Why is my dog so reactive all of a sudden?

Dogs communicate with us and each other through body language and vocalisations. If your dog feels fearful or anxious around other dogs or people, they may try to hide or get away from them. They may also approach them using threatening body language to make them move away. While on-lead, they might not be able to move away or closer. This can result in frustration, and their attempts to move away or to get closer can intensify. Reactive behaviour can develop due to a dog's experiences, or lack of, during puppyhood. Some dogs may lack social skills because they haven't learned appropriate boundaries, or how to communicate appropriately. Others may have had bad experiences that make them feel vulnerable when they're faced with similar situations.

They have hit adolescence and it is all getting a bit too much – those hormones flushing through the young dog’s body can cause all sorts of hiccups. They had an encounter with another dog which has caused worry – either with or without your own feelings being considered. Often it isn’t what happens when another dog rushes over, it more than likely how we react as and after it happens that is going to affect our dog’s behaviour. Maybe there is too much socialisation going on? Do they go to Doggy day-care and it is too much for them – have you considered what they learn when out on their own? There has been a change in the household? – people leaving, new home, loss of another family pet – our dog’s do not understand what has happened but do know that there is change and it takes time to adjust. There has been human loss, grief attacks us in many ways but it will also affect our pets too. Our dog will not only be aware that there is loss, they also do not understand why you are different too? Maybe it has just built up over several weeks and months and now that glass is overflowing. There have been lots of signs that it is going to happen – but maybe you missed them? Just maybe as your dog reached a certain age, all the challenges he/she had and coped with as a pup, have now proved too much.

It is very common for dogs to become reactive. By that I mean that as young pups they have displayed very little signs of reactivity but as they have got older their reactivity increases and it can seem very arbitrary as to what triggers their reactivity and why this happens. This can be explained using the cup of tea theory. As puppies they may be ok with sheep, new visitors, the doorbell etc. As they get older and normal life's stresses and strains begin to take their toll they are living life a bit on the edge. I totally understand how confusing it must be as a dog owner when it looks like one minute your dog is ok with the bin man, other dogs, men in caps and now it feels like they are reactive to everything and anything when you go for your usual walk. The more relaxed and calm your dog is generally, the less reactive they are likely to be. Please know that your dog will likely always react to some things, they would be a robot otherwise.