How many of you have reactive dogs?

ORIGINAL: Xerxes

ORIGINAL: Nikki_Burr

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.

I fostered Gaia for 6 or 7 months, she was the queen of reactivity when I got her. Anything within sight, scent or hearing got a reaction from her. In April when she went to a forever home, she was reactive only at a distance of about 20 feet for most dogs, 50 feet for anything brindled.

What techniques did you use to desensitize her?

My Zoe is very reactive towards other dogs, while out on walks and during obedience/agility class - to the point that it's very embarrassing - barking like mad, lunging, biting.  She is not reactive at doggie daycare though and plays nice with the other dogs, but that is the only time she is around other dogs while not on a leash.

Max will turn and lunge, growling at another dog that walks by him when he's on leash.  I really thought the prong  would curtail that a bit .... but I guess not.  However, if I stop to chat with the owner and he gets to meet, greet, butt sniff etc. he's fine.  It's almost like he takes it as a personal insult if the dog walks by him without stopping to greet him.  I just got a couple of new clickers so I'm hoping to get back into the "watch me, click, treat" again.  OT - these clickers are great.  They come with an attached key ring so I can hook one over a finger and not be so likely to drop it.
 
Joyce

Kota is reactive on leash for sure.  We've been working for a year on it and it's better, but if my attention is not on him while passing the other dog, then it's just get out of there.  We went for a walk on a straight path a couple weeks ago for the first time in a year because of his issues.  I was able to maintain his attention for 70% of the time while passing another dog, but the dogs that are just like him are still hard to deal with, plus we could only get 5 feet off the path instead of the 10 to 15 we really needed.  The other three are fine if he's not with them, but he will set them off.

He also does the dominant stance.  Ears pricked, head high, tail high and stiff, when another dog approaches off-leash.  He'll sniff and greet but if the other dog tries to assert their dominance over him, that's when things go south. 

He too was attacked on leash a couple times when he was younger, and I'm sure my leash pops were not helpful in the slightest. [8|]  Bad owner....

Toby's reactive. He probably wasn't socialized at all in his former home, so he just doesn't "speak dog" and they upset him to no end. I feel I've got him under control most of the time now, but it's definitely a management situation and I don't think he'll ever be happy around his own species. He's lousy at introduction behaviors, doesn't understand play behaviors, and his sense of personal space is very different from that of other dogs. Even around dogs I'd consider his "friends," it upsets him enormously to see them jumping around and playing with each other or with their people; if they're sitting quietly or walking calmly with him he's fine, but as soon as they start horsing around or getting excited he becomes agitated and will attack at the drop of a hat.

In Toby's universe all people and dogs would sit quietly on sofas all day long and mind their own business.

Wow lots of reactive dogs here!  Just let me know what block your walking on so I go the other way with Dublin.  He loves to say hi to everyone and everything including butterflies.  Even getting attacked hasn't stopped his zest for new meetings and greetings.  I hope he keeps that trait.  His joy of life is contagious. 

ORIGINAL: losinsusan

Wow lots of reactive dogs here!  Just let me know what block your walking on so I go the other way with Dublin.  He loves to say hi to everyone and everything including butterflies.  Even getting attacked hasn't stopped his zest for new meetings and greetings.  I hope he keeps that trait.  His joy of life is contagious. 

It isn't good manners for dogs to meet other dogs without signals that the other dog is open to the greeting. 

Sasha is only reactice with rude dogs who ignore her signals to give her space.  She is fine meeting respectful dogs, and gets along well with them.  The dogs she has the most problems with are over-eager older puppies, because they tend to be full of energy and innapropriate manners. 

The older dogs have taught him very well and he is very shy and slow in the introduction with another dog.  Again having been taught that he can't rush up to greet a dog.  He is usually with his hair up and his tail between his legs till he gets the right vibe or the okay from me that he can move up to greet.  But I know what you mean about older pups and not having great manners.  Its a learning process that is being worked on as we speak.  He has learned more from other dogs lately that I can teach him.  Its facinating to watch how they will let a younger dog know what is allowed and what will not be tolerated.

That's awesome that he's learned doggie manners.  [sm=party1.gif] Its sad how many dogs don't seem to!

ORIGINAL: Dog_ma

ORIGINAL: losinsusan

Wow lots of reactive dogs here!  Just let me know what block your walking on so I go the other way with Dublin.  He loves to say hi to everyone and everything including butterflies.  Even getting attacked hasn't stopped his zest for new meetings and greetings.  I hope he keeps that trait.  His joy of life is contagious. 

It isn't good manners for dogs to meet other dogs without signals that the other dog is open to the greeting. 

Sasha is only reactice with rude dogs who ignore her signals to give her space.  She is fine meeting respectful dogs, and gets along well with them.  The dogs she has the most problems with are over-eager older puppies, because they tend to be full of energy and innapropriate manners. 

I read this fantastic article on dogs that have been deemed dog aggressive or dog reactive, when, in reality, they are dogs that are reacting to improper behavior from other dogs. I do believe that this is part of Lexi's problem...she had no tolerance for rude dogs. Here is a link to the article (the intro is quite funny BTW):

http://www.livingwithdogs.us/articles/He-just-wants-to-say-hi.pdf

Maggie is fine as long as dogs do not go past her shoulder really - she just has a thing about head on approaches or something. We've used her as a "neural dog" in a reactive dog session and she was tense but not reacting until the dog sniffed right in front of the point of her shoulder, and then she growled.

She doesn't like rude dogs on first meeting, but if the first meeting involves parallel walking and the other dog ignoring her and the other dog takes her (appropriate) corrections for over exuberance well, then they are best buddies. in all her tussles only one dog has ever even gotten nicked (and I don't blame her on that one, he was nasty).

She gets along with all my fosters - and they are introduced on her turf only.

Maggie used to be reactive at distances around 15 or so feet when I adopted her 7 years ago. []