Having a Reactive Dog is Difficult and Costly, Study Shows

[skinnydipper]

Having a Reactive Dog is Difficult and Costly, Study Shows

When dogs lunge, bark, and growl at other dogs or people, the dog is having a hard time—and so is their guardian. More awareness of this is needed.

www.companionanimalpsychology.com

 

[CorvusCorax]

"One implication of these results is that life would be easier for people with reactive dogs if people more generally had awareness of this issue. In particular, if everyone’s dog would come when called; if people would put their dog on leash when requested (or if they noticed someone struggling with their dog); and if they realized that a reactive dog is not misbehaving—they are having a hard time and need your help."

Amen!!

 

[Morwenna]

My old dog was so much happier during lockdowns when people generally kept their dogs on leads and kept within the social distancing guidelines. It’s not just other dogs though. The abuse I used to get for asking people not to approach him / touch him was unbelievable. So many people would get very offended and tell me how much they loved dogs / dogs loved them, shove their hand in his face and then blame me when he growled at them.

 

[Patterdale]

I think we also need to ask why dogs are suddenly all so ‘reactive’ these days…

 

[skinnydipper]

I think we also need to ask why dogs are suddenly all so ‘reactive’ these days…

Well one reason could be that other people can't control/don't stop their dog bullying or being aggressive with other dogs or just generally getting in their face, especially in a fear period.

It only takes one bad experience and you've got a reactive dog. Single event learning.

 

[Clodagh]

Well one reason could be that other people can't control/don't stop their dog bullying or being aggressive with other dogs or just generally getting in their face, especially in a fear period.

It only takes one bad experience and you've got a reactive dog.

I think it’s poor breeding and ‘I want now’ mentality. A bad combination. People buy fluffikins and then, like children nowadays, think it will just learn by itself. No body actually dictates acceptable behaviour any more.

 

[Morwenna]

I think we also need to ask why dogs are suddenly all so ‘reactive’ these days…

I think there are many factors in this. We see far fewer mongrels now and far more over-bred dogs / designer crossbreeds. We are breeding more for looks and colour than temperament. We live very differently to how we did 20 years ago, most places are much more densely populated with fewer green spaces.
Add to that the sudden surge of dogs bred and bought during lockdown that had no socialisation or training and so we have a lot of dogs lacking basic manners and owners who are clueless about their body language or that of the dog theirs has bounced up to and is scaring / annoying the hell out of.

 

[skinnydipper]

and before anybody says it didn't used to be like this when they were a kid and dogs roamed the streets. Those dogs had a choice. They didn't have to mix with other dogs if they didn't want to, they could walk away. Now every body wants to walk their dogs into other dogs.

 

[Clodagh]

If everyone who bought a dog had to prove their ability to teach ‘come here’, ‘stay’, ‘leave it’ and perhaps to clip a lead to a collar (or harness) it would be a lot easier.

 

[MuddyMonster]

I think we also need to ask why dogs are suddenly all so ‘reactive’ these days…

Well, mines a rescue with a not very nice past. So no prices for guessing how that happened!

 

[CorvusCorax]

It's not 'sudden' at all, I had my first reactive dog over a decade ago, it's what got me going to a club to fix it, getting into dog training 'proper' and how I ended up competing internationally

 

[Prancerpoos]

Interesting article, thank you OP.

A fellow dog walker with a Romanian rescue, some sort of collie cross, is seriously considering having the dog PTS as it is so reactive on walks and in the house and she is concerned about what quality of life the dog has, let alone her own QoL. Barks at everyone and everything, tries to attack visitors, very reactive on walks - although a lovely dog to people and dogs it knows. She realises her own tension is not helping, but it is very stressful to be constantly on guard and many people just won’t put their dogs on leads to pass. Very sad.

 

[meleeka]

Interesting article, thank you OP.

A fellow dog walker with a Romanian rescue, some sort of collie cross, is seriously considering having the dog PTS as it is so reactive on walks and in the house and she is concerned about what quality of life the dog has, let alone her own QoL. Barks at everyone and everything, tries to attack visitors, very reactive on walks - although a lovely dog to people and dogs it knows. She realises her own tension is not helping, but it is very stressful to be constantly on guard and many people just won’t put their dogs on leads to pass. Very sad.

