These are the reasons why your dog is reactive… and it’s not what you think it is!
Let me start off with this…
The internet is the wild wild west full of contradicting information and advice, especially when it comes to dog training and reactive dogs. It can be hard to know what’s the truth and what isn’t.
So, we asked our Instagram followers what wild reasons they’ve been told about why their dog is reactive… and it’s wrong answers only!
And these are (some of) the responses! So many of these made us giggle because they’re just so… out there…
My dog is reactive because...“I’m not being a strong enough leader.”
“She knows I’m not the boss and is taking advantage of me 🤭”
“Because I never “showed them” I’m the boss.. whatever the heck that means.”
“I didn’t discipline her hard enough or use a “strong hand” as alpha”
“I’m not the alpha!!!”
My dog is reactive because... “I’m too anxious.”
“Their owner has PTSD and the anxiety travels down the leash 🙃”
“I’m anxious 🙄 🙄 🙄”
“Because of the things I do. So my dog is anxious bc I’m anxious...”
My dog is reactive because... “they’re too spoiled.”
“I coddle/spoil him 😎”
“I spoil them too much, they know they can get away with whatever they want 🫠”
“I share my french fries 🍟 with them”
“She’s never been told no”
My dog is reactive because... “too much attention.”
“I let her sleep in my bed and I don’t force her to heel”
“I greet him when I come home”
“I gave them too much attention”
My dog is reactive because... WTF even are these!?
“she’s a rescue”
“his chakra was misaligned”
“because he didn’t go to puppy daycare”
“I cut his treat in half to make him think he got 2 treats 🙊”
“she’s a leo”
Now, want to know the real reason behind your dog’s reactivity?
Hint: it’s not any of the reasons we’ve looked at so far!
The real reason your dog is reactive isn’t as simple as “you haven’t trained them to be well behaved,” or “they just LOVE other dogs sooooooo much.” Yes, those are also reasons that were listed 🙃
If you did a quick google search of “why are dogs reactive” you will likely see a lot of different results with some differing opinions. That’s the wild wild west right there. Now, if you search “why are dogs reactive google scholar” you will get peer reviewed studies that give you the science behind reactivity.
I’m going to let you do those searches for yourself but I will leave you with this…
Throughout my years of being in the dog behavior professional world I have worked with many reactivity cases (it’s kind of what I specialize in) and all of those cases have had a lot of common factors.
Here’s a list of some of the most common issues…
diagnosed musculoskeletal problems such as arthritis, hip & elbow dysplasia, patellar luxation, and more
underlying GI issues
lack of socialization during puppyhood due to the pandemic
bred from dogs with behavioral issues
chronic UTI’s, skin issues, ear infections, and allergies
hypothyroidism
… and so much more!!!!
The real reason why your dog is reactive is complex and there usually isn’t one simple reason why. I know, I know, you want a reason!
You might even feel like you NEED a reason to be able to fix your dog’s reactivity!
But the reality is that it could be due to genetics, early learning experiences, lack of safe socialization during developmental periods, traumatic events, underlying medical issues, chronic pain, and sometimes all of the above!
So, your dog is not reactive because you’re not being the alpha. They’re reactive because something is going on underneath the surface.
PS - a responsible and ethical trainer will not tell you that it’s because of your own anxiety or lack of leadership skills…
P.S. Enjoyed this article and want a little something extra?
Download our Big Feelings Dog Checklist to get practical, low-key tips you can start using right away to support your dog. It’s full of our favorite simple strategies to help your dog feel safer and more at ease.
