Reactivity in dog behavior refers to a heightened response—often a dramatic, exaggerated, or aggressive one—to a stimulus such as other dogs, people, or various environmental triggers. It can manifest as barking, growling, lunging, jumping, lack of self-control, and other intense reactions. Reactivity is commonly linked to fear, anxiety, genetics, immediate circumstances, insecure attachment, and/or a lack of socialization. 

Important note: if your dog becomes suddenly reactive, or is acting “off” in a way that feels different from their usual behavior, physical pain may very well be the source. As a genetic family, canids often mask physical pain; if their wild ancestors showed weakness, after all, they could quickly go from predator to prey. It is therefore common for physical ailments in dogs to manifest as behavioral “problems.” For any unexplained, reactive behavior that has seemingly appeared out of nowhere, please bring your pup in for a thorough once-over at the vet or have a consult with a veterinary behaviorist.

Once physical pain or discomfort has been ruled out, there are three primary strategies to successfully modify your dog’s responses to an environmental trigger:

Strategy 1: Manage the environment so that your dog is not triggered to react in the first place.

It is very important that your dog does not get the opportunity to practice reactive behavior. The easiest way to ensure this is by minimizing your dog’s exposure to their triggers. Ideally, your dog will only have access to their triggers when you consciously and carefully engage in gentle, positive, and specific work toward behavior change. “Management” often means using tools like tethers, crates, baby gates, exercise pens, curtains, window clings, box fans, noise machines, Adaptil pheromone spray or diffuser, chest compression vests like a Thunder Shirt, and homeopathic and mainstream medicine. This strategy is the easiest, simplest, and most direct route to a regulated pup. Management alone can completely eliminate many reactive behaviors, and is by far and away the easiest option.

Strategy 2: Change the way your dog feels about environmental triggers so that they are no longer reactive.

To gradually change your dog’s response to their triggers, incrementally expose them to each element of their trigger over time, while simultaneously pairing the trigger with high-value treats. This is a process called “systematic desensitization and classical counterconditioning,” and is often abbreviated as DS/CC (because no one should go through those verbal gymnastics any more than is absolutely necessary.) 

When engaging in DC/CC, a dog has relative autonomy over their movements (to the fullest extent that is possible and safe). The dog decides how, when, and where they engage the stimuli. They have control over their approach or retreat, which can change at a moment’s notice. If they are on a short leash, their person is paying very close attention to aid in their autonomy of movement. Alternatively, they are on a 10’-15’ longline at a safe distance from the stimulus to allow even more freedom.

Teaching a dog to feel ok around things they do not like—such as other dogs, children, fireworks, bicycles, mail carriers, garbage trucks, metal staircases, umbrellas, shopping carts, and a variety of different people—are examples of DS/CC.

When a dog is engaged in DC/CC, they are a passive participant, ruled by their “Feeling Brain,” and simply along for the neurological ride of pairing one stimulus with another. In the vast majority of cases, a reactive dog responds to their environment in this emotional and involuntary way. They are not actively choosing to react. Instead, their brain is at the whim of the amygdala—the “lizard” brain—which is only concerned with keeping them alive by fighting, fleeing, freezing, and/or fawning. When a dog is triggered, the amygdala takes the wheel, and the cortex—the part of the brain responsible for rational cognition—is booted to the backseat.

Neurologically, classical conditioning almost always wins over operant conditioning in the “emotional responses vs active decisions” contest. This means that you will be giving your dog treats, no matter how they are behaving.

This can feel counterintuitive: you might think, “If I’m giving my dog hotdogs while they are growling at a bicycle, aren’t I telling them that it’s good to growl at bicycles?” This is a very common misconception. So let’s break it down:

🚲 Environmental Stimulus: Dog becomes aware of a bicycle and begins growling.

🌭 Consequence: Dog attends the all-you-can-eat hotdog tiny treat bar while they are looking at the bicycle.

🟢 Potential Outcome 1: Dog learns that it is advantageous to growl at bikes. They will be more likely to growl during future run-ins with bikes.

💓 Potential Outcome 2: your dog learns that bikes are… not so bad! They will be less likely to growl during future run-ins with bikes.

🏆 It is far more likely that Potential Outcome 2 will win out. Your dog will learn to feel better about bicycles, and not that growling gets them rewards. 

🟰 Your dog will be less likely to growl during future run-ins with bicycles if they are given treats while having experiences with bikes, regardless of their behavior.

