Dog Owners Fearful of Reactive Behavior
Owners of reactive dogs are experiencing frustration and emotional distress due to their dog's aggression, fearfulness, and unpredictable behavior. They seek guidance on training methods, feel isolated in their struggles, and question future breed choices.
SOURCES (60)
“Hello, I no longer own a reactive / semi aggressive dog that was behaving that way toward other dogs but my first ever dog was that, we owned her for two years before giving her to my brother for personal reasons. We are getting a…”
“So today I did a meet and greet for a xl bully. I dont have alot of experience with aggressive dogs and nor do i want to if im honest. The owner told me he was a rescue with a horrible past & that he wasn't aggressive but can be reactive towards other dogs but she didnt require me to walk him. He live with another dog who he seemed to get on with although they do play fight. The owner also has a baby who he was very good with. When I first arrived he was behind a gate and barking and sho”
“So today I did a meet and greet for a xl bully. I dont have alot of experience with aggressive dogs and nor do i want to if im honest. The owner told me he was a rescue with a horrible past & that he wasn't aggressive but can be reactive towards other dogs but she didnt require me to walk him. He live with another dog who he seemed to get on with although they do play fight. The owner also has a baby who he was very good with. When I first arrived he was behind a gate and barking and sho”
“Ok, sorry for the long post, but I want to be as detailed as possible because I really need some help. I rescued my dog, a golden retriever great Pyrenees’s mix, 83 pounds, back in mid July. He’s about 1 year old. His story is a bit unknown, but he was found with another dog (assumed to be brother) at some house out in the middle of nowhere. The rescue thinks the original owners moved and just left the dogs behind and they were likely abandoned for months before the house was bought and the owne”
“I have a one year old dog who has generally been positive towards other dogs, though sometimes over eager to meet them (which we don't allow). He isn't a barker and has been easily distracted away from other leashed dogs. I would say he needs improvement, but has not been dangerously reactive. The problem is that our neighborhood seems to be getting more and more lax about keeping their dogs behind doors/fences. Over the last year, I've encountered several loose dogs, sometimes while”
“So here's the issue I'm having, my dog hates like a very specific color of people (not white but not entirely black like a darker brown though men of any color is difficult) and certain accents along with other dogs. For some context he's a rescue my brother found him right before his own was about to throw him the the dumpster in his cage but my brother got him before they could. He looked awful and not to long ago a dog nearly took his head off. Here's the issue we are trying t”
“My 5 month old rescue puppy (unknown mixed breed) developed some reactivity (mostly towards dogs) that we have been working on and making some really good progress. He is not a huge fan of strangers touching him, so I put a sign on his leash saying “in training, please ignore” to help encourage random people to respect his space. This evening, while we were training at our local dog friendly shopping mall, a stranger approached us without permission, ignored me when I said aloud that we were tra”
“Sorry if this isn't suitable for this sub! I recently learned that dogs will often absorb some of their owners behaviors, personality, and feelings. My 9 year old pit is absolutely terrible and has a bite history, but she surprises me often. She does so much better when I'm not around, like at the vet. My behavioral trainer says that she gets anxious over protecting me, but I'm starting to wonder if I've been unintentionally projecting my fear onto my dog. I installed a nanny cam”
“Hi everyone! I have a Bernese mountain dog who is female and 3.5 years old. She’s reactive but I think it’s more from anxiety and excitement than aggression. We don’t let her meet dogs on walks because she’s usually reacting and we’re working on her threshold but there have been instances where off leash dogs have run at her and she’s been friendly. We rescued another 5 year old female BMD a few weeks ago and there have been a few fights so we are keeping them separate at this point in time. Our”
“my 4 year old german shepherd/rottie recently started lunging at passing cars and motorcycles and the garbage truck when we are walking. i think its fear based but not sure. any advice? submitted by /u/crystalknife [link] [comments]”
“I have a question. What would happen if my dog that was previously stiff, now suddenly moving? Should I restrain him or let him move? submitted by /u/Lazarismyjesusboiiii [link] [comments]”
“He’s not being protective he’s being territorial. He’s nipped my dad like 3 times he barks and growls when you go in the house. I went in and he went crazy I’ve never been scared of a dog but he scared me to death I seriously thought I was going to get bit. My friend says he’s “ protective” and it’s her first dog. Says it’s a Dutch shepherd but it’s a mutt looks like he has shepherd in him but he’s a pitty. He can’t be trained outside because he wants to chase cats and play. My dog doesn’t like”
