27/01/2025
Understanding Leash Reactivity
There's a lot of euphemisms in dog training, mostly trying to smooth over things that don't sit well with us. Words matter and how you talk about your dog matters and influences how you feel about your dog. Owners tend to sugarcoat things or understate them, saying things like the dog "nipped" or that their dog is "shy" or "takes a while to warm up" or "is protecting them." Aversive trainers and electric fence companies will tell you the shock collar is "just a vibration like your cell phone."
One of these euphemisms is the overuse of "reactivity" any time a dog barks or reacts to something. It's become a catch all term for all dogs who bark, lunge or otherwise alert to stuff, without making any distinction between dogs who are fearful, aggressive or those who might just be frustrated.
As an owner, it's hard to know the difference. Even for many less qualified professionals it can be hard to tell in some cases. But there's a grave danger in lumping all dogs, regardless of what their underlying issue is, into a broad reactivity category.
If you have a dog who is reactive on leash who lunges, growls or barks at other dogs, it might be a normal assumption to make that your dog is "aggressive." But what if they're not? What if they're frustrated? What if the barking, lunging, growling and posturing isn't to try to keep that other dog away but is that your dog is actually social and friendly and doesn't have a good way to express the frustration he feels because he's on a leash (or behind a barrier, fence, etc.) that prevents him from having the social interaction he so desperately wants?
Read more:
https://rescuedbytraining.com/2025/01/27/reactivity-is-not-aggression/
