The #1 issue that clients call us for assistance is their dog being reactive. In this article, I am going to do my best to breakdown exactly what reactivity is, what creates it, and things to do to correct it.
First off, reactivity is often confused with aggression. Mostly, this is due to the fear of the owner believing that a dog that gets out of control when seeing another dog or other stimulus is going to break free of their grasp and attack and kill dogs and people walking down the street. I am serious when I say this fear of responsibility is the thing that drives the reactivity. Two things are required to get your dog to ignore anything. The first is that you must be relaxed when the exposure happens. The second is the dog must be conditioned to focus on you instead of responding to the trigger.
As I sit here at my desk typing this, I would like to think that I am relaxed and calm, that is until I take a breath and relax my shoulders reminding me that maybe I was not all that relaxed.
Reaction- “the ability to respond physically and mentally to external stimuli”, this means anything we can see, hear, smell, or sense. The place to start working with reactivity is the door of your house that guests would come to. They let you know they are there by ringing the doorbell or knocking. The dog knows that if someone rings the bell or knocks, they are outside the pack. This can either be exciting or scary to the dog. In all the houses I have visited for appointments, before training, the owner either comes to the door trying to keep their door back with their legs and lots of talking, or they say come in and they have the dog by the lead or collar holding them back. I am not even going to mention the times that I knock on the door and several people start yelling and screaming at each other like they are locking down a prison. I wonder why the dog gets so excited when someone comes to the door.
Even for us, a knock at the door or ringing of the doorbell can be startling. When we jump up and move quickly to the door, the dog, being more alert and faster, beats us there. Our over reaction is a sign of instability, and unlike humans, dogs won’t follow an unstable leader. The dog assumes that their perception of the situation is shared by you since they are in front of you.
Add this to the fact that so many dogs run out or pull their owners out the front door, you can see what causes them to be reactive to the door which leads to them being crazy and jumping all over people.
Start with this one simple thing. Without saying a word, walk up to any door that goes to the outside, stand up straight with your back against it, and slowly open the door. If your dog is not there yet, this will likely bring them running. Without saying a word, step in towards the dog as you open the door. If they move forward, you move towards them. Be sure to move slow, stand up straight, and don’t say a word. Facing a dog at a “gate” and that is what all door/stairs etc. are, tells them in canine that you are claiming that space and to stay back. You want to get to the point when you can fully open the door and stand to the side and the dog’s eyes stay fixated on you. Take your time. This is a very foundational skill in dog handling and will work with multiple dogs at the same time. Conditioning your dog to focus on you when they want access to something is the key to your relationship. Passive training is the practice of taking things you normally do every day as a cue for your dog to focus on you. This is the way that everyone in the house should exit the house when going outside.
The same thing should be done even when you have a fenced in backyard. Stand in front and open the door and move forward until the dog stays and focuses on you. When you are ready, simply step out of the way, say out or OK, and release them into the yard.
All dogs, regardless of living conditions, have access to a door, that access has to come from the handler. Even though I recommend that every dog get a 15–20-minute Loose Lead Walk (not to be confused with going potty), I live in the real world and know that for many reasons they don’t. Until you can control the front door of your house, there is a less than zero chance that you will be able to control them outside the house. That is a subject for another day. The next step is getting them to focus on you when guests come in, instead of jumping on them. No matter who you are, where you live, or how many dogs you have, what I have detailed above is something you can probably do. Don’t just do it, make a habit of it and let me know how it goes. Also, don’t ruin it with talking and treats. Although it is implied, this is all done off lead. Even when we do use a lead, it is only for safety and communication. If you need a lead to control your dog, you can’t control your dog. It is best to start with door work simply because it is a part of everyday life, and it allows you the most control with the least amount of effort.
Breathe and relax. Remember you are investing in your relationship with your dog by learning their language. It pays off.