Does your dog bark, lunge, or panic around other dogs or people?
No one gets a pet hoping their journey with their new companion will be difficult. Many people contact us after dealing with a dog that pulls, lunges, or barks at other dogs or people. Not only does this make it difficult for the owner to have their dog out in the real world, but it is also a sad way for a dog to live.
There are many reasons for dog reactivity – frustration, overarousal, insecurity, inconsistent training, etc. Today, we will be going over why some dogs are fear-reactive and the steps you can take to help.
Reasons Why Dogs Become Fear Reactive
- Past negative experiences or trauma
- Lack of exposure and proper socialization
- Lack of direction or handler leadership
- Dog temperament and genetics
Regardless of the contributing factors, it is possible to reach a point where you can go for walks together calmly and confidently.
Fear Reactivity vs Fear Aggression: Understanding the Difference
Fear reactivity is a complex issue that shows itself as a dog displaying defensive behavior that is rooted in fear in attempts to increase the distance between him and the scary thing, not to fight. For example, a fear-reactive dog might bark or lunge at another dog, but then retreat or hide behind their owner.
Fear reactivity and fear aggression can look very similar, but it is important to note the differences. Not all dogs that are fear-reactive are fear-aggressive. All fear aggression starts as fear reactivity, but not all fear-reactive dogs actually aggress.
A fear-aggressive dog chooses aggression as a last resort when he feels like he has to defend himself. The aggression is a way to make the threat stop – the dog isn’t showing aggressive behavior because he is inherently dog aggressive, but as a self-defense mechanism. If a dog has been put in situations where he has had to defend himself, he’s more likely to resort to that behavior in the future whenever he is in an uncomfortable situation.
How far the dog feels pushed past their comfort zone – and how much control they have over the situation – determines the likelihood of fear reactivity escalating into fear aggression.
Why Does My Fear Reactive Dog Act Like This
When a dog is afraid, his brain triggers a survival response just like ours do. In dogs that are truly afraid, this isn’t a conscious choice – their body is reacting faster than their thinking brain can keep up. This causes these changes in the dog’s body:
- Adrenaline and cortisol flood the system
- Digestion shuts down
- Logical thinking stops
- Muscles tense
- Heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure rise
- Hyperawareness
We often hear from clients that whenever their dog is afraid of something, they won’t take food or are unable to hear – this is why. This is a real physiological response, not a choice or a dog “being bad.” You wouldn’t be wondering what’s for dinner when you’re concerned about being dinner for a tiger!
It is as important to change how your dog feels as it is to change your dog’s behavior.
Fear Responses in Fear Reactive Dogs: Freeze, Flight, or Fight
The amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for emotional reactions, triggers one of the three main responses when a dog feels unsafe: freeze, flight, or fight.
Freeze
“Maybe if I don’t move, it will go away.” The dog shuts down by staying still or holding their breath because he is overwhelmed and afraid. Unfortunately, to an untrained eye, a shut-down dog can be perceived as “being good” or “calm,” especially if they have been punished for reactive behavior in the past. What to some may look like a fixed behavior problem and calmness is actually a pressure cooker waiting to blow.
Flight
The dog tries to avoid the scary situation in an attempt to feel safer. This is most dogs’ preferred choice – most fearful dogs would much rather run away than fight. It can look like:
- Pulling away from the scary thing (dog, person, bicycle, etc)
- Refusing to walk forward
- Hiding behind the owner
- Trying to run away, escape, or bolt
We never want to force the dog to approach the thing they are afraid of. Flooding does not work for real fear.
Fight
The dog wants to fight the scary thing in an attempt to make it go away. The difference between fear aggression and human or dog aggression is that the dog wants to escape the situation instead of engaging the trigger. The dog feels like they can’t escape the situation in other ways, so they will resort to barking, lunging, biting, or snapping in an effort to protect themselves.
What looks like aggression is often fear turned defensive. This isn’t about “dominance” or “being top dog.” Once your dog learns that calm behavior can also result in the trigger going away, the vast majority of dogs rarely feel the need to fight again.
How to Train Your Fear-Reactive Dog
Unfortunately, the problem often escalates over time as the dog learns that reactivity displays are productive. If a dog is afraid of other dogs and barking at those dogs makes them go away, what behavior just got reinforced and strengthened? That is why it is important to not only stop the cycle but also give your dog the tools they need in order to be more comfortable and confident.
Step 1: Avoid Triggers at First
In the initial stages of training, try your best to avoid any situations where the reactivity can be practiced. Right now is not the time to have your dog around other dogs and people.
Step 2: Build Foundational Skills
Begin training by having your dog “earn their paycheck” while doing basic training for their food. This is a good way to work on obedience training and building a good working relationship with your dog while training in lower distraction environments. Ensure that those training sessions with you are fun for the dog!
