How you think about reactivity affects how you treat it

For trainers, the most difficult part of working with a reactive dog is getting his humans to understand why we don’t appear to be working on the reactivity. We get asked all the time “But when are we going to work on his reactivity? When are we going to meet other dogs?”.

There is a very common misconception that to deal with reactivity you have to see it, that you need to keep putting a dog in a situation where he will react and that there is something you will do in that moment to address it. Actually, it is quite the opposite.

The most important first step in addressing reactivity is to stop your dog from being able to practice the reactive behaviours. It’s like building muscle memory at the gym – the more you do it the stronger it gets. Every time your dog gets to lunge, growl and bark at another dog (or person or insert other thing here) he is both practicing and reinforcing the behaviour. This is especially reinforcing if it results in getting what he wants, which is most likely some distance between him and the other dog (or person, etc).

We humans have a tendency to wait until we see the reaction and then try to correct it or soothe it away. It is important to resist this and to take action BEFORE your dog does. One of the most important elements in addressing reactivity is building your dog’s confidence in you. If your dog has gone so far as to react, it is because you didn’t step up for him when he needed you to. Or, in the case of a dog who reacts out of frustration, you haven’t taught him that he doesn’t always get what he wants and that tantrums are not acceptable. That’s just how he sees it.

What he needs is certainty. He needs to know that you are going to deal with the situation, that you are going to make sure he is safe. He needs you to prove you are up to the task. He needs you to step up for him, to show him that you are willing and able to advocate for him, that you understand him and what he needs.

When it comes to reactivity, it is important to understand that your dog isn't giving you a hard time, he is having a hard time. And he is dealing with it the only way he knows how, pretty much by shouting at everybody to "back off!" (or "why won’t you let me go check this out?!"). Seeing it from your dog's perspective is the first step in addressing his reactivity. You need to think about reactivity as a symptom. With this in mind we look to treating the cause, not the symptom.

First, we need to change the dog’s state of mind through building some really solid foundation skills, impulse control, engagement, and strengthening his relationship with you. We need to clear up any uncertainty and most importantly any misunderstanding that it is his responsibility to deal with situations that are making him feel uncomfortable. That responsibility is yours and at The Dog Workshop we are here to help you with that.

In the meantime, lighten up! Don’t get so focussed on the issue that you forget to have fun with your dog. If every walk you take is a nightmare, or a potential nightmare, you are setting yourself and your dog up to fail. You will dread the walk and so will he. Good relationships are not built on tension. Instead, find something you both enjoy and spend time doing that together. Ball games in your back yard or a nice secluded spot, trick training, a scavenger hunt, or set up a simple agility course at home. Get your dog thinking, not worrying. Get your dog listening to you and working with you, not against you. Then you can think about tackling issues like reactivity together - as a team.

Contact us if you would like some help with this for any other issue.

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Jacqui Triggs, Trainer

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