Correct over excited behavior by calmly redirecting them and praising them for being a good dog. Clearly let your dog know what is and isn't acceptable behavior. To prevent anxiety and fear over other dogs, try to avoid any bad encounters by controlling their environment and which dogs you allow them to interact with.
If your dog does react, calmly say “nope,” block them for a moment with your body, then turn and walk away from the other dog. This creates distance between your dog and the other dog and should help to calm your pup. Try to stay as relaxed as possible when you see a dog or if your dog lunges.
Fratt says that in general, a canine's big reaction usually means one of two things: get away or come play. By barking, growling or lunging, your dog is trying to tell an oncoming dog he's seen what happens when a strange dog approaches him and he will attack if need be.
Allow your dog to meet the other, calm and friendly dog. You should approach the other dog from the side with the friendly dog remaining stationary in a sit or calm stand. Try to keep the leash slack and remain calm yourself. Repeat this introduction with a variety of dogs to build positive associations.
Dogs of any age can start training to improve their reactivity. You do need to keep in mind that the longer a behavior has been ingrained, the longer it will take to retrain the dog. Whether or not the dog will be “cured” in the sense of being completely fine in the presence of his triggers cannot be predicted.
In most cases, the best way to get a reactive dog ready for socializing is to slowly expose them to their triggers in a controlled environment and reward them with natural dog treats until they no longer react so strongly.
This kind of work can take anywhere from two to 12 months, as that's how long it takes for a dog to learn a new behavior.
The time it takes to calm a reactive dog depends on many factors so there is not a definitive answer. Fearful and over reactive behavior will not go away on its own. The dog will not grow out of it. Left untreated, both the frequency and the intensity of the problems will increase.
The best way to help your dog become a calm, cool animal all the time is to offer them a predictable routine that reinforces stability and safety. Walking your leash reactive dog at the same time every day can also reduce unexpected encounters with scary things like trash trucks and school buses.
No matter what your dog's age or background, positive reinforcement of calm, non-aggressive behavior around other dogs is the key to helping your pup overcome any fear or dislike of other canines.
There are usually multiple factors at the root of leash aggression. Dogs who are anxious or overly territorial are more prone to it. Lack of proper socialization as a puppy can contribute to the unwanted behavior because your dog never learned how to say a proper “hello” to his four-legged friends.
Attempting to punish or physically restrain a reactive dog may cause him to escalate his behavior and is likely to result in a bite or a severe attack. Do not pull back on the leash when your dog is reacting.
Slowly cut the distance between your dog and the others, rewarding him each time he passes another dog without growling. With practice, your pup will soon learn to be in the company of other dogs or walk past them without growling.
Reactive behaviors usually crop up in adolescence around 6 to 18 months of age and tend to get worse as the dog reaches social maturity around 2 or 3 years of age. Your pup will not “grow out of” this behavior.
A reactive dog is usually a fearful dog. Causes can be genetic, but they are more likely due to a lack of socialization, prior bad experiences or a lack of training. Aggressive dogs show similar signs but are determined to cause harm and destruction.
Sadly, they do not. The only way to counter reactivity is through consistent and positive training. You should never punish a dog for reactivity or it will only become worse.
Reactivity is common with dogs who suffer from anxiety. Often this becomes more obvious during adolescence or a secondary socialisation/fear period but then doesn't fade as the dog becomes an adult.
Will my dog outgrow the aggression? Puppies may go through a biting phase that they will often outgrow. Unfortunately in most cases, true dog aggression often escalates as the dog ages. While it may be natural to make excuses, all dogs are capable of causing serious harm.
Most dogs diagnosed with canine autism are reactive and often lack socialization skills. Reactive animals often inherit an anxiety disorder. The most common traits of dogs with autism include anxiety and poor socialization skills.
Giving your dog a few days to rest and sleep can be hugely beneficial in improving reactive behaviours, once your dog is well rested and has had a break from stressful situations, you will be in a much better position to work through the behaviours.
Reactivity generally encompasses a range of undesirable aggressive or defensive behaviors (barking, growling, lunging, jumping, pulling, and so on) in situations that typically don't warrant them in our minds (triggers are behaving normally in a non threatening way) but that are overwhelming or scary to our dogs.