Understanding Reactive Dogs

Book excerpt: Dogs are one of the most popular companion animals, and many of them go through life confident and happy with the world around them. A significant number do not - the scared dogs, the anxious dogs, the ones who are terrified when approached by another dog, person, or a whole range of possible things. These dogs react to the causes of their fear in a range of ways, all of which combine to make what are called 'reactive dogs', the ones who cannot cope and have to find a way to tell us. They may be labelled 'bad', 'aggressive', or 'vicious' when they are none of those things. They are scared, and it is up to us to learn and to help. Learn how fear, anxiety and stress affect the dog. Follow the chemical and physiological changes that happen in the fear response. Find out the potential causes of reactive behaviours, and how to help a puppy have the best chance of avoiding reactivity as they grow and mature into an adult. Discover how to help the reactive dog develop a better relationship with the world. Finish reading this book better understanding reactive dogs.