Now let’s contrast the above with what would happen if you attempted to suppress the growling behavior instead of focusing on changing the underlying emotional response…

🚲 Environmental Stimulus: Dog becomes aware of a bicycle and begins growling.

🌭 Consequence: Dog’s person scolds them with a “Shush!” Or, perhaps they tighten their grip on the leash, or pull them away from the bicycle in a way that is uncomfortable or scary for Dog. 

🔴 Potential Outcome 1: Dog learns it’s bad to growl at bikes. They will be less likely to growl during future run-ins with bikes.

💓 Potential Outcome 2: Dog learns that bikes do not predict good things. They will be more likely to growl or exhibit an escalated emotional response during future run-ins with bikes.

🏆 It is far more likely that Potential Outcome 2 will win out. Your dog will learn to feel worse about bicycles, and not that staying “quiet” around bikes gets rewards. 

🟰 Your dog will be more likely to growl or other reactive behaviors during future run-ins with bicycles if they are scolded while having experiences with bikes.

The two examples above illustrate why it can be harmful and/or dangerous to focus on suppressing emotional behavior instead of addressing the underlying emotional state of the dog. Doing so sets your dog up to mask their emotional behavior to the best of their ability. Dog bite victims often say things like “it came out of nowhere” and “everything seemed fine until it wasn’t” because a dog has been trained to stop communicating their discomfort… but then eventually escalates to a bite when things become unbearable. 

The moral of the story: give your dog things they love when they have an emotional response to an environmental trigger. Because removing things that your dog loves—or adding things to the situation that your dog does not love—will not achieve the desired results.

Strategy 3: Change the way your dog acts around environmental triggers so that they are no longer reactive. 

“Operant conditioning” is the kind of learning that happens when a dog makes intentional, proactive, rational choices. Teaching dogs skills such as eye contact, hand targeting, lying on a mat, and intentional relaxation are all examples of operant conditioning. 

When a dog is engaged in operant conditioning, they are an active participant, using their “Thinking Brain” to proactively make choices. 

Once you have worked on Strategy 2 for a bit (helping your dog to be more emotionally regulated in the presence of triggers), they will have much more access to their cerebral cortex (Thinking Brain). They will possess the ability to make active choices about their behavior. 

To work with your dog on their reactivity through classical conditioning AND operant conditioning, set them up to perform intentional behaviors and then reward those behaviors. There are many games you can play that can help structure these efforts. Here are just a few…

The Engage-Disengage Game / The “Look at That” Game

This is an excellent game to bridge the transition from emotional responses to active decision making. You can read a more thorough write-up of the Engage-Disengage Game here, but here is an infographic of the basics:

Pattern Games
Most reactive pups would prefer a predictable and ordered world, and conversely have a very hard time with unpredictability and disorder. Pattern games, originally popularized by Leslie McDevitt in her book series Control Unleashed, are games that feature ritualistic and ordered repetitions of behaviors to help an anxious dog regulate. It can be very beneficial to layer a pattern game over the top of an unpredictable environment, as it allows a dog to focus on the order around them instead of the disorder.

Examples of pattern games include “1-2-3,” “Up/Down,” “Whiplash Turns” and “Look at That.” (Click on the names of each game to watch a video tutorial for each one! Note that some games lean more toward passive involvement while others lean toward more active involvement; it may be helpful to switch up the game depending on the situation.)

Home Base
Teaching a dog to sit or stand between your legs when they are feeling uncomfortable—or at any time—can help in heightened situations. Providing your dog this “home base” can help them feel safe and secure by giving them close proximity to and physical contact with their person. Having a dog sit or stand between your legs additionally allows you to have a lot more control over your pup’s movement, should you need to manage them quickly. To teach “home base,” use hand targeting to get your dog into position, repeat the movements a dozen times over a few training sessions, and then put it all on a verbal cue (“home base” or “with me” or “check in” or “come on home” or whatever comes naturally to you). If you are receiving this PDF as a part of your training packet, you’ll also receive a step-by-step tutorial on how to teach this skill.

Settle
Reinforcing a dog’s calm behavior can be an excellent way to give them tools for self-regulation. Emily Larlham of Kikopup does an excellent job of walking people through how to teach their dogs to relax in this video. If you are receiving this PDF as a part of your training packet, you’ll also receive a thorough step-by-step tutorial for how I like to teach “settle” with many Dog Adventures Northwest students. 

