# A plea from the owner of a reactive dog



## OutWest (Oct 6, 2011)

This is a great description of my life with Bella. I'm sure other people with highly reactive dogs will appreciate this too. 

https://www.facebook.com/PetsinPractise/posts/728192900570294?fref=nf

The Life of the Owner of a Reactive Dog
To all dog owners who have nice, friendly, sociable, unreactive dogs that love everybody and everything and want to be friends with all the dogs and people around. We, reactive dog owners, would like you to take a minute and read this, and understand what it is like for us to walk our dogs out and about.
To the dog owner who said to me “my dog is friendly and only wants to say hello” as your dog is running towards my reactive, fearful dog: it really doesn’t matter how friendly your dog is. Mine isn’t. My dog is terrified of other dogs (because he’s been attacked before or hasn’t been socialized as a pup and never learnt to interact properly), no matter how friendly they are. If your dog runs up to mine, my dog will most definitely have a go at him, no matter how much I will try to avoid it, and it will destroy all the hard work I’ve put into rehabilitating my dog and teaching him that he doesn’t have to react, but it will also be a very bad experience for your young and friendly dog. Yes, being told off is sometimes useful for young, inexperienced dogs, but being told off by a confident adult who has had enough of your pup’s jumping around, and my terrified, reactive dog are two very different things. Nobody benefits from this situation, so please, call your dog away.
To the dog owner who scowled at me when I politely asked him to call his dog away – I genuinely don’t mean to be rude to you or your dog. I’m trying to protect my dog, make sure his behaviour rehabilitation is successful, but I’m also doing it in your dog’s best interest. Being bitten or growled at is not something you want your dog to experience, and I’m just trying to make sure we can both prevent it.
To the dog owner who said to me that it was their right to have their dog off lead and let him approach any dog he wants – I’m afraid it’s not true. You need to have your dog under control – so either on lead or be able to call him away, otherwise you are not able to prevent him from running up to not only dogs, but also other people (including small children and those who are afraid of or don’t like dogs), cyclists, joggers and others who do not appreciate your dog’s company. Also remember that there are a lot of dogs being walked on lead not because they are reactive, but because they are ill or recovering from illness or surgery, and there are also assistance dogs that are working to make sure their humans are safe – remember that according to the newest legislation if your dog injures an assistance dog, you are liable. So if you see a dog being walked on lead, make sure you have your dog under proper control and don’t allow him to run up to on lead dogs, unless the other owner is happy for him to do so.
To the dog owners with their dog on an extendable or short lead who walks up to other on-lead dogs for their dog to “say hello” – again, sometimes it might be absolutely fine to do so, but DO ASK FIRST. Dogs on lead have a limited opportunity to use their body language properly when greeting other dogs and may feel trapped when unable to move away – even very friendly dogs can find this situation very uncomfortable. If the leads get tangled up and the dogs end up very close to each other and unable to move away, a fight is almost imminent. Don’t risk it.
To the dog owner who said we shouldn’t be walking our dogs as they are reactive, how else would you like us to exercise our dogs? We can assure you we choose the time to walk our dogs carefully – never during school runs or right after everybody comes back home from work; we choose secluded places and don’t take advantage of the lovely dog walking areas you have at your disposal; we pretty much never venture out during the day on Saturdays and Sundays, and either get up ridiculously early in the morning or walk very late at night to avoid bumping into hundreds of dogs and owners enjoying their weekend walkies. We genuinely do our best not to put our dogs and other people’s dogs into difficult situations. But we do have to get our dogs exercised, and if we want to rehabilitate our dogs, we need to encounter some dogs at a distance too, and sometimes it is when you are out with your very friendly dog, too. All we need is a bit of understanding and space for us to pass with our dog so he doesn’t react to yours. So please, put your dog back on lead for a minute.
And finally, to the lovely dog owners who call their dogs back for us and put them on lead as we walk past trying to keep our dog’s focus on us as much as we can. Thank you for your understanding and for not looking at us disapprovingly. We are trying our best to make our dogs’ lives better, we spend endless hours watching dogs at a distance, following behaviour modification programmes, taking tiny steps forward, and sometimes crying over steps back. It isn’t easy, and sometimes we would do anything for our dogs to just stop being “silly” and become sociable butterflies like other dogs are. But life’s not always that simple, and we love our dogs and want to help them. So thank you for helping us, too.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Very well written.
I've been lucky enough to not have a reactive dog, but I'm on the other side of the coin...
To the owners of reactive dogs....if you know your dog is reactive, please do not ask if you can approach my calm, laid back dog in an effort to "socialize" your dog, or "work him thru his issues". 
I can't tell you how many times this has happened with Tito, who is basically an approachable kind of guy. Next thing you know, the reactive dog is growling and/or snapping at Tito, who is standing quietly. 
It's one of my pet peeves, and it seems to happen to us all the time.


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

Very well written. Thanks Kathleen. I'm the owner of lovely nonreactive dogs, but I don't want them interacting on walks. We have lots of dogs run up to us and I've always told people my dogs aren't friendly. My husband is really bad about letting the dogs greet so as we approach I remind him to bring them in close. Thanks for sharing.


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## KeaColorado (Jan 2, 2013)

Thanks for sharing, I wish this could be required reading for dog owners. 

