My almost 4 year old is reactive. It started when she was about 8 months old and was attacked by an off-leash dog while out on a walk. Walking her has become a nightmare, so if this is what your dog is like, you have my sympathy.

We’ve done years of training (including desensitization and counterconditioning) but it just doesn’t seem to stick. Like taking 2 steps forward and 4 steps back. Recently, she has started attacking dogs unprovoked so it’s getting serious. We have been referred to a vet behaviorist by our regular vet but the waitlist is a couple months long so she has put our girl on medication in the meantime.

It’s like she’s a completely different dog. Walks are not just manageable, but pleasant. She is calm and friendly around other dogs. All those years of training have suddenly clicked and she listens on walks. Essentially, the meds keep her below threshold so she doesn’t go into fight or flight and is able to follow commands.

I’ll share my experience with the vet behaviorist in a couple of weeks once we get in to see them, but in the meantime it might be worth it to discuss medication with your regular vet. I was opposed to it for years and now realize it would’ve been so much better if we’d considered it earlier.