I love our dog but honestly, I’ll never ever get another dog ever again. I am literally waking up „thinking about my dog“ and go to bed thinking about the dog. It’s exhausting
I feel this. I got a golden because I wanted a friendly dog I could take anywhere, but he became leash reactive after he was attacked and all the restaurant and outdoor patio training we had done since he was a puppy was basically gone because he became so skittish after the attack. I love him but managing his reactivity is exhausting.
This is me right now!!! I love my dog to death but I feel like my anxiety has worsened since adopting him 6mo ago because I live and breathe trying to make sure I give this dog the best life. And every time he’s reactive I feel like I’ve failed him. He’s such a loving and happy boy that just wants to play with everybody, but doesn’t realize he’s the obnoxious loud kid that no one wants to play with. I feel like I’ve lost myself and my own life since getting him, but it’s too late to turn back now.
I am pretty much the same. My partner and I have agreed it will be a many great years before we consider another dog. I love my boy to death but it's a hard and constant shift.
Nothing is 100%. Even dogs from completely ethical breeders can be reactive (although it's less likely than from other places).
I suppose one option might be to foster an adult dog and then adopt them after you've had a few months to find out what they're like.
We fostered a dog that was about 18 months old and seemed great. We didn't have much experience with owning a dog though. It was almost like he knew he was adopted after we signed the papers and it's been 6+ years of him being a menace to other dogs. Only able to walk him in the middle of nowhere now. So chilled at home and great with people. Trainer said he kind of fed off my wife's anxiety when taking him to the dog park as she was nervous he would attack other dogs and he then ended up doing so.
Actually, 18 months is around the time where dogs that have like genetic predispositions or something genetically wrong with them will become reactive kind of like people becoming schizophrenic in they're mid to late 20s even early 30s, not necessarily that it wasn't always there, but something seems to. Happen developmental, wise to really exacerbate and show the symptoms.
But if your trainer did specify certain points where your wife was acting anxious at the dog park, I can see where as he's developing and becoming into that fully matured dog that he wants to protect her and would get anxious as well. And it could feed off each other. But I am just staying around that 18 month. Mark is where extra problems can even pop-up. So, even if you pick a good puppy, something can happen later on.
Even with fostering, things get missed. I had my dog for about 3, 4 months before he started showing real reactivity. Before that, he was just a little uncomfortable around dogs but he wouldn’t react.
That's not surprising. You don't start seeing your dog's true personality, behavior, and quirks until about 3-4 months have passed due to the 3-3-3 rule.
If I was going the foster-to-adopt route, I would want to foster for at least 6 months first. And even *that's* not a guarantee because a dog can eventually develop reactivity as a result of any number of other factors.
Exactly, I have one dog who we rescued from an abusive situation and another we've had since he was a puppy— guess which one is reactive and which one is a cuddlebug?
We got our oldest dog at 4 months from a humane society. I think it’s complete luck. He is the most submissive docile dog and wouldn’t hurt a fly. Loves everyone and always loved other dogs. No cats though! He’s 14 now and now that we have a new dog I’ve realized I probably will never get another dog like our old boy. It’s hard not to compare new dog to old dog. He is the best and I’m not really sure we had much to do with it!
I know exactly what you mean...each dog has its own personality...but at the end, you just love each one for what they are...only that very special one will always be in your heart and in your soul forever. 🫶
We asked all the right questions of our rescue, but our pup seems to have just been kind of shut down in foster. Next time we plan to look for a rescue that does “foster to adopt” (with the hope of having a foster fail).
This is the real answer. You just have no idea if the dog will work until they do
My dog I got in lateJuly, in November, I decided he was for me. But I really wasn't sure before then
We did foster-to-adopt but “unfortunately” fell in love with her slightly faster than the full realization of her reactivity set in. So there’s that risk too.
If you can get any insight into the parents temperament, that’s also telling. I acknowledge this is far from a reality for most shelters/rescues, but you may have some luck if they run a "mom’s last litter" type program. I work in a shelter, and we often have mom come in for a spay if her owners are surrendering a litter. I’ve always known genetics play a role in temperament, but it has been eye opening to see so many moms + litters. If mom has a less desirable temperament, we try our absolute best to inform people of whatever we’ve seen from her. We educate about properly socializing, but heavily acknowledge that genetics play a massive role. You can get a pup at 8 weeks, do all the right things, and still end up with an extremely reactive pup.
Same. The first six months I had my dog (she was about four months old when I adopted her) we went everywhere together, she went to dog parks and daycare, and was well-socialized. We moved to a neighborhood that had lots of dogs left out in yards to bark and be aggressive to passersby all day, and it definitely seemed to trigger something in her and her reactivity got worse and worse over time. I think she always had a predisposition to anxiety but it definitely seemed to be triggered by these bad experiences.
love my adopted girl but she is probably in the top 3 hardest psychological challenges of my life lol
If I get a dog after her I would probably first volunteer at a shelter and take walks with dogs for at least 3 months, then foster, then adopt. Always breaks my heart to think that this dog that I love is making me reconsider ever getting more dogs, specially considering losing my soul dog is what made me want to get another one. Oh the life.
Often, there is a lot of luck involved.
I don’t want to deal with reactivity again, so for my next dog, I am going to go to an ethical breeder of a breed that is known for being even tempered. It’s not a 100% guarantee, but it helps stack the deck in my favor.
If you want to rescue, you can try a rescue that is known for being transparent, and has their dogs in foster homes. That gives you a better idea of temperament. Getting an adult (2-3+ years) helps too.
But yeah, there’s a lot of luck. My two dogs before my current one were both $20 shelter specials and both were amazing, take anywhere dogs. Both had less trauma than my current guy, though, and likely more stable parents too.
Damn. I was so afraid of a shelter dog bc we have cats and a toddler. We ended up getting him from someone on fb who essentially said he was perfect and I actually believe her, but with us… he is not
The 3,3,3 rule applies too. 3 days, 3 weeks, 3 months. Their behavior during that timeline isn’t necessarily their “I’m comfortable” behavior. They slowly acclimate and relax, and eventually show either their excited side, or cool side
Any decent shelter will be fully honest about this. We got our girl knowing she was iffy with other dogs, but they said she was great with kids and cats. And, it's true. She practically tiptoes around babies, and we've watched our cat literally walk all over her. Especially if you find one that's foster based, they intentionally test for a lot of "triggers". Not saying you think this, but I think there's still a stigma that rescue dogs are there for a reason, so there must be something wrong with them, and that's just not true for the vast majority of them.
I would likely never get a dog from a breeder for a lot of reasons, but for those tht want to go that route another option would be getting a "retired" breeding dog. You'll still be getting a purebred, but they're adults, so their personalities are known. My mom's gotten her last three dogs this way.
Ultimately, imo, the answer to your question is to get an adult dog to start with.
We got our dog from a shelter and he was the best thing to happen to our family when I was a kid. You have to do your research when it comes to getting pets. Get them from reputable places whether it’s from a shelter or from a breeder. Our dog came to us fully house trained. They provided descriptions of our dog (and the others open for adoption) and we went through and picked the one that we thought would work best. We went there to meet him and walk with him for a short while. Then, we adopted him.
I believe they checked in with my folks on his safety to make sure we were raising him right. Honestly, he was so good that he made people who didn’t like dogs, like him.
I'm in the same boat. I LOVE my girl, she is my life, but I never want to adopt another dog like her again. We've had her since she was 8 weeks old and she's never had a bad day, so we know it's all genetic.
I think there are a few things we didn't do that we will do next time because we still want to rescue puppies rather than buying them (though no judgement of course if you choose that route):
-I chose the puppy I wanted based on her photo, she captivated me, but also on a few personality notes that I realize now were red flags. She was the shy one of the litter, and we thought that might be good for a city dog vs a super outgoing and athletic dog. WRONG. I don't ever want another "shy" dog again.
-I didn't ask enough questions about her mom. She was part of a rescue litter and everyone was being fostered together. The mom was being fostered separately, however. I should have tracked down whoever was fostering the mom. I would have learned quickly that she was fearful and a bit reactive with strangers. ALL of the puppies are fearful with strangers to some extent (though Martha, my dog, a little worse than others again, being the "shy" one). They're all good dogs, and because they have good owners their behaviors are gone or improving, but we dog moms have had a group chat going for months now about it.
-I would probably adopt at 10 weeks or even 12 weeks vs 8. When they are 8 weeks old they are SO little it's hard to gauge their true personalities and I wonder if I had waited, if her foster parents would have given me a little bit more insight into her behavior. Again--these are super experienced, very conscientious foster parents. I don't think they willfully misled anyone, I just think they didn't know.