Working Below Threshold 

It’s vital to proactively manage your dog ’s environment to limit their need to express emotional behaviors such as barking, lunging, growling, snapping, whining, nipping, biting, etc. This is because not a lot of active learning happens when a dog’s amygdala is driving the bus. Their cognitive energy is instead diverted to biological imperatives like fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. Yes, your dog will still learn to feel better about bicycles if you give them hotdogs while she’s growling at a bike... but you will get far more leverage when you create an association between hotdogs and bicycles at a time when your dog is using their “Thinking Brain,” as opposed to being at the mercy of their “Feeling Brain.”

This concept is called “working below threshold.” Ideally, you will pair your dog ’s triggers with treats when your dog is aware of the trigger but not yet exhibiting an emotional response. Check out the infographic below, illustrated by Lili Chin and featured in Bat 2.0 by Grisha Stewart: 

Training hack: An easy indicator of a dog’s threshold level is their interest in eating treats. Dogs that are above threshold are very unlikely to eat treats. 

Practice Makes Progress

It’s important to train for a situation, not in a situation. This means that you’ll want to manufacture experiences in which you can expose your dog to a trigger in a highly controlled environment. Think about how much rehearsal goes into a play before it is performed in front of a live audience… your dog will need to practice emotional regulation—and get many chances to practice it—before you take the show on the road.

Here is a sample set-up that I wrote for a client pup, Nico, who was highly reactive when people came into his house. Through following these very small steps over a long period of time, we were eventually able to teach Nico that strangers in his house were not monsters to be feared, but rather somewhat neutral entities to ignore… and sometimes even like. 

Step 1: People Sounds

• • Nico is in his upstairs room. The fan is off so that Nico can hear noises coming from downstairs.
  • From downstairs, Person 1 plays the sounds of a person talking on YouTube, starting and stopping the video at various times.
  • Person 2 gives Nico high-value treats when he hears the voice, and then completely ignores him when the voice stops.
  • If Nico goes above threshold, make the experience easier by lowering the volume.
  • As Nico is successful at staying emotionally regulated, move the goalpost by doing things like: gradually raising the volume, opening the door (but staying in the room), moving to the top of the stairs, or changing the sound clips to feature a different voice. 
  • Practice this three times a day for five minutes at a time. To set yourself up for success, consider pairing mealtimes with a quick training session that immediately follows them.
  • You will know you are ready to proceed when: Nico hears the sound of people and looks to Person 1 expectantly for his treat, or Nico displays calm and relaxed behavior while he is simultaneously aware of the trigger.

Step 2: People Scents

• • Nico starts in his upstairs room. A person who is new to Nico sits quietly on the couch downstairs.
  • Person 1 brings Nico out of his room to the top of the stairs on a long and loose leash that allows Nico relative freedom of movement. If Nico air scents and detects a visitor, Person 1 gives him high-value treats.
  • Person 1 walks Nico back into his room, closes the door, and ignores him.
  • Person 1 repeats the exercise several times. Person 2 (or the guest) is in text communication with Person 1 if anything about the set-up needs to change.
  • If Nico goes above threshold, experiment with ways to make the experience easier (go back into the room with the door open, ask the guest to move across the room, etc).
  • As Nico is successful, move the goalpost by doing things like: asking the guest to walk/move around, or asking the guest to speak.
  • Practice this once per day, for ten minutes, or as often as you can get someone Nico does not know to help. (This is something we can help with as well!)
  • You will know you are ready to proceed when Nico air scents a guest downstairs and looks to Person 1 expectantly for a treat, or exhibits calm and relaxed behavior while aware of the trigger.

Step 3: People Sights

• • Nico starts in his upstairs room. A person who is new to Nico sits quietly by the fireplace, their attention on their phone or a book.
  • Person 1 brings Nico out of his room to the top of the stairs on a long and loose leash that allows Nico relative freedom of movement. If Nico air scents and/or hears the visitor, Person 1 gives him high-value treats.
  • Person 1 takes one step down the stairs and gives Nico treats. If Nico stays below threshold, Person 1 takes another step down the stairs. Continue this until Nico has a visual of the guest. The guest should not move, speak, or look at Nico.
  • Person 1 walks Nico back into his room, closes the door, and ignores him.
  • Person 1 repeats the exercise several times. Person 2 (or the guest) is in text communication with Person 1 if anything about the set-up needs to change.
  • If Nico is above threshold, experiment with ways to make the experience easier (go back into the room with the door open, ask the guest to stop speaking, etc).
  • As Nico is successful, move the goalpost by doing things like: asking the guest to walk/move around, asking the guest to speak)
  • Practice this once per day, for ten minutes, or as often as you can get someone Nico does not know to help. (This is something we can do as well!)
  • You will know you are ready to proceed when Nico sees a guest downstairs and looks to Person 1 expectantly for a treat, or exhibits genuinely calm and relaxed behavior with the trigger present.

