What is dog reactivity?

If you’re struggling with your dog's behaviour on walks or at home, they’re probably struggling too. Understanding their emotional state will help you support them and change their behaviour. 

Reactive behaviour can be caused by feelings of fear, excitement and frustration. Sometimes it’s hard to work out which emotion your dog is experiencing, so it’s important to remember that helping them will take time. 

Reactivity develops because it helps the dog feel better. Barking and lunging might make the scary thing go away and relieve the dog’s fear. Or jumping around, barking and spinning might ease their frustration or anger. It’s the feeling of relief the dog gets from this behaviour that means they will do it again. So the owner sees the behaviour getting ‘worse’.  

Training and working to change your dog’s emotional state can help you improve their behaviour. It’s difficult to do this alone. So it’s best to find a qualified professional to help you with a long-term solution, rather than a quick fix. 

Next: Train your dog with short video lessons by Woodgreen's experts.