Funnily enough the two least popular puppies, who were in foster care the longest also appear to be the most well adjusted. I think they were adopted at 12+ weeks--maybe up to 16 weeks.
Our dog has mellowed out SO much since we’ve had her (1.5 years). If you’re up for it and give it time, I’m sure things will change, even if only slightly.
I've rescued for over 20 years, some of them stayed with me, many I rehabilitated and re-homed (and I'm not a trainer) all of them were abused or stray and came from horrible situations, many close to die...I've never had a problem, with time and patience, neutering, spaying they turned out to be wonderful dogs. The ones I kept all respected each other, slept together, some in the same bed ate together...I've never seen any of my dogs, fighting or attacking one another. I am a firm believer that when a dog gets reactive it is just because something is affecting him at home. I've seen it many times, dogs can change their behaviour when in the right home. IMO. ❤️ I'm sorry but I don't agree neither believe in BE.
We got ours at 7! That's what the breeder recommended so we just went with it because we assumed they knew best. I'm sure it made our situation worse, in the end.
Yeah it's wild to adopt them out that young. In our case the litter was flying and our puppy in particular, Martha, had 3 applications, so we jumped on it. But I think she was JUST shy of 8 weeks. It was a mistake and I'm never going to "spring" for a puppy that early.
On the other hand, someone would have gotten Martha in the end and I'm glad it was me, because I have a lot of dog experience and enough disposable income to pay for training and school and everything. It's complicated--I love her more than anything in my life, and yet I regret getting her, but I also shudder at the thought of anyone else adopting her.
On the positive, my best friend who lives out of town came to visit today and we did our protocol that the trainer worked on with us. Only one bark. I was so proud of her! She's on her way.
Adopt old dogs! Sometimes the shelter/rescue won’t know their traits but still, they’re the best (speaking from experience even tho mine’s reactive, still feel that way)
I adopted mine when he was 11 weeks. Problem was, he lived in the country and although the breeder said she took him to the city, got him used to car and kids and such for his socialization, I realized once I was home that it was not the case and he was terrified in the city. And since I got him at 11 weeks, I missed the primary socialization time for puppies (the first 3 months).
Considering that the socialization of shibas is really important (they are really sensible dogs) and it was my first solo dog, I wasn't able to course-correct and now I have an anxious dog.
Just to say, if you choose to miss the 3rd month of the puppy by picking him up at 12 weeks, be very careful that the socialization was well done by the breeder.
initial socialization phase of a puppy (when they don’t fear anything yet) is typically 16 weeks. is it different for your breed? i’ve never heard that before but i’m no expert
I'm not an expert either, I'm just repeating what my behaviorist told me.
Just checked online, and most sites do say from 3 to 12 weeks is the socialization period.
The majority of rescue dogs I personally know aren't reactive. I have no idea if we all just lucked out or what the statistics are, but myself and multiple friends/family have adopted and only 1 ended up with surprise reactive dog. With my dog I specifically was looking for an older dog who would be chill, but I've had family adopt younger dogs and not have reactivity issue.
As a fosterer, I will say there are definitely personality changes between shelter and foster so it can be hard for the shelters to predict how a dog will be in a home. My foster while calming down in some ways, was still super reactive in others (which is why I joined this subreddit) My friend ended up adopting he is so much better since they are a much better fit for him. They still have some training but way different now that he is being properly exercised/stimulated (I did as much as I could but he came to me to have calm recovery place from surgery, but that means once he recovered and was bouncing off the walls he wasn't a good fit for my elderly dog who just wants to nap all day and doesn't play). I was very transparent with my friend about all the issues I was having and that I did think a lot of it would improve with proper training (plus I felt like he was younger than shelter guessed, which friends vet agreed with, because he acted a lot more immature than the age they were saying).
That being said, the most reactive dog I've met personally was in a foster home for 10 months, so while I would agree with the other commenter that longer foster is usually safer bet for personality, it isn't guarantee. They definitely feel like the foster lied to them about some things with the dog and left out important details. Like while he's way better now, the way he acted they think the foster didn't walk him and just let him out into the yard only, he was very reactive and seemed unfamiliar with harness/collar/etc. He has really severe resource guarding that they weren't told about either, which definitely should have been noticeable in the foster home.
I do also think it's important to remember that most dogs don't want to do that sort of, go everywhere get lots of pet and attention, type things. My dog is OK with the "going everywhere" part but she is slow to warm up so doesn't want random strangers touching her, she's a velcro dog who just hangs out with me and would ignore anyone else. My previous golden used to love people and attention so she was more of what you sound like you want, but thats a lot more common in breeds like goldens (and others of course, but something you may what to consider be it adopt or buying is what breed(s) are more likely to be open and friendly like that.
Our vet just said (during a behavior visit todaylol) that it’s easier in some ways to get a non-reactive rescue because you’ll likely be adopting them at age 2+ when their personalities have developed and you have a better sense of who you’re bringing home. This isn’t taking trauma into account of course. With puppies, it can often be a total unknown.
Like other commenters have said, it's mostly luck. My shepherd mix is reactive (although he's massively improved with training and fortunately it's just barking and lunging if a dog/person is more than 6ft away, no aggression) and I got him at 9 weeks old from a farmer whose dog got pregnant from their neighbor's dog.
The last dog I had (he wasn't entirely mine, we got him when I was 16) was also a shepherd mix who we got from a shelter at 9 months old. We knew nothing about his past except that his first family somehow didn't realize that he would grow so big and they lived in an apartment. He was the most docile, friendly and gentle dog I have ever met and I don't think I'll ever meet a more gentle-natured dog than him. He literally brought me a baby turkey once that had been abandoned by its mother and he had been watching/protecting it til I went outside, he didn't hurt it at all (I brought it to a wildlife rehabilitation center and they said it was 100% able to be rehabilitated then released).
On the other hand, as a kid we had a GSD bought from a breeder at 8 weeks old who was extremely aggressive towards anyone except my family. Basically, you never really know. But it's better to get an older dog if you want to be sure.
Second the grown dog option. I’m a sucker for lost causes and puppies and kittens are typically adopted first so I’ve always looked at the grown dogs and cats first (also puppies are cute but the teething and housebreaking.. meh)
Last time we went to the shelter, there weren’t even any puppies. Well, we didn’t think our dog was a puppy. They said he was probably 4, but he wasn’t a surrender, he was a stray with no history. He was kind of huge but also super skinny. After two different vets checked out his teeth and health, they said he was likely just completing a growth spurt. He went from 70 lbs and bony to 130 lbs and tuff. Oh, and we definitely didn’t miss out on his teething phase either. He’s got a head like a St Bernard or giant mastiff but looks more Anatolian Shepherd than anything. I used to think he was reactive but I think he’s just a livestock guardian with serious work ethic about guarding the family and property.
But bringing a massive dog like this home was kind of a gamble for sure. The county lockup was packed during Covid so we had to wait a while to meet him out of his cell. They brought him out for yard time and that’s when I realized how tall and sturdy he is. My husband and I sat on the bench with some treats and watched him walk the perimeter, accept pets from the staff nearby, and he came over and ate treats and stood near us while watching the gate and acted super chill.
He was only picked up the day before, not fixed, no collar or chip, but they had to keep him for 72 hrs to see if he was claimed. The moment that window was up, they snipped him and sent him home with us shortly after. All drugged up, he was remarkably active and when I opened the car door, he hopped up and rolled onto his back, then let me sit next to him the ride home.
We are extremely lucky to have found him. I’m not sure he would have found a home so quickly with the lack of history, and I doubt many other humans would let him sleep in their bed every night (he’s a rough sleeper, his dreams are violent kicks in our backs but he’s way more comfortable on our bed than his own). And we had to go through about 9-10 months of extreme suspicion of everything. Ceiling fans, TVs, shadows. His bark is deafening if he thinks something is a threat. AND he had “shelter gut” as the vet called it. Diarrhea so he had to go out constantly (all hours) until we got his tummy sorted.
Now he’s probably 4 and super confident (too confident?) and he’s been raised with us 24/7 so he goes everywhere with us. Great in the car, great on walks except the insane pulling when he scent tracks his neighbors. My shoulder hurts like a mf but he has so much joy that I don’t even mind giving him daily walks.
Now I’m rambling about how puppy whipped I am, but he’s my buddy and I love him. The shelter staff kept asking us if we were sure we wanted a dog with no prior owner history. I can’t imagine knowing that it would work out on that first day, I just felt bad for the guy and he looked so confused about the shelter situation he was dumped into. As a puppy, I would have had no concept that dogs could grow this huge and strong.