“Hi everyone, I found this sub after looking for advice online. This is not about "my" dog, but a dog in my family home that I have to live around and engage with in my immediate vicinity. To be clear, I am not the owner, but I am in-part a caretaker because I live with it in the same space. For context, a family member I live with owns a dog they got from the middle of nowhere off an interstate about 5 years ago, right on the tailwind of the shutdown. It was clear that the dog had been”
“I’m looking for advice from people who have dealt with selective/unpredictable aggression in their dog. I have a female Staffy who is honestly the sweetest dog with me and my partner. She has never attempted to bite either of us and is extremely loving and affectionate at home. What makes the situation confusing is that she can also be absolutely amazing with strangers. People who are comfortable around dogs and genuinely like dogs can come into our home and she will love them. She’ll be friendl”
“Hey yall, i have a 1.5 yr old Boxer dog. The sweetest dude once you know him and he is comfortable for you. However, in public or of the sight of another person he starts to bark sometimes uncontrollably or may begin to act like a lunatic, where he can't calm down. It's frustrating, but I want to work with this guy because I see the potential in him to be the best dog for the whole world. I dont expect him to be the friendliest but at least neutral to his triggers, being humans. Idk if t”
“hey all! i was just wanting to ask the community: how often does everyone take their dog out for counterconditioning/desensitization? i know with reactive dogs, even your routine, 20 minute neighborhood walk can be a training opportunity for those things, but i’m talking like, taking them out to a busy park/public area, exposing them to triggers on purpose, and making it longer exposure time, instead of more random or sparse. do you guys do it everyday? couple times a week? i know it can be diff”
“Alright this post might be a little long but there’s history I have to get into. I rescued my dog at 6 months and he is now four. He’s a mutt with high percentages of Malinois, shepherd and pit. I want to start by saying I love my dog dearly. I have put so much time, money and love into his care that I’m at a loss of what to do. 85% of the time he is a great dog and extremely smart. He’s trained and listens at home but once he sees a trigger all of that goes out the window. He has always been do”
“Hello, Hoping to pick your brains on my situation. I have 2 shepherds one is bigger/older(F) that ive had since she was a puppy and a newer smaller male adopted last year. The older female is reactive occasionally when he gets into her personal space. Its not all the time but more likely to happen if hes walking past from behind her. She has done it over resources but for the most part if they each have a toy she will stop playing with hers and walk away until he goes and gets it and she’ll go g”
“I am planning to go back to the shelter to adopt a 7 year old cattle dog that’s very overweight and terrified of the shelter. He’s on anxiety meds but was shaking while other dogs all barked around him. The handler told us he’s not doing well in the shelter and needs to get out of there. He’s also suspected to be deaf. He was great once we got him out into the yard and really calm and sweet and followed us around. Until he sniffed another small dog through the fence and unexpectedly barked then”
“I’ve been reading a lot of the responses here after asking about reactivity and one thing that really stood out to me is how different every dog seems to be. Some dogs are fear reactive, some are frustrated because they want to get to the other dog, some seem overstimulated, some have pain or other issues involved, and people end up getting completely different advice depending on who they ask. It also seems like even when someone works with a good trainer, the owner is still the one doing the a”
“For context: My dog, a pit heeler pyranees mix, was attacked 3x by 3 different dogs as a puppy and has been reactive since. Shes been evaluated by 3 different behaviorist as we wanted to make sure if it was aggression or reactivity to know how to properly handle it. We live in an rv park where the officers and owners know about her, that she is always contained, and all of her challenges. They have no issue with her in to park. Cut to today, shes about 1yr and 7mo old, and has gotten to the poin”
“If you could take your reactive dog to a private dog park, what would you want there to make the most of your time? submitted by /u/PLJen [link] [comments]”
“Hi everyone, My dog has been reactive for a few years and I've recently made something that has made our training easier. I've watched a lot of courses, worked with trainers, but I found that it gets expensive and found myself alone a lot of the time and still looking for advice on if I'm doing something right or wrong. So what I've built is a physical device that attaches to the collar and while out on walks, it catches my dog's reactions like barking, lunging, pulling. It d”
“I read the wiki on reactivity , but I feel like my situation is a little more in depth than whats on the wiki suggestions. My dog can be super friendly and absolutely LOVE other dogs OR she wants to murder them, no inbetween. I'm not really sure how to go about this. Sometimes she will cry if she cannot play with the other dogs, other times she tries to rip their head off.. I know on the wiki, it says to create distance and distract them with treats. As well as reward them when they are good”