I like the part that says *To the dog owners with their dog on an extendable or short lead who walks up to other on-lead dogs for their dog to “say hello” – again, sometimes it might be absolutely fine to do so, but DO ASK FIRST. Dogs on lead have a limited opportunity to use their body language properly when greeting other dogs and may feel trapped when unable to move away – even very friendly dogs can find this situation very uncomfortable.*

We spent part of the holiday weekend in a cute mountain ski town and encountered many, many owners and their dogs along trails and while hanging out in town. I'd venture to guess our dogs greeted and interacted appropriately with about 95% of them. There were two interactions that were not positive. One involved two doodles on flexi-leads charging the trail ahead of their owners. We stepped off the trail to try and avoid them, but when I saw that was clearly not going to be possible due to the owners' lack of control of their dogs, I asked if the dogs were friendly. They engaged in some appropriate butt sniffing with our dogs and then the large male attempted to hump Kea, who snapped and barked at him. Ugh. In the second situation, we were sitting on a bench with both dogs in town. A man approached with his dog, again at the end of a flexi, ears up and charging at our dogs head-on as they were cornered under the bench. I saw Kea tense and her hackles went up. I quickly told him that she was not always friendly with other dogs (left out the part about other dogs whose owners do not have them under control and who don't know how to interact appropriately). He did nothing to control his dog and she barked and growled at it. 

In my experience, people see my goldens and assume that they are friendly to the fault of allowing another dog to behave inappropriately and act like a doormat.

ETA: I hate flexi leads


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## CharlieBear80 (Oct 13, 2013)

Too right. I had a very reactive, large GSD and it was an endless source of frustration dealing with owners of nonreactive dogs. I often only took him out after the sun went down just so I wouldn't have to deal.


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## Mayve (Aug 21, 2012)

I don't have a reactive dog...but I don't like other dogs just running up to meet mine either. And I don't allow mine to run up to other dogs either. I also have to agree with Barb....when Sage was a puppy a lady asked if her Golden could meet her, they were walking the opposite way on the side walk. I said "sure" not expecting what happened next. The other dogs body laungage was fine until getting within striking distance and the dog made a lunge at her clearly intent on removing her face from her head. I reacted quickly, thank God, and the lady then said "oops, he is not socialized "! Um really....then why in Hades would you even ask if he could meet my puppy? Since then, I avoid meetings even when asked unless I already know the dog and person. 

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## GoldenMum (Mar 15, 2010)

Great post, I have a very reactive boy, and a bomb proof girl. I don't want either approached, I don't want my girl to have a negative experience as much as I don't want my reactive boy to have one. I only wish all dog owners could read this and understand......


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## quilter (Sep 12, 2011)

OutWest said:


> To the dog owner who said we shouldn’t be walking our dogs as they are reactive, how else would you like us to exercise our dogs? We can assure you we choose the time to walk our dogs carefully – never during school runs or right after everybody comes back home from work; we choose secluded places and don’t take advantage of the lovely dog walking areas you have at your disposal; we pretty much never venture out during the day on Saturdays and Sundays, and either get up ridiculously early in the morning or walk very late at night to avoid bumping into hundreds of dogs and owners enjoying their weekend walkies. We genuinely do our best not to put our dogs and other people’s dogs into difficult situations. But we do have to get our dogs exercised, and if we want to rehabilitate our dogs, we need to encounter some dogs at a distance too, and sometimes it is when you are out with your very friendly dog, too. All we need is a bit of understanding and space for us to pass with our dog so he doesn’t react to yours. So please, put your dog back on lead for a minute.


I disagree with this paragraph. Depending on the dog's reactivity, it might not belong out in public at all. I don't want my dog to be one of the dogs that a reactive dog needs to encounter. The owner of a reactive dog needs to find a dog owner to volunteer for that exercise. As one that walks late at night, too, the whole walking them at night is not working well for me.


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## Brave (Oct 26, 2012)

Great topic. Having a reactive dog is frustrating at times. I get so many looks, stares, glares, etc when Bear and I are out. Especially in the beginning. 

I get them if I correct him or not. I get judged because of his behavior and I feel embarrassment when we have to stop our walk and work through an issue. 

Last week, Bear's barking escalated (but way less lunging) and he started barking incessantly at a small child. The child tried to run up to Bear, and his father grabbed his kid while glaring at me. I had put Bear into a sit and was correcting his barking and praising for quiet, but when the kid approached, Bear went over his threshold and I lost his focus. If I hadn't reeled him into 6 inches of leash, he would have bowled the kid over in his enthusiasm. 

Bear isn't a mean dog. He isn't "aggressive" he just gets overexcited and needs work on his threshold. He is 1000x better now than he was a year ago. I wish strangers could see what we've gone through. Luckily those who know us, see how amazing of a dog he is. 


P.s. I hate flexi leads too. Our worst encounters involve off-leash dogs or dogs on flexi leads. 


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## Jennifer1 (Mar 31, 2012)

quilter said:


> I disagree with this paragraph. Depending on the dog's reactivity, it might not belong out in public at all. I don't want my dog to be one of the dogs that a reactive dog needs to encounter. The owner of a reactive dog needs to find a dog owner to volunteer for that exercise. As one that walks late at night, too, the whole walking them at night is not working well for me.



