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Understanding Reactive Dogs: Why Dogs React and How to Help
Dogs are one of the most popular companion animals, and many of them go through life confident and happy with the world around them. A significant number do not - the scared dogs, the anxious dogs, the ones who are terrified when approached by another dog, person, or a whole range of possible things. These dogs react to the causes of their fear in a range of ways, all of which combine to make what are called 'reactive dogs', the ones who cannot cope and have to find a way to tell us. They may be labelled 'bad’, ‘aggressive’, or 'vicious' when they are none of those things. They are scared, and it is up to us to learn and to help. Learn how fear, anxiety and stress affect the dog. Follow the chemical and physiological changes that happen in the fear response. Find out the potential causes of reactive behaviours, and how to help a puppy have the best chance of avoiding reactivity as they grow and mature into an adult. Discover how to help the reactive dog develop a better relationship with the world. Finish reading this book better understanding reactive dogs.
243 pages, Hardcover
Published September 15, 2021
39 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
About the author
Jay Gurden
6 books2 followersBorn on a Sussex farm Jay spent a chunk of her life surrounded by working sheepdogs, and for a number of years bred prize-winning pedigree sheep. The farm has gone but, as they say, you can't take the farm out of the girl. Jay spends her days as a behaviour consultant, writing about dogs, and as a tutor for Canine Principles and the ISCP, online providers of ethical and science-based canine education. Her spare time is spent in conversation with a characterful Border Collie, who tends to come out of the discussion on the winning side.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 17, 2022
What I loved about this book:
- it takes its goal seriously, it is an in-depth look at particular behavioral characteristics
- it outlines the neurological aspect of dog behavior (yesss, science, baby)
- it provides a holistic understanding of what happens in the mind and body of a reactive dog
- it is mindful about the use of language (guardian instead of owner, etc.)
- it offers insight into the learning process of dogs (classical conditioning, operant conditioning, single event learning, learned helplessness, etc.)
- it advises against aversive training methods and offers alternatives
- it clearly explains in a step by step approach why the dominance theory is incorrect, it highlights several other misconceptions such as the "bad dog", "the manipulative dog", "the guilty dog"
- it empowers you as a guardian to understand, guide, and support your dog's relationship with the world and particular triggers
- it discusses the difference between reactivity and aggression
- it provides a clear description of the ladder of aggression and escalation in dogs, shedding much-needed light on the "he went crazy out of the blue" misconception
- it explains why dogs skip the lower steps on the ladder of escalation and how memory plays a role in reactive behavior
- it stresses the importance of correctly reading your dog's body language and behavior in an attempt to support deescalating certain situations
- it acknowledges that working with a reactive dog is not a linear process and that there will most most likely be setbacks, as well as progress
- it does not make empty promises of quick solutions or immediate success, actually stating that there is no guarantee in solving the reactivity once and for all
- it offers tools and realistic options to improve the situation and reduce stress in both dog and guardian
- it teaches you not to demonize guardians who do not have the resources to work or live with a reactive dog and decide to rehome him/her - although far from ideal, sometimes this is the best long term option for everyone involved
- it is detailed and clear enough about the actual steps of building a solution from allowing your dog to flush cortisol out of his body through to resilience and confidence-building exercises over to the actual behavior modification steps of counterconditioning and desensitization
- it supports guardians in understanding that reactive dogs are dogs who need more empathy, more kindness, more patience, more attention - not less
- it does not lose itself in sentimental effusions about the wonders of having a dog, it rather states them through the incredible research and dedication to its topic. I have read so many superficial "redirect with a toy" kind of books and articles before. This was indeed a breath of much-needed fresh air to me. You learn when to redirect with a toy, when to distract, the accurate timing for a reward, and you understand that evasion is not the ultimate solution. The need to expose your dog to the trigger from a safe distance in order for the counterconditioning to work is crucial. Also, you learn why sometimes your over-the-threshold dog does not react to your attempts to redirect/reward, etc. By understanding the whole process and the logic behind it, not just bits and pieces, your confidence and resilience as a guardian are strengthened