“Did your dog's reactivity naturally lessen with time? How did your adopted dog compare in her first three weeks to how she was after three months? Some context to my question, if interested: I'm two weeks into an adoption and feeling discouraged. Our 4-year-old collie is a reactive barker for anyone within eyesight of our house. Curiously, she has perfect manners if we're on a walk in a different location. She's friendly, gentle, and doesn't bark at all. At home, I recognize”
“I think my reactive spaniel would benefit. Thank you! submitted by /u/crash_cove [link] [comments]”
“My dog Orion is a large Shepherd cross Bully and has always been quite fear reactive, particularly around people and other dogs. A few days ago, there was a serious incident involving another person and Orion, and he is currently being kept in police kennels while the situation is investigated. I can't share many details because the case is ongoing. Before this happened, I had already been working on his reactivity, including muzzle training and management. I'm now arranging a veterinary”
“Hi all, I am looking into making an appointment with a veterinarian soon to prescribe my reactive dog medications. Behavior: - Noise sensitivity inside - Hyper-Vigilance (general) - Commonly breathing quickly with eyes wide and mouth open (anxious, can't calm down) inside after hearing a trigger or coming back inside from outside. - Reactive barking with other dogs and noises inside/outside I can not have my dog reactive barking inside an apartment with close neighbors - So i am hoping medic”
“Please be kind, we are trying our best! We have a four-year-old Chihuahua / Dachshund / Rat Terrier named Milo that is incredibly sweet toward the people he’s known since he was a puppy, but absolutely awful with new people and incredibly reactive outside. We tried one behaviorist (she came highly recommended and literally all told us to do was to teach him to deep breath. she literally wanted us to watch his nostrils and give him a treat when he breathed in so he would learn to self soothe...)”
“Some background to the dogs. A Lab/GSD rescue (slightly over 1.5yo - desexed) and a GSD (1.5 yo - not desexed) both males We've had problems with the GSD being sporadically aggressive towards the lab (has never injured him but tries to pin, hump, corner him), but this is often a few instances a day and otherwise plays with him, sits with him, exists around him normally. However the GSD became a lot more anxious and hostile to the lab after receiving his most recent bath and we are worried th”
“My 1-year-old adopted potcake (possible whippet mix?) charges at people when she feels intimidated. It's tough because these people are innocent and are usually just doing normal things like getting up from a chair or entering the elevator. She's so great with me and my boyfriend, and she loves other dogs when we're outside. She doesn't mind people passing by her, and she doesn't even charge at every movement... just some, and it often feels random. Our trainer has helped us”
“I have a 7-month-old mixed-breed dog, and ever since I got him, I’ve noticed how fearful he is. He used to run away from people, hide behind me, and always follow the same pattern: he would bark, try to make the person go away, and when that didn’t work, he would run and hide between my legs. As he’s gotten older, though, he’s becoming increasingly difficult to manage. When it’s just the two of us, he’s great, and I absolutely love this dog. But whenever our house cleaner comes over, I visit my”
“Are you more or less likely to go to a trainer for reactivity if that trainer has dogs that are reactive? submitted by /u/Haunting-Love-9333 [link] [comments]”
“I have an 11 year old Springer Spaniel that I have had since he was a puppy. I was younger and much more immature when I got him and training was not at the forefront in his early days. In the last several years, he has seen different training specialists. He has always displayed some anxiety and separation issues but generally is very friendly toward humans. In the last few months, he has gone at our dog walker. Specifically in the most recent incident, she came in and opened the door and he wh”
“Some background to the dogs. A Lab/GSD rescue (slightly over 1.5yo - desexed) and a GSD (1.5 yo - not desexed) both males We've had problems with the GSD being sporadically aggressive towards the lab (has never injured him but tries to pin, hump, corner him), but this is often a few instances a day and otherwise plays with him, sits with him, exists around him normally. However we are worried that one day the GSD will injure the lab which would cause further problems. We have had a dog behav”
“So I am a very private person and my dog’s reactivity gives me unwanted attention so I try to avoid avoid avoid. Plus I know exposing her to triggers would just make things worse (when not in controlled environment ofc). I also have insomnia and she knows how to tell me she has to potty by bumping her nose to the door. We live in an apartment complex and there’s another very reactive dog that can’t stand her and now they hate eachother. Yesterday she asked me to go potty at 2:40am and I was in h”
“Hello! I recently acquired a new puppy.. he will be 1 next month in September. And i need some help. So the background on this dog (his name is mason) is that my older sister and her boyfriend wanted to get another dog. (They already have 1) they originally went to go get a different dog but in the end somehow ended up with mason. Now mason is a very good dog. As long as he likes you. He took to my older sister.. but not her boyfriend. He runs away and even growls at him. And one day he was left”
