Reactive dog - what do you do?

[dolloe]

We have a reactive dog (loves people, hates a lot of other dogs) so he is always walked on a lead, only allowed to meet other dogs when we can control the environment (e.g., at the yard where it can be a slow introduction) and we will always move out of the way/cross the road if we need to.

His issue is dogs coming uninvited into his space, which I completely understand. But there are so many off-lead dogs around these days. This morning he had a scrap with a full grown bull mastiff because this dog and a bull mastiff puppy bounded over to him, with no attempt from the owner to recall them. Obviously this was terrifying as the bull mastiff is a lot bigger than my dog is.

What do people do in these situations? I feel I’ve tried everything to keep him safe, except put myself in danger or stop walking him, which isn’t fair. I’m not confident enough to shout to strangers to recall/put their dog on a lead.

 

[Zoeypxo]

I have a large malamute that doesnt like other dogs, walking in my village became too dangerous due to other peoples off lead dogs with no recall, which resulted in a few fights.
We hire private dog walking fields 5x a week and travel in the car to them, luckily i have 2 within 5-10 minute car drives. The other two days we go in the car to a remote location for an actual ‘walk’
Costly but worth it, shes almost 11 and the stress of the fighting and being constantly approached by other dogs was getting too much

 

[AmyMay]

Does your dog wear a yellow tabard and lead. At least it gives others a heads up.

But I echo Zoe, try and find a private dog field that you can book.

 

[meleeka]

You’ll have to learn to be more assertive! When a dog comes towards you step in front of your dog with a firm ‘no!’ to the other dog, then walk in a different direction with a cheery “this way” to your dog. If the dog is still with you then ask the owner to move it. Out of control dogs make me cross, I’m amazed that people have so little regard for their dog’s safety when they are allowing them to do as they please.

I have a reactive GSD. I’ve worked hard on not getting her to react and she’s ok if there are other dogs just about, but if they come over to her she does react. Unfortunately for me we live on the side of a green so have to run the gauntlet every time we leave the house. Thankfully I can take her to my own field which is enclosed.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Most people aren't watching their own dogs, never mind noticing the colour of other dogs leads or harnesses. A better visual deterrent is a walking stick/crook or schooling whip.

Advocate for your dog. Use your voice to warn others and your body to block and fend off uncontrolled dogs (sorry folks - no recall or leash = no control).
Only walk the dog where you have room/clear vision to either see other dogs or move out of the way.
Think about occupying him in another way through an activity/sport/attendance at a club where he can busy his body and brain around other well behaved dogs who aren't paying him any attention, because everyone is too busy.

If the worst comes to the worst and there's a scrap/handbags, I carry a very long, large choke chain in my back pocket, which has several applications (mostly to make an unpleasant noise!!)

With my own dogs, my older male was fine as long as he had a ball in his mouth and he is totally neutral to other dogs. If they get up in his face, he will growl (still holding his ball).
The young one is more food orientated and I do all my training with food, so if I have space/time, I get her attention and I work her through it, as long as the dog is not on top of her.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

We have a reactive dog (loves people, hates a lot of other dogs) so he is always walked on a lead, only allowed to meet other dogs when we can control the environment (e.g., at the yard where it can be a slow introduction) and we will always move out of the way/cross the road if we need to.

His issue is dogs coming uninvited into his space, which I completely understand. But there are so many off-lead dogs around these days. This morning he had a scrap with a full grown bull mastiff because this dog and a bull mastiff puppy bounded over to him, with no attempt from the owner to recall them. Obviously this was terrifying as the bull mastiff is a lot bigger than my dog is.

What do people do in these situations? I feel I’ve tried everything to keep him safe, except put myself in danger or stop walking him, which isn’t fair. I’m not confident enough to shout to strangers to recall/put their dog on a lead.

You need to develop that confidence and quickly!
Other owners shouldn't allow their off lead dogs to approach your on lead dog but they do. It's your responsibility to advocate for your dog. I always carry a walking stick to fend other dogs off but will suggest to other owners that they put their dogs on a lead or at least call them away. When we had Rottweilers we were amazed at the number of dogs that were allowed to approach when they were on lead.

