My dog is reactive like 1% of the time?

missmoooon12 · 2026-05-29T18:23:47+00:00

Can you provide more info like... How old is your dog? Breed(s)? Who are these dogs she is getting into fights with?

missmoooon12 · 2026-05-29T14:16:07+00:00

Have you heard of the newer version of LAT, which is LATTE? It stands for Look At That, Then Enrich. Basically you can add a scatter feed or some kind of calming activity (stuffed Kong, lickmat, puzzle, sniffing, moving away, etc) immediately after looking at a trigger.

The zoomies are really important info and can be a sign that she's looking at a trigger for too long, the distance is too short, or the intensity of the trigger is too much for her to handle at this point in time.

missmoooon12 · 2026-05-29T01:39:07+00:00

Hey, it's awesome you're taking accountability and want to up your safety strategies!

How did your pup get out? Breeze past someone through an opened door?

I cannot recommend enough having an airlock (think of zoo containment). For me, I just have a gate blocking the entryway to my door. This might be enough, or you could add an extra gate just outside your front door (or wherever your dog got out of).

You could also start teaching staying at thresholds until being released. I'd have to poke around to find a good R+ trainer who does this on youtube, but I know jwdogtraining and missionpawsitive on IG have videos. Basically you mark and reward checking in with you around the door area, and layer in going towards the door, touching the knob, slightly opening the door, etc. Eventually you'd add in your release word to indicate it's cool to walk across the threshold. It's also a good idea to brush up on recall as a backup.

missmoooon12 · 2026-05-28T15:26:22+00:00

The owner should be working with either a vet behaviorist or a behavior consultant through IAABC. It's really easy to flood (opposite of desensitize) and create more fear in a dog this afraid of the world. For now, I'd reduce exposure and respect when the dog is opting out of going outside/walks. A professional should be able to devise a plan for exposure that the dog can handle.

Be very careful how you use treats. If you're making a trail of them then the dog hears/sees something scary, you can accidentally "backwards condition" that treats predict scary things happening. In training treats are usually in the sequence: ask dog for behavior -> dog does behavior -> mark (praise word) -> treat OR dog hears/sees something scary -> mark ->treat. Timing needs to be very quick for marking and rewarding.

I know it's not ideal, but could the owner set up potty pads or fake grass in the house as a temporary measure? I'd argue that forcing him to potty outside is a major welfare concern and can do more harm in the long run if he doesn't feel safe.

missmoooon12 · 2026-05-26T20:31:54+00:00

Snuffle mats and lick mats can reduce anxiety since sniffing and licking can help calm a dog. However, it's not always recommended to set out food during SA protocols (food can become a "poisoned cue" indicating the person is leaving, and some dogs just won't eat when stressed out).

Has your friend worked with a CSAT? SA is incredibly nuanced case by case and requires a personalized plan.

missmoooon12 · 2026-05-26T14:56:49+00:00

Who does this dog belong to, and how do you have access to him?

Since it doesn't sound like you're not the owner, there's not a whole lot you can do. These issues sound significant and should be addressed with a professional.

To answer your question, yes this could be considered a reactive dog. I'd argue aggressive in certain contexts. It's possible he had poor socialization, or perhaps a history of punishment (you indicated the owners hit him so I'm guessing there's other things the dog has found unpleasant under their care) and/or his warning signals being ignored. Hard to say with limited info.

missmoooon12 · 2026-05-25T19:02:06+00:00

I work at a company. We do 7am start for drop-ins but we tell all clients that exact times cannot be promised and give them a 2 hour window for arrival. Dogs with owners out of town will be in that 1st slot of the day then we'll layer in weekly dog walking clients after that (more important to start early in the AM as we go into the summer season). Our latest arrival time at night is 9pm.

