It’s me, Hi - I’m the problem it’s me! Is it really your fault that your Terrier is reactive?

Living with a dog displaying behaviour problems is tough, it can encroach on all areas of your life restricting where you can go and what you can do and sometimes it can be really hard to shake the feeling that it’s all your own fault. I didn’t socialise them properly, I’m nervous and that travels down the lead, they are protecting me and I have failed to train them are just some of the feelings that crop up when your dog is barking like Cerberus on the end of the lead at Fluffy, next doors sweet and innocent miniature Poodle.

Turning to breed Facebook groups or Instagram doesn’t help as opinions on the reasons for your dog’s behaviour will range from things as extreme to your sheer and complete failure for not attending the local puppy class, it’s just what the breed does and it’s normal to they must be guarding you and need severe discipline right now to nip it in the bud. Can you guess I’m not a huge fan of asking for advice on unregulated Facebook groups? So when you are stood in the middle of the park at your wits end singing Taylor Swift at the top of your lungs…is it you?

You’ll be pleased to hear that no….it’s almost certainly not your fault. While the way you have brought your Terrier up, the things you’ve done with them and your training to date has an influence over their behaviour, the root cause of reactivity is very rarely anything to do with the dog’s guardian. So take a sigh of relief and feel the weight come off your shoulders, it’s not your fault and the chances are there are multiple factors at play, a lot of which you had no control over at all.

So if it’s not your fault, what actually is causing your dog’s reactivity?

Trauma - If this is your culprit you will probably know it already. If your dog has been involved in fight, been charged or attacked and then become reactive either suddenly or after the compounding effects of several incidents you’ll probably be aware already. It’s worth noting though, that especially with Terriers, particularly adolescent Male ones it’s not always fear based - sometimes they just get a taste for a fight! Let’s be honest, they have a level of aggression built in and there’s a natural high that comes form engaging in that sort of behaviour. Ask yourself, is your dog going towards the thing or trying to back off while they are barking? If they are heading forwards, it’s much less likely to be fear.

Genetics - Often overlooked as a reason for your dog’s behaviour issues but it might well be one of the bigger factors at play. Sadly we don’t get to blame it completely because a dog’s genetics will give them a predisposition towards all sorts of things but it is the environment that they live in that will allow these genetics to come out to play. So if your dog’s parents (even grandparents!!) were reactive, yes you guessed it - your dog is more likely to display these behaviours. There’s also just those breed genetics that come along with all Terriers. Aggression is part of the working role of killing vermin and especially in dogs with strong working lines this can leak out in other places when that need to hunt and kill isn’t met in a pet home. Barking itself is also a very rewarding and fun thing to do if you are a Terrier so if you are just really desperate to do it - sometimes other dogs make the easiest targets.

Poor Socialisation - In my opinion it’s better to do no socialisation with your Terrier than to get it really wrong. A great way go wrong is to allow an already excitable youngster access to all the dogs and people they like and then let them play like a maniac rather than just learn to co-exist calmly. Yes puppies need contact with other dogs, but in exactly the same way you wouldn't want your child to hang around with the class bully, you need to choose appropriate roll models for your puppy too. Adolescence is also a huge danger zone when it comes to your dog becoming reactive. With poor interactions, scraps and less thinking more action type attitude is likely to lead the dog down the road of frustration reactivity. So less is defiantly more in this crucial period of your Terrier’s development.

Personality - Some dog’s are more naturally submissive, some more aggressive and that’s just the combination of all the other factors and life experience that is described here already. Other experiences that contribute to overall confidence or a have brought anxiousness in other areas are all going to be thrown in the pot to push your dogs reactions one way or the other when that tricky life experience comes calling. So if you have a. dog that seems to lean more towards anxious or aggressive behaviour more naturally, then it’s important to make sure you work on their behaviour in other ways so that you keep any potential reactivity at bay.

Health and wellness - Both in my experience and according to statistics collated by behaviourists, at least 85% of behavioural problems have a health related issue sitting alongside them. It might be directly contributing in the sense that if a dog is in pain they will actively warn other dogs and not want to interact or play. It’s also just a contributing factor that underpins the others and tips the balance in to negative consequences. Take a dog that is 100% physically well, getting good rest and eating a good diet that has a negative experience with an aggressive dog in the park. It’s totally possible that that dog will just bounce back and not let that experience effect them in the future. The same experience happening to a dog that has a painful undiagnosed medical condition and is overtired is likely to go the other way entirely. Think about it, are you easy to live with when you haven’t slept properly in a week due to a dose of the flu?

The reality is it’s likely that a combination of all the facts mentioned are involved in your Terriers reactivity, it’s why you are likely to need a more comprehensive approach than just training to solve the issue. So even though it’s probably not your fault it started, it is very much up to you to solve the issue, because sadly it rarely goes away on it’s own. So working with a Terrier specialist and my 3 tier approach of management, motivation and communication covers all the bases and sets you up for success for a better life with your dog.

Drop me a line if I can help!