Why is my dog reactive?

It’s natural for people to question things.

And especially when that “thing” is having a major unwanted effect on their life!

So “Why is my dog reactive?” is a question I hear often.

And the questioner often furnishes what they think the answer may be. These “reasons” can range from:

He’s a rescue dog

I think he was beaten

He missed out on socialisation

He was over-socialised

He was attacked as a puppy (“attacked” can mean anything from being stared at to being torn apart, I have learnt)

He had a bad breeder / bad breeding / bad start

We went to a bad puppy class

He never went to puppy class

.. and so it goes on.

Now whether any of those things are true, and - more to the point - whether they have any bearing on how your dog is now, can never be quantified.

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It’s been proven that fears can be hereditary. Even that the position in the womb can affect a puppy’s mindset! And while all the research goes on - you have a dog to look after.

The fact is that your dog is reactive!

.. or anxious, nervous, shy, “aggressive” …

This is what we know, for sure - so why not start there?

Start from where you are

It really doesn’t matter why your dog is reactive or fearful. He just is.

A family may have two or more children who are poles apart in character. Same parents, same genes, same environment, same diet, same everything.

And yet they are totally different. We all know families like this - maybe even have a family like this!

Perhaps one child is brave and fearless and dives into everything.

While another is shy and reserved, lacks confidence, and prefers to be a wallflower.

Thing is - we get the children we’re given! We don’t have too much say in the matter.

And we love them just the same.

Choosing your dog

So why not view your dog the same way?

Maybe you went to great lengths to choose a breed you thought would suit you, the gender that seemed right for you. You hunted till you found a good breeder, checked the lines, made your choice.

Or perhaps you took pot luck - picking a dog from a shelter, or inheriting a dog from someone else.

I can tell you now, that there is more variation between individuals than there is between breeds.

In other words, two dogs of the same breed - even from the same litter - will be individual. Not clones. Individual.

Your collie may be afraid of things that run fast, your spaniel may have no interest in using his nose, your GSD may be sound-sensitive, your lapdog may hate laps …

So, to some extent, no matter how carefully you choose, you are taking a gamble.

First of all, be kind

Your dog can’t help how he is. He didn’t choose to be afraid. He just is.

And fear of some kind, whether inbred or acquired, is at the bottom of most reactivity.

So let’s cut him some slack.

He may not be the dog you had hoped for.

He may never be a good agility dog, or working dog - which is why you got him.

He may never be comfortable in strange places, or with strange people or dogs.

But that’s not his fault!

It’s just the way it is!

No need for whywhywhy - it just is.

You chose him.

So you need to do what you can to make his life with you the best it can be. If that limits what you can do with this dog, then so be it.

More love on offer

Just about all the reactive dogs I have ever known are wonderful family pets. They are utterly devoted to their people. They are fun to have around - at home.

I’d go so far as to say there is no bond like the bond between your reactive dog and you.

You have to put so much work in to keep him - and you - happy.

And in so doing, you understand him so much better. You build his confidence, slowly but surely (this can take years).

And your dog knows (once he’s no longer a terrified screaming furry blob on a walk) that you love him and will protect him.

What better pet could you wish for?

Want some help with your challenging dog? Hop over to our free Masterclass for Growly Dogs, which gives you practical techniques you can use straight away to make your your dog - and your walks - calmer

Have you got a reactive, anxious, Growly, Dog?

🐾 Are you one of those people who creeps about in the dark walking your dog, for fear of meeting … anybody?

🐾 Are you fed up with the snooty looks and snide remarks about “that vicious dog”?

🐾 Are you frustrated by finding only ‘trainers’ who want you to do nasty things to your dog, rather than loving them - as you do?

If so, I want to draw your attention to From Growly Dog to Confident Dog.

And rather than me saying what a wonderful program it is (well, I would, wouldn’t I!) I’m letting some of my long-term students say what they think.

Many of my students have been with me for years. Why?

Because this system works!

So here are pieces from three very different students with very different dogs:

See what you make of what they say! And if you are inspired to learn more, start with our free Masterclass for Growly Dogs

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When Lois was a puppy, I always dreamt and hoped she would be a cute little dog, a “well-behaved” little dog, that I could proudly walk down the street with - my calm, well-trained, obedient little “Angel”.

I soon realised that wasn’t to be!