I have a DA lab as well. The reason most of us walk at night/early morning is that there are LESS dogs out.
Assuming all dogs are controlled and on-leash, than it doesn't really matter if you are out walking at the same time as I am.
I walk my guy in the early am and right after work, because those are the times that work for me, not because he is reactive. I will literally cross the street if I see someone walking towards us with a dog. That is his threshold that he won't react, about 10 feet. We can both peacefully enjoy our walks as long as you have your dog on a leash to keep it away from my dog.
I would hope no one is suggesting that they allow their reactive dogs off-leash anywhere/anytime that isn't on private property.

ETA:when I'm looking to work with my guy on his reactivity, the owner of the other dog isn't even aware of what I'm doing. For us, its getting him a little closer (maybe 8ft) with keeping his focus on me and not reacting to the other dog.

ETA #2: I would also point out that I never take my DA guy to places where dogs are allowed to be off leash. He misses out on lots of hikes I do with Kenzie (who is on leash) because they are out in the mountains where I KNOW people will have dogs off leash.


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

I have had reactive dogs. I have also had many non reactive dogs and I have to completely agree with Hotel4Dogs -

My dogs (whether reactive or not, friendly or not) are not out to be possible targets for your dogs and I do not like when people ask me to put my dogs at risk to show their dogs how to socialize. If my dogs are out, please do not approach them asking for my help socializing your dog or telling me your dog only wants to say 'hi'; and then saying my dogs must have a problem if they cannot meet your dog.

I do feel for reactive dogs - it is hard to keep their world safe. But I think ALL dog owners need to be aware that other dogs ALL deserve the courtesy of personal space.


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## quilter (Sep 12, 2011)

We have a neighbor with dog-reactive mastiff. He lets his dog off leash in his front yard at night. Because he knows there are fewer dogs out and he's willing to take that risk. 

The interesting thing about reactive dogs is that my dog can spot one a couple of blocks away, even if the dog isn't growling, lunging, or barking. There is some body language the dog gives off that my dog can pick up. My dog won't go near those dogs and he won't take his eyes off of them either.

We have watched three large reactive dogs pull their owners to the ground trying to get at Casper. It's part of living in the suburbs, I guess.

But it's all preaching to the choir. I keep my dog on leash and you all are working on your dogs. We aren't reaching the rest of the dog owners, and this piece isn't going to win anyone over. It's all a criticism of nonreactive-dog owners.


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## Eowyn (Aug 29, 2013)

quilter said:


> I disagree with this paragraph. Depending on the dog's reactivity, it might not belong out in public at all.


No. I have every right to take my dog out in public as long as I am smart and responsible. It is every single dog owners responsibility to not let their dogs run up to or greet another dog without asking first. I understand not wanting people to use your dog in training, but often that just looks like walking past your dog (sometimes at a distance of 50-150 feet) and at that distance I can't even ask a person. Responsible owners of reactive dogs do everything possible to keep their dogs under the threshold.

ETA: I am in no way saying it is ok for them to let them in striking range of anyone's dog or greet/sniff another dog.


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## Jennifer1 (Mar 31, 2012)

quilter said:


> We have a neighbor with dog-reactive mastiff. He lets his dog off leash in his front yard at night. Because he knows there are fewer dogs out and he's willing to take that risk.
> .


That's just setting his dog up to be euthanized after it goes after someone walking their dog and the person gets bitten in the scuffle.

I do see my DA dog as "my" problem, no one else's, but it is nice when people actually keep their dogs on leash and under control in areas where that is how it is supposed to be.
And yes, I agree with everyone that I don't let either of my dogs meet other dogs and really don't want any other dogs coming up to either one of them.


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## sdhgolden (Aug 13, 2012)

Sunrise said:


> I have had reactive dogs. I have also had many non reactive dogs and I have to completely agree with Hotel4Dogs -
> 
> My dogs (whether reactive or not, friendly or not) are not out to be possible targets for your dogs and I do not like when people ask me to put my dogs at risk to show their dogs how to socialize. If my dogs are out, please do not approach them asking for my help socializing your dog or telling me your dog only wants to say 'hi'; and then saying my dogs must have a problem if they cannot meet your dog.
> 
> I do feel for reactive dogs - it is hard to keep their world safe. But I think ALL dog owners need to be aware that other dogs ALL deserve the courtesy of personal space.


I agree. I doubt any GOOD trainer or training plan for a reactive dog suggests having them meet face to face with a dog that neither the dog nor the owner knows. That would be bad IMO. What if the dog they were trying to introduce their dog to was aggressive or reactive too? This would lead to a bad experience that would hinder your training and take you backwards rather than forward. Dog interactions if the reactive dog and owner are ready for that should be with very carefully selected dogs and it would need to be a slow progression. Again only if the reactive dog has made so much progress that it's ready for that. Some dogs never are. 

If someone who is a total stranger asks you to let your dogs meet so it can be socialized they have no clue what they are doing and need to find help. It is not fair to put another's dog at risk. 