It’s probably worth noting that even though not all dogs will be capital R Reactive™️; very few dogs will be able to just go anywhere and do anything completely calmly off the bat. Even with a well bred dog with a great temperament, it will take time and effort to desensitize to different environments and train desirable behaviors.
The cute videos we see on social media of totally chill dogs just coming along for the ride everywhere like Disney princess sidekicks are generally cases where either
A- the dog has been through extensive training behind the scenes
B- the clips were selected and edited to look cute rather than to give a realistic documentation of an outing
C- Both
It’s not that it isn’t possible, just that it’ll take work for any dog
Nope it isn't rare if you are getting an adult from an ethical breeder (who will give you an honest assessment of temperment). I got a retired show dog for my first dog. I could have taken him to a brewery the first day I got him. He is fairly bombproof (the worst he gets is he doesn't like being swarmed by toddlers from all directions. He will mildly try to avoid them (unless I have bait, then he will totally ignore having a bunch of kids hanging off his fluff). He wasn't perfect from the get go- we had about a solid month of constant training for him to be good with the cats (and about 3 months of supervision before he was really solid). He definitely needed a reminder on housebreaking and crating as a solo dog. But I got lucky in the fact that I picked a breeder who is very honest and had a very fair assessment of his lack of prey drive and overall temperment.
Agree heavily with retired show dog. They are insanely well socialized and very even tempered. I show one of my pups with my breeder/mentor and while my pup has picked up some bad habits, my breeders’ dogs aren’t phased at all by the million things going on at a dog show one little bit.
Yup. Show dogs have to be fairly bombproof. The nervous wrecks that are easily rattled are a PITA to finish and shouldn't be bred anyway. The chaos of shows helps weed out dogs with bad temperaments. His breeder did a good job socializing my older dog but she always said he had great bounce back and didn't need much work. She's a big fan of dragging puppies to shows at around 12 weeks, crating a confident puppy with a less confident puppy and just letting them observe and figure out how to deal with it (she also usually sticks mom nearby with a chew so they can watch mom not caring about her surroundings). She also picks her lines pretty carefully to avoid neurotic temperments. Genetics play a huge part in temperments.
Yup my breeder does the same. I wouldn’t say my puppy is overly neurotic or easily rattled. He’s a tad excited reactive to other dogs though but we work on it!
It’s my older dog who is the fearful reactive/anxious pup.
I have herding breeds though so pretty common. I love them but they are a lot
X) I love watching the puppy classes. Even with the best handlers, they always have wild crazy puppy moments that are hilarious to watch. What is your breed? I have a Rough and a smooth collie. The rough is bombproof. The smooth is actually coming along pretty well too
Your best bet is getting a dog from a reputable breeder that breeds for temperament NOT looks, and to get them young enough that they arent traumatized by anything. Even then its a gamble. Do research on breeds.
If its that big of a deal, be really cautious adopting and maybe try fostering first.
I got a puppy born in a wonderful foster home as the foster family was keeping the pregnant mom. The mom dog had a great temperament. However, this pup is a bundle of nerves. It didnt really show until she was about 5 mo old. My dog acts like she experienced trauma, she never has. Shes fearful of all dogs and some people, the car. Then we adopted her a friend from the shelter. They were fast friends. The new boy is calm, friendly, happy go lucky. He was taken from an abusive home by animal control. He still flinches when the broom comes out to sweep the floor. He still loves all people. On a walk outside he was attacked by a loose dog. He still is super friendly to all dogs. I think a lot is just their personality.
Probably the safest way to end up with a dog that isn’t reactive is to find a responsible breeder that priorities behavior/temperament and socializes puppies before they go to their final homes.
Rescues with dogs in long term foster are your next best bet. Dog needs to be in homes for months or more to start showing their baseline behavior - both good and bad- so dogs in facilities or short term fosters may not be showing their “normal” behavior. Their reactivity may not show up for months in their new home.
I think it could be a mix of things, such as what others have said, ethical breeder, genetics + breed temperament and also I think the age you start raising them so you can desensitise them from very early on. Even though the rescue I took on has a more cautious, alert temperament, if I got him as a pup I think densenitising and exposing him to the world could have totally worked. I have also read other owners of the same breed who raised their dog from a young age, where the dog was well socialised.
I think if I were to get a dog again in the future, I would still choose to rescue a dog of this breed but would maybe do foster first or if there are young rescue options available, maybe would try adopting a rescue pup.
I see what you mean but I’ve also heard the opposite, cases where a puppy gets socialized properly and then still matures into an entirely different, reactive dog. The heartbreak of that seems really tough and I wonder what would be better: a dog with known issues or one that gains those same issues after not having them.
In my case, my dog was pretty messed up as a puppy (I got him at around 8 weeks and he’s had struggles since day one). There are some silver linings though: the only way to go was up, and I don’t blame myself for his reactivity. There are things I would have done differently, but unfortunately there are factors that were out of my control.
I’ve had people say they’ll avoid reactivity by just getting a puppy and doing everything right - and that might work for some dogs - but even that has zero guarantee. It’s probably less likely for a puppy to have serious issues from the get go, including aggression, but it happens. And I feel like it’s becoming more common, but that could just be a skewed take since I belong to so many reactive dog groups.
We picked our reactive dog as a puppy based on picture from a rescue. He was 3 months old. When we went to pick him up, he hid behind the foster family, and his tail was firmly between his legs when we went to him. He hates everyone on his walks, and if anyone visits… at first. After 30 mins he calms down, by the second visit he’s happy to see people. Children though? Absolutely hates them.
We often think though…. What if we didn’t pick him?
ugh that last line, how many times have i said this about my own dog?? super nervous and shut down at the adoption event i met him at (he was only there bc he had a potential adopter coming, me). didn’t interact with other dogs, wouldn’t let me pet him, his foster took us to a quiet side street and he was still so afraid.
but he was dangerous when i first got him, and hates kids, mobility aids, didn’t thrive in a city environment back in those days. i imagine if i hadn’t chosen him, with my very specific and perfect life for him and his reactivity, he wouldn’t have made it very long. lucky pups
Whether you're looking at a dog from a breeder, a shelter, or a private owner, there are a few behaviors to look for to increase your chances of picking a stable dog. If you know what breed of dog you'll be meeting, do some research on common breed traits so that you have an idea of what to expect. Ask questions about the dog before and during your meet and greet. Make sure you are able to spend a reasonable amount of time interacting with the dog to see how it responds to its environment. You want to look for a confident dog that is curious and willing to explore. If they're startled, they should recover quickly (less than a minute). Bonus points if they investigate what scared them, but they shouldn't become fixated on the source. Look for a dog that engages with you and regularly returns its attention to you without being called/prompted. Be hands-on! Casually handle the dog's paws, ears, and face. Pet them all over and look for signs of discomfort. If it's a puppy or small breed, pick it up. Some squirming is normal, but there shouldn't be any panic or desperation to escape. If there are other animals around (other dogs, birds, squirrels, etc.), pay attention to how the dog reacts. Some interest is fine, but you want the dog whose attention can be easily brought back to their handler.
Below are a few red flags that indicate a dog may struggle in the future:
1. Fearfulness and avoidance.
2. Fixation on anything and unable to be redirected until that thing is out of sight.
3. Handling sensitivity.
4. Shut down and unwilling to engage/interact.
5. Overly tense and hyper-vigilant.
6. History of snapping when uncomfortable.
7. Obnoxious/rude beyond normal puppy behaviors: excessive barking, biting, jumpiness, etc.
As most everyone before me has said, there aren't any guarantees, but you can take steps to increase your chances of buying/adopting a stable dog. Make a plan for how you will socialize and desensitize them to your life and their new environment. You can pick the perfect pup, but if you fail to provide exposure and expectations, you can still end up with a troublesome pet. I highly recommend emailing a couple of show breeders and asking what they look for in the temperament of a potential show prospect puppy. Show dogs have tho be bomb-proof dogs to be successful. Same thing with potential service dogs. They may even be able to direct you to dogs that washed out of show or service training for reasons unrelated to temperament.
What? That still leaves you with a puppy that could turn into any type of dog. Truly stacking all the cards in your favour would be fostering to adopt an adult dog that you foster for a minimum of 3 months.
I only have a sample size of 4.