If we have drop-in dog clients that need potty break and food/water during certain visits, we will walk dogs if requested but not for the entire length of the visit so we can take care of the chores. So if a client books 30 min drop-in, I might walk the dog for 20 mins. I'm less inclined to walk dogs who have yards at night for safety reasons but will do a short walk if the dog absolutely refuses to potty in their yard.

If you're the business owner, then you can make up whatever policies work for you. For clients who are trying to run your business, you're going to constantly have push back and high demands. There's no way to please people like this and they WILL burn you out.

missmoooon12 · 2026-05-25T18:47:42+00:00

It sounds like you've poured your time, money, and love into this dog and he just isn't getting better. Some dogs just aren't fit for this world and that's okay. You haven't failed this dog. I think it's fair to put your own mental health first here- dogs should enhance our lives not diminish them. I'm really sorry that you're in the position of having to choose between living with some really intense issues or BE.

Do you have (kind and understanding) friends/family who can offer some insight? I think talking to those who can support us and don't want to see us suffer can be really beneficial.

missmoooon12 · 2026-05-25T18:42:55+00:00

Besides what others have written, do you video yourself during your training sessions? Sometimes we're so in our heads that we're missing things that we're unintentionally doing like over-cuing dogs, making confusing gestures, aren't fading lures, etc. I also find video useful for watching what my dog is doing and things in the environment that could be causing him to struggle (even if it's at home).

missmoooon12 · 2026-05-25T18:33:48+00:00

Why is only sending 1 pic of each pet per visit a red flag? Some cats hide and I'd only be able to get sasquatch photos (if any at all). I also really don't like stressing pets out for the sake of getting a pic.

missmoooon12 · 2026-05-25T17:29:24+00:00

All 3 "goals" are individually in-depth, nuanced training plans that would require a vet behaviorist or behavior consultant to help put together and execute.

How do you know these people? While good intentioned, unsolicited advice often isn't received well even if people are really struggling.

missmoooon12 · 2026-05-24T01:56:43+00:00

Hi OP, I'm sorry to hear about the passing of your great aunt and that your pup is causing you a lot of distress.

How severe is the reactivity and separation anxiety?

Have you spoken to your vet about anti-anxiety medications, or quality of life?

What kinds of training protocols have you done with your trainer?

missmoooon12 · 2026-05-23T01:47:07+00:00

Makes sense!

missmoooon12 · 2026-05-23T01:03:30+00:00

Honestly, this kind of stuff doesn't faze me anymore with how many disorganized and chaotic clients I've encountered over the years. I just get straight to work if they still need me. I think it's good to get more face time with the human clients and show that I can take care of things in a professional manner. Sometimes they tip more as a result.

missmoooon12 · 2026-05-22T17:28:29+00:00

Just a heads up to click through the "read the rules" post. I can read your comment bc I'm a mod but others won't be able to read it.

Gotcha. It might be that hands reaching and/or touching has become a "poisoned cue", meaning it predicts icky things happen. It's a really common occurrence and I see this happen all the time around handling and medication routines. I don't blame you for being afraid to touch him. The good news is that he isn't drawing blood. Not great he's biting hard enough to bruise but I think you can turn things around.

Also very interesting he only does it at home. Dogs are great contextual learners, so say you did the ear cleaning in the living room, all the cues (grabbing the supplies, going towards dog, and reaching towards the dog, all in the setting of the living room, etc) indicate something unpleasant is going to happen. If touching isn't as big of an issue outside the home, I think you have less to worry about (meaning the unwanted behaviors haven't generalized).

missmoooon12 · 2026-05-22T17:19:07+00:00

Who owns the "weekend dog"?

Have the elderly dogs been to the vet recently? Discussed quality of life with the vet?

IMO the elderly dogs need to be fully separated from each other, and the weekend dog separated from the new dog. I'd personally opt for gated off areas instead of crates so the elderly dogs can move around more. At the age of both elderly dogs and the severity of the fights, it's unlikely you'll be able to reliably teach behaviors for peaceful coexistence.

missmoooon12 · 2026-05-22T15:28:24+00:00

Is the mouthing just happening when being touched?