 

[Cortez]

I have a very small, very typical reactive terrier type dog. I walk three dogs together, all on leads. If I spot loose dogs I always stop and wait for the owners to put their dogs on leads, if they don’t, or even if they do, I apologise in advance that my dog will be rude and growly as we pass. Luckily he is so small that there is no problem controlling him or even picking him up, but even so it is nerve racking.

 

[blackcob]

It took me years to grow a thick enough skin to tell people to call their dogs away - practice until you don't care. As above it can also help to direct it at the dog rather than the owner, step in front and tell them firmly no or leave; a less intense dog will sometimes be deterred enough and owners are often a bit quicker to react if they think you're being a knob towards their dog. Again, I have learnt over time not to care what they think if it makes them hurry up and come and get it.

You shouldn't have to and it irks me every day to do it but it can be easier to modify your walking routes and times. I got out an OS map and looked for footpaths I'd never used before and came up with several new routes that aren't popular with dog walkers either because they're a little further out of town, hilly, have stiles, livestock etc. and I avoid the 30-45 minute level circular walks that start and end from the park because they are always full of off-lead knobs (and dog crap).

 

[Jenko109]

I have a reactive dog.

She is somewhat different from your dog as she would never fight, however she is barky, lungey on her lead and would certainly become visibly upset if another dog ran over and invaded her space as you have described.

I generally don't put her in the situation for it to happen, which has helped to improve her reactivity greatly.

We walk very early in the morning (we were out on our walk at 4.30am this morning) so she can have an hour of off lead time with no concerns of seeing others.

We go to group obedience classes and agility classes because we know the other dogs will either be on a lead, or under close control.

We also do some lead walking on the roads if we are going to go out in the day time.

I do not allow her to say hello to new dogs. I do not think it benefits her. I want her to listen to me and forget there are other dogs around.

She is so much improved. She never reacts to other dogs in her classes and will do off lead obedience and agility with other dogs around while paying them little to no attention. We have been to the vets a fair bit recently after an injury and she has again not been reactive to other dogs in the waiting room. Seeing dogs coming directly towards us on a road walk is still a work in progress

I would suggest that every time this is allowed to happen to your dog, it will set him back and make working on his reactivity that much harder.

Sometimes we do need to partake in some lifestyle changes, switch up our walking habits and seek out opportunities in controlled environments if we are to help our dogs succeed.

 

[Mynstrel]

You’ll have to learn to be more assertive! When a dog comes towards you step in front of your dog with a firm ‘no!’ to the other dog, then walk in a different direction with a cheery “this way” to your dog. If the dog is still with you then ask the owner to move it. Out of control dogs make me cross, I’m amazed that people have so little regard for their dog’s safety when they are allowing them to do as they please.

I have a reactive GSD. I’ve worked hard on not getting her to react and she’s ok if there are other dogs just about, but if they come over to her she does react. Unfortunately for me we live on the side of a green so have to run the gauntlet every time we leave the house. Thankfully I can take her to my own field which is enclosed.

Definitely this, and be willing to be rude if that's what it takes.

 

[tda]

Walking stick 100 %

 

[CorvusCorax]

Also, I have noticed that the dog takes a lot of confidence from seeing that the owner takes steps physically shield them. My young dog feels a lot more secure between my legs or behind me, for example, out in front or 'exposed' and they can feel very secure and that they *have* to react to protect themselves, it is up to us to visibly step up and take the lead so that they do not feel the need - 'don't worry, I've got this'. If I can, in more stressful encounters I will 'hold' her, either on the ground, or her up on her hind legs in my arms, to let her know she is protected from the 'threat'.
A LOT of reactive dogs that come before me are unwittingly put in that position because they don't feel confident in their owner/handler to take care of the situation.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

A friend of mine desensitised her dog to that spray compressed air and used that if a dog was bounding in. Worked very well, although did get the occasional challenge from another owner 'what have you just sprayed at my dog' but if they were paying attention it wouldn't happen - plus it's harmless.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Worked very well, although did get the occasional challenge from another owner 'what have you just sprayed at my dog' but if they were paying attention it wouldn't happen - plus it's harmless.

OK so this is the thing. If you (anyone) allow your dog to approach another dog unbidden, you are exposing it to risk, either from that dog or the handler, in the same way as you are exposing it to risk by allowing it to run into a busy road or cross train tracks or run in a field of livestock etc. I don't know why so many people cannot understand this point. My female is a face biter, she will just go straight for a strange dog's face if it gets all up in hers. Luckily I am a (mostly) competent handler so I do not allow her to do this. If another dog gets close enough for her to attempt to do that, then it is not under control. But they and their dog will get shouted at and if it escalates, then I will try to prevent a fight from developing, using whatever means I have to hand. That is on the other dog owner, because my dog was on a lead and under control and we were minding our business.

