Author name: Helen

One of the most common issues clients come to Magnus K9 is because the dog has some sort of negative reactivity and it’s caused too much of an issue that can no longer be ignored by the owners. Reactivity, like aggression, is like a cavity where the top is exposed but the pain really lies in the nerve, well below the surface.  That’s what’s so challenging about reactivity: often we cannot immediately determine exactly what is causing it and why the dog is responding in that manner. The American Kennel Club has a great definition of reactivity where they say it’s basically a dog responding to “normal” occurrences with heightened, less than warranted responses.  The why can be fear, stress, anxiety, excitement, frustration, the list goes on and on. It’s important to distinguish that all dogs can have “reactive” behaviors that are normal and to not over generalize that just because your dog doesn’t like a very certain situation, she is “reactive”. Here’s an example. My dog Onyx is neutral around dogs that aren’t up in his face.  He can walk by a yapping dog on a leash and not look their way and when he sees a dog during an outing, he has no desire to interact that way.  If a dog comes right into his bubble, he will react with a growl or a snap.  I used to call Onyx “dog reactive” but then my mentor challenged me to think about if Onyx is being unreasonable that he doesn’t appreciate dogs who have no boundaries who can be as pushy as they want.  “Would you like a complete stranger to come up in your face and ask you how much money you make?  That’s basically what dogs with no boundaries are doing.”  This begs the question, what is a normal and acceptable response in your household?  That’s why customized training is so important because my neighbors in Colorado thought it was perfectly acceptable for their golden retriever to be left outside all day, barking and parkour-ing off of their fence any time a person or dog walked by.  They didn’t think that was reactive behavior, whereas I did. Working with a trained professional to get to the route of the cavity (dog’s reactivity) is a long-term approach that is the only way you can cleanse the dog of the underlying issue.  If a trainer ever suggests something instant and heavy-handed to fix reactivity, it might be time to consider a new dog trainer

If you work with Magnus K9, we will spend time talking about biological fulfillment, one of our key pillars in unleashing a dog’s full potential so they can live their best life. The best place to start in biological fulfillment is knowing what type of breed(s) make up your dog’s DNA.  There are many companies that do genetic testing for animals and I recommend that if you haven’t done one before, go ahead and get a test.  It might just be that the types of play or mental stimulation you are doing with your dog are landing flat because it’s not something they were biologically programmed to do. I remember a client that came in with a dog who had serious reactivity and fear issues and they had him genetically tested, which determined he was part German Shepherd.  We asked “do you play tug with your dog” and they had been told by a previous trainer that tug is an action that brings out aggression and should be squashed.  Playing tug for German Shepherds is one of the most rewarding activities they can do because it is literally what they were created and hard-wired for. Having lived in Colorado, the joke is that Australian Shepherds and Cattle Dogs are the state dog.  So many awesome versions of these breeds.  If your dog has any mix of these two and you are not doing some sort of agility practice or working your dog around fun objects, that dog is not living its best life! There are some really great hobbies that you may want to get into with your dog to tap into their biological makeup.  Have you ever heard of scent tracking, detection, protection sports, joring, dock diving, obedience sports?  There are many more activities you can introduce to your dog, even on a small scale if you don’t want to compete or show.  Doing a hobby like these with your dog not only fulfills them but strengthens the relationship you have with your dog exponentially.  Now your dog realizes that one of his favorite things is also your favorite thing too!

You just got a new puppy and you’re planning to make this dog exceptional.  Maybe you are planning for this dog to get into agility, detection, service work, or you want it to be the best pet dog there ever was.  What are the most important things you can teach this dog right out of the gate? Very few things in dog training are black and white or can be summarized with just a few words, but to me, this is one of them. Engagement, and stress inoculation. Engagement with the owner is the foundation for any sort of working or pet dog because every command starts with just that: Looking at your owner.  Engagement is also how a dog learns to overcome stressful and anxiety inducing situations.  We teach our dog “look at me and good things will happen.” Let’s unpack a couple of very different scenarios. You’re taking your dog on a leisurely walk through the neighborhood on your work break and a dog on the other side of the street slips its collar and runs over to you and your dog. For many owners, including myself, this situation creates instant panic, which of course your dog can feel.  If you have taught your dog through all situations they need to engage with you, your dog will look at you as if to say “What’s the play here, boss?” and then you can calmly guide your dog behind you while you stick your foot/hand out at that other dog and shoo it away.  If your dog cannot default to engaging with its handler/owner, then this could turn into a chaotic battle with your dog charging that dog, you getting wrapped up in leashes, fighting with the owner.  It’s terrible and it can be avoided. Stress can be good for dogs, just like for humans. If you’re like me, my 3rd grade multiplication practice test awakened a sense of stress in me I hadn’t know in my life until that point.  But they got me ready for the real exam.  The feeling of sweaty palms, heart racing, brain getting fuzzy were all feelings I became more comfortable with the more I practiced and then I knew I could get through that situation, and there would be a reward on the other side.  That’s stress inoculation and I use it in dog training all the time. If you can teach a puppy that this big scary world isn’t as terrifying as it seems and there are rewards on the other side of scary situations, you will be rewarded with a dog that doesn’t face adversity with barking or reactivity, but a calm and “ready to take on the world” mentality. If you come to Magnus for any kind of training, we will talk at length about both engagement and stress inoculation.