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Reactive Dog Classes
The difference between an aggressive dog and a reactive dog is that usually an aggressive dog displays aggression based on confidence, while a reactive dog displays actions based on anxiety or fear. Aggression is a natural response, and occurs in many circumstances, including territorial protection, resource guarding, and protection of pups. While a reactive dog 'can' be aggressive, he will only likely do so if placed in a situation where he feels that there is absolutely no escape.
There are many reasons why a dog might become reactive. The typical age when this starts to occur is between 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 years (although it can start at any age). Genetics, lack of socialization, a single or multiple traumatic experiences, environment, and physical stressors may all be factors in your dog's reactivity. Progress can be very quick or very slow, but progress can always be made, and the quality of your dog's life (and yours) can always improve.
If my dog is reactive, fearful or aggressive, should I take him for walks where we risk exposure to the elements that excite him, keep him locked up in the yard behind a chain link fence, or let him off leash in relative seclusion where he can't do much harm?
This is the sort of management issue that we address in our class lessons. Each dog is unique in its self, as some dogs can handle some situations, while others need a completely different approach.
It is important that with a reactive dog, they initially should be walked in quiet areas away from over stimulation, and not permitted to watch out the front window and bark at passersby, or to watch dogs or people walk by through a fence. Leaving a dog run off leash is against the law in most areas, and until you have a really great working relationship with your dog, it shouldn't be done.
There are a number of things that can get your dog going…men wearing hats, people dressed in black clothes, screaming kids flailing their arms, etc. There is hope for your companion dog.
We can put into place a lifestyle program for you and your dog which will manage this behavior, reduce stress, and teach him default behaviors which you and he can use while out in public. Teaching these behaviors will help you and your dog to build a working relationship based on trust. Your dog will learn to trust that you will take care of him and that if he pays attention to you, no harm will come to him. Of course, that means that you really do need to ensure that bad things don't happen to him! These changes don't happen quickly, but once you start to see a change in your dog, working with him becomes so fulfilling that it often becomes addicting!
Any food which taxes your dog's immune system should be avoided. Feed your dog a diet which includes high quality whole meats, multiple sources of protein, and easily identifiable fat sources (i.e., chicken fat as opposed to poultry fat). Avoid, at all costs, the use of corn, wheat and soy in your dog's food. These foods are difficult for a dog's short digestive tract to process, and are often low quality fillers, full of pesticides and moulds. Also, avoid artificial flavours, colors and preservatives, as well as sugars. Find a food which includes fruits, vegetables and probiotics.
Most pet food manufacturers are jumping on the bandwagon and producing foods which follow these guidelines, so the availability of such foods is rapidly increasing. These foods will provide nutrition in the most usable form, and give the dog the best possible combination of vitamins and minerals. Poor quality foods can tamper with a dog's blood sugar levels, create irritability, gastric irritation, and other physical complaints which make learning difficult to impossible. If you are interested in feeding home-cooked meals or raw food to your dog, make sure you do lots of research first.
The longer these behaviors occur, the more difficult it is to make positive changes. At the very least, you and your dog would benefit from building your working relationship. But there could be much more serious issues going on; in addition to scheduling classes with us, make an appointment with your veterinarian to rule out any medical conditions, such as deafness, ear infections, arthritis, hip dysplasia, epilepsy, etc. Let us help you to help your dog!
If you would like to contact us requesting further information regarding this class or any of our classes, please contact: The Big Dog Little Dog Bakery at: 604-534-1500.
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