I also see no problem with taking a reactive dog on walks and keeping them at a safe distance from dogs and people. They need to work on this. Plus lack of exercise can exacerbate any behavior problem. It doesn't harm anyone to have a reactive dog below threshold 10-15 feet away. Or even 5 feet if the dog is under control and below it's reaction threshold. 

Unfortunately there are smart reactive dog owners and dumb ones. My neighbor always has his reactive westie off leash. I told him my dog was aggressive and not good with other dogs after his dog ran up to mine acting crazy. He now keeps his dog away from mine. Picking it up if necessary. But he's still always off leash and I see him run up to other dogs! Just because your dog is small doesn't mean it's aggressive behavior is ok! He should be on leash!........rant over.......


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## kwhit (Apr 7, 2008)

quilter said:


> I disagree with this paragraph. Depending on the dog's reactivity, it might not belong out in public at all. I don't want my dog to be one of the dogs that a reactive dog needs to encounter. The owner of a reactive dog needs to find a dog owner to volunteer for that exercise. As one that walks late at night, too, the whole walking them at night is not working well for me.


And I disagree with _your_ statement. Reactive dogs _need_ to be out in public. It's one of the only ways they can work on their issues. But...and this is a huge but...the owners of these dogs need to be responsible. And I believe that being responsible means muzzling their dogs. I believe that a muzzle is a great tool if used correctly and humanely.

The dog has to be conditioned to wearing the muzzle and must be comfortable with it before taking on the stress of being out in public. This conditioning process could take weeks. But it's worth it to know that when they take their reactive dog among others, that they are keeping the safety of those they encounter in the forefront.


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## GoldenCamper (Dec 21, 2009)

hotel4dogs said:


> Very well written.
> I've been lucky enough to not have a reactive dog, but I'm on the other side of the coin...
> To the owners of reactive dogs....if you know your dog is reactive, please do not ask if you can approach my calm, laid back dog in an effort to "socialize" your dog, or "work him thru his issues".
> I can't tell you how many times this has happened with Tito, who is basically an approachable kind of guy. Next thing you know, the reactive dog is growling and/or snapping at Tito, who is standing quietly.
> It's one of my pet peeves, and it seems to happen to us all the time.


Same here Barb, peeve of mine too. If I even get asked it is by the time the dogs are already nose to nose. My dogs have been mellow and laid back and should not be considered some type of perfect opportunity or experiment.

Oh look a Golden! oh god not again..:doh:

With that said we have had 2 maybe 3 positive outcomes over the decades. Those reactive dogs pretty much only had us as friends. Walking with them was a nightmare though seeing off lead dogs approach knowing what was going to happen. Guess one could say I get what reactive dog owners go through


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## FeatherRiverSam (Aug 7, 2009)

In a perfect world everybody would have their dog fully under control but as we all know this is far from the case. I believe a reactive dog owner has every right to have their dog out on lead in all areas which require all dogs to be on lead. The toughest part of owning a reactive dog is in those areas which don't require a lead but do require all dogs to be under the control of the owner. To often they're not under the control of the owner and frequently not even in sight of the owner. I know when I have my dog off lead it's in wide open areas where I can see for some distance that there are no other dogs around. 

There's no simple answer to where is it safe to walk a reactive dog but with good judgement one can certainly reduce the risk of an unwanted encounter. And in my world nobody has the right to introduce their dog to your dog without receiving your approval first.

Pete & Woody


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## KeaColorado (Jan 2, 2013)

I feel it's important to mention that not all reactive dogs are aggressive. Some reactive dogs simply become too aroused or stimulated when confronted with something they find exciting, whether that's another dog or a person. As a result, they "lose their brains" and are unable to focus on good behavior and may begin to engage in undesirable behaviors like lunging at the end of the leash and barking frantically at another dog or jumping up on a person and grabbing at clothes. These kinds of dogs don't need to be muzzled or kept inside away from other dogs and people. Instead, they need to be incrementally conditioned to behave appropriately in situations that may involve the stimulus. For someone who has been working toward the goal of being able to walk down a sidewalk and pass by other people and dogs on leash while maintaining the focus of his or her own dog, one interaction with another out-of-control dog can undo months and months of training.


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## kwhit (Apr 7, 2008)

I agree that not all dogs need to be muzzled but there are those that do. These dogs need to be out in public, but not at the endangerment of other dogs they may encounter. 

Muzzling is _not_ a punishment if done correctly. It is a means to be able to expose reactive dogs to what they need to be exposed to to overcome their issues. Muzzles are also a roundabout form of communicating to others to keep their distance. It also allows the reactive dogs owner to feel more confident in their ability to control the situation, which in turn, will be communicated down the leash to their dog.

Maybe not all reactive dogs are aggressive, but the key here is others perception of the dog's behavior. A dog jumping and grabbing someone's clothing may not be aggressive, but I'd bet that the person whose clothing is being grabbed might view it otherwise. And that is what needs to be realized.


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## quilter (Sep 12, 2011)

I still say that _some_ dogs shouldn't be out. I don't think the mastiff up the street should not be out on the sidewalks, muzzled or not. He's too big of a risk. I won't bore you with all the details about this dog. Could that change? Perhaps with training.

