Is my dog reactive? Take the free 3-minute quiz

Your dog is probably reactive if it barks, lunges, growls or pulls hard at other dogs or people on walks, then calms down once they've gone. The ASPCA calls this leash reactivity. Most of these dogs are scared or frustrated, not "dominant". The useful question is less "is my dog reactive" than "how close can another dog get before mine reacts?" That distance is where training starts.

Take the free dog check (10 questions)

The signs, on a walk

• The same trigger, every time. Other dogs, people, bikes or cars. Most reactive dogs have one that sets them off fastest.
• A distance. Your dog is fine across a field but explodes when a dog passes on the same sidewalk.
• Stiff, staring, then loud. A fixed stare and a still body before the bark or the lunge.
• Treats stop working. Close to the trigger, your dog won't take food it loves at home.
• A slow come-down. Minutes of panting, pulling or scanning after the other dog has passed.

Reactive, aggressive, or just excited?

An excited dog pulls toward other dogs with a loose body and greets happily when allowed. A reactive dog over-reacts: barking and lunging it can't switch off until the trigger is further away. The ASPCA names two common causes: fear (lunging works, the other dog goes away) and frustration (a dog that wants to say hello, held back by the leash).

Aggression is different. If your dog has bitten, or snapped and made contact, don't start with a plan or a quiz: see a board-certified veterinary behaviourist. Our check asks this question and sends those dogs to one first.

Reactive, or just a teenager?

Many dogs go through a teenage phase. In a study of young guide-dog candidates, dogs at 8 months responded less to a well-known "sit" from their own carer than they had at 5 months, and carers rated them less trainable than at 5 or 12 months; it was a passing phase (Asher and colleagues, 2020). A young dog that suddenly barks at other dogs may be partly that. It still pays to work at a distance now: every lunge your dog practises makes the next one easier.

Is my dog reactive because of me?

Usually not, and blame doesn't help the next walk. What you do on the leash does matter, though. In a survey of owners of 140 dogs seen at a veterinary behavior service, 43% of dogs that were hit or kicked responded aggressively, and 31% of those given an "alpha roll" did (Herron, Shofer and Reisner, 2009). The AVSAB position statement lists leash jerks, choke and prong collars and shouting among the methods to avoid, citing more anxiety and fear-related aggression. Three things owners can change today:

• Make space early. Cross the street or turn around before your dog stiffens, not after the lunge.
• Feed while the other dog is in sight. Treats appear when a dog appears, and stop when it has gone.
• Keep the leash loose. A tight leash held short can turn a look into a stare.

Reactive or protective?

Owners often read barking at people or dogs near the house, the car or the owner as protection. On a walk, the pattern that matters is the same either way: a trigger, a distance, and a dog that can't settle until the trigger is further away. If your dog guards you, your yard or food and has snapped at anyone, that is a question for a vet behaviourist, not a plan.

Rule out pain first

A 2020 review by Mills and colleagues of 100 dog behaviour cases estimated that around a third involved a painful condition. If the reactivity started suddenly, or your dog is stiff, limping or touchy, see your vet before you train.

What the free check asks

Ten questions, about 3 minutes, no card:

1. What sets your dog off most.
2. Your dog's name.
3. What your dog does when it happens.
4. How far away the trigger is when your dog starts to react ("a house is about 50 feet wide").
5. How long until your dog is calm again.
6. Whether your dog has ever snapped or bitten.
7. Any pain, limping or recent illness.
8. Your dog's size.
9. Whether your dog takes treats on a walk.
10. What your dog wears on walks.

You see your dog's trigger distance, the distance to aim for, and the first days of drills. The full 12-week plan after it is optional and paid once, no subscription.

Find your dog's trigger distance

Can a reactive dog get better?

Many improve, slowly. The ASPCA says a few mildly frustrated, food-loving dogs improve in a session or two, but most need many sessions over days or weeks, working from far enough away that the dog stays calm. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior recommends reward-based training only: no prong or shock collars and no leash jerks. More reading: how to walk a reactive dog and why your dog lunges at other dogs.

Sources

1. ASPCA. Dogs who are reactive on-leash. Updated May 4, 2020. aspcapro.org
2. Mills DS and colleagues. Pain and problem behavior in cats and dogs. Animals 10(2) (2020): 318. doi.org/10.3390/ani10020318
3. American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior. Position statement on humane dog training, 2021. avsab.org
4. Asher L, England GCW, Sommerville R, Harvey ND. Teenage dogs? Evidence for adolescent-phase conflict behaviour. Biology Letters, 2020. doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2020.0097
5. Herron ME, Shofer FS, Reisner IR. Survey of the use and outcome of confrontational and non-confrontational training methods in client-owned dogs showing undesired behaviors. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 2009. doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2008.12.011
6. American College of Veterinary Behaviorists. Find a board-certified veterinary behaviorist. dacvb.org