Has it not occurred to her to get professional help before she has it PTS? I have a reactive dog, that I can luckily manage fairly easily, as I can take her to the yard with me, so we don’t need to walk in populated areas. When we do she’s ok, but I woulds’t want to do it every day. If I had to, I would certainly have employed a dog trainer by now. It’s incredibly stressful when you have to watch what others are doing all the time, but it is a problem that can be overcome.

 

[skinnydipper]

A fellow dog walker with a Romanian rescue, some sort of collie cross, is seriously considering having the dog PTS as it is so reactive on walks and in the house and she is concerned about what quality of life the dog has,

I wonder how many of these dogs want to be 'rescued' or how many would prefer to remain on the streets.

 

[Teaselmeg]

I think we also need to ask why dogs are suddenly all so ‘reactive’ these days…

A lot more dogs around with people who feel entitled to have what they want with no thought of the dog being suitable for their lifestyle or the training involved. More dogs being attacked by said entitled people's dog and being left with a scared/anxious dog. More street type rescues that are totally unsuitable to normal domestic living. Breeding for looks not temperament. Paying no attention when the dog is in pain or unwell etc etc

There are so many reasons sadly, not all dogs are reactive, I have a rescue lurcher who is just the nicest dog, loves everyone dogs and people, but I also have a lurcher who was attacked at 11 months old by a Labrador and is mentally scarred because of it. Less dogs and more responsible ownership is what is needed.

 

[Jenko109]

For me it was entirely my error.

I regularly sent her to day care as a youngster.

She quickly learnt that rushing up to any and every dog is normal.

Of course, she was not allowed to do this on a lead which is where the frustration began.

I did no work on neutral responses. Every walk was high energy and it was never discouraged.

I made a tonne of mistakes, having previously had a lovely Lab x BC who just naturally slotted in to life and was the perfect dog without even trying.

We have made massive improvements. We do agility which she loves. Focuses beautifully in group lessons with no reactivity, only displays mild reactivity for a minute or two in a show environment. We recently ran with a Canicross club which she absolutely aced and held herself together under a high energy environment and running with a good twenty something other dogs.

Dogs can be in her vicinity. Walking in local fields with dogs dotted around is fine. She just becomes very uncomfortable in a situation where we have to walk head on towards another dog, such as on the street. As a result, we pretty much avoid situations like this as it's no fun for her or me if she goes over threshold.

 

[blackcob]

I think we also need to ask why dogs are suddenly all so ‘reactive’ these days…

My first reactive dog was also over ten years ago. It’s multifactorial - good summary upthread. Three of my four have been reactive to greater or lesser degrees and not one had any cause or root in common, nor did one solution fit all.

I would add that I feel the volume of dogs generally has increased and the culture around dogs has changed in that time, so the reactive ones are more visible than they perhaps might have been.

 

[Prancerpoos]

She has had one trainer and I have suggested another to her but she is just losing confidence. She has had lots of dogs and has another, very well behaved, dog now, he just ignores the reactive one when he starts barking etc. The rescue came over as a puppy, but who knows what happens to them before they get here. Certainly not likely to have had the careful upbringing from birth that all my dogs have been fortunate to have.

Has it not occurred to her to get professional help before she has it PTS? I have a reactive dog, that I can luckily manage fairly easily, as I can take her to the yard with me, so we don’t need to walk in populated areas. When we do she’s ok, but I woulds’t want to do it every day. If I had to, I would certainly have employed a dog trainer by now. It’s incredibly stressful when you have to watch what others are doing all the time, but it is a problem that can be overcome.

 

[skinnydipper]

The rescue came over as a puppy, but who knows what happens to them before they get here.

Could be from a Romanian puppy farm not the streets. You can only imagine what they must be like. What a dreadful start to life.

 

[HorseyTee]

I rehomed a staffie. She was about 2 when I got her but I'd known her since she was 4 months old.
She was majorly reactive, and did bite my ex as a redirection when she couldn't get to the dog she wanted to kill.
Once we realised how bad she was, she was muzzled and on lead at all times when out.

I must point out, she was never aggressive with any of my dogs, but she had known them since she was a pup.