 

[skinnydipper]

And you will very likely get told it's all the fault of the people who have their dogs on leads because socialisation, which to many means a free for all and no consideration for any other dog or owner.

 

[Morwenna]

My old boy was incredibly reactive and it was very difficult to manage. I found the yellow leads / bandanas etc. we’re counter-productive as not enough people know what they mean so would bend down and try to grab them to read them. The only way really is to be very vocal and stand up for your dog. Doesn’t always work. I would often be standing in a hedge between my dog and the other person / dog and they they would still try to approach. My old trainer used to reply to the calls of “she / he’s friendly” with “ mine has mange” which got a lot of people to call their dogs off pretty quickly.

 

[CorvusCorax]

My old boy was incredibly reactive and it was very difficult to manage. I found the yellow leads / bandanas etc. we’re counter-productive as not enough people know what they mean so would bend down and try to grab them to read them. The only way really is to be very vocal and stand up for your dog. Doesn’t always work. I would often be standing in a hedge between my dog and the other person / dog and they they would still try to approach. My old trainer used to reply to the calls of “she / he’s friendly” with “ mine has mange” which got a lot of people to call their dogs off pretty quickly.

I go for 'mine is a d***head/tw*t/b!tch' etc etc etc.....

 

[blackcob]

The yellow stuff works at places like agility shows, where 99% of people know what it means, but seems fruitless any other time - the dogs are usually already on top of you before their humans are close enough to read anything.

 

[Unicorn]

Another one with a reactive dog here. She’s great with people, but not so much with other dogs, especially if they get up in her space. Apart from huskies. She looooves huskies.

I’ve definitely got over my lack of confidence about speaking up on her behalf! I’ll happily shout at people to call their dog if needed. The “It’s alright he’s friendly” brigade get a cheery “She’s not!”. It doesn’t mean I don’t get the shakes and feel sick if there’s conflict or people get narky, but it does get easier with practice! I’ve also had some lovely chats with people who genuinely don’t understand that they could be causing a problem, or that it’s not my dogs job to teach their dog manners and also with people who have similar dogs – though generally from a safe distance!

 

[Unicorn]

I go for 'mine is a d***head/tw*t/b!tch' etc etc etc.....

I may have to follow your example here!!

 

[splashgirl45]

I have a very small, very typical reactive terrier type dog. I walk three dogs together, all on leads. If I spot loose dogs I always stop and wait for the owners to put their dogs on leads, if they don’t, or even if they do, I apologise in advance that my dog will be rude and growly as we pass. Luckily he is so small that there is no problem controlling him or even picking him up, but even so it is nerve racking.

I’m glad someone else on here has the same problem as me. My smallest terrier is obedient and comes to call so I can put her on lead , I have another small terrier and a lurcher who are both quiet when on lead but the little one keeps barking , she is friendly and if she meets dogs off lead she is very submissive but on lead she seems like she has to have the last word . The only way I can stop her is to carry a ball so she then fixated on that and couldn’t care less how many dogs pass by. Like you I apologise for my noisy dog but most people know her now and are fine … I’ve never had a Barky dog before

 

[Clodagh]

I think it’s been said before but if told ‘he’s friendly’ I say ‘I’m f***ing not’. I’m quite loud under pressure.
If nervous I just get louder, try that op.

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

I still absolutely hate doing it but learned fairly early on as a first time dog owner that being assertive is essential!

For off-lead dogs making a very direct and/or fast beeline for us: If there's time and I can see an owner, I'll stick my hand in the air and shout "No thank you!"

Any "it's okay they're friendly" gets a very decisive "I don't care"

If there's not time or no owner or still no control I will physically put myself between the incoming dog and my dog, and shout "No!"

My experience has been that usually once, maybe twice, is enough to get them to stop in their tracks, reconsider their options and bog off back to their owner. A couple of times I've had to keep moving and stepping between a persistent dog and mine. Once I had to grab hold of a trailing flexi-lead and if it hadn't had that I genuinely think it could have escalated to needing to get my foot involved because this dog was absolutely determined to get to my dog, and there was no way I was going to allow that to happen.