I'm not sure if we are all saying the same thing about having reactive dogs out on the sidewalks. If a reactive dog is barking and lunging at my dog, even from across the street or down the street, that's a negative experience for my dog. If I'm walking down the street and your dog passes by, doesn't bark or lunge, and my dog can't even tell that your dog is thinking about it, then of course it's not a problem for me.


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## Jennifer1 (Mar 31, 2012)

That's where training and education come in. My dog won't be barking and lunging, because across the street is below his threshold. If a dog is barking and lunging, they need more space (totally owner's responsibility). All dogs have a threshold, it's just figuring out what that is and staying below it.

ETA: speaking as the owner, if my dog is barking and lunging, it's not anymore fun for me than it is for you!


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## OutWest (Oct 6, 2011)

quilter said:


> I disagree with this paragraph. Depending on the dog's reactivity, it might not belong out in public at all. I don't want my dog to be one of the dogs that a reactive dog needs to encounter. The owner of a reactive dog needs to find a dog owner to volunteer for that exercise. As one that walks late at night, too, the whole walking them at night is not working well for me.


Well, I need to disagree. The reactive dog needs exercise (although there are those who just stay at home all the time). If all dog owner/walkers played by the rules of the road, there wouldn't be a need for any dog to hide out at home. People would be in charge and in control, and asking from a distance about the advisability of the dogs "saying hello."


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

I agree with all the other comments, and just a minor thing is that like lots of the people on the personality test threat, I am an introvert with a very extroverted job. I love my dog walk time to be with my dogs, and I truly don't want to say hi and interact with that doodle owner who wants her dog to play with my goldens. I treasure my walk/hike, and sometimes I feel like people will go out of their ways to try and interact with my dogs just bc they are goldens. I have four bombproof ones, and one who will not tolerate that rude lab running up humping him etc, but will go to all lengths to avoid trouble. I dont mind being goodnatured if someone is making a huge effort to reel in a young dog etc, but I do get frustrated with the types who are just deaf to cues we'd rather do our own thing or the flexilead walker who is oblivious to closelining you while chatting away.


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## kwhit (Apr 7, 2008)

Ljilly28 said:


> ...or the flexilead walker who is oblivious to closelining you while chatting away.


Flexis are a real pet peeve of mine. I wish they'd never been invented...


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## Anon-2130948gsoni (Apr 12, 2014)

I wish there was some kind of universal signal, like a red bandana or something, that indicated to people that a particular dog is not available for interaction, period. Muzzles do tend to slow people down, as do Halti head harnesses just because they look like muzzles, but it shouldn't require going to that extreme.


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## Jennifer1 (Mar 31, 2012)

There is the yellow dog project. Use a yellow ribbon on your leash to indicate you need space (regardless of why). People have been trying to push this idea, I'm not sure how many people would realize what it means
About


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## kwhit (Apr 7, 2008)

Noreaster said:


> I wish there was some kind of universal signal, like a red bandana or something, that indicated to people that a particular dog is not available for interaction, period...


This is a good website that offers ideas and products for a dog's different issues:

What is a DINOS? « Dogs in Need of Space

The Official Home of DINOS: Dogs in Need of Space

A customer of mine had a bright yellow vest with "Caution...Shy Dog!" printed on it. Worked for her.


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## Jennifer1 (Mar 31, 2012)




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## kwhit (Apr 7, 2008)

Jennifer1 said:


> There is the yellow dog project. Use a yellow ribbon on your leash to indicate you need space (regardless of why). People have been trying to push this idea, I'm not sure how many people would realize what it means...


I'm going to take a guess and say not too many. And to make it even more obscure, here's a list of other meanings of a yellow ribbon:

armed-forces return
bone cancer / osteosarcoma[25]
giving prisoners a second chance at life[26][27]
endometriosis awareness[28]
craniofacial acceptance (CCAKids.org)[29]
remembering Black Saturday Bushfire victims[30]
Corazon Aquino's death
suicide-prevention awareness
Liver Diseases Biliary Atresia.
Support of the Cuban Five
Amber Alert


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## Ruby13 (Dec 28, 2013)

sdhgolden said:


> Unfortunately there are smart reactive dog owners and dumb ones. My neighbor always has his reactive westie off leash. I told him my dog was aggressive and not good with other dogs after his dog ran up to mine acting crazy. He now keeps his dog away from mine. Picking it up if necessary. But he's still always off leash and I see him run up to other dogs! Just because your dog is small doesn't mean it's aggressive behavior is ok! He should be on leash!........rant over.......
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com App


My reactive dog weighs 10 lbs. He's dog aggressive and stranger aggressive, and has a real problem with large tattooed men. He was abused and neglected for 3 years before he came into my care. Every step I take outside my door with him can go either direction. We have good days and bad days. He's getting older (7 years old now) and grumpy days are more frequent. He hasn't suffered abuse in 4 years, but he still reacts to anything that invades his space, other than us and our other dogs/cats. If I see someone coming - alone or with a dog - I scoop him up until we pass them. He's very, very cute, and looks as harmless as a butterfly. He always makes eye contact with human and dog, and everyone is as drawn to him as I was that day I found him in the animal shelter. I have to stop people in their tracks almost every time we encounter someone. I don't think most of them believe me, I think they just find me rude, even though I don't mean to be. But I've worked on this little guy for 4 years now, and one mistake can undo everything we have accomplished. I don't let his reactivity dictate our walk times, but he's little, and easy to pick up. If he were a large breed, we'd be walking at midnight.

