Behaviour
Marianne Anderson
Overcoming fearfulness :
An honest guide to your dog ’ s reactive behaviour
Is your dog a little sweetheart at home yet prone to acting out in front of other dogs or people ? If you ’ re left scratching your head as to why your little pal goes berserk in certain situations , be assured that you ’ re not alone !
When your best friend acts out by snapping , barking or lunging , we can be quite taken aback . These kinds of fear-based behaviours are often referred to as reactivity or aggression . While undesirable , it ’ s important to remember that these are perfectly normal behaviours used by dogs to communicate .
As owners , it ’ s our job to understand why our dogs behave like this and how we can help them feel safe and calm around the things that upset them . In this article , we ’ ll look at the why ’ s and what ’ s of fearful behaviour and how to help our dogs become more confident .
Understanding Fear
Working with reactive dogs and their owners , I see first-hand how frustrating reactive behaviour can be and how something as simple as taking your dog for a walk can go from a pleasant experience to a total nightmare . Add to that the stigma surrounding reactive dogs being labelled as ‘ bad dogs ’, owners can be left feeling deflated , anxious and embarrassed . More than anything , we all love our dogs and don ’ t like seeing them upset !
Firstly , I don ’ t like the label ‘ aggression ’. Aggression isn ’ t the problem . Aggression , or anger , is a reaction to an underlying emotion . Once you identify that emotion , you can then look at the best ways to overcome them .
Photo : Jason Allison Photography
There are several reasons why a dog may act out ; perhaps they ’ re just desperate to say hello to everyone and feel frustrated when they can ’ t . Maybe they are an introverted dog who has learnt that the only way to keep bolshy , overly friendly dogs away is to bark and lunge as they approach ? Perhaps they are the cutest chihuahua who – despite not wanting to be touched – is petted by eager strangers , which causes them to snap at their hands ?
These actions are merely your dog ’ s way of saying , “ This frightens me – I want it to go away !”
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DOG
Issue 2 : Spring 2021