She's not dog reactive. I just plan to keep it that way by not allowing random, fast incoming dogs to run full pelt at us.

Off-lead dogs that toodle up that seem to have some kind of manners I am still cautious about but will keep walking. On-lead dogs all get space, maybe a very brief sniff/hello depending a bit on breed and again what their manners are looking like (i.e., not dragging their owner to get to us).

 

[SaddlePsych'D]

I still chuckle at the first time I shouted "No!" at a dog, not long after we first got ours. The no came out in a volume and tone that came up out of my boots and that I couldn't recreate in any other scenario if I tried. I'm not sure who was more surprised, me or the dog It ran off and I walked on laughing at myself wondering where on earth I found such a commanding voice!

 

[CorvusCorax]

So here's a for instance...mild evening, likely to be stacks of dog walkers about so I took the young dog to the green and trained instead.

Took her father out and we have passed five or six dogs with little or no interest. Just now a spaniel whizzed past him very close and he whipped his head round and growled, without dropping his toy.

That's really not something I'm going to be too bothered about in an elderly dog.

 

[twiggy2]

Reactive dogs generally dont enjoy the meet and great on lead or when they feel confined. With a reactive dog I try and avoid areas where other dogs will be off lead, so parks, greens etc are out, unless I am training within site of one.
Generally I would drive to somewhere further out and walk there or town walks if the dog is ok with that.
Otherwise I agree with others step in front of your dog and protect its space.
As an aside I was out with other people and their dogs at the weekend and we were on a narrow path, a child of about 2 was allowed to walk straight up to one of the dogs (on lead) as we walked past, dog and child face to face without 'she loves dogs' I was really shocked popped my dog the other side of me and marched on so she wasn't exposed to that.
She loves people and kids, but parents bloody ask, get hold of the child and show it how to interact safely and owner of the dog if you let it happen be in control, vouch for your dog and educate people. Side on introduction, speak to your dog and occupy it's head, pay attention to its body language, honestly it could have gone so wrong.

 

[SDMabel]

Our female Lab is dog reactive, if an approaching dog isn't put on the lead I shout she's not friendly and will bite... 9/10 people hastily get hold of their dogs then. If it's a muppet who cannot get their dog back despite my warning i position myself infront of her - tend to walk with a spare lead in my pocket or a shooting stick and use it to put distance between approaching dog.

A lot of the time if you step towards them in a threatening manner they back off, raise your voice if needs be and use the stick/ lead to create distance.

If the dog still isn't put off i would then use the stick or lead to give them a prod , as that's far less painful than the labradors jaws.

We struggle as everyone assumes with her being a lab shes friendly , I am debating getting one of those ' I need space' leads, but that doesnt help the idiots with zero recall over their dogs.

I also tend to walk her down our lane and across the fields which are very quiet and rarely see others.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

I had an extremely reactive dog, proper berserker behaviour if a dog got in his space but magic trick was a dummy/rabbit ball and training. He expected to train on every walk. He was allowed free run only if we could see there was nobody else around eg at the river, straight stretch of path.

Be assertive, march at speed past other dogs, don’t hesitate to tell other owners to recall their dogs. You will, unfortunately, encounter the entitled a&&holes who will tell you they won’t (probably can’t) recall their untrained bouncy dog and that you shouldn’t be out in public with your dog. It takes persistence, all the local owners knew Zak and to leave us alone. It was often very stressful, walking into the park and walking straight back out again having seen certain dogs. A secure field is great but expensive. Bar one time, Zak would stay in a sit so other dogs could get past, we mostly went into the rough away from other dogs, but you’re never guaranteed to be alone. Mine was rarely on the lead except to go to and from the car, I think that helped. Even my very friendly first dog was not thrilled to be approached when on the lead.

I feel for you, OP, it’s very hard to have a properly reactive dog. I’ve been blessed to have the current youngsters who I can allow free rein to run round the woods.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

Southend dog training on you tube are brilliant. They deal with a lot of reactive dogs.

 

[meleeka]

Southend dog training on you tube are brilliant. They deal with a lot of reactive dogs.

I’ve managed to get mine to be much better just by using their snippets on Instagram. The key for her not letting her get in front of me. It’s such a small thing but has made a huge difference.