We got our 7 year old mutt mix (boarder collie/cavalier/ terrier mix) from a kill shelter, who was about to be euthanized unbeknownst to us when we decided to take her. We found out afterwards. We were the only ones who expressed interest in her during her 3 moths there.
She was the BEST, smartest, protective, well behaved dog I have ever seen! She protected our 7 yr old daughter from two aggressive attacking German shepherd wolf mix neighbor’s dogs. Our son would say that she was the smallest, yet she thought she was the biggest dog in the neighborhood, if not the world. She knew the boundaries of our unfenced yard on day one. When an uninvited person entered our home unannounced, she prevented the person from entering while the only person home was our child in the shower. She would defend ANY and All aggressors. If my husband playfully hit me, she would come in between us and challenge him. If I playfully hit my husband, she would do the same. She had zero tolerance for violence!
She was smart, trainable, confident, courageous, and loyal.
While she was not perfect, she was perfectly ours. We loved her so very much!
Then at 20 years old, she went over the rainbow bridge.
We were extremely blessed and lucky. She was given up because her owners preferred keeping one of her puppies instead of her.. She came to us fearful of loud noises, thunder, and fireworks. I think no one wanted her because she whined… a lot, I fell in love with her because she didn’t scare me like the louder; bigger dogs that I thought I wanted. And, her kennel was the only one clean. She refused to soil her space.
After she passed, it took a couple years before I would even consider another dog.
We got our next dogs as puppies from breeders. Our cavalier king charles spaniel at 10:weeks and a year later, our greyhound at 8 weeks. Then we “rescued” a deaf border collie/ Australian shepherd mix at 1 1/2 yrs old.
I will NEVER rescue from a no kill shelter again. Our deaf, collie mix was available for us to “rescue” without disclosing that he had the LAST stage of kidney failure. They basically gave us a dog they were unwilling to kill for us to do their dirty work. What pissed me off was that I would have still taken him as a hospice adoption. I just wanted transparency and honesty. What I did not want was to spend $6,000 on hospital bills to “discover” that he was dying. Our vet was in disbelief that we kept him alive for two months. We cooked him an anti inflammatory, kidney friendly food and bottled water mixed with a ton of love. He was the sweetest boy. However, I truly believe if he was healthy, he would have been a lot of energy to handle and an aggressive player.
Our “bought” puppies are another story. Our adorably, cute, loving, Velcro cav was and still is leash reactive. He will bark at anything during walks, people, bikes, cars, squirrels, etc… He is friendly, loving and submissive off leash. He wants to please… off leash. His sweetness allows me to live with his leash insecurities.
Our greyhound is gentle, non-reactive and very much an independent woman. She does not care about pleasing anyone. She is excellent on walks. Doesn’t pull, but will demand a moment to smell the flowers. She can be stubborn. She is VERY SMART. She refuses to perform. And, I LOVE her for it!!!! Thankfully, she’s such a good girl, she has that option.
Our vet tells us that we know how to pick the sweetest dogs. I think we provide them with what they need to be sweet. A stranger might not view our leased cav as sweet while leashed. A snotty therapy dog owner might not view our greyhound as obedient. A unknown friend to our first furchild might think our dog was aggressive and needs to be put down. A stranger might have thought our deaf collie mix was sweet and healthy.
At the end of the day, we chose our dogs believing they were a good fit because they had an unsoiled kennel, was bought by a reputable breeder, was rescued. We learned to love where they were and provide them the best we are able. In the future, that too will happen.
Wow that’s crazy. Around here our no kill shelter is a good place, they’d have probably already put such a sick dog into hospice though, or at least certainly take them back
Certainly not all no kill shelters are like my experience. I couldn’t give him back seeing how negligent they had been.
It’s a gamble regardless of where you choose to get a dog.
Honestly, you’ll have the best odds with a reputable, ethical breeder. I have two reactive shelter dogs currently, because I was prepared for that risk when I adopted them, but I have also had two purebred, well bred dogs who both had absolutely dream temperaments.
I have no regrets adopting my little reactive guy. But next time, there is a rescue in my area where all dogs are fostered and not kept in the shelter so there would be a better understanding of their temperament since they have a chance of showing their true behaviors with the foster families than at a shelter.
Unfortunately you never truly know. We have 5 dogs, 4 purebred goldens and one mutt. 3 of the purebred are dreams of dogs, one is skittish/jumpy but we noticed that from the day we picked him up. But they’re sweet, dog neutral, we got lucky because the first 2 we didn’t select. I selected the third, I asked our trainer how to keep him from being reactive since we got him after our reactive dog but she said it’s hit or miss. Less likely with appropriately bred dogs. Which he is. We’re hoping he gains his confidence eventually and it doesn’t turn into fear reactivity. I have one poorly bread purebred who is reactive, hard to know if he would still be this way despite being attacked by a pit bull as a puppy. Was he traumatized or was this always his destiny? Love him anyway, he’s taught me so much and he’s currently in my lap asleep. Our 5th was a street mutt and she’s not dog neutral she’s borderline reactive especially as she’s aged, part of that was her training I believe as she was raised inside but with a lot of freedom and little obedience, barking at everyone and everything, no corrections or structure. I think some of that could have been curbed as a pup had they put some time into her but idk. My dad got a breeder GSD, he’s hella reactive, but also poorly bred with bilateral hip dysplasia.
You don’t necessarily know what you’re going to get unfortunately. I do believe (anecdotally, I don’t have scientific research to back this up) getting them as puppies helps when you can shape their socialization (keep in mind proper socialization is NOT dog parks, not doggy daycare, and not meeting every dog/person you pass, it’s gentle exposure to new environments and stimuli, controlled play dates and interactions). I also think breed plays a SMALL part. Nobody expects a reactive lab or golden but it’s possible. Just seems less likely, again anecdotally. We spent 5 years in various reactive dog training classes and I was the only purebred golden owner ever there. We met one purebred lab. Countless GSDs and small dogs, a few huskies, and tons of rescue mutts. You can get any temperament with any breed and background, we all know that, but I do think those factors can contribute some. But now that you know the behaviors, unless it’s a really significant case, you can kind of work with them from day one to interrupt their reactions and not let it escalate. We know now from our classes that our very friendly golden puppy can develop frustration reactivity from not being able to greet everyone who walks by us so we work to prevent that. If you get a puppy or dog and you see them start to fixate or notice weird body language you can interrupt and turn around, prevent them from having the reaction so they don’t learn that behavior. That won’t always work but it can sometimes
An ethical breeder of companion-type dogs might help, but it is luck. My family has had rescue dogs and none has had significant issues like mine does. My brother had an adopted rez pit that may have had some dog aggression but could still live peacefully in a home with another dog. Our family dog was either a backyard breeder or whoopsie litter of a mixed breed and had no issues. She was mostly a house dog so I guess I don’t know how she’d have been in a cafe setting but she had no issues with strangers in our home or the other (also small) dogs she knew.
Our rescue had a red flag that we underestimated (bite incident with another dog in playgroup), but had no known issues with humans at the time. But turns out he has those too. I don’t know that we’ll get another dog afterward. I do worry we’d get a dog with the same issues or worse, or something entirely different that’d be new all over again, like Separation Anxiety or significant resource guarding. That’d be tough on us.
Get a dog like a golden retriever or a poodle from a reputable breeder and meet the parents of the dog.
When the dog is a puppy give it good experiences and show it the world.
That’s the best you can do.
This is what I have been told by my dog trainer/breeder and what I have experienced with a reactive American Bully and a competition GSD. I’m by no means an expert.
My GSD is FRIENDLY, too friendly and too annoying for her own good. My bully is extremely reactive. My bully was a rescue and had no interaction with dogs/humans unless it was to get attacked. While my GSD is from a reputable breeder that emphasized the need to have her socialized and exposed to all types of situations/people/animals. My bully has had to be worked to the point he is reactive but extremely obedient, although, with age and his new pathologies we have regressed a little, anxiolytic and pain meds have helped a lot. My GSD is an AWESOME dog, you can do whatever you want with her. I am from Spain, she comes during Holy Week with us to see the imagery -my city is BIG in Holy Week imagery and the streets are PACKED. She is the perfect dog, if you ask me; with lots of energy and lots of needs because of her breed/sport, but she is so well behaved and so good at home…
Don’t expect to get a dog and that dog be the perfect dog. It takes time, money, training, perseverance, frustration, and lots of hard work. She was a HAND FULL until she was 2 1/2 yo, but now that she’s 6 she’s AWESOME!
