REACTIVITY IN DOGS

Reactivity in dogs refers to an exaggerated or inappropriate response to certain triggers or stimuli.  It’s essentially a dog’s way of expressing fear, anxiety or excitement in an intense and sometimes overwhelming manner.

Some ways that dogs exhibit reactivity:

Barking

Lunging

Air snapping

Growling

Freezing

Trying to escape or hide

Stiff and tense body language

Increase in heart rate and panting

Reactivity can be caused by a variety of factors including:

Fear or anxiety

Lack of socialization

Excessive excitement

Past Trauma

Genetics

Underlying health issues

It is important to address reactivity as soon as possible once the behavior begins.  Reactivity most often increases the longer the dog is rehearsing the behavior.  Fear and anxiety responses increase as the dog is continually exposed to the trigger.  Often the dogs reactivity such as barking or lunging will successfully get the trigger to move away rewarding the dogs reactive behavior.

Some management tips for reactivity are:

Avoiding areas or times when triggers are present

Keep the dog away from areas such as windows or fence lines where triggers present themselves

In the event the dog is reactive to other dogs never approach another dog head on

Get help from a professional trainer

Reward calm behavior

Seek medical assistance to determine if a health problem is present or medication may be necessary

Avoid punishment-punishing a reactive dog can make the problem worse

Reactivity is very treatable with qualified professional help, consistency and patience.

For more information or to request a Behavioral Assessment and Consultation contact us below or call (805) 978 6945.  

We provide your Behavioral Assessment and Consultation free of charge.  At the consultation we will discuss in detail with you what problem behaviors are occurring, what you would like to see happen for you and your dog as a result of training and will perform a Behavioral Assessment of your dog.  This will allow us to evaluate your needs, the current behavior of the dog, what you would like to see from the training and other variables in order to develop a Behavioral Training Plan specific to your dog and situation.

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Jensen Canines is a dog trainer that provides dog training services to Orcutt, Santa Maria, Nipomo and associated areas.

Jensen Canines uses positive reinforcement training techniques

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