Can Reactive Dogs Get Better? A Trainer Explains What Success Looks Like
Owning a reactive dog can take an emotional toll, leaving you frustrated and wondering if your dog will ever actually get better. If you feel like your reactive dog is ruining your life, it’s a good time to take a step back, take a deep breath, and look at the situation with a new perspective.
In general, reactive dogs can get better. But a lot of the success depends on your definition of “better” and “success” itself. It might not line up exactly with what you’re envisioning. And that’s okay.
To get a better understanding of what success looks like for reactive dog training, and whether reactive dog owners can expect to see meaningful results, I spoke with Ali Smith, dog trainer and behavior consultant at Rebarkable. An award-winning trainer, Smith founded Rebarkable to help puppy parents better understand their dogs and create capable, confident, and adaptable family members.
I originally planned to write a piece that incorporated some of Smith’s commentary, but she did such an excellent job of articulating her thought processes and insights that I decided to publish this as a Q&A style piece. Read on to hear Smith’s perspective on whether reactive dogs can get better, how to measure success, and much more.
Reactive Dog Q&A with Ali Smith of Rebarkable
DWHF: Let’s jump in with the overarching question: Can all reactive dogs get better?
AS: Most can. I won’t say all, because the world doesn’t work in absolutes. We know that.
Some dogs are genetically predisposed and there is sometimes a tipping point where it becomes immensely hard to live with some reactivity. When I say immensely, I mean things like risks to family and health. That level of risk comes with the need for a specialist who needs to be with the dog a lot more than the family might be able to afford. And that’s where reality kicks in.
Once in a blue moon, genetics become a problem where the dog seems to be truly aggressive. But I’ve worked with a lot of dogs and I’ve never actually seen this personally. I’ve never seen one that is that far gone, but it is talked about vaguely.
(Editor’s note: Smith has helped train over 1,200 dogs!)
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DWHF: In your experience, what are some signs that a dog and its owner will be successful in their reactive dog training journey?
AS: It’s anecdotal evidence, but one sign that they’re going to succeed is when the dog parent cares enough. If a dog parent comes in and is willing to put in the work and wants to achieve it, they almost certainly will.
Even with setbacks and elements of life happening, they will keep fighting for their dog. And that’s where you see a lot of success. But everyone’s timeline is different, and that can be frustrating for a lot of people.
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DWHF: On the other hand, what are some signs that a dog and its owner will NOT be successful in their reactive dog training journey?
AS: A lot of times, it’s the eager but time-poor family that struggles. It’s also the owners that want me to do the work and get it done without their input or the need to change their day-to-day life. That’s not how it works. This is a holistic thing and I can’t just take [the dog] out for an hour a week and then they’re magically fixed.
I think a lot of people are disappointed when I have to very bluntly say, “if you’re not into this, I’m not doing it.
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DWHF: Let’s say you’re working with an owner who is getting very frustrated. There’s an obvious disconnect happening between them and their dog. How do you mitigate that?
AS: A lot of those little disconnects come from the guardian being disenchanted with having a dog. Maybe they had this idea that they could go on holiday with, have a van life with, or all these other romantic notions [with their dog], and then the dog they’ve gotten is a reactive dog. And the whole thought process comes crumbling down. What they had in their head is no longer something they can achieve, and they’re faced with the reality of it.
Usually, that’s when I tell them to go off and reassess. Figure out what you love about your dog. I want you to know what the relationship is and if you can do it without the van life or the sitting at the brewery beside a river. I want to know if you can do reactive dog life and what it is you love about your dog.
(Editor’s note: Smith mentioned she’ll still communicate with guardians here and there, but prioritizes taking a step back for them to reassess their relationship before moving forward with future training.)
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DWHF: How can dog owners/guardians gauge their success and know if their training is positively impacting their dog’s reactivity?
AS: Success isn’t linear. A lot of dog guardians expect to see a very linear progression that takes a known path, but realistically, they’re not going to.
Dogs are very rarely reactive equally to all things. You might go to the park and they react really badly to the Portuguese water dog because they come up [to your dog] all bouncy and silly. But then with the Border Collie who walks beautifully beside their owner, your dog might not care at all.
Try to see the progress where the progress is. Look at what your dog finds easier and you’re going to see progress in those areas first. I often describe it like high school math terms. You’re going to learn addition before you learn quadratic equations. In that case, the Border Collie is your addition and the Portuguese Water Dog is your quadratic equation. Scale these things in the way your dog scales them, not in human terms.
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DWHF: Any other tips for reactive dogs and their humans?
AS: Ultimately we can't speak dog. If we could speak dog, it would be way easier. If you could just say, “hey, you know, that Border Collie's not a problem, that Poodle's not going to eat you, you're okay,” it would be a totally different thing.
But we have to turn it into ways that they can understand. Think of these things as something closer to a phobia. It makes it more relatable for us humans.
I'm terrified of spiders but I can slowly work through the exact same methods that you use with reactivity. Well, maybe not quite the exact same since no one's giving me a cookie at the end of it…But I started desensitizing myself and counter conditioning my fear of spiders. Now I can deal with the small ones, the medium ones, and I can deal with the big ones when I can walk away.
Takeaways from our Q&A
Putting in the time and energy to help your dog succeed is a crucial part of dog reactivity training. But it’s important to not let your expectations of how the process might go interfere with the process itself.
Most reactive dogs can get better through desensitization and counter conditioning. But you need to redefine what “better” and “success” mean for you and your dog. Be sure to think about these terms in the context of how your dog sees them, not just you as a human. Remember the phobia analogy Smith offered, as it provides a great way for humans to see fears from their dog’s perspective.
Don’t Worry, He’s Friendly helps reactive dogs in urban spaces thrive. Check out our other articles to learn more.
This content is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional veterinary, behavioral, or training advice.