The amount of times I'd have her screaming, snarling and lunging on her lead at another dog who was hanging off her ass, while the owner said 'don't worry he just wants to be friendly/make friends/play', I was tempted a few times to remove her muzzle as the owners never seemed to have any common sense whatsoever. It was so frustrating when I was trying so hard.

I did eventually get her to the point of off lead with no muzzle and meeting dogs, but it took about 2 years to get there.
She died last week at nearly 15 years old.

 

[paddy555]

and before anybody says it didn't used to be like this when they were a kid and dogs roamed the streets. Those dogs had a choice. They didn't have to mix with other dogs if they didn't want to, they could walk away. Now every body wants to walk their dogs into other dogs.

when I was a kid dogs didn't roam our streets. (Semi detached suburbia) I don't remember dogs except being on leads, people walked them usually just one dog. I walked our mongrel. I would have been pretty young and never felt unsafe with loose dogs coming up to us. People didn't just come up and stroke dogs. If a dog walker stopped to talk then you might bend down and stroke the leaded dog but that is all. I was taught to ask if I could stroke it. I still do ask, it would never occur to me not to.
I think there were just a lot less dogs, more mongrels perhaps and most of all people didn't feel entitled to thrust their dog at everyone nor to maul other people's dogs uninvited.

 

[I'm Dun]

Well one reason could be that other people can't control/don't stop their dog bullying or being aggressive with other dogs or just generally getting in their face, especially in a fear period.

It only takes one bad experience and you've got a reactive dog. Single event learning.

Thats not what happened with mine. He was half killed by an enormous lab, an I expected he would need extremely careful rehabbing and for me to have to work very very hard to keep him away from other dogs etc. To my total surprise hes completely fine. other than looking over at every black lab he sees to make sure its not the one who attacked.

Just today we had another episode, a yappy little terrier yanked its lead free and ran over to have a go at mine. I thought there was a good chance mine would have a go back due to the previous incident and as this terrier wasnt quite making contact but was snapping and lunging, but they didnt react to my surprise. Just froze when I yelled wait.

The idiot terrier owner, managed to grab it and literally ran off down the towpath without saying a word. It wouldnt have been an issue, accidents happen and everyone was fine, but her reaction tells me thats far from the first time its happened. Cant be much fun for her or the dog. If mine were reactive a busy city centre towpath isnt where I'd be walking them, but I guess people like short convenient walks on nice clean tarmac.

 

[Moobli]

My first reactive dog was over 25 years ago. She was a “failed police dog”. Started off life as a latchkey dog, a lady in the neighbourhood took pity on her and bought her from the family who owned her, and then gifted her to the police where she was put through a series of tests and then offered for rehoming as she wasn’t suited to police work. She was my first “own” dog and what a baptism of fire! I did learn so much from her but I’m in no doubt that I failed her in many ways through lack of knowledge and skill.
I have no doubt over-breeding and thoughtless, irresponsible breeding play a part in the number of reactive dogs nowadays, as well as uneducated and clueless owners, people buying breeds wholly unsuitable for their lifestyle because they like the look or kudos of owning a certain breed, the sheer number of people and dogs crammed together in small spaces, dogs not trained or exercised appropriately, the list goes on. There’s no one single reason but it’s a multifaceted problem.

 

[I'm Dun]

We do agility which she loves. Focuses beautifully in group lessons with no reactivity, only displays mild reactivity for a minute or two in a show environment. We recently ran with a Canicross club which she absolutely aced and held herself together under a high energy environment and running with a good twenty something other dogs.

I think a lot more dogs would be a lot better behaved if they did more stuff like this! I get comments about how well behaved and lovely mine are, but the youngest is a complete fire cracker, and is well behaved and lovely as I exercise him hard. We did 7 miles with him off lead at the weekend, so he probably did 20 miles mainly at a gallop. The day before we walked 4 miles, then a mile on leads through a village into the city, 15mins in the chaos of Oxford on a Saturday and we then got the bus home. I take them into the nearest big village centre to go and get pupaccinos from the coffee shop. Anything and everything I can think of really. Yet I see the same dogs day in day out trudging down the tow path doing the same short loop then home. If I did that mine would be lunatics.

 

[skinnydipper]

Thats not what happened with mine. He was half killed by an enormous lab, an I expected he would need extremely careful rehabbing and for me to have to work very very hard to keep him away from other dogs etc. To my total surprise hes completely fine. other than looking over at every black lab he sees to make sure its not the one who attacked.