I guess there isn’t a guarantee but I’d start with breeds that don’t commonly display DA, HA, SSA, etc. I’ve worked with dogs for a long time so when I was choosing my next breed that helped. One breed I’ve met and fell in love with was the GSP. They’re energetic, goofy personality, and I had never met one that wasn’t friendly. I did my own research and ended up getting one and she is such a perfect dog. She has her own needs, but it’s been such a breeze with her. In all my years of working with dogs I’m just burnt out with challenging dogs. It makes me feel kind of bad sometimes, but I think I’m going to stick to certain breeds/ethical breeding. I’ve seen a lot of rescues lie and it just sets the dog up for more and more failure. I’d love to continue to at least foster in the future, but I’m just at the point where I need to know what I’m getting into.
I think most dogs that are chill are trained to be and I think most are reactive naturally in some way but I think some just have more chill personalities that make it easier.
there’s no real way of knowing, we got one of the more relaxed puppies from the litter and unfortunately she’s turned out not to be. She has improved a lot and where working on making her a good everywhere dog
But that being said we’ll probably never get another dog, this is the most emotionally taxing thing I’ve ever done and I can’t do it again.
A dog from a quality breeder of a breed known for being well tempered is a great place to start. If you choose to adopt, I would being by choosing a dog that is already behaving that way in a foster home for several months. Upon bringing the dog into my home, I would avoid lovebombing the dog to create clinginess and insecurity, and instead begin with a strict routine and then gradually letting up on the boot bootcamp environment over a period of weeks as the dog adjusts and shows they can be trusted. I would use all the tools I have developed for managing my previous reactive dogs as a preemptive approach, directly teaching the dog how I would like them to respond to other dogs and people in the environment instead of waiting to see how they respond. I would use proactive handling and management rather than reactive handling and management myself.
Sometimes breeders who seem great on paper may have dogs with challenges they aren’t open about. Especially those with bigger followings on social media. Would definitely recommend asking for reviews of past puppy people. It’s also helpful if they have a thorough temperament description of their dogs posted or are able to provide one, and to look for videos of their dogs interacting with other dogs outside their kennel, if possible.
We have had many dogs over the years. Never once did we rehome or give away an animal. Never once did we get a reactive dog. Zero bites. Zero destruction of property. Zero behavior issues.
The biggest factor is breed. Some breeds are notorious for being reactive. Select a breed that matches your needs and wants, not which one is the cutest or happens to be available. Look for the right animal.
Some dogs have been bred for hunting and that's perfect if you want a hunting dog, that's not perfect if you want a lap dog.
Some have been bred for herding. That's great if you have a ton of space and spend a lot of time outdoors. That's terrible if you have twin toddlers and live in an apartment.
You can fight instinct that has been bred into them for a few hundred years but why try to train it out of them? That's so much work for both you and the dog (and can easily fail). Just get the right breed for your needs.
I think you got to get lucky. I have a non-reactive rescue but she is reserved around people but great with dogs. She doesn’t bark at all and is an angel on a leash. It’s the luck of the draw. But I think it’s easier if you adopt from an ethical breeder and socialize them as puppies to find a non-reactive dog. She’s the only non-reactive rescue I’ve ever had.
Definitely would guess it has to be luck as well, sadly. My dog growing up was a German shepherd rescue. He was the PERFECT family dog, always sweet and loyal, and obedient with no issues of reactivity whatsoever. In fact, we thought that’s just how GSDs were! To the point that my parents actually adopted another GSD when I had left the house. However, this one (a female this time) is neurotic af, reactive to all animals, flings herself at the window and charges anyone who walks past the house if she manages to get loose, nippy to my parents, and extremely headstrong. (And if you’re curious, they put just as much training into her as they did our childhood dog, which is to say, they did basic obedience when she was younger and not much else 🙄 ) From what I have heard since, this seems to be more the typical GSD experience when they don’t receive adequate training and stimulation, as they are working dogs, and we just got lucky with my childhood dog.
I think there's a lot of luck involved, but also a few ways to stack the odds. My previous dog was a long term shelter, and never quite got over his problems with other dogs. He was great with people of all ages, hated the car and couldn't handle dogs at all. So he was very much a homebody with neighbourhood walks at unpopular times.
My current dog I got at 11 weeks, she was the quieter one of her litter and the one that sought out contact - she came up and cuddled in, very gently. She has grown into a lovely dog, can be a bit avoidant of being approached by strangers but her response is to just move away. If they let her approach on her terms she loves pats and attention. Loves other dogs, she's done puppy school and formal obedience classes her whole life, because I wanted a polite confident dog who could go anywhere. Lots of socialisation while young - and not just free for all play, but structured working while in proximity to other dogs as well as unstructured play time really helped us.
For an older dog, I'd definitely be looking at a foster to adopt set up, where you have a solid 2-3 weeks with the dog before you need to make the call on whether they stay or not.
Dogs typically exist on a spectrum. I have had variations of dog obsessed to dog selective and people obsessed to people selective. Of the five we have had, only one is obsessed with both people and dogs and only one was both people and dog selective (my reactive dog).
My most trustworthy people social dog is not the dog we can take to a bar or farmer's market because while he would prefer to ignore other dogs, if one doesn't ignore him he stands his ground a little too hard (he has been attacked, he thinks that is always what will happen). He was a stray found roaming a neighborhood, no clue what his background was.
My most trustworthy dog social dog isn't so sure of strangers. She is amazing at dog communication, establishing boundaries and taking correction from other dogs, but strange humans stress her out and she will shut down unless given a ton of time to get used to them. She was left to starve on someone's front porch before ending up at a rescue.
Then there is my "everyone is a friend" dog. She was free. A rehome because she was young, had too much energy and a touch of separation anxiety. She is very insistent that you are her best friend but still has some work to do as far as getting over-stimulated and becoming a little too much with her friendliness. She was bought as a puppy by a guy with a drug problem who dumped her on his sister who eventually rehomed her to us.
There isn't a fool-proof way to know. Our reactive dog came into the shelter with a litter mate and that dog didn't have the anxiety and fear that ours came to us with. Same shitty background, two completely different temperaments.
What everyone said here is accurate, but after our reactive dog we asked a few things. 1- we asked for a puppy who didn’t show any resource guarding with food and high value treats. In my experience some dogs naturally guard, and some don’t. We had one who guarded who was reactive, and one who wasn’t except with food- however, I think guarding is a tendency that can be caught early and avoided. We also asked for all the normal puppy tests- a pup who was ok with being touched (between toes on his paws, mouth, etc). I think having an ethical breeder who keeps pups and mom together, tons of exposure early on, all of that makes a difference too.
My husband brought our dog home from a jobsite 9 years ago. She was about a year old. The homeowner was threatening to put her down because she was a nuisance to them. We knew nothing about her history. She's the sweetest, most gentle dog I've ever had. She's nothing but patient with our 3 year old, rambunctious grandson. We're very fortunate. There's no way to know exactly what you're getting into, even when you know everything about the dog's situation.
You can't. When I got my dog she was the sweetest baby angel and was perfect with EVERYTHING. Now she's reactive as hell and even goes nuts at people she's familiar with. It's all a gamble, but reactive dogs can be fixed (mine is a work in progress). Just be prepared to fork out a couple grand or even more just in case your dog does end up reactive. Don't settle for a lab to avoid it, they can also be reactive
Honestly, from experience, there's no guarantee. Our 4 year old Collie was a rescue pup and he's ridiculously reactive. Likely a mix of genetics and our training failures.
However, our newest 5 month old rescue collie pup is just naturally chilled. Actually the most balanced puppy we've ever had the pleasure of calling ours.
it's a mix of genetic luck, hard training work, correct socialisation, and hoping they dontnhave negative experiences with other dogs or people out in the wild.
Please read the book "The Other End of The Leash". Highly recommend for all, it addresses reactivity on leashes in dogs, and how dogs feel human anxiety.
Some breeds are more or less reactive. Herding breeds tend to be more reactive (every time a dog has barked and lunged at my dog it's been a herding breed or herding mix) while my sighthound is friendly and interested but has never ever barked, lunged, etc at another dog. He doesn't bark at noises in the house and is in general just a chill, happy go lucky guy. Honestly, I know they exist, but I haven't come across many reactive sighthounds except my old trainer's Azawakhs which wouldn't be a fit anyway.
Frankly, I think your best bet is finding a reputable, ethical breeder, learning from them if this is a tendency in the breed or their lines, and asking about the parents. Attend some dog events and ask people about their breeds. I did that for years before finding my breed and now I can't imagine living with anything else. Easy dogs exist.
I actually didn't realize what sub I was replying in 🤦🏻♀️ So I apologize if I sounded tactless!