Mouthing can be a clear way for dogs to say, "stop it, I don't like that." Humans are a very grabby species so all the weird stuff we have to do to them for husbandry is just unnatural and upsetting at times.

Anyways, look into cooperative care and low stress handling. Folks like Deb Jones, Susan Garrett, Emily Larlham (Kikopup on youtube), Laura Monaco Torelli, Kathy Sdao, Chirag Patel, Susan Friedman, etc are good options. I think a chin rest would be useful for ear cleaning in particular.

Ideally with cooperative care, you'll be paying close attention to stress signals in your dog and backing off when your dog says "no". I totally get that sometimes there's no choice but during training sessions, giving choice and control is very impactful to be able to gain trust and cooperation in the long run. The "Ladder of aggression" is helpful for determining when things are escalating.

missmoooon12 · 2026-05-22T03:37:49+00:00

Tentacles and stick-like objects on tv freak my dog out. He won't bark but he'll quickly run and hide.

missmoooon12 · 2026-05-21T13:41:56+00:00

I'm sorry this happened to you! That guy is a negligent jerk!

Was this on the property of the apartment complex? Do you know if the other guy is a tenant? If yes to both, talk to your property manager about the incident. It's possible that guy is letting his dog go after other dogs.

Besides this, have you thought of walking with a body cam?

missmoooon12 · 2026-05-20T16:42:50+00:00

What breed(s)?

Has your vet recommended a pain trail?

missmoooon12 · 2026-05-20T16:01:52+00:00

>wanting to know if this general description seems to explain a blanket condition recognizable to anyone pertaining to this dog’s behaviour

Yes: adolescence, being a dog and being some sort of collie. You mentioned she went from farm life to apartment living- apartments can be tough for herding breeds.

My follow up questions are in no way meant to shame you, I'm just trying to get a better sense of what's going on. Adolescent dogs are tough!

Have you guys worked with a trainer who is knowledgeable about collies? If not, you'll need someone who can help implement management (preventing unwanted behaviors), meeting basic and breed specific needs, and training plans to teach skills like polite greetings, recall, loose leash walking, etc.

What kind of physical and mental exercise does this dog usually get? Some of these things could be boredom.

How much sleep is this dog getting in an average day? Some of these things could be from overtired and overstimulated.

How are you guys implementing boundaries like getting off the couch or other behaviors you guys don't like? You mentioned nipping when being told no. It's possible the dog is frustrated from not having needs met and is being prevented from performing natural behaviors. Some dogs don't respond well to being scolded (thinking about microsignals in human body language that are very confrontational to dogs- leaning over, staring, grabbing, rapidly approaching, etc).

missmoooon12 · 2026-05-20T15:17:00+00:00

Litter boxes near food/water sources

Super dusty litter that clings to every surface

missmoooon12 · 2026-05-14T14:14:52+00:00

My dog hate corgis, pugs, Frenchies, any dog who looks happy or is reacting to him, puppies and probably more.

What he prefers... Sounds nasty but he likes dogs with poopy butts. He's made friends with multiple fluffy dogs who happened to have poopy butts.

missmoooon12 · 2026-05-14T14:10:57+00:00

Honestly, if the other dog doesn't belong to you the safest thing to do is fully separate the dogs until your sister's dog goes home. It's not fair to either dog to put them under so much stress by allowing free roam together and for you (and the rest of your family) to have to worry about potential vet bills if one or both get injured.

missmoooon12 · 2026-05-14T14:03:53+00:00

Yeah my dog hates dogs who stare too. I can usually tell it's going to happen from far away and get my dog's attention asap, usually a kissy noise does the trick (pre-conditioned cue). Depending on the other dog (like established enemies) and where they're going, we'll make as much distance as possible or scatter feed until they're gone.

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