I can really appreciate where the OP is coming from.


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## Brave (Oct 26, 2012)

Well we just got back from our nightly walk. There were two dogs we came across (ironically on flexi leads) that were reactive. A Yorkie across the street that nearly pulled its owner down trying to get to Bear. And an orange/tan/cream poodle mix that jumped up on a stranger it was walking past. 

And here we were, with Mr. Reactive, keeping a calm sit while three young boys skidded past us on scooters (Bear doesn't like things with wheels and he likes to chase things that go fast). One of the boys stopped and said, "I wish all dogs could be as good as yours. Don't touch the other dog." I can only assume they were referring to the poodle that was at that time two blocks ahead of us. 

Beyond that, we had two off-leash (but their owners were outside with them) dogs accost us. The first being a HUGE mastiff that honestly scared me. I had a child with me and I was scared I wouldn't be able to protect both if it came down to it. Luckily the owner grabbed him before he got to us and we carried on our way. Bear reacted to that incident. Though to be fair, it could have been my tension he was reacting to. The other was just a loose chihuahua. I stopped walking when the dog started following us and waited for the owner to come retrieve their dog. Bear didn't react to that, thankfully. 

I think we are a grand example of overcoming reactivity. And a prime testimony to the importance of getting reactive dogs outside and working through their behaviors/fears; expanding thresholds, etc. 



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## sdhgolden (Aug 13, 2012)

Ruby13 said:


> My reactive dog weighs 10 lbs. He's dog aggressive and stranger aggressive, and has a real problem with large tattooed men. He was abused and neglected for 3 years before he came into my care. Every step I take outside my door with him can go either direction. We have good days and bad days. He's getting older (7 years old now) and grumpy days are more frequent. He hasn't suffered abuse in 4 years, but he still reacts to anything that invades his space, other than us and our other dogs/cats. If I see someone coming - alone or with a dog - I scoop him up until we pass them. He's very, very cute, and looks as harmless as a butterfly. He always makes eye contact with human and dog, and everyone is as drawn to him as I was that day I found him in the animal shelter. I have to stop people in their tracks almost every time we encounter someone. I don't think most of them believe me, I think they just find me rude, even though I don't mean to be. But I've worked on this little guy for 4 years now, and one mistake can undo everything we have accomplished. I don't let his reactivity dictate our walk times, but he's little, and easy to pick up. If he were a large breed, we'd be walking at midnight.
> 
> I can really appreciate where the OP is coming from.


You would be an example of a SMART reactive dog owner. Unlike my neighbor who let's his westie off leash and who charges up to everyone frantically barking. What if that little dog bit someone? There are kids around us. He only picks his dog up to avoid me and my dog...that's it. If I hadn't said anything his dog probably would've attacked mine by now. He bit my other neighbors puppy.  So why let a dog like this off leash? In a neighborhood with families and leash laws? Wouldn't him being allowed to freely charge up to everyone counteract any training or conditioning being done? Almost every dog around us is reactive but all those owners are very responsible. If one of their dogs starts barking and lunging at my dog they just turn around and go another direction. I don't mind this at all! They usually know their dogs limits and keep their distance. My dog doesn't seem to realize the barking isn't friendly and wags his tail every time. 


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## OutWest (Oct 6, 2011)

sdhgolden said:


> You would be an example of a SMART reactive dog owner. Unlike my neighbor who let's his westie off leash and who charges up to everyone frantically barking. What if that little dog bit someone? There are kids around us. He only picks his dog up to avoid me and my dog...that's it. If I hadn't said anything his dog probably would've attacked mine by now. He bit my other neighbors puppy.  So why let a dog like this off leash? In a neighborhood with families and leash laws? Wouldn't him being allowed to freely charge up to everyone counteract any training or conditioning being done? Almost every dog around us is reactive but all those owners are very responsible. If one of their dogs starts barking and lunging at my dog they just turn around and go another direction. I don't mind this at all! They usually know their dogs limits and keep their distance. My dog doesn't seem to realize the barking isn't friendly and wags his tail every time.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com App


Your neighbor isn't doing anything to train or mitigate his dog's fear, he's accepted it and is coexisting with the dog's behavior. It's a shame you have to live nextdoor to all that.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

My Toby is nearly blind and is reactive. Dogs running towards him, on or off leash send him barking and lunging. I now announce to people approaching us that I have a reactive dog, please give us space. Most understand and thank me and steer clear if I cannot move away first. Others have no idea what the term reactive means so I end up telling them he is aggressive, please move! If I can I will walk up on a porch or cross a street, but often that is not possible. I don't think a yellow ribbon will mean anything to people. 

Yogi is reactive in a too friendly way so I have people try to put their mangy dogs in his space. It happened last weekend at a farmers market. I had him in a sit stay while I bought produce and a woman brought her snarly dog right up to his muzzle. Yogi held his stay while I proceeded to tell the woman, oh no, we are not doing greetings today! She was offended and said her dog was healthy??? I smiled and redirected yogi to face away. I get to choose who he greets and under what circumstances and he is not a social experiment for some stranger wanting to socialize their dog!