- without becoming preachy, it reminds readers of their responsibility in making the human-dog relationship work, in providing support to their animal companions where needed, in understanding their part of the deal as guardians, and living up to it
- it stresses the fact that behavior does not happen in a vacuum and that multiple factors contribute to it. All behavior is a consequence of a certain type of input and thus, all behavior is normal, although in some cases, undesired
- it raises awareness about the importance of really understanding the breed of choice, its specific needs, and disposition. It stresses the necessity to make informed decisions in this sense: for example, high prey drive in a Beagle is natural, high energy in a Husky as well, emotional dependency and need for closeness is typical for a Great Dane - these are not behavioral issues, this is the nature of certain dogs. Additionally, an underexercised or mentally understimulated dog, as well as a dog suffering from separation anxiety may display unwanted behaviors, but this does not make them "bad dogs" or "spiteful dogs". It is the inevitable consequence of them not having their needs met, of certain structures or lack thereof, that don't allow dogs to successfully integrate into their guardians' daily routine. It is utterly important to get the breed that best fits one's resources and that we as guardians can do right by
- it highlights the fact that dogs do not owe us seamless adaptation to our lifestyles but, obviously, have needs and wants of their own, needs and wants that we as guardians are responsible for
- it does not support the myth that neutering/spaying is a universal tool to improve behavior aka make the dog "calm down"
I read this book in an attempt to understand my socially awkward, overexcited, extremely extroverted, 60kg, frustrated greeter better. And even though this book focuses mostly on fear reactivity, I have learned more from it than from months of online research, several other books, and multiple trainers. I was able to practice the solutions provided with quite some success, because now I understand the big picture.
It's works like these that warm your heart and truly help deepen your knowledge and understanding of your dog's behavior. It's also books like these that offer you tools to improve the human-dog relationship and establish a balance in both your lives.
Jay Gurden leads by example in terms of what it means to love your dog: to, layer upon layer, build a bridge between two completely different communication systems and meet each other halfway with patience, empathy, and kindness.
- it takes its goal seriously, it is an in-depth look at particular behavioral characteristics
- it outlines the neurological aspect of dog behavior (yesss, science, baby)
- it provides a holistic understanding of what happens in the mind and body of a reactive dog
- it is mindful about the use of language (guardian instead of owner, etc.)
- it offers insight into the learning process of dogs (classical conditioning, operant conditioning, single event learning, learned helplessness, etc.)
- it advises against aversive training methods and offers alternatives
- it clearly explains in a step by step approach why the dominance theory is incorrect, it highlights several other misconceptions such as the "bad dog", "the manipulative dog", "the guilty dog"
- it empowers you as a guardian to understand, guide, and support your dog's relationship with the world and particular triggers
- it discusses the difference between reactivity and aggression
- it provides a clear description of the ladder of aggression and escalation in dogs, shedding much-needed light on the "he went crazy out of the blue" misconception
- it explains why dogs skip the lower steps on the ladder of escalation and how memory plays a role in reactive behavior
- it stresses the importance of correctly reading your dog's body language and behavior in an attempt to support deescalating certain situations
- it acknowledges that working with a reactive dog is not a linear process and that there will most most likely be setbacks, as well as progress
- it does not make empty promises of quick solutions or immediate success, actually stating that there is no guarantee in solving the reactivity once and for all
- it offers tools and realistic options to improve the situation and reduce stress in both dog and guardian
- it teaches you not to demonize guardians who do not have the resources to work or live with a reactive dog and decide to rehome him/her - although far from ideal, sometimes this is the best long term option for everyone involved
- it is detailed and clear enough about the actual steps of building a solution from allowing your dog to flush cortisol out of his body through to resilience and confidence-building exercises over to the actual behavior modification steps of counterconditioning and desensitization
- it supports guardians in understanding that reactive dogs are dogs who need more empathy, more kindness, more patience, more attention - not less