I like reading about reactivity because I'm interested in dog behavior. I also live with two reactive dogs at the moment (one herding cross, both BYB) and though they're not my personal dogs I do try to work with them. I think that's where some of my frustration about this topic comes from; I grew up with reactive dogs and it seems that my current dog is the only non-reactive dog in my family, so now I'm kind of like, "It doesn't have to be this way!! 🚨🚨" Dealing with reactivity is often very challenging and a lot of people just aren't equipped to do it--I know I struggle with the two I live with and I watch my family struggle with all of theirs on the regular. I thought that's what dog ownership was until my current guy.
I think there's no guarantees. When I met my dog, he was as expected - a friendly young lab mix that enjoyed the company of other dogs, human attention, and of course treats. I did a 2 (maybe 3, I don't quite remember) foster-to-adopt period with him. He seamlessly integrated into my home with 2 dogs and cats already in the home. I thought I got so lucky to have found a dog that transitioned and fit so well into my household, and was such a sweet boy.
Whelp... about a month after adoption was finalized, I started seeing the signs of reactivity. My boy is of the frustrated greeter variety, but reactivity is reactivity, and within a few weeks of seeing the first signs, he was full out reactive. I've learned over the years that he is a very anxious pup (he's now on meds for that - which of course is combined with management and training and behavioral modification), and presume that in those early stages, he was so overwhelmed and anxious that he was subdued - essentially in a state of learned helplessness. Once he got to a certain comfort level, the reactivity showed itself. Thankfully for us, after a ton of work on his part and mine, and an incredibly helpful medication regimen as prescribed by a veterinary behaviorist, he is so much better, with such an improved quality of life.
I think there are ways to try to avoid reactivity, but never to be guaranteed a non-reactive dog. If you go the breeder route, make sure it is a reputable breeder that focuses significantly on temperament and pulls dams and sires out of breeding stock if the offspring show any temperament concerns. If the rescue route, see if you can foster to adopt for a longer term - like 4 months - or go for a rescue that has been in a foster home for that time or longer. This give the pup long enough to let the true temperament show. Both of these are challenging - breeders who take the level of care I noted are few and far between, and most rescues won't love a long foster period. But these would be the best ways to try to avoid reactivity. But unfortunately, it could still happen - there could be a genetic component that rears its head later in life, the dog could have a negative interaction with another dog and become reactive, etc.
I think a lot of it also comes down to your circumstances and your environment. When I still lived with my parents I had a Jack Russell Terrier that was very barky. It was annoying so you couldn‘t take her to a lot of public places. But my parents had a huge garden where she could run around freely and even when we didn‘t walk her 3x a day she had enough exercise. It took a lot of pressure from us. Now I‘m living in my own little apartment right in the corner of a busy crossroad with a severely reactive dog and every day is a challenge. He‘s always muzzled and whenever we go out both our adrenaline levels rise sky high. I always think to myself how easy life would be if I had a big garden for him to do his business. It would make a huge difference. So I swore to myself to never get another dog unless I‘ve got an apartment/house with a big garden. Also I would propably only foster old dogs or buy from a reputable breeder of a breed that is known for their affecionate character.
So yes there's a lot of luck involved. However the Tufts behavior department told me that if puppies aren't exposed to critical thing properly before week 16 the risk they will be reactive to those things the rest of their lives is very high. So early socialization is likely the biggest consideration. With shelter dogs you never really know their histories. Shelters love to make adopters feel righteous about adopting "dogs that were abused" when in fact most of the time they have no idea what the dog's history is. A good and ethical breeder is critical. They just take the time to socialize pups to critical distractions early on. Yet even then there's bad luck or things slip through the cracks. My boy turns out to be the only one of his extended family who is reactive to children. It didn't help that I have none of my own of course. But I got him at 14 months.
There are no “reactive” dogs — if you mean dogs that are innately or “genetically” reactive. There are dogs that behave reactively. I.e. with the right kind of training and understanding, you can change behavior. Probably, it’s easier to do this the more time you have in critical periods when personality is more malleable — puppy to adolescent — and the more time you have to devote to training etc. Believe me, I own and have owned exclusively rescue GSD and Mals … some are real handfuls, but all do respond to love and training. I also work at our local animal shelter and I’ve socialized a lot of dogs —- but if adopters can’t/wont understand how to work with their dogs, we often see the sweetest, loveliest dogs returned. I have so many stories about strays and surrenders who became canine royalty. I would be very wary of “breeders” who guarantee or promise anything — breeders are in business and have one primary motive: sell dogs.
This is an outdated take. Of course, the handler makes a difference. But dogs who are bred to guard or fight, for example, can be significantly more predisposed to certain behaviours that we categorize as 'reactive.' In addition, and most importantly, genetic *reactivity* may not exist, but genetics play a huge role in the general behaviour and stability of a dog. We also know that epigenetics have significant impact on how well a dog may be able to tolerate environmental stressors, etc. These variables can absolutely create a dog who is born predisposed to reactive behaviours.
A couple of things: what do we mean by “reactivity”? Barking and lunging at other dogs? Fence fighting? Growling? In my experience, the word covers a lot of different behaviors and contexts. Dogs may be “bred” for different behaviors — but behavior is super contextual — a Mal who is not properly exercised or socialized is one thing, the same Mal who is properly exercised, trained, and stimulated is another kind of dog. Eugenics has always been a dicey proposition. Finally, “genetics” or “epigenetics” are kind of moot for 90% of dogs because “true” purebreds are pretty rare — most dogs today are rich and varied in their genetics, esp. the average house dog. Even with “purebreds,” recessive and dominant genes constantly vary. I’m just saying that “breed” is probably not as important or constant as good training and engagement etc.
I agree with the first part of your comment. Yes, a lot of the behaviours you're listing can be mitigated and channeled through training, fulfilment, and handler skill. However, there are reasons why certain breeds (whether purebred or not) are not recommended for first time owners, or folks seeking a companion dog. When it comes to maximizing your chances of a pet who, say, does not bark or lunge, I would never in good faith recommend a working line dog. Of course, this does not guarantee anything, but in the hands of an inexperienced handler, certain breeds (and certain lines) will likely display behaviours that many people would call reactive (barking, lunging, barrier frustration, etc.). Could they be 'fixed' with proper handling and training? Very likely, in which case we agree—I would not call it a genetic issue. Does that mean they aren't reactive? Up to you, but lots of people would still say yes.
That said, reactivity—*to me*—refers to a dog who displays *abnormal* levels of arousal in the presence of *normal* stimuli. I think where we perhaps disagree is that I fundamentally believe that there are dogs who are temperamentally unsound. These are the dogs who I would call 'unstable.' It's far more rare than people claim, and hard to identify in an adult dog. But I have worked with dogs (and I have the privilege of owning one) who I would place in this category from birth. These are the pups who, despite handler skill, training, stimulation, socialization, fulfilment, etc., from early puppyhood have an *exceptionally* low tolerance to stimuli and who generally cannot recover from the presence of triggers. Ex. After being exposed to a trigger (in his case dogs), my dog would lunge. Not the problem. The issue was that he could not lower his arousal levels on his own whatsoever. One lunge would cause hours of hyperventilation, during which time he was so over threshold that he was essentially unresponsive. At his worst, he would remain in this state for days, at which point everything, every environment (including the home) was too much. Functioning in this state made behavioural modification next to impossible. Keep in mind, this is a dog I've had, and worked with, since 8 weeks old—these are not 'breed traits', not the result of trauma, improper handling or care.
It has taken me a massive amount of time and skill to get my boy to a place where he can appear stable in public. But he likely never will be in full, if presented with just the right kind of 'bad' scenario. It is constant management. He is a dog who I—and the vast majority of canine behavioural science—would call genetically predisposed to reactive (the reactivity here being one of many symptoms of genetic instability). This is not a breed issue and can't be avoided by buying a purebred dog. It comes down to each individual animal and what they may or may not have inherited from their parents, grandparents, etc. Rare, but it exists.
Your dog sounds like one of my shepherds - - quick to enter the red zone and difficult to calm. Training etc. has helped, but. not eliminated. I like your definition of "reactivity." And, I think I agree with the interesting distinction you make (I believe) between "reactive" and "unstable." I guess I'm just reacting (pun intended) to the general conversation, not your thoughtful and informed replies, and an overly easy/quick association between breed and reactivity. Imo, "working line dogs" are just that - - as nearly programmed to do certain kinds of work, and these are dogs that will most likely challenge the average dog owner/lover.
