Reactive dog

One of our rescue dogs is reactive to other dogs whilst in our village. Once away from the village she doesn't bat an eyelid at any other dog. Obviously our entire village is her territory.

I don't know where she was getting training from, but I don't think she's a particularly experienced owner. Her dog obviously dslikes mine & that's not going to change overnight!
I do wonder if she asked my permission to let her dog run up, & I didn't hear & just smiled...
I'm lucky that my dog seems to shrug off this type of incident, but it can't help his confidence.

That is an infuriating incident valdavi. The dog may have been getting training but his owner obviously is not. It’s basic training that you don’t use extendable leashes and that yiu never let your dog run into other dogs, especially on lead dogs.

I have my first reactive dog, working in groups and 1 to one with qualified and experienced trainers behaviourists. My dog was well socialised trained but the type of incident you described occurred several times hence reactivity

Be careful though - there is a dog that I see walking locally & she always keeps him away because he's obviously reactive & also doesn't like my dog.
The other day she was walking towards me & talking, as I'm deaf I didnt catch what she said, suddenly she let her dog run up to mine (on a long leash) I knew what was going to happen but tried not to tense up, but he "bit" mine (that mouthing they do which is agressive but they don't close their jaws) & when we'd yanked them apart she explained that she'd been getting training & he was good now with most dogs.
Mine was quite skittery for a few days but he's fine now - he's a very even-tempered chap. Scarey for my dog & set her dog back with his training, so - don't rush things & be aware what breeds are likely to trigger yours. Good luck!

Treacletoffee

Hi All
Has anyone had experience of using dog calming treats? Daughter has an extremely reactive dog

Current rescue dog was very reactive when we got him; we tried calming treats and they made no difference.

Persistent calm training, reassurance and reinforcement is the answer. It takes time, then a lifetime of timely reminding.

Nutricalm were a waste of money.

I have two rescues, fine with each other but unpredictable with other dogs. The vet recommended the plug in Adaptil to help with nervousness and anxiety indoors so we always use it now. Trainers have been of limited use as they don't seem to give answers to 'why' questions so a behaviourist is probably better although please use a proper one (one that you will need a vet referral for).
Have you tried clicker training? It might help while you are given a referral appointment.

It’s usually a good idea to start with a small dose and observe the dog’s reaction, and consult your vet to make sure the treat is appropriate, especially if your daughter’s dog has severe reactivity or is on other medications. In combination with behavior modification techniques, these treats can make stressful situations a bit more manageable. Hope this helps!

My new dog is reactive and calming treats etc have been a total waste.

My vet prescribed something for her and that together with lots of positive reinforcement / behavioural training is now showing so much improvement.
It's been a slow journey but we're getting there!

Reactive treats never worked with our late rescue Border collie. We spent over £1000.00 on trainers and that didn't work either.
He was almost 12 when he died and l never knew whether he was going to be OK with another dog or not. He only had 3 friends that he absolutely loved and got along with.
He hated scooters and skate boards.
He didn't like children, but because he was a beautiful looking dog, they would run up to him unsupervised.
I was constantly on edge the whole time we were out walking.
He had been terribly abused the first year of his life and he never really recovered. However, my late dh and l loved him very much. A reactive dog does take over your life though.

Dog calming treats won’t help. Reactive dogs are a challenge and there seem to be increasing numbers of them. I’m working hard with my lab whose reactivity I can link to a series of unfortunate events and his sensitive personality.
I go to training groups with him and I’m following advice from a behaviourist. He’s responding well.
No quick fixes - I’d recommend joining a training group run by a properly qualified trainer/behaviourist. Also try to avoid situations where the dog is likely to react. The more the practice a behaviour, the more they’ll repeat it.

www.facebook.com/groups/dogtrainingadviceandsupport/?ref=share

This is the Facebook link, once joined she wants to look under "Guides" ""Section 5" "Fearful and Reactive dogs".
Good luck

Calming treats won't help a reactive dog. There are techniques the owner can use which will train the dog not to react. It's quite simple but consistency is key. All depends what the dog is reacting to. My rather typical terrorist hates saw bicycles as a threat from hell but by using known distraction/high reward treats she's improved 95% still goes ballistic when one sneaks up from behind. The techniques are available online, please use books/trainers that use positive training. There is a fantastic dog training page on Facebook if she uses it - I'll find the link. It is run by professional trainers and is a wealth of information.

Pippa Mattinson at dogsnet.com has some great tips on this sort of thing and might be worth exploring. I don’t know anything about calming treats, sorry.

There were couple of very reactive dogs both rescues where I live both owners have worked wonders with them. It has taken about 1 year of hard work walking them and getting their attention by giving small treats when passing other dogs. These dogs have gone from lunging at others and barking to being social creatures. It did take them a long time and lots of patience but it can be done. I applaud the work they put in.

Is it a rescue dog?
We have had rescue dogs and some do have issues, but as mentioned a dog behaviourist can help.

I think the only way forward is to get help from a dog behaviourist to be honest because each dog has a different trigger that needs sorting.