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

Dallas Gold said:


> She was offended and said her dog was healthy??? I smiled and redirected yogi to face away. I get to choose who he greets and under what circumstances and he is not a social experiment for some stranger wanting to socialize their dog!
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


I love this quotation. I have trouble being assertive with strangers, so I will keep these words in mind! People do like to use friendly dogs as social experiments for reactive dogs, and it is really unfair. There is a dog trainer with a reactive dobie at dogs shows often, and she used Mystic that way when I was trying to potty him in NH. I wanted to tell her off, lol, but I didnt really dare.


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## brianne (Feb 18, 2012)

I liked the article. Chum is a rescue dog and is dog-reactive. We walk at 5:00 am in an attempt to avoid most dogs. 

He is the first reactive dog I have ever owned and it has been a huge eye-opening experience. I used to be one of those folks who felt that there was "something wrong" with the owners of reactive dogs. ("For heaven's sake! Don't they know that they should TRAIN their dog?!") Now I understand how complicated it can be. 

I can't imagine EVER suggesting to use someone else's dog to socialize my dog-reactive dog! That's just scary and irresponsible!


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## Lise123 (Jan 1, 2014)

Question for the owners of reactive dogs: we have an extremely reactive pit bull on our block. She is perfectly sweet with people, but she hates other dogs. She frequently escapes and tears through the neighborhood, enjoying her "freedom run."

Last week, another neighbor with a dog warned me that if Sally is ever on one of her "freedom runs" and I"m walking Bailey, head to the nearest fenced area to keep him safe. She has attacked multiple dogs out on walks while she's free.

What is the best way to react to a reactive dog trying to attack your leashed dog? Pull her off and release his leash so he can retreat?

I should add that this reactive female is regularly brought to the dog park, ugh.


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## OutWest (Oct 6, 2011)

Lise123 said:


> Question for the owners of reactive dogs: we have an extremely reactive pit bull on our block. She is perfectly sweet with people, but she hates other dogs. She frequently escapes and tears through the neighborhood, enjoying her "freedom run."
> 
> Last week, another neighbor with a dog warned me that if Sally is ever on one of her "freedom runs" and I"m walking Bailey, head to the nearest fenced area to keep him safe. She has attacked multiple dogs out on walks while she's free.
> 
> ...


I would carry a deterrent or two. An air horn--use that as the dog comes toward you, and a pepper spray--use that if the others doesn't work and the dog gets near you. Spray right into its face. Couple other things--most people on here would probably go down fighting for their dogs, but getting involved in a dog fight is a very serious matter. Read up on dog bites and how to break up dog fights with the most safety. An aroused bully dog is a fierce opponent. I think you should have a conversation with the dogs owners about how it's contained. And a conversation with animal control--ask for their advice on what to do.


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## 1wdmcdonn1 (Jul 18, 2014)

Is this an early training issue? To what extent is being reactive amenable to training? Seems like it would require a big dose of patience and persistence.


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## Brave (Oct 26, 2012)

1wdmcdonn1 said:


> Is this an early training issue? To what extent is being reactive amenable to training? Seems like it would require a big dose of patience and persistence.



It's very much dog specific. Some dogs are born with it. Others develop it. Don't confuse reactive with aggression. My Bear is classified reactive because he doesn't have the coping skills necessary to deal with excessive stimuli. When he is overstimulated, he "appears" aggressive because he will lunge and jump and bark. Sometimes his hackles will come up. Sometimes not. So as his trainer it is my responsibility to TEACH him coping skills and to socialize him to the point that he is desensitized to certain levels of stimuli. 

And training works. It's hard. And you DO need patience and perseverance and it can be down right frustrating, especially when we're working our butts off to help our dogs and some nit wit with an "oh so friendly" dog just accosts us either on or off leash.


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## 1wdmcdonn1 (Jul 18, 2014)

Just saw this Zac George session which is very relevant. He stresses patience as you all have suggested. Tough job!


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## OutWest (Oct 6, 2011)

1wdmcdonn1 said:


> Is this an early training issue? To what extent is being reactive amenable to training? Seems like it would require a big dose of patience and persistence.


There are no hards and fasts but the consensus seems to be that many dogs are reactive and fearful due to their genetic makeup and many are made that way by poor beginnings. My Bella was left in a backyard by herself for most of the first year of her life--love from her owner but not allowed inside, given no training, never taken places. I think that's the main cause of her fearfulness, but it's also possible it's from poor breeding. She was a backyard bred pup.