She became a fearful, reactive dog. Nothing bad had happened in her life to provoke this behaviour, it’s just how she was. I dreaded walking out with her as her reactivity soon became unmanageable - ferociously barking, screaming, lunging, growling at every dog and child we came across. Taking her into pubs, cafés, shops, any public place, was unthinkable. She was a total nightmare. “What have I done” I would often think. Many tears were shed.

But then I discovered Beverley Courtney .. and after being misled by so many trainers prior, Beverley was our lifesaver. First I read her books, and I was so impressed. This type of dog training was kind, I loved it!

So then I worked through her brilliant courses. I soon learned how to understand WHY Lois behaved as she did, and how to manage her behaviour, and to be respectful, and be her advocate. Working slowly through Beverley’s modules, at our own pace, and never skipping anything, or starting midway, Lois and I became a team. Beverley was .. and still is .. there for us every step of the way. Her support is immense, and her willingness to share her knowledge is incredible.

Lois and I began to understand each other - she is encouraged to make her own choices in life, and she is NEVER forced into situations where she feels threatened or frightened. Yes it has taken time, hard work, and lots of patience, but she is now the calmest of dogs. And I can confidently walk out with her, knowing that she feels safe and comfortable with me, by using the strategies that Beverley taught me. I manage Lois’ reactivity in the kindest of ways. We get so many compliments now, and being with her gives me the most pleasure in life.

If I could wave a magic wand and change Lois into a non-reactive dog, would I do that? Absolutely NOT! I wouldn’t change her for the world. She is unique, she has character, she trusts me, and that’s what I love. She is Lois. 🐾

This is all thanks to Beverley ❤️ She has saved us from a life of misery and regret.

Carol Russell

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I am so relieved and grateful to have found the Growly Dog Program. Before joining Dudley was so anxious and reactive, and we wanted to find someone who would help with kindness and care.

This is exactly what you get from Beverley!

Apart from her many qualifications and experience she truly has the dog's best interest at heart. The step-by-step course is easy to follow and the monthly calls are invaluable. Questions are answered fully with great advice. The community is there so you can get help at any time with supportive people who really understand. 

Dudley is a much calmer happy dog. Thank you Beverley!

Sue Wright

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I was very frustrated with my dog’s behavior, and honestly did not know where to begin.

I joined Beverley's Growly Dog online program in 2019, and my dog's improvement has been remarkable. As I write this, my reactive dog is lying on his bed chewing on his bone … what is amazing about this scenario is there are workers in the next room drilling! Prior to taking the course, my dog would have been running around the room barking nonstop causing us both a lot of stress.

Other areas of improvement include walking by my side instead of pulling; greeting people we meet on our walk, returning to me, and lying down by my feet as we chat; lying down beside me when people are visiting at our house; no more jumping, pulling, lunging, and nonstop barking.

I cannot overemphasize the amount of ongoing support offered by Beverley and her two trainers. You can ask questions in the online community and monthly Zoom coaching calls. You receive personalized advice specific to your needs. There are several other available resources that you can explore on her website.

My relationship with my dog has improved so much. He has grown more confident and less fearful by playing the training games I learned in the course. I have also grown more confident by learning strategies I can use to manage the situations we may encounter.

Sue Brandenburg

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Read enough to tickle your curiosity? Watch the Masterclass to get a feel of how this program works so well! Any questions, just ask in the chat on the Masterclass page.

We’d love to see you there and help you and your dog enjoy a calmer, more fulfilling, life.

So you can reach the level that Sue, Carol, and Sue reached for their dogs.

Holidays with dogs! ⛺️🦮

I’ve just returned from a wonderful holiday with my three dogs! And if you’ve ever thought it couldn’t be done - think again!

I know you can get pet passports and travel all over the place with your dog, but I’m a stick-in-the-English-mud and would rather spend my holiday in the sort of place I like best - the countryside.

Usually it’s the campervan for us, and with care and some light fencing it’s an easy option.

But on this occasion I didn’t want to chance potentially awful March weather, so we booked a cottage. There are loads of dog-friendly places you can find. Ours had a fully-fenced garden, and an exercise field as well as miles of footpaths, so we were in clover!

Keep it simple!

The key to a successful dog holiday, I have found, is to keep things as constant as possible.

The dogs are very happy in their van crates, so that was no problem. But I brought their beds and plenty of their usual toys so they knew exactly where they could lie down and what they could chew or play with. So their sleeping arrangements were the same as at home. Also, the feeding - I took plenty of their usual raw food in a coolbox, and the cottage had a freezer - whoopee!

