Fear Based Aggression

✔How to deal with a fearfully reactive dog 👊🏻🐕

👉🏼If your dog is reactive to other dogs they need to learn to trust that YOU are in control of the situation at all times, advocate for both them and their space. If the other dog is clearly not under their owner’s control, show your dog that YOU will deal with the situation, either create space for you or your dog with a leadership mentality or take hold of your dog on a short lead, stand in front of them and do your best to shoo the other dog away firmly.

⚠️You must though, use effective control and management with your own dog to eliminate their ability to be reactive, REMEMBER acceptance is reinforcement. 🐕 YOU are the one who teaches your dog how you want them to be and you need to be the one to manage them if they also make poor choices…

👉🏼The goal is for your dog to follow your guidance and your instruction. Reward your dog for any and all decisions of calmness, non-reactivity, engagement, or good obedience. Be careful though as rewarding your dog when they are fixated or over stimulated will only reinforce these problematic behaviours.

❌It is not for your dog to decide and choose that they cannot cope with another dog… they have to trust YOU to deal with the situation, helping them make the right choice, allowing them to decide how to deal with their fear/barrier frustration/hyper elevation is only setting them up to fail and will, in the long term make your issue worse.

👉🏼 It is down to YOU to relieve any pressure your dog may encounter and teach them: ✅ How to deal with things ✅ How to cope ✅ How to be cool and calm under your control 👀