DISCLAIMER: Graphic images and content involving an injury to a woman's nose resulting from a dog bite.
Reactive behaviour in dogs is a common issue many pet owners face. It is important to understand not all dogs exhibit reactive behaviour, and those that do can be helped through proper reactive dog training and understanding of their behaviour.
Dog reactivity refers to a dog's response to certain stimuli, which can range from fear or aggression to overexcited or frustration. It is crucial for dog owners to recognize and address reactive behaviour early on to prevent it from escalating.
Renowned dog trainer Brad Pattison emphasizes the importance of understanding canine behaviour. Strive to understand a dog's natural instincts rather than against them with careful reactive dog training. By observing and addressing the underlying causes of dog reactivity, pet owners can help their canine companions overcome these challenges and lead happier, more balanced lives.
Agnostic behaviour is any social behaviour related to fighting, the term has broader meaning than aggressive behaviour because it includes communication of threats, standing ground, retreats, placation and conciliation.
Agnostic behaviour between Bodhi 8 year old, Border collie/Blue heeler and Rocket 7.5 years old Australian shepherd.
Between two canines some would argue they fight each other when they discuss who sits where in the SUV, or when they tussle over a stick. They are not fighting nor do they have aggression towards one another. They are in fact making the best decision to maintain order. A well educated canine will teach, guide, advise another canine of proper etiquette. In a vehicle the canine who rides in the vehicle claimed the territory of the SUV as a place where good travel behaviour is a must. No playing, socializing or rambunctious movement is permitted inside the vehicle.
Rocket is the canine guardian of the vehicle I drive, she enforces rules with an iron paw. Communicating to the guest dog to settle, find your place and do not be disorderly. Rocket will exhibit canine language through multitude of canine growls, tongue flicks, piercing eyes, barking, bark-growl combination and occasionally will muzzle a dog who slightly challenges or ignores her. Rules are rules which will be followed. Alpha position in the vehicle is utmost important to Rocket. If you put Rocket in a friend's SUV, she will not exhibit this communication to another dog. This is not her vehicle and the rules for which the driver allows dogs to interact is not fully decided by the dog.
This is where it becomes interesting. Dogs are a pack animal deep down inside their evolution. Humans have domesticated dogs. Not all categories of dogs can be fully domesticated, there simply is no guarantee. A feral Dog is similar to other canids such as coyote and wolf. They are hard wired to survive, kill, evade, they depend on hierarchy structure to live, procreate and continue their bloodline.
Rocket understands what her job is, with-out the bat of an eye she establishes the rules for every dog passenger. Once the discussion has taken place the guest dog has a decision to make about the behaviour it will exhibit in the vehicle. Will the dog break protocol or challenge authority? This is a solo decision for the guest dog. The decision is not about submitting to Rocket. This is deeper and much more complex. Dogs need order, they seek leadership and want to know what is expected. Having order and knowing what is permitted and what is not permitted keeps a balance in place. This does not come without challenges to hierarchy, or the rules. A dog who lives in a household of low expectation, minimal rules, spoiled or over humanized and has learned negative behaviour are more inclined to be dismissive. This is in part to the low leadership and expectation of the ownership and household. Treat reward based training under scores the best a dog can be. Siphoning the best out of a dog while replacing it with an addiction substance. Numbing the brain to blindly follow a treat, high value food.
Agnostic Behaviour is seen below between two dogs in a dog rescue compound. Dog 1 is. feral domesticated street dog, dog 2 is a domesticated dog who was dumped on the streets left to survive or die. Below is 4 photos shot in 8 seconds, capturing the purest form of elite, precise agnostic behaviour. Verbal communication, and body language cues, body language was 60% of the communication between dog 1 and dog 2.
REACTIVITY is it what many dog trainers say it is? Over the past 30 years I have seen dog phrases and terms come and go. Before 2020 phrases, such as “positive reinforcement”, “positive training”, “force free”, “rescue dog” and other phrases. In or around 2022 and 2024 the new catch phrase Reactivity. The majority of dog trainers don’t clearly understand what reactivity is or how to decode it. This is concerning, it shows the immaturity and lack of knowledge in the dog training sector. I suspect it is greatly part and partial to the abundance of food related trainers who solely depend on the treat to be the magical wand. Show the food and miraculously the dog issues are poof gone. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Dogs are not inept, they are survivors with incredible skill sets which should be respected. The Reactive word is exaggerated, used in places it should never be, misunderstood and worst of all used by dog trainers who default to using the word because, well actually, I’m not sure why. Nonetheless they are saying it and when the word reactivity is told to a dog owner. The people listen, the dog becomes isolated or restricted and the downward spiral begins. Mis-diagnosing a dog is never good. Harmful mental health the dog experiences can change a dogs life forever, without ever truly giving the dog and chance or understanding the dog.
To help you understand Reactivity, let's begin with a percentage of dogs that will show reactivity. That percentage is 100%, this is not good or bad, it is what it is.
Example you don’t like the smell of a person in a hot yoga class, do you 1. fight them, 2. yell at them, 3. dismiss yourself? All are categorized as reactive, you have reacted. Does your reaction make you a bad person?
All 3 are classified as reactivity, this is true and this is why you need a professional decipher the code and narrow down what a person is dealing with to best understand how to manage and work through the response.
fight them = aggression, this I would categorize as territorial aggression because the smell of the person is in range of disturbing the person, vastly affecting them to exhibit a powerful response.
yell at them = Warning using only voice, this can open up dialogue, shows the boundary of what is acceptable or not. This is a fascinating situation to study. The decisions between the two parties determine the outcome, positive or negative. Once an outcome has been reached the synergy between two parties begins. Simple communication resolves most issues.
dismiss yourself = avoidance, make a decision to maintain peace within and have the proper tools to make a responsible decision to stay in a place of safety. This is not avoidance, nor is it submissive.