Well of course not all dogs are the same and react differently to trauma.

One of my lurchers was badly mauled by a Husky, it left its owner and came across a field to attack her. She tried to run away but it was on her, in no time it had taken 2 big chunks out of her back, it was like a piece of meat. The vets were appalled at her injuries and the severity of the attack and advised me to inform the Police. 2 chunks of muscle had been removed from her back plus a few smaller bites. She was stitched the full width of her back and down the sides and had 2 drains. She always had 2 divots under the skin on her back after that. She wasn't reactive following the attack but she totally lost her confidence around dogs she didn't know and was anxious when approached by strange dogs.

 

[I'm Dun]

Well of course not all dogs are the same and react differently to trauma.

One of my lurchers was badly mauled by a Husky, it left its owner and came across a field to attack her. She tried to run away but it was on her, in no time it had taken 2 big chunks out of her back, it was like a piece of meat. The vets were appalled at her injuries and the severity of the attack and advised me to inform the Police. 2 chunks of muscle had been removed from her back plus a few smaller bites. She was stitched the full width of her back and down the sides and had 2 drains. She always had 2 divots under the skin on her back after that. She wasn't reactive following the attack but she totally lost her confidence around dogs she didn't know and was anxious when approached by strange dogs.

That sounds absolutely horrific

 

[Smitty]

I have had very reactive 'second hand' dogs. Two terriers and a Cavalier.

My present dog, a terrier from a back yard breeder, has never been phased by anything. He has been pounced on by 4 collies when he was about 7 months, I worried, was attacked by an Akita at about 9 months, no problem and I cannot remember what other dogs have had a go at him, he brushes it off. I am reactive when on lead dogs lunge at us, he couldn't care less. He mixes well with all dogs that he meets and I can take him anywhere. I have also had a Lab x Collie and GSD x Collie that were very similar (one from a rescue and the other a stray).

The thing that all 3 of these dogs have had in common is some kind of 'self assurance' and presence. They have been clever as well, the terrier less so but a bit brighter than my other terriers.

 

[HopOnTrot]

I have two terriers. Good Boy arrived 12 years ago BC (before children) he stayed home alone in the day, came to the yard and pub with me in the evening, walked in town and attended various classes including agility. Rarely walked on a lead, amazing recall, even with rabbits!

The other one… deposit put down December 2019, arrived… April 2020. An accidental lockdown puppy, we live rurally so no park walks to get used to dogs, none of the planned training as I had a 2 year old and a 5 year old at home all week and a husband at work, all it took was a lack of socialisation and our neighbour’s dog barking at her through the fence. She just doesn’t see enough dogs to get used to them. She also has high prey drive so is always walked on lead (but I use a flexilead in the fields so she can mooch), her recall at home is perfect.

But, we have an acre of fenced garden, I can walk straight into fields, you could never re home her to a better house.

If she’d been able to attend her planned puppy classes in the socialisation window it would be a different story.

 

[misst]

Jenko I think the important thing is you realised it was your mistakes that led to the dog being too reactive and you have done you best to put them right. My reactive terrier is a rehome as is my daughters daxie x she is getting better but has a passionate hatred of black labs. She no longer attacks them on sight but if they come up to her even if she is on lead she lunges. She is only 6kg but the teeth are bared and she means business. She is lovely with people and mostly nice with dogs she knows.

I was lucky with my first dog. I was a bit ignorant and let her play with any sized dog and rough play with dogs she didn't know who were happy to play too. No injuries happened but more through luck than judgement. I would never let my small dogs rough play with large ones anytime now. They play together or with dogs they know well to avoid aggression and misunderstanding. Mine are on lead more than my other dogs were in the past because there are more out of control dogs around now,. I passionately hate the "don't worry he's friendly" brigade.

 

[skinnydipper]

For me it was entirely my error.

I regularly sent her to day care as a youngster.

She quickly learnt that rushing up to any and every dog is normal.

Of course, she was not allowed to do this on a lead which is where the frustration began.

There won't be many people on here who haven't made mistakes, not thinking of reactive dogs specifically. We think we are doing the right thing at the time and it's only when we look back or something goes wrong that we see a problem.