The Reasons Your Dog Might Be Reactive

Reactivity means a dog overreacts to certain triggers - this might be dogs, people, noises or movement. The dog may show behaviours such as barking, lunging, or growling. Here's a look into some reasons your dog might be reactive

Barking Dog

1. Missed or Limited Socialisation

   One of the most common reasons dogs develop reactivity is missed or delayed socialisation. And if this sounds familiar - please don’t blame yourself.

   Puppies go through a critical fear period between 8–16 weeks, where every experience can shape their behaviour. This is the ideal time for gentle and positive exposure to new people, dogs, noises and environments. But sometimes, life doesn’t go to plan. Think about all the dogs labelled 'lockdown dogs', since they missed out on the chance of having visitors at home, seeing and meeting people out on walks, and learning to settle in cafes or pubs. Additionally, I'm seeing lots of puppies with delayed vaccinations which inevitably delays their socialisation.

   Even in adult dogs, a lack of regular, positive exposure to other dogs and environments can make unfamiliar interactions feel overwhelming, leading to reactive behaviour.

2. Genetics and Breed Tendencies

   Your dog’s breed and genetic background also matter a great deal when considering their behaviour. Some breeds, especially guarding types, may be naturally more wary of unfamiliar people or dogs compared to other breeds that welcome visitors. Herding breeds that typically react more to movement can develop reactivity towards traffic, people or bikes. This is another reason that making sure you pick the right dog for you, and understanding the breed and their typical characteristics is so important for a happy and healthy life with your dog.

   Genetics can influence temperament just as much as environment. If your dog’s parents were fearful, anxious, or reactive, those traits may have been passed down. That’s why researching breeders and parent dogs is so important, but even then, some traits are simply part of who your dog is.

   This doesn't make them 'bad' dogs, but it does mean they need understanding, appropriate outlets and management.

3. Past Trauma or Negative Experiences

   Reactivity can also stem from fear caused by a traumatic event. In fact, most reactive dogs are actually fearful of the things they are reacting to. If a puppy is frightened or overwhelmed by another dog during their fear period, they may develop long-term anxiety around other dogs. If a puppy had never been introduced to cars and traffic passing on the road, it's very likely they'll find walking along a road a very scary and overwhelming experience.

   Likewise, if your dog has been attacked or had a bad experience, no matter how old they were, it can create lasting fear and defensive behaviour. Their reactivity is often a way of saying, “I don’t want that to happen again.”

   Lots of reactive behaviour can be a dog's way of trying to ensure the scary thing doesn't happen again, or doesn't come closer. If a dog barks at another dog passing by, worried about them coming closer, and then the dog passes by without coming closer, your dog may believe they've just avoided their scary thing because of the behaviour they showed!

4. Pain or Medical Issues

   Often, when we visit reactive dogs, we uncover pain or medical issues underlying. If your dog has had a behaviour change, or their behaviour has gotten worse, we should always consider pain and medical issues before diving into 'fixing' the behaviour. In particular, reactive behaviour can often be a cause of untreated medical issues - the most common being digestion and gastric problems. Remember the gut-brain axis - this is not only true for humans but dogs too. Other common medical issues that can result in reactive behaviour include: arthritis, hip dysplasia, ear infections, dental pain, spinal problems.

   If you think your dog is suffering a medical problem causing their reactive behaviour, get in touch with your vet as well as your behaviourist.

Reactivity can be complex and multi-layered. This list is not an exhaustive list or description of reactive behaviour.

If you have a question about reactive behaviour, get in touch with us

Emma

L&F Pet Services Ltd

(BSc, MSc Animal Behaviour & Training, UK Sniffer Dogs Scent Detection Instructor)