Tuesday Training Byte: Dealing with a reactive dog

A dog that lunges wildly at the end of his leash, barking at every person he sees is displaying reactive behavior. Reactive behavior is often caused by fear. Rather than being truly an aggressive dog, this kind of behavior is an exaggerated response to something that the dog encounters that triggers him. Reactions happen faster in dogs with lower emotional self-control, less socialized, and fearful. What often makes it worse is the owner yelling at the dog or punishing him. Think of your dog's behavior like a traffic light: green is where your dog is "under threshold", meaning he engages with you eagerly without fear; yellow is at threshold, where your dog stops engaging and is staring at the trigger; and red is over threshold where your dog is wildly barking and lunging.

Start with trying to understand what triggers your dog. Is it unfamiliar people approaching, other dogs, or certain noises? Then try to control the setting so your dog feels safe and in the green zone- under threshold. If my dog is fearful of strangers, I may walk him on leash with lots of treats in my pocket, but at a distance from people. For some dogs that distance may mean 40 feet away for him to feel safe and only slightly unsettled. Let him look for a bit. Remain calm yourself. As soon as your dog breaks his gaze at the people and looks back to you, mark the behavior with a "Yes!" and give him a treat. Do not try to distract him with a treat, pet him or keep talking to him. After your dog has checked in with you, turn and walk away a few feet and stop again. Allow your dog to look, and wait for him to make eye contact with you again. Mark the behavior (Yes and treat), then move away again. After doing this three times, retreat to a quiet and more solitary place for a little play time. If your dog can play and relax at a good distance from the trigger, your dog is in his comfort zone. End the session there and repeat in another day. The second day, try moving just a little closer to the trigger and repeat the process. Yelling commands at your dog when he is afraid will only escalate his frustration, so if he is more reactive, just calmly remove him to a safer place. Be sure to not put your dog in a place where you cannot control the people or dogs in the environment, such as at a dog park or a crowded store. Instead, start small like in front of your house or at the far edge of a parking lot. Your dog is relying on you to keep him safe. Your calm demeanor and treats for his eye contact will reduce his fear and anxiety with practice over time. Happy training!