Is Your Dog Aggressive or Reactive? There’s a Difference!

Many confuse reactivity with aggression, but they’re not the same! Reactivity often stems from fear or overstimulation, while aggression involves intent to harm. Understanding the difference is key to helping your dog thrive.

While the behaviors may appear the same, the reasoning behind them can make a huge difference in your training plan. A K9 Trainer can help you determine which your dog is. and the best obedience training plan to help with it!

Reactive Dogs and Reactive Dog Training

Reactive dogs are behaving the way they are out of fear or overstimulation. They have specific triggers that could be other dogs, people, loud noises or certain situations. They’re usually overwhelmed or anxious rather than trying to harm the trigger or others around them. They can bark, lunge, whine or show other behaviors that could be interpreted as aggression, if you don’t know the difference!

Reactive dogs typically require confidence building as part of a new routine of training that helps desensitize them to triggering events and show them a new way to react to potentially scary situations. Consistent exposure and counterconditioning over time increases the dog’s confidence so fewer things/situations trigger them.

Aggressive Dogs and Aggressive Dog Training

Dogs that are truly aggressive aren’t as common – these dogs have the intent to harm with their behavior. They may become aggressive because they’re fearful or are resource guarding (food, toy, person or property), but they aren’t likely to stop at a warning given the opportunity.

Aggressive dogs typically require training that focuses more on gaining a high level of obedience for control in situations that would potentially trigger them. Some formerly aggressive dogs can be off leash, but off leash training may not be the most appropriate place to start with an aggressive dog. Instead, we would help set a foundation of solid obedience ON leash, then gradually increase your dog’s exposure to triggering scenarios. Once they learn a new way to navigate those scenarios, they become much more manageable!

So is Your Dog Aggressive or Reactive?

The AKC provides some additional information to help determine if your dog is aggressive or reactive but Contact Us! We can help you determine if the symptoms you’re seeing are aggressive or reactive behavior! Meet with one of our K9 Trainers for an in-person evaluation. We offer reactive dog training near you, in Blaine, Osakis and Detroit Lakes. We also offer aggressive dog training, even if your dog is too aggressive for us to handle. We can still meet with you safely and coach you through training until we’re able to work with both you and your dog successfully!

Off Leash K9 Training can’t guarantee aggressive dogs will be safe off leash, but we can provide the high level of obedience and control needed to keep them safe! 

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