Leash Reactivity

You may not know what the term reactive means as it relates to dogs, but in simple terms, this is when a dog barks, growls, pulls towards, or lunges when seeing or hearing something. Reactive is a very broad terminology that doesn’t necessarily mean aggression, although reactivity can come alongside aggression.

Here are three examples of reactivity:

• A dog that barks and runs around the house every time he hears any little sound.
• A dog that barks at any dog he sees on a walk, even when the dog is a good distance away.
• A dog that barks when easily excited or stimulated by movement such as other dogs running around, children playing games, etc.

In the case of the third example, this type of reactivity is often the result of frustration and excitement. It is most common in some herding breeds that become frustrated at not being able to control the situation by chasing the movement. It may also be seen in other types of dogs, like terriers, who instinctively want to chase things.

In the first example, this is a dog that we often call sound sensitive. It can also be called sound reactive. These dogs are overly sensitive and sometimes a little jumpy to sounds. It’s almost like they have a trigger switch. Sometimes the dog is sensitive or has fear issues too, but a lot of times, the dog is just hardwired to pay closer attention to sounds.
In the second example, this is a dog that is showcasing reactivity to a stimulus, in this case another dog, while on leash. We’re going to focus on this type of reactivity and try to understand it a little better.

Like we talked about earlier, reactivity in a dog doesn’t always mean that there is underlying aggression or that aggression will follow, but it certainly increases the odds. A dog that is in a reactive state is wound-up and about to burst at the seams. He is in a very heightened arousal state, and dogs often act on impulse in this state, which can lead to fast mistakes. A dog with aggressive based reactive tendencies will react poorly when encountering the stimulus that causes the problem. A dog with more excited based reactive tendencies can either become aggressive (normally in the form of overly excited nipping) or can stimulate aggression in others when actually encountering them (foreign dogs many times will react aggressively towards a dog that is strongly reacting to them).

The aggressive and excited leash reactivity look very, very similar in many cases. In both cases the dogs will pull or lunge towards the stimulus. They may bark, growl, or whine as well. The end result may be different if the dog actually encounters the stimulus, but it depends on the stimulus.

An excited dog that appears reactive towards people while on leash normally will not excitedly bite a person, but an excited dog that is reactive towards dogs can become aggressive. It is kind of a strange phenomenon, but it does happen. It is believed that this type of reactivity on leash is caused by a good deal of frustration. The leash doesn’t allow the excited dog to visit the other dog as quickly (or sometimes at all) as he would like. As his frustration builds, so does the reaction to seeing the other dog. If he does get to the other dog, it is possible for aggression to occur. It is important to note that excited reactivity can be worse in dogs that play extensively off leash with other dogs, such as at dog daycares or at dog parks, but have little experience with being on leash around other dogs.

An aggressive reactive dog normally has a more severe appearing reaction when fear is at the root of his tendencies. He feels threatened by the stimulus he is barking at whether that is people, dogs, or the trashcan at the end of the driveway. It is a lightning quick impulse on his part. Normally his reaction is going to be more pronounced the closer you get to the stimulus, and he may very well bite when he gets close.

How to best handle leash reactivity largely depends on the situation, the severity of the issue, and the cause of it. In all cases the dog needs to learn a better sense of control and to focus on the handler and take commands. Commands that can be of great value for all reactive dogs:

• Watch Me: This is the dog learning to give you eye contact on command.
• Come/Front: This is not just having the dog come to you but to also come and sit in front of you, facing you.
• Let’s Go: A quick command when on a walk to say move with me.
• Leave It: Please remove your attention from something!

These commands help the handler have a greater sense of control and to be able to quickly move the dog in a situation. The use of a head halter is also a good idea in the beginning for many dogs as it helps the dog have greater focus on the handler, and it helps the handler better control the dog, especially if the dog may be aggressive.

For dogs that are fearful, teaching the dog to play a version of a Look game can be useful and fun. This is letting the dog look at that scary stimulus for a second, look back and you, and be rewarded for that. This can be combined with a desensitization plan so that the dog learns to not be afraid of the stimulus.

Reactivity can’t always be cured, but in the majority of dogs, it can be greatly reduced. It takes some solid behavior modification, teaching basic obedience commands, and in some cases, medication to help lessen the reactivity. Consultation with a professional dog trainer is often in order in the beginning.