How to desensitize a reactive dog?

To desensitize a reactive dog, most dogs don’t want to fight, so they display a number of behaviors designed to prevent it. These distance-increasing behaviors includes barking, lunging, or growling — anything to make the threat go away. Many people correct their dog for any perceived display of aggression. Some may force them to sit or lie down in an approaching dog’s path thinking this will help correct the behavior. Unfortunately, a tight leash tells your dog you're stressed, making your pup more stressed in return. As a result, both dogs may start barking, switching from their flight instinct, to fight. Often, owners have their dogs on tight leashes, thinking this will help if anything happens.

Working to change a dog’s emotional response to their triggers is one of the most important parts of a behavior modification program, and it’s done through a process called Counterconditioning & Desensitization. Counterconditioning & Desensitization (CC/DS) uses principles of classical conditioning to change the emotional responses our dogs have to their triggers, from negative, to neutral or positive. The sweet spot for Counterconditioning & Desensitization is when your dog is just at threshold in relation to their trigger. By allowing your dog to observe their trigger at this low intensity, we’re allowing their mild feelings of concern to dissipate – instead of escalating into a full-blown stress response – and be replaced with feelings of relaxation. With repetition, the presence of a trigger at that intensity will no longer cause even mild concern. The goal with controlled CC/DS sessions is to extinguish any negative emotional responses to the trigger at the current level of intensity, before moving on and increasing the level of intensity. If they no longer feel fearful, or anxious, or frustrated in the presence of a trigger, the reason to react goes away. We also add something pleasant or appetitive – like turkey or hot dogs – in the presence of the trigger to further aid in the learning process.