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Chloe is a 4 year old Toller. We have had serious dog reactivity issues in the past, but I think we are over them. She has played nicely with several other dogs, and hasn't reacted to other dogs we pass on walks in several months. Just yesterday a lab in a store went berserk when we were 6' away. Chloe was interested, but quite calm. A year ago she might have been the one to start it, and she certainly couldn't have played with other dogs.
Two weeks ago I was at agility class and the instructor's dog came over to me. Chloe went off on it and chased it way snarling. A couple days later, while I was loading her in my car, there was a dog standing in our front yard. Chloe chased it away, again snarling. Naturally I was distressed, and we went back to the behaviorist who helped us get over the reactivity problem.
She said that Chloe is the most assertive dog, of any breed, that she has encountered. It is her personality, and not a behaviour that can be changed. Chloe simply didn't think a dog should be approaching her human or standing in her yard, and made her feelings clear. If she had touched the other dogs or pursued them, which she easily could have, it would have been aggression that needed to be dealt with, but she was just being Chloe.
I wondered what would happen if the other dog had stood his ground. She said that would be a serious problem, but it wasn't likely to happen. Dogs judge the toughness of their opponent by actions rather than by size. It was unlikely that any dog would stand up to Chloe if they didn't have to.
We do have some residual reactivity in Chloe not like liking it when dogs run right at her. The behaviorist said that was normal and it was poor behavior on the part of the approaching dog.
Okay, so if the behaviourist is right, it is just a matter of keeping her out of situations where she feels she has to be assertive. It has only happened twice (by coincidence days apart...) so I can do that.
I wonder what people think of the behaviorist's ideas?
Two weeks ago I was at agility class and the instructor's dog came over to me. Chloe went off on it and chased it way snarling. A couple days later, while I was loading her in my car, there was a dog standing in our front yard. Chloe chased it away, again snarling. Naturally I was distressed, and we went back to the behaviorist who helped us get over the reactivity problem.
She said that Chloe is the most assertive dog, of any breed, that she has encountered. It is her personality, and not a behaviour that can be changed. Chloe simply didn't think a dog should be approaching her human or standing in her yard, and made her feelings clear. If she had touched the other dogs or pursued them, which she easily could have, it would have been aggression that needed to be dealt with, but she was just being Chloe.
I wondered what would happen if the other dog had stood his ground. She said that would be a serious problem, but it wasn't likely to happen. Dogs judge the toughness of their opponent by actions rather than by size. It was unlikely that any dog would stand up to Chloe if they didn't have to.
We do have some residual reactivity in Chloe not like liking it when dogs run right at her. The behaviorist said that was normal and it was poor behavior on the part of the approaching dog.
Okay, so if the behaviourist is right, it is just a matter of keeping her out of situations where she feels she has to be assertive. It has only happened twice (by coincidence days apart...) so I can do that.
I wonder what people think of the behaviorist's ideas?