My Pet is a Jerk: Reactive Dog Edition!
My pet is a jerk! Reactive Dog edition
Owning a reactive dog can be challenging, especially when it comes to managing your reactive dog in public. While it can be tempting to refer to reactive behaviours as your dog being a ‘jerk’, reactivity is more complex.
Think for a moment about all of the people in your life. Some of them may be social butterflies, able to get along with just about anyone while others may be more selective in their friendships. Just like humans, dogs have individual preferences when it comes to interacting with other canines. These preferences are shaped by the dog’s breed, early life experiences, socialization and living conditions. Some dogs might thrive at the dog park, eager to meet any fellow canine while other dogs may prefer the company of humans and wish to avoid other dogs altogether. Unfortunately, we often forget these individual differences in canine personalities and expect that all dogs should get along at all times.
Reactivity is a complex behaviour and requires more information than we can provide in a blog post, but below we are including some tips on reactivity in dogs. If you are concerned about your dog’s reactivity, please call our FREE behaviour helpline to talk about what training options are available for your dog. (more…)