While it is important to hold your dog accountable to commands, what we are also striving for is an activity that can set clear expectations for the dog while also building their confidence.
Step 3: Stay Neutral and Lead Calmly
Prior to working with your fear-reactive dog around its trigger, it is important to be mindful of the fact that our behavior affects our dogs’ behavior. Do not coddle your dog when he looks uncomfortable.
Attempts to comfort your dog like you would a person (gentle words or physical affection) will not be perceived as such by your dog. It may seem counterintuitive at first, but not only is it ineffective in making your dog “feel better,” it often makes the situation worse. Your well-intentioned words of comfort will instead be perceived as reinforcing that state of mind and only encourage your dog’s distress.
The best thing you can do for your dog is to present neutral body language and set clear expectations for the outings. It is when dogs don’t know what’s expected of them that they default to instinct or learned behavior, which in this case is reactive outbursts. Using obedience you can rely on, as well as properly desensitizing your dog and counterconditioning his responses to the triggers, will be what make the difference.
Desensitizing Fear Reactive Dogs
Once your dog has a reliable foundation, we can start working on their fears by practicing on-leash obedience around the trigger. Desensitization is gradually exposing your dog to what he finds scary.
We can play the engage/ disengage game to gradually get your dog closer to (and more comfortable with) what he finds scary. Only increase the intensity of the exposure if your dog is showing relaxed body language, and always reward recovery by disengaging.
If your dog is exhibiting signs of fear reactivity, you have come too close to the trigger. A dog that is over threshold can’t think. Training a fear-reactive dog should not look like having a reactive dog at the end of the leash!
Counterconditioning Fear Reactivity
Counterconditioning is also a great tool for fearful dogs. It allows you to use something your dog enjoys to create a new association between the dog and the trigger. Remember that underlying emotions are part of the initial conditioning, and changing those associations takes time and consistency. Pair gradual desensitization with making your structured sessions fun for your dog.
It helps to diffuse tense situations by making your dog perform a behavior that is incompatible with feeling fearful. It is a lot harder to remain concerned if you are too busy having fun! Upon signs of recovery while working your dog around the trigger, release your dog away from the big distraction and throw him a little party. Get excited with your dog, play with them using their favorite toy, and use their favorite treats after using your release marker. You’ll find that over a span of several training sessions, the dog will become a lot more comfortable around the past trigger, more engaged and responsive to you, and potentially even get excited whenever they are around the thing that used to scare them!
Setting Realistic Expectations with Fear-Reactive Dogs
While changing your dog’s initial emotional responses is possible, keep in mind that your dog may not end up 100% comfortable with what they were originally afraid of. In training of all behavioral cases, we strive for neutrality – anything beyond that is a bonus. We must set realistic expectations and not push our dogs past what they are actually capable of. Not all dogs can be let loose with strange dogs and do well, just like not all dogs will be friendly with all strangers – and that’s alright. A Boerboel will never be a Lab – no trainer can change genetics. We have to be mindful of that fact while we work with the dog in front of us.
Choosing the Right Trainer for Fearful and Reactive Dogs
Not all dog trainers understand how to work with dogs with behavioral issues. A lot of trainers believe that simply punishing the behavior they don’t want to see from the dog will make that behavior go away. While positive punishment may seem effective in that moment, it will not change the issue at the core: the way the fear-reactive dog perceives that trigger. It can suppress behavior temporarily, but does not fix the associations. Punishment certainly doesn’t help build confidence or build trust and a relationship between the owner and the dog.
Training fearful, reactive dogs while using positive punishment-heavy approaches often leads to worse reactivity or even aggression. Reactivity is a symptom, not a cause – the root cause is a nervous system that is stuck in survival mode. A fear-reactive dog isn’t being willful or dominant or bad – he is stressed and scared.
The trainer’s job is to make them feel safe and give them the coping skills necessary to be more confident (actually be able to think in that environment).
Many trainers can teach your dog how to sit for a cookie in a low-distraction environment. Very few can work with behavioral cases so they can both heel and heal. At K9 Guide, we specialize in behavioral cases, and we love working with fear-reactive or fear-aggressive dogs! It is extremely rewarding to see dogs grow in confidence and be able to accompany their owners on all their life’s adventures.
Ready to help your dog feel safe again?
At K9 Guide, our experienced trainers focus on helping fear-reactive dogs grow in confidence and rebuild trust. That way, your dog can make calmer choices and feel safe. Learn more about our Dog Training Options for fear and reactivity, and get ready to Enjoy Your Dog!
Written by Yana Allport – K9 Guide Owner and Training Director