What To Do About Your Reactive Dog

So your dog barks and lunges on a leash - a car door slams and they nearly jump out of their skin - someone starts approaching you or simply passes you on the sidewalk and your dog turns into Kujo. Any of this sound familiar? Well all of these are some examples of reactivity.

Reactivity is extremely complex and can present itself in many different ways. There are a multitude of reasons why your dog may be struggling with reactivity.

Some common causes are:

Fear/anxiety/insecurity (the most common cause) - they may be nervous around certain stimuli, likely due to lack of exposure and socialization (hello covid puppies👋🏼) - when they don’t feel as though you will protect and advocate for them, they will resort to taking matters into their own hands to keep the stressors away from them at all costs.

Social frustration - your dog may be a super social dog and wants to meet/play with every dog and/or person - when you put a leash on your dog, they are essentially “trapped” - they lose their freedom and liberty to do what they desire the most in the moment - if you have not cultivated a relationship in which you have given yourself a lot of value, the other people/dogs will be most rewarding to your dog, and when they can’t access those things because they are tied to you, they start to build frustration and that’s when you will see lunging, barking, whining, flailing on the leash. Lack of impulse control is a contributor to this as well.

Not all reactivity is created equal, but all reactivity is a sign that your dog is struggling mentally and emotionally and could really use some guidance and support.

If you’re struggling with your reactive dog, just know you’re not alone. The rehabilitation process is hard and messy but extremely rewarding.