Is a dog pulling on leash to say hello to another dog Reactive? The short answer is No. Contrary to what inexperienced dog handlers or trainers are saying they are. That is a blatant lie. dissecting the narrative is vital. Age, personality of the dog or dogs, a dog who is the social butterfly needs a vast social network of dog friends and acquaintances, introducing a second dog into the household is not advisable. A social butterfly needs a tremendous amount of social situations to fully fill the dog's needs. A dog who is less inclined to be the all out party planner in the dog social scene, may say hi briefly or selectively.
REACTIVE, REACTION OR REACTIVITY
Either one of these words are gateway words to a better understanding. Explore and research what truly is happening, how to fix, manage or teach the dog, or be taught by an experienced dog.
Uneducated, inexperienced dog trainers use this word to stir fear in the dog owner,
fear tactic most reactivity assessed dogs are not negatively reactive.
I have found these words are used in place of truly understanding the dog situation and the why. There is a reason a dog is acting the way it is. Answer the why and you have your answer.
Catch phrase for marketing - this too will pass.
Default word I see being used in the treat training community.
Misleading diagnose further perpetuates negative dog behaviour.
Redirecting, making the dog ingest food compounds negative behaviour with a mask. Smoke and mirror magic show style of training. Dogs will have an exponential probability of becoming food aggressive, territory aggressive all because the dog owners are told to use treats to bait, bribe and negotiate. Beware of dog trainers who use food as the be all and end all.
Reactivity in dogs meaning
Is my dogs reactivity my fault?
Just let me start by saying “IT ISN'T YOUR FAULT” you are not guilty of anything. Your emotions are real, and honestly being the guardian of a reactive dog is one of the most difficult challenges you will ever face. Reactivity is usually fear based.
Brad - This is what I hear dog trainers say to people when they do not have the tools or resources to help a client
Brad - Reactivity is not usually fear based. Sentences like this gravely diminish sensible thinking and immediately extracts a negative, And yes your behaviour plays a role in your dog being ill behaved. Yes you can be at fault.
Family dog reacted biting the nose, the dog was reactive because the dog appeared to want to be snuggled. The reactivity was triggered by the person encroaching on the human dog bed where the dog was sleeping.
What does it mean for a dog to be reactive?
Your dog experiences reactivity whenever they respond to a situation (or a trigger) in a more intense way than you would expect, like overreacting to a sound or the presence of another person or animal. Your dog may have these big feelings when they: See other dogs.
Brad - Conflicting information delivers less than accurate usable information to aid in understanding the dog.
The beautiful word Reaction is seldom mentioned in the conversation regarding Reactivity or Reactive. The majority of reactive dogs should be discussed with truth about what a dog is truly doing and why is the dog communicating with a undesirable reaction and response. The level in response needs to be measured, here is why. A client was told by a dog trainer her dog who barks out the window is reactive. The dog trainer instructed the owner to isolate the dog, implemented 20 minute routine walks early in the morning. Deter the dog from looking out the window and buy a muzzle.
Further study of this behaviour, exposed certain truths. The dog was greeting the mailman, the dog would bark at its best dog friend when walking past the house, and the dog would bark to the boy who stops and pats him on the odd occasion. Further observation concluded the dog was simply communicating to people and a dog. During the observation, a noticeable difference in the bark to the 3 associates was compelling. Neither of the interaction or barks pointed to a negative response nor was it reactivity. It was a reaction and communication to say hello, have a great day or whatever the dog was saying in a gleeful non threatening manner, Resolving the worry the dog trainer planted in the clients mind, came as a great relief for both dog and owner. Isolation was removed and freedom was restored.
Reactivity from a dog and reactive dogs are often misunderstood due to the observation comes from a limitation of seeing and responding to the reaction well underway. Resulting in unwanted or need behaviour most people are not equip to control. The reaction from a dog is unchecked will progress into unsettling events. A food diversion is not the answer, it is not dependable and it is ridiculously absurd. Everything a dog does has three components. Body language through facial or full body, verbal communication and a physical response.
Domesticated dogs demonstrate a level of intelligence humans misinterpret all to often. If we take the time to listen to the dog, hear and see what they are saying. Instead of assuming what they are saying. Our connection, understanding and appreciation will expand for the better.
Below - Bodhi, 7 years old, teaching a younger dog 2 years old about spacial awareness, food etiquette, as well as hierarchy
About the Author
Written by Brad Pattison, Dog Behaviourist, Dog Trainer & Puppy Trainer
Author of four dog training books, National Best Seller, "Brad Pattison UNLEASHED"
Host of three television shows including, "At the End of My Leash" & "Puppy SOS"
Follow us on socials, IG: @hustleupdogs & Facebook: Hustle Up Dog Training
Email us anytime with questions & comments at info@hustleupdogtraining.ca
For further information call CA +1 (250) 317-0274
Excellent article to help explain that there is more than meets the untrained eye when a dog reacts in certain situations. We will be using this information to understand why our dog feels the need to excessively communicate when someone rings the doorbell, walks by our house, or simply delivers a package to our front door. Next step is look for the clues as to the message our dog is sending. This will allow us to interrupt and correct the behaviour when necessary, or simply thank the dog for being awesome. More work to do. Keep these articles coming!
What an informative article! There is much detail breaking down dog behaviour and common misconceptions. I appreciate that this information helps owners understand their dogs and that there could be many reasons as to why a dog is acting the way that they are. Thank you!!