Step 4: People Proximity

• • Nico starts in his upstairs room. A person who is new to Nico sits quietly by the fireplace, their attention on their phone or a book.
  • Person 1 brings Nico out of his room to the top of the stairs on a long and loose leash that allows Nico relative freedom of movement. If Nico air scents and/or hears the visitor, Person 1 gives him high-value treats.
  • Person 1 takes one step down the stairs and gives Nico treats. If Nico stays below threshold, Person 1 takes another step down the stairs. Continue this until Nico has a visual of the guest. The guest should not move, speak, or look at Nico.
  • Person 1 walks Nico back into his room, closes the door, and ignores him.
  • Person 1 repeats the exercise several times. Person 2 (or the guest) is in text communication with Person 1 if anything about the set-up needs to change.
  • If Nico is above threshold, experiment with ways to make the experience easier (go back into the room with the door open, move further away, ask the guest to move further away, etc).
  • As Nico is successful, move the goalpost by moving closer to the guest.
  • Practice this once per day, for ten minutes, or as often as you can get someone Nico does not know to help. (This is something we can do as well!)
  • You will know you are ready to proceed when Nico sees a guest downstairs and is able to approach to within ten feet, and look expectantly for a treat, or exhibits genuinely calm and relaxed behavior within ten feet of the guest.

Step 5: Up the Ante

• Experiment with adding/changing various set-ups to feature things like: having the guest move or talk, having Nico move around the room, having two guests instead of one, asking the guest to briefly look at Nico, asking the guest to briefly talk to Nico, starting the guest at or close to the front door, etc. At all times, work at or below threshold. If Nico goes above threshold, set him up for success by making the situation easier for Nico.
• Do your best to quit while you’re ahead. 

What to Expect

When starting out on the DS/CC journey, it’s impossible to know where the road will end, and when. So many factors are at play when it comes to animal behavior. Any of the following can affect an animal’s rate of behavior change and/or their full potential:

• Socialization to potential triggers in early puppyhood
• Previous or current stress and/or trauma
• Brain chemistry
• Age
• Temperament
• Environmental conditions
• Management tools
• Genetics
• Previous training
• Availability of the dog parent to train
• Availability of safe and measured learning experiences

Systematic desensitization and classical counterconditioning just takes time, which is why people sometimes feel satisfied solely managing their pup’s environment to limit or eliminate access to triggers. (This is another good place to say, however, that if you do not see any progress after a week or two of engaging in the DS/CC process, physical pain may be the source. Bring your pup to a vet or a veterinary behaviorist for a full exam.)

Consider keeping a journal or taking videos to document your pup’s journey so that you—an instant-gratification loving homo sapien—can celebrate your successes, gradual though they may be. Divide all large goals into actionable small ones. And know that wherever you stop on the journey (even if you stop at “management”), as long as you provide your dog with a safe and loving home with both physical and mental enrichment, you are doing right by her.

Lastly, beware of any professionals who promise to change your pup’s emotional behavior quickly. People who advertise this are almost entirely trainers who use fear or intimidation to shut a dog down and make them unable to react in any way (see: “learned helplessness”). When this happens, it’s just a matter of time before the reactive behavior resurfaces and/or there are a myriad of unintended consequences. (Not to mention that aversive methods are unscientific and can be inhumane.)

Trigger Stacking

When multiple stressors—such as loud noises, unfamiliar people, stranger dogs, or otherwise unpredictable circumstances—occur close together or in rapid succession, a dog may become overwhelmed and more likely to exhibit unwanted behavior. Understanding and managing this “trigger stacking” is crucial for effective training. Check out this great infographic from Rescued by Training. (Note that it can take 72+ hours for cortisol levels to return to normal after a stressful event!)

your dog will go above threshold at some point, maybe even a bunch of times. When they do, use these techniques to minimize harm. And then, next time, think about how you can (1) increase the distance; (2) shorten the duration; and/or (3) decrease the intensity of the trigger so that your dog stays at or under threshold. This may mean breaking a trigger into its individual sight/sound/scent/situation components, engaging in DS/CC with each separate component, and then slowly combining them all together. 

