# Control Unleashed - What does "reactive" mean?



## Door (Apr 2, 2010)

I got the book and started reading it. Couldn't get into it though. One reason is because the author keeps using the word "reactive". I don't know what that means.


----------



## Tayla's Mom (Apr 20, 2012)

I’m planning on getting this book next. Tayla is under confident and highly reactive. She is also easily frustrated. She is a land shark that knows no control. I’ve been to two behavioral people and our current trainer is the second and we have enlisted the help of our vet. Everyone says she is not aggressive, just easily frustrated and lashes out in certain circumstances. She has also developed some issues with resource guarding. She does not guard her food, but bones and items she knows she shouldn’t have. We are her second owners and at 8 months old she has issues. She is in a great Nose Work class and excels in that and I know she is smart so I’m hoping this book helps.


----------



## laprincessa (Mar 24, 2008)

What is a "reactive" dog? - Behavior & Training Forum


I found this link that might help explain what they mean?


----------



## Augie's Mom (Sep 28, 2007)

What Leslie McDevitt means by reactive has nothing to do with aggression.

In CU "reactive" means that the dog is uncertain about something in its enviroment and reactivity is an over adrenalized attempt to get information about that something (barking, whining, lunging, shutting down, etc). The CU methods help the dog learn to deal with its environment.

Her first book is difficult to read, but her newer book "Control Unleashed the Puppy Program" is easier to read and understand the concept.

The methods work even though they seem counterintuitive. I've used CU to help Augie deal with his confidence issues. We use "Look at That"and "Give me a Break" routinely in our training. If you need help with the concepts she has a yahoo group "CU Dogs" which is really great.


----------



## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

Picture a barking/lunging dog.

Said dog could be barking/lunging because:

A. He's aggressive and wants to take a piece out of what he's barking/lunging at. 

B. He's actually quite afraid of what he's barking/lunging at, so he's putting up a bad-ass offense in order to "keep the scary thing away."

C. He maybe really wants to go see whatever is over there (dog, person), but the leash is preventing it, so he's frustrated and has little impulse control, so the frustration quickly bleeds into an outwardly aggressive-looking display.

Many trainers would label B and C as "reactive" over "aggressive." The difference is what is driving the behavior.


----------



## quilter (Sep 12, 2011)

I did get Control Unleashed, the Puppy Program. It is much better explained there. The book does tend to feature more shy borders collies than other type, but the book seems to be mostly about getting the dog in a focused, controlled state. There are a lot of training games, but a lot of it is about reading the situation and your dog. There are a lot of great tips in there for a dog like mine - excited and friendly.


----------

