When you are walking down the street or in the park, it is common to come across a dog that "loses control" every time it comes across another dog: it barks, jumps, whines and pulls towards him desperately, ignoring anything his guardians might be telling him. If your dog is the one who usually stars in this scene, it is possible that he has a reactivity problem towards other dogs, which translates into very impulsive, sudden and intense behavior. Although it may seem so, calm down! Your furry has not gone crazy, this behavior is quite frequent and has its explanation, although the help of a professional is often necessary to find what motivates it and how to deal with it.
In this article on our site we tell you what reactive behavior is, what some of its main causes are and how to make your dog ignore other dogs and tolerate them, Do not miss it!
Why does my dog go crazy when he sees other dogs?
To understand why your dog "loses control" when he sees or meets other dogs, you must start by understanding the concept of reactivity. In canine ethology, it is said that a dog is reactive when it is not able to successfully manage the emotion generated by a particular stimulus and, as a consequence, responds before it in an intense and disproportionate way. This explosive response is known as an emotional response and is characterized by being impulsive and involuntary, as opposed to premeditated or rational responses.
A very common mistake that people make is to think that reactivity is always associated with aggressiveness, but this is not true. A dog that barks, cries, growls, jumps or yanks on the leash when he sees another dog does not necessarily feel like attacking him. Reactivity is the result of emotional mismanagement and can appear when the animal feels any emotion, even if it is positive, such as joy. At these times, it is completely normal to notice that your dog does not obey when he sees other dogs.
Although there are many reasons why a dog can develop a reactivity problem, here are some of the most frequent reasons that could explain why your dog freaks out when he sees other dogs:
- Fear: fear is a negative and very intense emotion that, in many cases, generates phobias and reactivity problems in dogs. If, for example, your furry friend has had a traumatic experience in the presence of other dogs, he may feel fear when she sees or comes across a dog.
- Anxiety: The feeling of not having control over a situation often causes very high levels of stress and anxiety in dogs, that they can respond reactively to those stimuli that generate this insecurity. This is common in the case of dogs that have not been properly socialized with other dogs or that have been educated through punishment.
- Frustration: Sometimes reactive behavior stems from the dog's frustration at wanting to approach another animal and not being able to by being tied down with a leash or separated by some physical barrier. In these types of cases, if the reactive dog is completely free to approach the other, his behavior tends to be less impulsive and more rational. If you suspect that this may be your case, do not miss this other article: "My dog barks at other dogs when he is on a leash."
- Hypersociability: reactivity does not have to be associated with a negative emotion, it can also occur if a dog does not knows how to manage the joy he feels at meeting another furry dog on the street and, as a consequence, reacts in a very exaggerated way, generally barking or pulling on the leash to go say hello. In this case, it is normal to notice that the dog wants to greet all the dogs.
- Aggressiveness: Sometimes, but not always, reactive behavior can precede an attack or serve as a "warning" to the other dog to move away or change her behavior. In this case, the body communication of the dogs and the tension that exists between them becomes very important.
- Lack of self-control: just like people, there are dogs that, either because of their genetics or because of the influence of their environment or because of their experiences, they have a very impulsive character, which makes it more difficult for them to contain and properly channel their emotions.
How to make my dog ignore other dogs?
As with any behavior problem, it's imperative to understand what drives a dog to act the way she does. For this reason, the first step in successfully teaching your dog to ignore other dogs is to identify the cause of his reactivity, since the way to deal with it will be different depending on its origin.
You should also keep in mind that reactivity, like many other problems related to emotional management, generates behaviors that are impulsive and involuntary, so it is completely useless to try to solve the problem by yourself. through physical or verbal punishment. Once the behavior has "exploded", the best thing you can do is try to reassure and distract your dog to get him away from the problematic situation Knowing your furry well and generating a good bond with him is essential for your dog to trust you and see you as a support during the behavior modification process.
Although each dog is different and the methodologies used must be adapted to each particular case, here are some general tips that can help you teach your dog to ignore other dogs:
- Use a comfortable harness and a long leash Eliminating the constant tension of a short leash and giving your dog more freedom of movement can help you better manage encounters with other dogs. Do not miss this other post with The best harnesses for dogs.
- Reduce exposure to the offending stimulusAt the beginning of the behavioral modification plan, it is highly recommended that your furry be exposed as little as possible to the stimulus that generates reactivity, in this case, the other dogs. To do this, you can change your walking route, go to quieter areas, alter departure times or limit visibility through windows and balconies. This is done, along with other exercises, in order to start behavior modification therapy with the dog at more controlled stress levels.
- Increase the distance with other dogs Many dogs only behave reactively towards other dogs when they are at a certain distance from them. It will be much easier for you to teach your furry to ignore other animals if, during the first sessions, you work on long-distance tolerance. Little by little, this distance can be reduced.
- Associates the presence of other dogs with a positive stimulusWhen you walk with your four-legged friend, take his favorite toy or some food that he loves with you and, whenever you see another dog, reinforce him before he reacts and change direction or move away a little to prevent the "explosion" of behaviour. You can also teach him a command like "look at me" and ask him to do it when a dog appears on the scene. In this way you divert attention from your furry and change his emotional state, since he knows that he is going to be reinforced
Little by little and with patience, you will be able to shorten the distance between your dog and the other dogs, always rewarding him so that he associates your presence with positive stimuli. It is possible that after carrying out all these steps, your dog will end up tolerating other dogs, but he still does not want to play with them. If your dog does not play with other dogs, do not force him because you could go back and throw away all the work done. Likewise, it is important to keep in mind that this is not a quick process, getting your dog to ignore other dogs will be possible with time and perseverance.
On the other hand, if you have just adopted a puppy and you want it to ignore other dogs, from our site we recommend that you do not do so, since interacting with each other brings them many benefits. Instead, we recommend socializing your puppy with other dogs, environments and stimuli. To do this, do not miss this article on How to socialize a puppy.
When to see a professional?
As you might imagine, it's not always easy to identify the cause of reactive behavior, let alone successfully modify the animal's emotion and behavior. Keep in mind that reactivity problems can seriously harm your furry's emotional he alth, so if your dog loses control of other dogs very often, his reactive behavior will worse over time, you have difficulty understanding why he acts the way he does or you don't know how best to help him, you should always Contact a canine education professional who works with up-to-date and respectful methodologies.
On the other hand, if your dog has suddenly begun to show reactive behavior or you notice him more upset than usual, it is recommended that you go to your veterinary center to rule out that your furry friend may be suffering from any type of ailment or he alth problem that affects your behavior.