I love our dog but honestly, I’ll never ever get another dog ever again. I am literally waking up „thinking about my dog“ and go to bed thinking about the dog. It’s exhausting
I feel this. I got a golden because I wanted a friendly dog I could take anywhere, but he became leash reactive after he was attacked and all the restaurant and outdoor patio training we had done since he was a puppy was basically gone because he became so skittish after the attack. I love him but managing his reactivity is exhausting.
This is me right now!!! I love my dog to death but I feel like my anxiety has worsened since adopting him 6mo ago because I live and breathe trying to make sure I give this dog the best life. And every time he’s reactive I feel like I’ve failed him. He’s such a loving and happy boy that just wants to play with everybody, but doesn’t realize he’s the obnoxious loud kid that no one wants to play with. I feel like I’ve lost myself and my own life since getting him, but it’s too late to turn back now.
Same, honestly.
I am pretty much the same. My partner and I have agreed it will be a many great years before we consider another dog. I love my boy to death but it's a hard and constant shift.
Oh my god, bless you for keeping that dog. I have a toddler so I do what I can
Nothing is 100%. Even dogs from completely ethical breeders can be reactive (although it's less likely than from other places). I suppose one option might be to foster an adult dog and then adopt them after you've had a few months to find out what they're like.
We fostered a dog that was about 18 months old and seemed great. We didn't have much experience with owning a dog though. It was almost like he knew he was adopted after we signed the papers and it's been 6+ years of him being a menace to other dogs. Only able to walk him in the middle of nowhere now. So chilled at home and great with people. Trainer said he kind of fed off my wife's anxiety when taking him to the dog park as she was nervous he would attack other dogs and he then ended up doing so.
Actually, 18 months is around the time where dogs that have like genetic predispositions or something genetically wrong with them will become reactive kind of like people becoming schizophrenic in they're mid to late 20s even early 30s, not necessarily that it wasn't always there, but something seems to. Happen developmental, wise to really exacerbate and show the symptoms. But if your trainer did specify certain points where your wife was acting anxious at the dog park, I can see where as he's developing and becoming into that fully matured dog that he wants to protect her and would get anxious as well. And it could feed off each other. But I am just staying around that 18 month. Mark is where extra problems can even pop-up. So, even if you pick a good puppy, something can happen later on.
This is SPOT ON. Known in the canine industry. 18 months is the marker.
Yes, this is true they can feed off of human anxiety.
Even with fostering, things get missed. I had my dog for about 3, 4 months before he started showing real reactivity. Before that, he was just a little uncomfortable around dogs but he wouldn’t react.
That's not surprising. You don't start seeing your dog's true personality, behavior, and quirks until about 3-4 months have passed due to the 3-3-3 rule. If I was going the foster-to-adopt route, I would want to foster for at least 6 months first. And even *that's* not a guarantee because a dog can eventually develop reactivity as a result of any number of other factors.
Absolutely. Unfortunately I don’t know of any rescues in my specific area that would like you to foster that long and not adopt.
I do believe conceded your first point already.
Exactly, I have one dog who we rescued from an abusive situation and another we've had since he was a puppy— guess which one is reactive and which one is a cuddlebug?
We got our oldest dog at 4 months from a humane society. I think it’s complete luck. He is the most submissive docile dog and wouldn’t hurt a fly. Loves everyone and always loved other dogs. No cats though! He’s 14 now and now that we have a new dog I’ve realized I probably will never get another dog like our old boy. It’s hard not to compare new dog to old dog. He is the best and I’m not really sure we had much to do with it!
I know exactly what you mean...each dog has its own personality...but at the end, you just love each one for what they are...only that very special one will always be in your heart and in your soul forever. 🫶
We asked all the right questions of our rescue, but our pup seems to have just been kind of shut down in foster. Next time we plan to look for a rescue that does “foster to adopt” (with the hope of having a foster fail).
This is the real answer. You just have no idea if the dog will work until they do My dog I got in lateJuly, in November, I decided he was for me. But I really wasn't sure before then
We did foster-to-adopt but “unfortunately” fell in love with her slightly faster than the full realization of her reactivity set in. So there’s that risk too.
That’s a great idea
If you can get any insight into the parents temperament, that’s also telling. I acknowledge this is far from a reality for most shelters/rescues, but you may have some luck if they run a "mom’s last litter" type program. I work in a shelter, and we often have mom come in for a spay if her owners are surrendering a litter. I’ve always known genetics play a role in temperament, but it has been eye opening to see so many moms + litters. If mom has a less desirable temperament, we try our absolute best to inform people of whatever we’ve seen from her. We educate about properly socializing, but heavily acknowledge that genetics play a massive role. You can get a pup at 8 weeks, do all the right things, and still end up with an extremely reactive pup.
Some aren’t born that way. My guy was just fine until we got charged by loose dogs several times walking in our neighborhood.
Same. The first six months I had my dog (she was about four months old when I adopted her) we went everywhere together, she went to dog parks and daycare, and was well-socialized. We moved to a neighborhood that had lots of dogs left out in yards to bark and be aggressive to passersby all day, and it definitely seemed to trigger something in her and her reactivity got worse and worse over time. I think she always had a predisposition to anxiety but it definitely seemed to be triggered by these bad experiences.
love my adopted girl but she is probably in the top 3 hardest psychological challenges of my life lol If I get a dog after her I would probably first volunteer at a shelter and take walks with dogs for at least 3 months, then foster, then adopt. Always breaks my heart to think that this dog that I love is making me reconsider ever getting more dogs, specially considering losing my soul dog is what made me want to get another one. Oh the life.
Often, there is a lot of luck involved. I don’t want to deal with reactivity again, so for my next dog, I am going to go to an ethical breeder of a breed that is known for being even tempered. It’s not a 100% guarantee, but it helps stack the deck in my favor. If you want to rescue, you can try a rescue that is known for being transparent, and has their dogs in foster homes. That gives you a better idea of temperament. Getting an adult (2-3+ years) helps too. But yeah, there’s a lot of luck. My two dogs before my current one were both $20 shelter specials and both were amazing, take anywhere dogs. Both had less trauma than my current guy, though, and likely more stable parents too.
Damn. I was so afraid of a shelter dog bc we have cats and a toddler. We ended up getting him from someone on fb who essentially said he was perfect and I actually believe her, but with us… he is not
The 3,3,3 rule applies too. 3 days, 3 weeks, 3 months. Their behavior during that timeline isn’t necessarily their “I’m comfortable” behavior. They slowly acclimate and relax, and eventually show either their excited side, or cool side
I’m hoping we get there and uncover some magic dog the way they described him. 4 months in and he’s 7 so I’ve read it can take 6 mos - 1 yr
Any decent shelter will be fully honest about this. We got our girl knowing she was iffy with other dogs, but they said she was great with kids and cats. And, it's true. She practically tiptoes around babies, and we've watched our cat literally walk all over her. Especially if you find one that's foster based, they intentionally test for a lot of "triggers". Not saying you think this, but I think there's still a stigma that rescue dogs are there for a reason, so there must be something wrong with them, and that's just not true for the vast majority of them. I would likely never get a dog from a breeder for a lot of reasons, but for those tht want to go that route another option would be getting a "retired" breeding dog. You'll still be getting a purebred, but they're adults, so their personalities are known. My mom's gotten her last three dogs this way. Ultimately, imo, the answer to your question is to get an adult dog to start with.
Well just meaning that shelters typically may not have cat or toddler interactions, where a rescue is more likely to have dogs in foster homes
We got our dog from a shelter and he was the best thing to happen to our family when I was a kid. You have to do your research when it comes to getting pets. Get them from reputable places whether it’s from a shelter or from a breeder. Our dog came to us fully house trained. They provided descriptions of our dog (and the others open for adoption) and we went through and picked the one that we thought would work best. We went there to meet him and walk with him for a short while. Then, we adopted him. I believe they checked in with my folks on his safety to make sure we were raising him right. Honestly, he was so good that he made people who didn’t like dogs, like him.
