![]() ![]() Watch them carefully and pay attention to what they notice right before your dog reacts. Your dog might react to people, to certain traits of other dogs, or certain situations. For example, a dog barking at the window may think he “chased off” a squirrel intruder OR he may be asking the squirrel to play. What causes your dog to go off into a spiral of reactive behavior? Triggers can be good or bad. Walking your leash reactive dog at the same time every day can also reduce unexpected encounters with scary things like trash trucks and school buses. ![]() The best way to help your dog become a calm, cool animal all the time is to offer them a predictable routine that reinforces stability and safety. The trigger might be unfamiliar or related to a previous bad experience. Reactive dogs often feel unstable or unsafe about something. Use Routine to Create Stability and Safety Reactive dogs are often scared or nervous about something, so being calm and reassuring is the most helpful thing you can do. You can block your dog from outside triggers like scary other dogs or big truck noises by putting your body between your dog and the trigger to block their sight and occupy their focus with familiar, loving attention. If you have commands that mean bed or relax at home, use these. ![]() Use calm commands asking them to sit and be quiet. Then block your dog from the trigger as soon as possible. To calm a reactive dog, start by keeping your cool. It likely happens often, so you’ll get plenty of practice. The first step is to know how to respond when your dog is reacting. Redirect to a positive activity with rewards.Use calm commands and reassuring words, reward them for looking away from the trigger or for calm behavior.Block them from the trigger (block their line of sight or turn around and walk in the other direction).How to Calm Your Reactive Dog When They React With patience and a little training, you can reshape your dog’s reactive behavior and/or learn coping mechanisms. How can I help my reactive dog?Īs a loving dog owner, we know you want to help your dog be a good boy or girl and to be able to meet people and go for walks without struggle. Remember, this is a reaction to outside stimulus, reshaping your dog’s relationship with that stimulus will help him or her react differently over time. Some dogs are scared or anxious reactors, responding with fear or even aggression to triggers they’ve had a bad experience with or don’t understand.Ī reactive dog may bark, jump, lunge, pull on the leash, fight the fence, or show other inappropriately energetic behaviors in response to their reaction trigger. Some dogs are happy-reactive which can lead to jumping up on people, happy barking, and fence-running. Why is my dog reacting like this?ĭogs always have a reason for being reactive, but it can be frustrating for their humans to try to find the root cause of a behavior. Watch what happens when her dog reacts, she is pulled forward but doesn’t lose control of her dog. Peaches (the dog) is wearing a Freedom No-Pull harness with a Double Connection leash. Watch the video below to see it in action. A reactive dog is any dog that reacts strongly to certain triggers – often common or daily triggers. If your dog is aggressive, that means he or she is hostile or destructive towards another person or another animal.Īggressive dogs often have other underlying conditions and it is always best to consult with a professional if you believe your dog is actually aggressive or if you have a very bad case of reactivity on your hands.ĭogs can become reactive for many reasons, from overstimulation to previous bad experiences.If your dog is reactive, that means that he or she overreacts to certain situations, people, objects, or other stimuli.We recommend APDT, Association of Professional Dog Trainers. Always consult a dog trainer or behaviorist if the behavior is beyond something you can handle on your own.Always consult your veterinarian to rule out any medical reasons for changes in behavior.There are many dog trainers who work specifically with leash-reactive dogs. Standard disclosure: there may be medical reasons that your dog is reactive, especially if the behavior starts suddenly or the intensity increases.
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