Some dogs respond very well to training, some require medication plus training. I did both of those with Bella and modified her diet. And it does require patience.  Sometimes I don't have enough. :no:


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## GinnyinPA (Oct 31, 2010)

Ben is intermittently dog reactive, and it isn't always predictable when he'll react. He was a rescue, kept tied up outside for the first three years of his life and never socialized with people and dogs or trained at all. When we first got him, he was just really really excitable when it came to meeting other dogs. He wanted so badly to say hello to every person and dog we met. Unfortunately, his way of letting us know was to bark and lunge toward them. His lack of manners would sometimes set off the other dogs we met when walking or in class, and after getting attacked a couple of times, his attitude changed. In some ways it made it easier, because he no longer was as anxious to greet other dogs as he had been. His greetings calmed down a lot, and we were able to pass by other dogs without incident a lot more often. But it also meant that whenever he met another large male, he would start out okay, sniffing warily but politely, but then one or the other would soon start snapping. He has never hurt another dog, but has had fur taken from his neck a couple of times. We no longer let him greet other large dogs if we can help it. When hiking we get well off the trail and hold on tight to his leash. On the street, we'll cross to the other side. The problem comes when people say, "Oh my dog is really friendly" and insist on meeting anyway. Then the circling dogs often end up getting tangled in their leashes or one or the other will growl and snap. It isn't always Ben, but I think his body language (raised fur) is enough to set off alarms. 

Oddly, Ben has had less trouble with off leash dogs than on leash dogs. When we were on vacation in Washington state, every hike we did meant meeting dozens of off leash dogs. I was a nervous wreck. The only ones Ben reacted badly to were the huskies or malamutes. (For some reason, he HATES the northern breeds. We have several in our neighborhood, and even across the street, he reacts badly.) Last weekend we were hiking and ran into a couple with two off leash dogs. We told them to call their dogs to them, since Ben wasn't all that friendly, but they ignored us. We ended up seeing them three times, and each time the dogs were running loose, about 50' ahead of their owners. The dogs didn't come over to us though where we were off trail, and Ben behaved just fine. 

Ben has always been good with little dogs, as our neighbors on both sides have small dogs that are off leash in the unfenced back yards. They don't scare him. He'll greet them politely and has tried to play with the Boston terrier who is the friendliest. However, a neighbor recently got a beagle whom we meet frequently on our evening walks. That beagle tried to attack Ben the last couple of times we met. Now when we see them, the owner turns aside, because it isn't good for any of the dogs.


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## Martin (Feb 21, 2011)

1wdmcdonn1 said:


> Is this an early training issue? To what extent is being reactive amenable to training? Seems like it would require a big dose of patience and persistence.


It can be life experiences as an adult as well.

We got a border collie mix from the Humane Society when she was about four (if I remember correctly). She probably had a rough start in life: her former humans had gotten her for the Humane Society themselves when she was a puppy. She might have also been genetically predisposed to be fearful.

At any rate, she was very aggressive towards other dogs because she was so afraid of them. While she was reactive when we got her, her aggression got much worse while we had her. That might have been the bad advice we got from some trainers (prong collar, making her lay down, etc.). However, being attacked by other dogs as an adult was probably the main reason she was aggressive. On several occasions, she was walking peacefully along, minding her own business, and other dogs ran up and attacked her. She eventually instigated fights herself, but before that dogs came running up from behind her so she couldn't possibly have intentionally communicated aggression toward them. Maybe it was bad luck, but it happened several times with her and never with Drifter or Dolce. Drifter did get into two dog fight while I had him, but they were more dominance-related and not very serious whereas Lupita had to go to the vet for her injuries several times. Because of this discrepancy, we think that might have been the way she looked: she had floppy ears as well as a tail that curled above her body. This made her looked fear-aggressive even when she wasn't (see the attached photos).

Correct training eventually helped a little. We moved off to the side when another dog came, asked her to sit and look at us, and fed her treats. Had we started doing this when she was younger or had she lived even longer (I think she was ~15 when she died), she might have stopped being reactive; then again, she might not have. It took a long time for us to find out about this method, and it took a long time for us to find treats she was even allowed to eat (she had pancreatitis). However, this method did manage her well: she didn't lunge, bark, or even stare.

Lupita was also terrified of certain noises (thunder, fire crackers, trombones, etc.). The fire crackers thing angered me the most: they were banned in our city, yet people in our neighborhood still set them off every year. That meant she was scared of leaving the house for a month or so after every 4th of July. If people had obeyed the law, she would not have been terrified.


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

1wdmcdonn1 said:


> Is this an early training issue? To what extent is being reactive amenable to training? Seems like it would require a big dose of patience and persistence.


Fear based reactivity issues in dogs can arise for a number of reasons, and can occur in any dog, regardless of history or temperament. It is sometimes due to lack of appropriate and ongoing positive socialization, it can be caused by a traumatic event, or by repeated exposure to situations from which there is no escape, that the dog finds stressful and ultimately overwhelming for them. 
Reactivity is often misinterpreted as 'aggression', misunderstood, and treated with the wrong training methods. Finding the right kind of help is crucial to helping a reactive dog, changing how the dog 'feels' about what it is reacting to using reward based training methods to work through desensitizing and counter conditioning, is key to resolving the issue. Understanding dog body language, knowing what your dog looks like when he is relaxed and content, knowing what their stress signals are, can help to avoid putting your dog in situations that are overwhelming and frightening for them, and provide the opportunity to change how the dog 'feels' about the situation to help prevent a dog from becoming a 'reactive' dog. It does take a commitment of time and retraining and management, it is a process, there no 'quick fix', some dogs can recover fairly quickly, while others take a lot more time.
Have been down the 'reactive dog' road, with amazing results and with retraining program still underway, I have nothing but admiration and deepest respect for those who can and do commit to helping their reactive dogs. It is not 'easy' but it can be done.


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