I am posting this quote from Leslie McDevitt's book because I feel that this is something that many people have to deal with and many are ill-advised and oriented in the wrong direction.
"Reactivity comes from
anxiety, which comes from feeling uncertain about something. Reactivity is an
information-seeking strategy. A reactive
dog will rush towards something or someone that he is uncertain about, barking,
lunging, growling, and making a big display. People sometimes perceive reactive
behaviour as aggression, but a reactive dog is not rushing in to do damage; he
is attempting to assess the threat level of a given situation. His assessment
strategy is intensified because he is panicking as the adrenaline flows through
his body. If a reactive dog learns to feel confident about something, he is
less worried about that thing and therefore reacts less to it. People also
sometimes perceive reactive behaviour as "dominance" because they view
a dog that flies at his triggers as a dog that wants to take charge. This is
absolutely not the cases. Reactive dogs are anxious, and their response is
intense because they are freaking out.
That is why clear structures
are necessary for anxious dogs. They need to know what is happening next, and
they need to know they are safe. If left untreated (or if treated
inappropriately with physical punishment), reactivity can escalate into
aggression. Much, but not all, aggression is anxiety-related. Reactivity and anxiety-related
aggression are simply different levels of response to a stressful situation.
Anxiety-related aggression will occur when the dog is put in a situation that
pushes him beyond what he can manage with a measured response. In these cases
the dog's anxiety takes him to the next level of response."
Leslie McDevitt "Control Unleashed" p. 25