It’s important to keep their food broadly the same as usual, to avoid potential tummy upsets - imagine the horror of that in a rented place! 😳

Most of the time the dogs stayed with us, so they were never stressed. And - with my old dog’s failing sight and hearing, I thought it important never to leave them alone in the house - risk of serious anxiety here!

But with the comfort of their van crates, and all the ventilation necessary, along with choosing shady places to park, it was possible for us to wander off to do non-dog things for a while, knowing that they’d be happily sleeping off the last walk and looking forward to the next one.

One thing we had to pay particular attention to was the amount of rest my young collie got during the day. He has a tendency to be on alert all the time, but enforcing quiet time on those comfy beds - with curtains drawn - meant he was able to deal with the surprises and visitors and new experiences easily.

He even got to make some doggy friends!

It’s not a holiday from training!

We actually got a lot of training done - not in formal training sessions mostly, though there were some short ones of those - but in All Day Training In A New Place.

The dogs come to understand that the same rules apply when the environment is totally different; that they are safe and loved and protected; that they can join us in enjoying our expeditions.

Overall, the holiday was very restful for us and fun for the dogs.

And despite my fears, the March weather came up trumps, giving us the hottest equinox day in over 50 years!

The wellies and coats stayed in the corner the whole time. 

Prepare for your trip

Overall, I’d say the most important part of your dog holiday is in the preparation. Making a list will ensure you don’t forget a vital teddy bear, or one of your leads.

Get it all sorted in advance so you can all relax when you get there.

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Can dogs have ADHD?

So many people say their dog has ADHD, or is autistic, or something else.

And what they really mean is that in some way it’s the dog’s fault that he is as he is.

After all, it’s much easier to say that your dog behaves badly because of some obscure medical condition - rather than lack of proper nurturing - as in poor food, lack of exercise, lack of stimulation.

Far easier to say that, than to admit that you’ve fallen down on training and can’t manage your dog!

While dogs don’t have autism or ADHD, there is a thing. It’s called Hyperkinesis, and it’s VERY VERY RARE in dogs.

I only came across it myself for the first time recently.

It involves complete inability to settle, inappropriate responses (sometimes aggressive), chaotic behaviour, from puppyhood on.

You’d know if your dog had that - you’d really know!

This diagnosis is only given after extensive testing. And I was interested to read that in addition to medication it is universally recommended to use non-aversive reward-based training.

We already know that!

What about my hyper dog?

Some of us have very active dogs, some of us have shut down dogs, but very, very, few people in the world have hyperkinetic dogs.

This is good news!

So what do you do if you have an apparently uncontrollable, mad, dog who never seems to settle and seems to want to defy you all the time?

Double down on the training - especially All Day Training!

What’s All Day Training? It’s those little things you teach and expect all the time, like waiting patiently at doors, standing still to have a harness put on, sitting for a visitor, and so on.

It’s not a formal training session. Rather like we teach our children, it’s just little reinforcements of good behaviour - All Day Long.

And we must always 

🐶 be clear

🐶 be consistent

and it’s helpful to have set routines so your dog knows what’s going to happen next. He knows when he’s going to be fed, he knows when it’s playtime, he knows when it’s bedtime - throughout the day.

Enable your dog to tell you what he needs!

First … CALM!

Something that helps a lot of people is teaching their dog how to relax. Fully. Anywhere.

“I have been teaching my dog the Magic Mat technique from your Calm Down! book, and it's been great! Thanks for writing such a great and helpful guide!” JS

“Thank you, I've just read through the first 4 chapters of Calm Down! and I'm feeling excited to get started tomorrow, I love the way you write and explain everything!” WR

“Thank you so, so much for the Calm Down! book. It's already going brilliantly, it's like you're a dog mind-reader, you really know your stuff!” LN

By the way, if you are medicating your dog you must always combine this with a behaviour modification program designed by an expert in force-free training. This would ideally be a Veterinary Behaviourist, who can manage the dosing at the same time as the training.

Dog play is the best medicine

We all know about the marvels of Assistance Dogs (and other domestic animals) in helping people with physical or mental problems to dramatically improve their lives.

Whether they’re wheelchair-bound, suffering from PTSD, epilepsy, deafness, autism - they all get solid improvements.

But you don’t have to “need” an Assistance Dog to benefit enormously!

