Anxiety in Owners

I had a client consultation several years ago for a dog that was reactive to other dogs while on leash. This is a really common problem behavior for dogs and can sometimes take months and years to reduce, but little did I know that this case was going to be the easiest case of my entire career.

I had my assistant waiting down the street with one of my dogs and the new client and I went for a walk, "accidently" seeing the other dog on the way. And sure enough, as we got closer and closer to where we were supposed to meet the other dog, the owner got more and more anxious and the dog started pulling harder with her head on a swivel scanning for threats. And this was a small woman and a large dog, so she was having trouble controlling her. I could see why this was so anxiety-inducing!

When we finally spotted the other dog probably 30ft away, the client's dog acted as expected: barking and lunging at the other dog until we dragged her away (I had to help the client drag her away). When the dog was out of sight, the client and the dog both took a big sigh of relief.

I was curious, so I asked if I could walk the dog. She handed me the leash, I asked her to stay there, and I walked the dog towards the other dog. I was completely relaxed - I knew I could control her even if she reacted, so I wasn't worried but I did have a suspicion I wanted to check out. When we turned the corner and the other dog suddenly came into view, my client's dog spotted the dog and froze, then whipped her head back at me. I just smiled at her and said "What's up?" And she visibly relaxed. You could almost see her thinking "Oh, I guess that dog's okay." Those two dogs did end up meeting each face-to-face that day (through a fence). My new client's dog was perfectly friendly with other dogs. So what was going on?

Dogs are masters of body language. They can pick up on the slightest changes in posture, breathing, and even muscle tension. That’s why when an owner feels anxious about their dog’s behavior, the dog feels it too - and often reacts in exactly the way the owner was afraid they would.

This is what was happening: The client would be walking her dog and they see another dog approaching. Expecting the dog's reaction, she would tense up. She tightens the leash. Her shoulders tense. She holds her breath. And the closer they get to that other dog, the more tense and expectant the client becomes.

The dog, who was previously just walking along, suddenly senses the change in her owner’s body language. She doesn’t know why her owner is anxious, but she assumes it must be because of the other dog. So, naturally, she reacts to send that scary dog away, because if the owner is nervous, that other dog must be a threat. And just like that, the owner’s fear becomes reality.

The more this happens, the more the dog learns that other dogs = bad things happen. And the more the owner learns that their dog is “reactive” around other dogs. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy and a vicious cycle.

Once I demonstrated to this client that the dog is actually friendly with other dogs, her anxiety decreased dramatically. So did the dog's. I coached the client on walking with confidence, how to safely avoid other dogs and break up a fight if necessary, and her confidence improved. The dog did an immediate 180 and the client called me a miracle worker because I "fixed" her dog in less than an hour. Hah.

My point is the dog is only one half of the equation. Everything you do affects the dog too - it's not a one-way street. If your dog is reactive in any way, check your own emotions and reactions. They may be contributing to, or even causing, your dog's reactivity.