What Does 'Reactive' Mean?
The term "reactive" has been gradually trickling its
way into mainstream dog culture. What does it mean?
Reactive behavior is an information-seeking strategy, generated
by anxiety. A reactive dog will rush towards something or
someone that they are uncertain of, barking, lunging, growling,
making a big display. Reactivity is sometimes mislabeled as
aggression; but reactive dogs are not rushing in because they
want a fight. They are rushing in because they are so flooded
with adrenaline that they just fly at their "trigger"
in a panicked attempt to assess its threat level.
Reactivity is sometimes mislabeled as dominance because people
view dogs that rush at their "triggers" as dogs
that want to take charge.
This is absolutely not the case. Reactive dogs are anxious,
and their response is intense because they are panicking.
Reactivity should be dealt with using positive methods that
teach the dog how to relax around things that worry them,
and the techniques of "desensitization and counter-conditioning."
Reactive behavior should not be met with "corrections"
which will add to the dog's anxiety about the situation and
do harm in the long run, even if it seems to repress behavior
in the short run.
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