I’ve been looking at an interesting study (see Resources below), which found, in brief, that if you had an animal to care for, you would improve in these key areas:

👉 Less anxiety

👉 Lower blood pressure

👉 Better quality of life

👉 Lower cortisol levels (that’s the fight or flight hormone)

👉 Lower adrenaline levels (another fight or flighter)

👉 Lower heart rate

👉 Fewer doctor visits

👉 Better school attendance

👉 More empathy, less aggression

👉 Better social interaction

👉 Faster recovery from stressors, especially when the pet was present

👉 More smiles!

That’s quite a list, don’t you think? Which ones have you found?

So now, what about your dog?

Fair’s fair, so let’s see how we can help our dogs.

In the second study - linked below in Resources - relaxing, alert, and stress behaviours were measured after the various activities they tested. You can see the tables for yourself, but the key takeaway for me is that PLAY activities outscored FOOD activities in every area.

This means you can’t chuck your dog a bone and let him get on with it. Well, you can, and he’ll be happy with that.

But how much happier he’ll be if you can PLAY with him!

The particular play methods they tested were dog-dog play, dog-object play (like agility obstacles, puppy gym, things you can set up at home) and tug play with their owner.

We can’t all ensure dog-dog play. But we can certainly do plenty of adventure playground type play, and endless tug! (Yannick would like tug play to be endless, that I can assure you!)

Here are three of my dogs: 3-month-old Yannick, Coco Poodle, and (deaf) Lacy, keen to take turns with their favourite game.

And here’s another thing that’s been debunked. They used to tell us that coffee was bad for us. Now they’re saying that it’s really very, very good for us! So you may have no qualms if, in appreciation of what I give you freely, you choose to buy me a coffee. 😊 ☕️

 RESOURCES:

Psychosocial and Psychophysiological Effects of Human-Animal Interactions: The Possible Role of Oxytocin

Effects of Environmental Enrichment on Dog Behaviour: Pilot Study

Want to know more about how to teach your dog to play, and get the results you want? Watch our free workshop which might just change everything about how you see life with your pup!

Am I clear to my dog?

An old man is teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy.

“It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.” He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”

The old man simply replied, “The one you feed.”

This bit of wisdom is attributed to the Cherokees, but, in fact, it’s not known where it came from.

And what possible relevance does this have to me, and my dog, you ask?

It’s all a question of focus.

What you focus on is what you get.

What you reward will, inevitably and without any doubt, be repeated.

It’s a basic tenet of Learning Theory, in which our modern dog training is grounded.

I sum it up in my mantra, which I give to all my students and hope they learn by heart so they can recite it to themselves at any moment:

Reward what you like

Ignore what you don’t like

Manage what you can’t ignore

[Manage? That simply means arranging things so that the thing you don’t like is very unlikely to happen - like keeping sharp things out of a baby’s reach, keeping the street door firmly shut, and so on.]

Now this is the most simple way to train your dog - or anyone else, for that matter!

Don’t rise to the things you don’t like. As you will know and admit, that only makes things worse.

This can apply to things that are as basic as .. the dog peeing in the wrong place. Pointing to the offending patch on the carpet is not going to help your dog understand where he’s meant to relieve himself!

And heaping on praise, for anything that you do like, is going to speed up your puppy’s understanding of the house rules in this strange new human world he’s found himself in.

But is this what we do?

Sadly, no.

Most people harp on the bad thing and almost forget to teach the new, desired, thing!

Complaining to your dog about what he does “wrong” is only going to focus his attention on it.

As Dan Millman says, in his book Socrates,

“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy

Not on fighting the old

But on building the new”

It really is simple when you look at it like that.

And remember - this doesn’t only apply to dogs! Oh, nonono! Look at yourself and your dealings with everyone in the same light.

Your child brings his plate back to the kitchen? Thank him profusely, rather than complaining about having to pick up plates from all over the house when he doesn’t do it.

Your chaotic co-worker turns up on time for once? Buy him a coffee, rather than grouse next time he arrives late.

Speaking of coffee - as I often do …

.. if you want to reward me for all the info I give you freely, here’s your chance!

And if your dog pauses while pulling on the lead and looks back at you, TREAT! And remember to brush up on your loose lead training as soon as you get home again.

Focus on the good

Thing is, focussing on the good makes your child/colleague/dog feel better and more inclined to repeat the good thing.

And, importantly, it makes you feel better too!

We aren’t here for long. Let’s make our stay a pleasant one.

Want to know more about how to interact with your dog to get the results you want? Watch our free Workshop which might just change everything about how you see life with your pup!