Your Dog’s Advocate

A reactive pup will only feel safe to let down their guard if they know YOU will keep them safe. You are your dog’s best advocate. Don’t hesitate to speak up—loudly—when something or someone threatens the balance you are working to create with your pup. Be ready to change their environment at a moment’s notice, if need be. Practice uncomfortable conversations and body-blocks at home. When your dog can trust you to have THEIR best interests at heart, they will look to YOU for guidance in stressful situations.

Remember, also, that your dog is constantly reading your actions and reactions, a skill their species has perfected over 40,000 years of domestication. Simply put, if you want to instill a sense of safety and calm in your pup, you must also feel safe and calm. Do whatever you need to do to manage your own stress while engaged in the DS/CC process. Take some deep breaths, let the tension out of the leash, and relax those shoulders.. 

Decompression

Dogs experience various emotions and sensations throughout their day, including excitement, anxiety, or overwhelm. The eustress (“good” stress) and distress (“bad” stress) of things like stimuli-laden training sessions, crowded public places, playtime with other dogs, or a change of venue can cause mental fatigue in our canine pals. And, just as a body needs to rest after intense physical exercise, brains need to rest after mental exercise. This process of relaxing and unwinding is called “decompression,” and is one of the greatest gifts we can give our dog, especially a reactive pup in training.

Here are some effective techniques for decompression in dogs. If your dog ever goes way above threshold as you work with her, consider employing some of the following ideas for a day or two after any incident.

Quiet Time and Alone Time
Provide your dog with a designated space where they can be quiet and choose to be alone after a stressful event. This space can be a comfortable dog bed or a crate. Allow them to relax without interruptions. Engage them only if they solicit engagement.

Nature Walks
Gentle walks in nature—away from crowded places—can be highly beneficial for decompression. Nature provides an excellent way for all animals (read: you too!) to release tension. Natural settings, paired with relative autonomy and unlimited sniffing opportunities can go a very long way toward a more balanced canine brain, especially after a stressful event. 

Interactive Toys and Puzzles
Engage your dog ’s mind with gentle, easy interactive toys and puzzles. These activities stimulate a dog’s cognitive abilities and can offer a fun way to decompress. Lick mats are particularly great for decompression, as dogs find licking a relaxing activity.

Monitor Stimulation
Be mindful of your dog ’s exposure to stimulating activities. While socialization and training are essential, ensuring a balance with adequate decompression time is key to their well-being.

Management Tools and Medication

Just like people, dogs can have a variety of biochemical disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and various phobia-related disorders. For these dogs, pharmacological intervention may allow them to use learning tools that they would be otherwise too dysregulated to access. 

If you would like to learn more about potential medication, and your veterinarian feels comfortable working with behavior cases, consider starting a conversation with them about the idea. (If your vet does not handle behavior cases, we think very highly of Brooklyn Yard Veterinary Hospital, as they offer force-free veterinary care as well as behavioral support. You can also consider going right to the top of the chain by working with one of the two veterinary behaviorists in Portland: Dr. Pachel at the Animal Behavior Clinic or Dr. Valli at Synergy Behavior Solutions.)

Downloads

• Task Sheets for Relaxation Protocol (Karen Overall).pdf

Lesson Activity

Recommended Media for Reactivity

• Watch: Help for Dog Aggression, Frustration, and Fear: Quick Intro to BAT 2.0, Grisha Stewart, Grisha Stewart Academy
• Watch: Dog Training Pattern Games, Leslie McDevitt, Clicking for Confidence and Connection, YouTube
• Watch: When Sh*t Hits the Fan: Defensive Handling or Emergency Scenarios, Michael Shikashio, Aggressive Dog
• Watch: The Calm Settle for Dogs and Puppies, Emily Larlham, Dog Training by Kikopup, YouTube
• Nerd Out by Listening: Leash Reactivity with Jessica Wheatcraft, Michael Shikashio, The Bitey End of the Dog
• Nerd Out by Listening: Settle Down, Hannah Brannigan, Drinking from the Toilet
• Read: Behavior Medication: First-Line Therapy or Last Resort?, Jennifer Summerfield, Dr. Jen’s Dog Blog
• Read: The Magic of Management in Dog Training, the Academy for Dog Trainers
• Read: Reactive Dog Training: Tips to Help Your Dog Get Better, SpiritDog Training
• Nerd Out by Reading: Legit Luring the Treat Magnet, Hannah Brannigan, Drinking from the Toilet
• Nerd Out by Reading: Dr. Karen Overall’s Relaxation Protocol
  
  (Task sheets for the protocol can be found here.)