Reactive dog

[rebeccamonchon]

When i walk and there appears another dog my dog just stops and i cant make here go anywhere (she lays down or just stops), then sometimes (especially if it is another female dog) she gets reactive where she starts to bark really "aggressively". I try to take her away from the dog but she is so stubborn and wants to wait until the dog has gone passed us and then she wanna smell the scents where the dog were.

 

Normally when she is loose she is fine around other dogs, but there are some certain dogs she just gets really bitchy towards and starts barking and almost biting them. On the leash its the same, it really depends on the dog, normally she is fine with puppy and small dogs, but now she just reacted towards a 1 year old puppy. I think i have socialized her a bit badly and i get nervous around dogs now because of her "up and downs".

 

How can i train this behavior? I don't have the possibility to take her to dog school right now because i live in a country where they dont speak my language and when i go home they are all in summer vacation.

Just unsure where to start :) My dog is 2 years in september.

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hello Rebeccamonchon,

In cases as such, you need to work in a more controlled setting, increasing distance so to not cause your dog to get overwhelmed and lie down or stop or bark aggressively. This can be easier said than done, depending on where you live and your ability to scan the environment so to take steps to prevent her from going over threshold. You can read threshold levels here with tips on how to work under threshold:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/

 

Once you find a distance where your dog is less reactive, you will need to use high value treats to change your dog's emotional response. I like the "look at that" method detailed below:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/university/look-at-that/

 

Another great method is the open/bar closed bar method detailed below:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/open-bar-closed-bar/

 

When you see a dog at a distance coming your way that has caught you unprepared or you need more distance, you can train your dog an emergency exit as outlined here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/emergency-u-turn/

Start training this in a quiet area and then move on to areas with more distractions once the behavior becomes fluent.

 

When dogs show reactivity/fear towards other dogs, this falls more under behavior modification rather than training (in training we train operant behaviors like "sit, lie down, stay etc) while in behavior modification we aim to change the dogs' emotional response. Both can go hand in hand as things progress (once the dog's emotional response changes, it's easier to then train the dog to heel and ignore other dogs, or sit while they walk by).

 

Now, a disclaimer is warranted here. Since behavior modification may be challenging to implement and there are also risks for aggression directed towards the handler/other dogs/other people it's important that behavior modification is carried out under the guidance of a behavior professional for safety and correct implementation.

Hope this helps!

Edited July 31, 2019 by Adrienne Farricelli