Dog Reactivity
Reactivity in dogs is a natural RESPONSE, not a behavioral choice. When they become overaroused by a trigger, it’s their nervous system responding, RATHER than an act of defiance. Understanding that a dog's emotional state is vital can make all the difference! By focusing on managing their AROUSAL levels and fostering new, positive associations with those triggers, we can help our furry friends feel more comfortable and confident in their environment. TOGETHER, we can support their journey toward calmness and happiness!
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Tackling Reactive Behaviors
Two Dads' training approach
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Managing the environment: Owners must keep their dog below their threshold to facilitate learning. This means exposing the dog to a trigger for brief periods and gradually increasing the intensity as the dog becomes more comfortable.
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Building confidence: Reactivity is often linked to low confidence. Two Dads Dog Training recommends using game-based training methods, especially in low-distraction zones like the home, to build a dog's resilience and trust in its owner during walks.
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Classical conditioning: By creating positive associations with triggers through counter-conditioning, a dog can re-catalog its experiences and learn new behaviors. For example, seeing a dog approaching (the trigger) can lead to a game of tug or a scavenger-hunt foraging activity (the positive outcome), thereby changing the dog's emotional response.
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This aspect of reactivity comes AFTER management and confidence have been addressed.
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Check our e-Book: Protocol: Controlled Exposure Dog to Dog (Outdoors).
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Journaling: Keeping a journal to reflect on their training sessions is a good way to know the trending progress of the game interventions. By evaluating what went well and what could have been done differently, owners can learn to predict better and manage their dog's responses.