- it does not lose itself in sentimental effusions about the wonders of having a dog, it rather states them through the incredible research and dedication to its topic. I have read so many superficial "redirect with a toy" kind of books and articles before. This was indeed a breath of much-needed fresh air to me. You learn when to redirect with a toy, when to distract, the accurate timing for a reward, and you understand that evasion is not the ultimate solution. The need to expose your dog to the trigger from a safe distance in order for the counterconditioning to work is crucial. Also, you learn why sometimes your over-the-threshold dog does not react to your attempts to redirect/reward, etc. By understanding the whole process and the logic behind it, not just bits and pieces, your confidence and resilience as a guardian are strengthened
- without becoming preachy, it reminds readers of their responsibility in making the human-dog relationship work, in providing support to their animal companions where needed, in understanding their part of the deal as guardians, and living up to it
- it stresses the fact that behavior does not happen in a vacuum and that multiple factors contribute to it. All behavior is a consequence of a certain type of input and thus, all behavior is normal, although in some cases, undesired
- it raises awareness about the importance of really understanding the breed of choice, its specific needs, and disposition. It stresses the necessity to make informed decisions in this sense: for example, high prey drive in a Beagle is natural, high energy in a Husky as well, emotional dependency and need for closeness is typical for a Great Dane - these are not behavioral issues, this is the nature of certain dogs. Additionally, an underexercised or mentally understimulated dog, as well as a dog suffering from separation anxiety may display unwanted behaviors, but this does not make them "bad dogs" or "spiteful dogs". It is the inevitable consequence of them not having their needs met, of certain structures or lack thereof, that don't allow dogs to successfully integrate into their guardians' daily routine. It is utterly important to get the breed that best fits one's resources and that we as guardians can do right by
- it highlights the fact that dogs do not owe us seamless adaptation to our lifestyles but, obviously, have needs and wants of their own, needs and wants that we as guardians are responsible for
- it does not support the myth that neutering/spaying is a universal tool to improve behavior aka make the dog "calm down"
I read this book in an attempt to understand my socially awkward, overexcited, extremely extroverted, 60kg, frustrated greeter better. And even though this book focuses mostly on fear reactivity, I have learned more from it than from months of online research, several other books, and multiple trainers. I was able to practice the solutions provided with quite some success, because now I understand the big picture.
It's works like these that warm your heart and truly help deepen your knowledge and understanding of your dog's behavior. It's also books like these that offer you tools to improve the human-dog relationship and establish a balance in both your lives.
Jay Gurden leads by example in terms of what it means to love your dog: to, layer upon layer, build a bridge between two completely different communication systems and meet each other halfway with patience, empathy, and kindness.
January 30, 2022
The book talks a lot about what happens in the brain during fear responses which is exactly what I am searching for. At the same time, this part of the book is way to difficult for most people unfortunately. At least it was for me, despite having an academic background. Personally I wish the whole book was like this but built up to this level slowly, to be able to understand it better. It could potentially be easier with a physical book in this case, to be able to reread and see spellings etc. In a narrated book, this is not as easy. The rest of the book is good, but there is not much new which you can´t find in most other fearful dog books.
March 7, 2021
Clear insights, a holistic approach and well written. It's not a step-by-step self-help guide for dog guardians, but it will do exactly what it sets out to - help people understand reactive dogs. It takes a holistic approach covering genes, prenatal experiences, neurobiology, hormonal experiences and situational triggers. As such, it's a great addition to the dog trainer's library and also for any invested guardians. It strikes a great balance between the clear and the complex without ever being patronising.
March 30, 2022
There is a lot of great information in this book, covering pretty much everything connected to reactivity in dogs. The biggest problem I had was getting through it. The book would really benefit from editing/proofreading to make it easier to read. If your dog is having a hard time though, it's worth pushing through to gain the insights provided.
November 3, 2022
I wish there had been more about rescue dogs instead of recommending buying a puppy from a breeder. I also wish there were more citations to references and more information about reading body language. A bit repetitive but some good information.
May 17, 2024
The book didn't answer the questions I had about how to help my dog
December 18, 2024
A good starting point for dog owners who have little understanding of dog behaviour but wouldn't be sufficient on its own to reduce problem behaviours.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews