Understanding Reactive Dogs: What It Really Means and How You Can Help
- Mar 21
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 25
If your dog barks, growls, lunges, or spins when they see another dog, person, or animal—especially while on a leash—you might be dealing with more than just a “bad behaviour.” Your dog may be reactive.
What Is Reactivity in Dogs?
Reactivity is when a dog responds to a stimulus—like another dog, a cyclist, or a stranger—with an exaggerated emotional reaction. While all dogs react to their environment to some degree, reactive dogs struggle to regulate themselves, often going from calm to chaos in seconds.
This reaction isn’t always rooted in aggression. Reactivity is often a mix of fear, frustration, excitement, or confusion. Some dogs bark and lunge because they desperately want to play but don’t know how to ask politely. Others may feel unsafe or trapped, especially on a leash or behind a barrier.
Key Signs of a Reactive Dog
Reactivity can easily be mistaken for aggression, but there are often subtle clues that point to something deeper. Common signs include:
Excessive barking or growling
Lunging at dogs, people, or moving objects
Spinning, pacing, or whining
Heightened alertness and hyper-vigilance
Pulling hard on the lead, especially when spotting a trigger
Hunched posture or crouching low to the ground
Difficulty focusing on the handler or calming down
Teeth chattering from overexcitement
Seeming fine off-lead but explosive on the leash
One of the clearest red flags is that your dog seems okay off leash at the park, but becomes unmanageable when restrained. This “leash barrier frustration” is common in reactive dogs and can be incredibly stressful—for both the dog and you.
What Causes Reactivity?
Reactivity doesn't stem from a single cause—it’s usually a combination of contributing factors. These can include:
Genetics: Some dogs are naturally more sensitive, intense, or prone to over-arousal.
Lack of early socialisation: Dogs that weren’t gently exposed to different people, dogs, sounds, and situations may find the world overwhelming.
Negative past experiences: Dogs who were attacked, punished, or forced into scary situations may learn to overreact to avoid perceived danger.
Frustration or high prey drive: A dog who wants to chase, meet, or play but is held back by a lead can develop explosive frustration.
Inadequate outlets for instinctual needs: Herding, guarding, or chasing instincts with no outlet can spill over into reactivity.
Unmet physical and mental needs: Bored, understimulated, or under-exercised dogs often build tension that explodes during walks.
Fear : when a dog perceives a threat, their nervous system reacts instinctively with survival responses: flight, freeze or fight and because leash doesn't allow to run away (to fly), he can only freeze or fight.
Management vs. Training: What’s the Difference?
Managing reactivity is about preventing explosions. Training is about changing the emotional response that causes those explosions in the first place. Both are essential.
Management Strategies
Use visual barriers (e.g., frosted film or closed curtains) to block triggers at home.
Walk during quieter times or in low-distraction areas.
Use equipment like front-clip harnesses for better control.
Create “safe zones” in the house if guests arrive.
Keep distance from triggers—don’t “flood” your dog with exposure.
Replace punishment with structure and calm redirection.
These strategies help avoid triggering the behaviour, but they don’t change the way your dog feels inside.
Real Progress Comes from Training
The goal of training isn’t to “shut down” your dog—it’s to teach them that the world is safe and you’ve got their back.
Here’s how we do it:
Find the threshold: Note the distance at which your dog can see a trigger without reacting.
Pair the trigger with rewards: Every time your dog notices the trigger and stays calm, reward with high-value treats.
Repeat exposure gradually: Build positive associations in small steps. Don't rush.
Avoid corrections: Reactivity is emotional, not disobedient. Punishing fear or frustration only increases it.
Build engagement: Teach your dog to check in with you rather than react. Use games, pattern work, and calm focus exercises.
Over time, your dog learns that seeing another dog or person doesn’t mean danger—or frustration—it means good things happen when they stay cool.
Can Reactive Dogs Be Socialised?
Yes, but socialisation doesn’t mean throwing your dog into a dog park and hoping for the best. Reactive dogs need a slow, structured introduction to the world that matches their comfort levels.
Respect their space
Avoid direct approaches or on-lead greetings with unknown dogs
Use calm, confident dogs as “neutral role models”
Focus on calm coexistence rather than forced interaction
Not all reactive dogs will become social butterflies—and that’s okay. Success might look like calmly walking past another dog instead of playing with one. And that’s worth celebrating.
Extra Tips for Success
💡 Avoid punishment: It may suppress the behaviour short-term, but worsens fear, frustration, and trust issues long-term.
🧠 Enrich their life: Bored dogs react more. Use nose work, food puzzles, trick training, and structured decompression walks.
🧘 Stay calm and consistent: Dogs read your tension like a book. Relax your shoulders. Breathe. Trust the process.
🩺 Check health: Sudden reactivity or changes in behaviour could be due to pain or illness.
Need Help with Your Reactive Dog?
If you feel overwhelmed, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to figure it out by yourself. I’ve created a gentle, science-based Reactive Dog Training Plan that shows you exactly how to reduce your dog’s reactivity step by step.
You’ll get a structured path to calmer walks, better focus, and a more peaceful life—for both of you.
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