What Is Reactivity?

My Dog Is Reactive

"My Dog is Reactive"
When people get in touch with me, this is usually one of the most common enquiries I get. Its something that once was quite clear, it would mean I was getting an enquiry about a dog who was fearfully barking at other dogs, they want to create distance. These were dogs who needed space, confidence building and strategies to change their feelings about other dogs or people. .

What IS Reactivity?

Now when I get enquires for reactivity training? It could mean anything! From a dog who has a prey drive, trying to chase cats or birds. Or a dog who is so excited to see people on walks they squeal, shout or jump up. The word seems to have become an umbrella term that defines any sort of "unruly" behaviour that dogs do when they are on lead that seems a bit embarassing for us as owners.

The problem with the word “reactive” is that it doesn't tell me or anyone anything much really anymore.

People use the word reactive to describe anything that's a problem behaviour onlead directed towards others, largely due to a rise in trainers who describe anything a dog does that isn't heeling robotically as a problem. Normal dog behaviours such as sighthounds shouting at cats; is not reactive behaviour. It is a normal behaviour that we don't enjoy.

Reactivity, Excitement Or Prey Drive?

For me Reactivity is a dog who is reacting negatively to certain triggers, the triggers could be dogs or people. Something that they may need to be around in day to life as part of their walks that they should be able to handle. This could mean they are barking, lunging, snapping, growling. It could be from frustration or fear. But in general, the behaviour visually looks antisocial, and often loud. It's an excessive emotional reaction to something.

Then id describe a dog who is barking , or mildly vocalizing in excitement towards people or other dogs as “over excited” or frustrated. This feels clear, the dogs goal is social interaction. This is a dog who needs work on learning more value in their owners, and less interest in others as well as appropriate social skills on lead or offlead. They are not a dog who has an abnormal behaviour so to speak, they are dogs who are needing some support in learning the right behaviour.

While a dog who wants to chase, hunt or similar would be a dog who has issues with “prey drive”. This is very normal for whippets and sighthounds who have been bred to chase and hunt small prey and used as pest control ini some locations. Having a high prey does not tend to equate to reactivity. It is not fear based, but a desire to to chase not being allowed frustrating them onlead usually.

When dogs are reactive, dogs who have an overwhelming negative reaction to triggers, they would like to create distance. What we want to do is change their emotional associations with their trigger.

This means we want to change their feelings about their triggers, help them to feel happier, more secure and have better coping strategies for the situations.

Under Threshold

This means that we find a distance where they are “under threshold” - this is a distance where your dog is NOT reactive to that trigger. We find that sub threshold distance and reward your dog for either looking calmly, or disengaging and looking back to you- depending on the root cause of your dogs issues or your dogs body language.

This helps to create positive associations and actions around their triggers. And also in time they will learn to look back to you around those triggers, as they associate the trigger with food from you.

We never want to be shouting, punishing, yanking or such with these dogs as we often make that reactivity much worse. We can make the trigger associated with us getting mad, increasing their negative association with that trigger further.

Why Not Aversives?

If we suppress that behaviour with aversives ( something your dog finds scary or something worth avoiding) or similar, it tends to simmer under the surface, with your dog still likely to react more intensely one day. This means they may stop your dog barking by shouting or yanking at their lead, but they may be more inclined to snap or bite if the fear is too overwhelming once up close.

Even saying no to a reactive dog is just pointless and doesn’t teach them anything. They aren’t thinking straight in that moment, they just need more distance.

Reactivity isn’t about right/ wrong, or obedience, it is about emotions, relationship , trust and setting up for success.

For Sighthound Specialist Reactivity Support get in touch https://whippetwonders.co.uk/reactivity