“I have a 4yr old Great Dane, always been anxious and kinda reactive but gotten significantly worse over the last year or two. He’s at a point where he just basically freaks out and is lunging and barking into the air the second we even step into the backyard. We’ve spent probably more than 20 grand at this point on trainers, behavior consultants, vet behaviorists, meds, etc. I’ve already completely modified my life to accommodate his separation anxiety. Nothing really seems to help and when it d”
“Hello everyone, I have a German Shepherd/Labrador mix, and I’m really looking for some advice and guidance because we’re dealing with several behavioural issues. To start, we got him when he was almost a year old from my dad’s friend, who was moving back to his home country. He has bitten me, my dad, and, worst of all, my sister, who had to get stitches. Some of the problems we’re dealing with include: **Reactivity toward other dogs:** He will pull extremely hard on the leash and has even tried”
“hi! so I have a sprocker spaniel (springer x cocker) and he has started becoming reactive. he was tied up at an outdoor birthday party due to him nearly choking on a piece of skewer due to kids being..kids. anyways it was for his own safety. And then this kid who has a reputation of being bad and his mom not looking after him comes up to the dogs while we are handing out cake (buisy. Backs turned.) and he is Teasing them, not sure what with but it got a bark from both dogs, now before This incid”
“Hello everyone! I picked up my cutie yesterday, and while he loves his new space he is very dog, person, and pretty much anything that exists reactive. He also demonstrates resource guarding. He's a German Shepherd Lab mix so I kind of expected this. When I adopted him, they said that he was dog reactive and had a high prey drive, but when I mentioned my apartment and the hallways they said it should be fine if I have high value treats... Well it isn't. Turns out when he hears a neighbor”
“Hi all, Looking for some advice. I recently (a month and a half ago) adopted a 5 year old Labrador retriever mix (likely some pittie and bully in there) who is very sweet, but increasingly reactive on leash. He initially only reacted to men and bikes and now is also reactive to dogs and sometimes people generally. We’ve been working with an R+ trainer and have cut out “normal” walks and I now take him to open grassy spaces at the nearby park for shorter periods of time. “Find it” (treat scatter”
“If you wait until your dog goes rigid, locks eyes, or explodes, you’re already too late. Their emotional brain has taken over, and they are officially over threshold . Dogs almost never go from 0 to 100 instantly. Before the bark or lunge, they send subtle pre-threshold micro-signals (calming signals). Catching these "whispers" allows you to step in before they start "shouting." The Micro-Signals to Look For - The Curved Walk: Veering slightly sideways or taking a wide arc ar”
“Currently looking for a harness/ collar but curious what else people have found success with! submitted by /u/crash_cove [link] [comments]”
“Hi! I have a 1 year old lab/boxer mix. She’s been pretty fearful her whole life, but in her adolescence has gotten much worse when meeting strangers. She is very scared of loud noises and big things on the street (trucks, strollers, motorcycles, etc.); she’ll start pulling/running towards home when she hears or sees these things. I live in a city so these triggers are pretty unavoidable. We’ve been working on positive associations, by stopping and giving her treats when she hears a triggering no”
“My whippet is fear reactive to strangers, and to new dogs. Once she knows a dog or a person, she’s essentially perfect. All of her issues stem from fear of not knowing, but once she’s comfortable with someone (sometimes after only 1-2 times meeting them) she’s bring her toys, cuddling with them, taking treats etc. Her circle of dog friends is smaller, because she’s fearful of multiple breeds. She’s friends with a poodle who belongs to my partners grandma, and also my parent’s staffy. She can mak”
“Hi I bought a puppy back at the end of April for my dad's birthday on the first day he was super happy and laid back. But since the second day he's attacked us non stop and I think he enjoys it. One day he had a hold on my finger and he didn't let go I know when a dog is playing and being aggressive and he was just being aggressive he wasn't trying to teethe I've seen him do that. It's just really annoying and its at the point that he either improves or he has to go he”
“I have a ~16 week old mixed breed rescue puppy I adopted around a month ago. I did my best to safely socialize him in the time I have had him, but I don’t think it was enough. The critical window is closed and I feel like I failed him. I thought he did well on stroller outings, but on leash or in close proximity he barks and lunges at people and dogs. We will be going to group class and play group to expose him to other people and dogs on Monday. Advice and success stories greatly appreciated! &”
“Hi everyone, I’m looking for some advice and maybe some similar experiences with my 6-month-old Dachshund. Overall he’s honestly a lovely pup. He’s very bonded to me and comfortable with my direct family, but we’re currently struggling with overstimulation, movement triggers, and busy family situations. This happened inside the house, but he also barks at strangers on walks if they get too close or try to interact with him. A bit of background: He isn’t fully comfortable being left alone yet and”