Dog Community

How many of you have reactive dogs?

Posted : 6/4/2007 5:29:00 PM

Just out of curiosity - how many of you guys out there have reactive dogs? In the sense that the dog will react negatively toward a strange dog on a walk. Just wondering if it's more common than people would think.

badrap

Posted : 6/4/2007 5:32:29 PM

that's a big yes right here.

mrs1885

Posted : 6/4/2007 5:33:51 PM

Me. One of the rat terriers. Both of them were abused. One turned aggressive and the other pees on himself if you look at him wrong. We're doing all we can to socialize him and 'fix' the problem. But it's not easy.................

ottoluv

Posted : 6/4/2007 5:34:03 PM

Otto does every once in awhile, especially for yellow labs for some reason. I'm trying all the techniques people have posted (redirection, making him sit, changing direction) and he is a bit better, but it's embrassing at times.

Jewlieee

Posted : 6/4/2007 5:40:25 PM

My husky isn't quite reactive per say but she will stand in dominance when she meets new dogs which sometimes makes the other dog attack her - then she fights back.

orangedog

Posted : 6/4/2007 5:49:27 PM

I do. Tango's fear reactive/aggressive with strange dogs. I've been working with her all her life (4 years) to try and desensitize and socialize her properly, and while we've made progress, I doubt she'll ever be 100% reliable.

mrv

Posted : 6/4/2007 5:52:18 PM

Belgians by nature are reactive. That alertness is part and parcel of the breed. So, in answer to your question, I have two reactive dogs. How they deal with that reactivity is my responsibility to an extent (the other part is hard wired)

Jennifer Goble

Posted : 6/4/2007 6:28:58 PM

Daisy is reactive. She didnt do well in obedience class at all, being so close to so many dogs. She is beginning to relax when off leash at one particular dog park with well behaved dogs. If too many dogs approach her at once, she will growl. But on leash and in close quarters she is still reactive. I am working on it with her and hope to one day do rally-o with her and have her not get worked up. On walks we can usually distract her or walk the other way.

cakana

Posted : 6/4/2007 6:35:30 PM

My husky isn't quite reactive per say but she will stand in dominance when she meets new dogs which sometimes makes the other dog attack her - then she fights back.

This is exactly how I'd describe my one lab, Sassy. She doesn't make any noise or overtly look aggressive but she always looks ready for a fight when she meets another dog.

huskymom

Posted : 6/4/2007 6:38:50 PM

Crusher is. He has never hurt a dog that approached us though, although I know he is extremely capable of it... Any ideas why?

ETA: I guess I should say that he will attack, but even the little Tzu that he got at never had a scratch...(stupid thing, even I could see the signals, why he bothered to come right up to him is beyond me.)

Debbie R

Posted : 6/4/2007 6:47:15 PM

My Trixie is fear reactive and I've been working so hard w/her. I don't want her to live this way,but nothing seems to be working.

marynh

Posted : 6/4/2007 6:49:34 PM

hard to judge w/Molly. Sometimes yes, sometimes she whines like she wants to play. She prefers smaller dogs over big dogs

k.m.a

Posted : 6/4/2007 6:56:06 PM

Jayda reaallllyy reaaalllyyy reallly... hates bigger dogs. We visited a house with a Bernese Mountain Dog (10mos, soooo cute. "Boomer") and she couldnt stop screaming, she was frightened. She does it with any bigger dog, shes not aggressive, but she definately is reactive!

Sue and Buddy

Posted : 6/4/2007 7:06:50 PM

Buddy is leash reactive, but not aggressive. When another dog comes by, he pulls on the leash, cries, high-pitch bark and when it gets really bad...turns to me in his frustration and bites at my clothes, jumps on me. He wants to play, not attack. He has gotten a lot better. I usually change directions, back away to let the dog pass at a distance that Buddy is comfortable with or distract him with treats/rewards for calm behavior. Buddy can also be like this with people that he knows. He is great at the dog park, however. He approaches dogs appropriately and people, too.

Sue

Pwca

Posted : 6/4/2007 7:21:16 PM

Indy was leash reactive from about age 18 mos to age 5, on-leash only, towards bully-type (and the occasional large exuberant non-bully) dogs. We did some desensitization, but he mostly just grew out of it as he gained confidence. (It started after he was attacked while on leash and I think it just took a long time for that to fade, frankly.)