How do you tell if a dog is aggressive or reactive?

The line between reactivity and aggression can be blurry, and the solution for your dog will depend on their unique personality, experiences, and triggers. Reactivity and aggression are both situational behaviors that depend largely on the dog, and telling the difference between the two isn’t always straightforward. Your dog experiences reactivity whenever they respond to a situation (or a trigger) in a more intense way than you would expect, like overreacting to a sound or the presence of another person or animal. For some dogs, their reactivity can look like aggressive behaviors, like growling or lunging. Many reactive behaviors are mistaken for aggression. Aggression is the threat of harm to another individual, and these behaviors can include: Snarling, Growling, Snapping, Biting, Barking, Lunging. Animals will generally try to prevent conflict, not create it. If an animal has resorted to aggressive behaviors like biting or lunging, it's likely because their more subtle, lower-level stress signals have been missed or ignored. When exposed to a trigger, every dog has a specific threshold they can handle before their behavior becomes erratic. Before your dog reaches their threshold, distance is your best friend. Creating separation between your dog and their trigger helps move them into a calmer state.

We generally refer to dogs as being reactive when they show signs of worry or frustration around others on walks. Your dog could be considered reactive if, when on walks, they: lunge, bark, growl or snarl at another dog or person, bounce around frantically, maybe trying to get out of their collar or harness, grab your clothing or body and shake it, nip another dog they’re being walked with, try to hide behind you, or between your legs, try to jump up into your arms, pull away. 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. learn to recognise your dog's body language. This will help you understand when they're feeling worried or frustrated.