspects of their lives.
Border collie mix, Olive, losing her mind over a bicycle passing us on a run. This is frustration-based reactivity because she's leashed and isn't able to chase, which is a genetically driven behavior for her.
Even though this may not start off as aggression, it can quickly slide into real aggression as the reactive dog gets more and more frustrated and agitated. Obnoxious, reactive behavior isn't typically well-received by other dogs either, so it's a good idea to have your reactive dog keep a distance from other dogs when behaving badly, regardless of the motivation behind it.
This is also why I encourage puppy owners to not allow their puppy to greet every other dog or person they encounter. This can really cause problems down the road when your puppy expects, then demands, to greet everyone and has a tantrum when they can’t. Friendly dogs are great, but even better is a friendly dog with a good frustration tolerance or even a neutral dog.
Frustrated reactivity can be seen with dogs who are defensive and frustrated that they can’t chase that other dog or person away. They aren’t friendly and don’t want to say hi, but also are not fearful.
REACTIONS MAY VARY
You've probably noticed your dog's reaction to their trigger varies, with some eliciting a strong reaction and others not triggering your dog much at all. Common triggers for a more aggressive or dramatic response include:
the other dog’s level of reactivity - another reactive dog is likely going to set them off
the other dog's/person’s energy level - quick-moving dogs or people will elicit more reaction
how close the trigger is
proximity of the trigger to your dog's territory, such as your home, car, or yard
your dog's current stress level
HOW TO WORK ON IT
The methods will vary slightly based on WHY the dog is reactive, but in general, I use reward-based training to teach reactive dogs that their triggers aren’t anything to get excited about. When our reactive dogs see their trigger, they’re instantly flooded with adrenaline and cortisol - this is an immediate physiological response and not something they have any control over. Through positive training, we can gradually change this initial response from stressed/scared/aroused to ambivalent. Once we’ve changed how the dog feels, the behavior will also change. Getting a strong obedience foundation is also incredibly helpful.
Make sure your dog is eating a quality diet - not junky kibble. A healthy diet is immensely helpful for a mentally balanced dog. Make sure that your dog is fulfilled. Do they get safe time off leash? Do they have outlets for their genetically-driven behavior? Do they get to run and be a dog, or are they spending all day cooped up with a walk around the block once a week? A dog on a low-quality diet who is mentally and physically unfulfilled will be significantly harder to train.
DOES MY DOG-REACTIVE DOG NEED DOGGY FRIENDS?
Honestly, probably not. Many owners will do things like take their dog-reactive dog to the dog park and turning them loose, thinking the exposure will help. There’s a small chance it will, but a bigger chance your dog will just get to practice bad behavior.
Teach your dog to be dog neutral. Many dogs do not want to play with other dogs, and dog-dog sociability naturally decreases with age. For dogs who intrinsically enjoy fighting or behaving aggressively toward other dogs, they should not ever be allowed to play with other dogs. A dog can have a fantastic quality of life without having dog friends - many are happier that way.
But what about dogs who play well with dogs off leash but are reactive on leash? For these dogs, a dog park MIGHT be appropriate. Your leash reactive dog can go to the dog park if:
they play well with other dogs and are polite and have good manners (many leash-reactive dogs are actually very pushy and rude in their play style off leash)
they are not reactive in the car or parking lot or upon entering the dog park
they are not reactive when you grab their collar or harness while inside the dog park