Reactive dogs aren’t bad dogs!
Many dog parents struggle with canine reactivity. You’re not alone!
In fact, I’m right there with you.
Kyleth, my shiba-cattle dog mix (pictured on this page), is reactive. She gets anxious quickly and calms down slowly. Perhaps it’s because of her start on an Amish farm, her experience in her previous home, her opportunistic daddy or Mom’s stress, or more likely, some combination. At this point, it doesn’t matter. Kyleth does her best with what she’s got, and that’s all I can ask of her.
Dogs have a heirarchy of needs, much like the one Maslow described for people. Dogs also need to feel safe and secure in their environment before any learning can happen. This is why it’s so hard to get your out-of-control dog to listen on leash… they don’t feel safe, so they lash out in all directions at once.
Linda Michaels, MA
From https://www.donoharmdogtraining.com/
Feeling safe and being safe aren’t always the same thing, either. Even though you know that your dog is with you and as safe as they are going to be, they may not agree with you. Just ask Izzy after narrowly escaping certain doom at the hands of a floating plastic bag!
How do I make my dog feel safe?
When Kyleth begins to get reactive, we get away from the scary thing by putting my back to it and walking away. I don’t stop until Kyleth is walking, and hopefully sniffing, near me. This is my favorite way to calm a reactive dog because it’s quick, gets Kyleth what she needs most in the moment (safety), and keeps my dog from being a menace.
It’s possible to make your reactive dog’s life better.
One of the basic principles of positive reinforcement training is you get rid of bad behaviors by having them do an incompatible behavior. Emotions work the same way.
First, give them space.
A lot of it. Take what you think is a reasonable distance and triple it. If your dog is focused on the trigger, you are too close. Your sweet spot is where they notice the dog, person, or vaccuum, but can still sniff or eat.
Then, give them something pleasant to do.
It’s hard to be anxious and curious at the same time because the brain pathways and associated hormones are drastically different. I like to toss my training mix on the ground to encourage sniffing because it is a calming activity to get them in a better headspace. Your goal is to let your dog experience the scary thing from a safe distance to learn it’s not so bad.
Pro tip: Move when they alert, not when they bark. (see Kyleth’s photo to see what an alert looks like)
Move when you see this body language! Kyleth has spotted something and she’s deciding if she needs to say something about it or if she’s safe. Her ears are towards the people passing by, her head is up with her chin paralell to the ground, her tail is over her back and a little tense for her. If they’re still for more than 2 seconds, it’s time to go.