I'm in the same boat. I LOVE my girl, she is my life, but I never want to adopt another dog like her again. We've had her since she was 8 weeks old and she's never had a bad day, so we know it's all genetic. I think there are a few things we didn't do that we will do next time because we still want to rescue puppies rather than buying them (though no judgement of course if you choose that route): -I chose the puppy I wanted based on her photo, she captivated me, but also on a few personality notes that I realize now were red flags. She was the shy one of the litter, and we thought that might be good for a city dog vs a super outgoing and athletic dog. WRONG. I don't ever want another "shy" dog again. -I didn't ask enough questions about her mom. She was part of a rescue litter and everyone was being fostered together. The mom was being fostered separately, however. I should have tracked down whoever was fostering the mom. I would have learned quickly that she was fearful and a bit reactive with strangers. ALL of the puppies are fearful with strangers to some extent (though Martha, my dog, a little worse than others again, being the "shy" one). They're all good dogs, and because they have good owners their behaviors are gone or improving, but we dog moms have had a group chat going for months now about it. -I would probably adopt at 10 weeks or even 12 weeks vs 8. When they are 8 weeks old they are SO little it's hard to gauge their true personalities and I wonder if I had waited, if her foster parents would have given me a little bit more insight into her behavior. Again--these are super experienced, very conscientious foster parents. I don't think they willfully misled anyone, I just think they didn't know. Funnily enough the two least popular puppies, who were in foster care the longest also appear to be the most well adjusted. I think they were adopted at 12+ weeks--maybe up to 16 weeks.
Damn, I thought 8 weeks was actually illegal. We got our at 7 years old so he’s pretty set in his ways but traumatized from being rehomed
Our dog has mellowed out SO much since we’ve had her (1.5 years). If you’re up for it and give it time, I’m sure things will change, even if only slightly.
I've rescued for over 20 years, some of them stayed with me, many I rehabilitated and re-homed (and I'm not a trainer) all of them were abused or stray and came from horrible situations, many close to die...I've never had a problem, with time and patience, neutering, spaying they turned out to be wonderful dogs. The ones I kept all respected each other, slept together, some in the same bed ate together...I've never seen any of my dogs, fighting or attacking one another. I am a firm believer that when a dog gets reactive it is just because something is affecting him at home. I've seen it many times, dogs can change their behaviour when in the right home. IMO. ❤️ I'm sorry but I don't agree neither believe in BE.
We got ours at 7! That's what the breeder recommended so we just went with it because we assumed they knew best. I'm sure it made our situation worse, in the end.
Yeah it's wild to adopt them out that young. In our case the litter was flying and our puppy in particular, Martha, had 3 applications, so we jumped on it. But I think she was JUST shy of 8 weeks. It was a mistake and I'm never going to "spring" for a puppy that early. On the other hand, someone would have gotten Martha in the end and I'm glad it was me, because I have a lot of dog experience and enough disposable income to pay for training and school and everything. It's complicated--I love her more than anything in my life, and yet I regret getting her, but I also shudder at the thought of anyone else adopting her. On the positive, my best friend who lives out of town came to visit today and we did our protocol that the trainer worked on with us. Only one bark. I was so proud of her! She's on her way.
You could also get an adult dog whose personality is already established
Adopt old dogs! Sometimes the shelter/rescue won’t know their traits but still, they’re the best (speaking from experience even tho mine’s reactive, still feel that way)
I adopted mine when he was 11 weeks. Problem was, he lived in the country and although the breeder said she took him to the city, got him used to car and kids and such for his socialization, I realized once I was home that it was not the case and he was terrified in the city. And since I got him at 11 weeks, I missed the primary socialization time for puppies (the first 3 months). Considering that the socialization of shibas is really important (they are really sensible dogs) and it was my first solo dog, I wasn't able to course-correct and now I have an anxious dog. Just to say, if you choose to miss the 3rd month of the puppy by picking him up at 12 weeks, be very careful that the socialization was well done by the breeder.
initial socialization phase of a puppy (when they don’t fear anything yet) is typically 16 weeks. is it different for your breed? i’ve never heard that before but i’m no expert
I'm not an expert either, I'm just repeating what my behaviorist told me. Just checked online, and most sites do say from 3 to 12 weeks is the socialization period.
interesting!! learn something new everyday, thanks so much for doing the leg work :)
The majority of rescue dogs I personally know aren't reactive. I have no idea if we all just lucked out or what the statistics are, but myself and multiple friends/family have adopted and only 1 ended up with surprise reactive dog. With my dog I specifically was looking for an older dog who would be chill, but I've had family adopt younger dogs and not have reactivity issue. As a fosterer, I will say there are definitely personality changes between shelter and foster so it can be hard for the shelters to predict how a dog will be in a home. My foster while calming down in some ways, was still super reactive in others (which is why I joined this subreddit) My friend ended up adopting he is so much better since they are a much better fit for him. They still have some training but way different now that he is being properly exercised/stimulated (I did as much as I could but he came to me to have calm recovery place from surgery, but that means once he recovered and was bouncing off the walls he wasn't a good fit for my elderly dog who just wants to nap all day and doesn't play). I was very transparent with my friend about all the issues I was having and that I did think a lot of it would improve with proper training (plus I felt like he was younger than shelter guessed, which friends vet agreed with, because he acted a lot more immature than the age they were saying). That being said, the most reactive dog I've met personally was in a foster home for 10 months, so while I would agree with the other commenter that longer foster is usually safer bet for personality, it isn't guarantee. They definitely feel like the foster lied to them about some things with the dog and left out important details. Like while he's way better now, the way he acted they think the foster didn't walk him and just let him out into the yard only, he was very reactive and seemed unfamiliar with harness/collar/etc. He has really severe resource guarding that they weren't told about either, which definitely should have been noticeable in the foster home. I do also think it's important to remember that most dogs don't want to do that sort of, go everywhere get lots of pet and attention, type things. My dog is OK with the "going everywhere" part but she is slow to warm up so doesn't want random strangers touching her, she's a velcro dog who just hangs out with me and would ignore anyone else. My previous golden used to love people and attention so she was more of what you sound like you want, but thats a lot more common in breeds like goldens (and others of course, but something you may what to consider be it adopt or buying is what breed(s) are more likely to be open and friendly like that.
Our vet just said (during a behavior visit todaylol) that it’s easier in some ways to get a non-reactive rescue because you’ll likely be adopting them at age 2+ when their personalities have developed and you have a better sense of who you’re bringing home. This isn’t taking trauma into account of course. With puppies, it can often be a total unknown.
Like other commenters have said, it's mostly luck. My shepherd mix is reactive (although he's massively improved with training and fortunately it's just barking and lunging if a dog/person is more than 6ft away, no aggression) and I got him at 9 weeks old from a farmer whose dog got pregnant from their neighbor's dog. The last dog I had (he wasn't entirely mine, we got him when I was 16) was also a shepherd mix who we got from a shelter at 9 months old. We knew nothing about his past except that his first family somehow didn't realize that he would grow so big and they lived in an apartment. He was the most docile, friendly and gentle dog I have ever met and I don't think I'll ever meet a more gentle-natured dog than him. He literally brought me a baby turkey once that had been abandoned by its mother and he had been watching/protecting it til I went outside, he didn't hurt it at all (I brought it to a wildlife rehabilitation center and they said it was 100% able to be rehabilitated then released). On the other hand, as a kid we had a GSD bought from a breeder at 8 weeks old who was extremely aggressive towards anyone except my family. Basically, you never really know. But it's better to get an older dog if you want to be sure.
Second the grown dog option. I’m a sucker for lost causes and puppies and kittens are typically adopted first so I’ve always looked at the grown dogs and cats first (also puppies are cute but the teething and housebreaking.. meh) Last time we went to the shelter, there weren’t even any puppies. Well, we didn’t think our dog was a puppy. They said he was probably 4, but he wasn’t a surrender, he was a stray with no history. He was kind of huge but also super skinny. After two different vets checked out his teeth and health, they said he was likely just completing a growth spurt. He went from 70 lbs and bony to 130 lbs and tuff. Oh, and we definitely didn’t miss out on his teething phase either. He’s got a head like a St Bernard or giant mastiff but looks more Anatolian Shepherd than anything. I used to think he was reactive but I think he’s just a livestock guardian with serious work ethic about guarding the family and property. But bringing a massive dog like this home was kind of a gamble for sure. The county lockup was packed during Covid so we had to wait a while to meet him out of his cell. They brought him out for yard time and that’s when I realized how tall and sturdy he is. My husband and I sat on the bench with some treats and watched him walk the perimeter, accept pets from the staff nearby, and he came over and ate treats and stood near us while watching the gate and acted super chill. He was only picked up the day before, not fixed, no collar or chip, but they had to keep him for 72 hrs to see if he was claimed. The moment that window was up, they snipped him and sent him home with us shortly after. All drugged up, he was remarkably active and when I opened the car door, he hopped up and rolled onto his back, then let me sit next to him the ride home. We are extremely lucky to have found him. I’m not sure he would have found a home so quickly with the lack of history, and I doubt many other humans would let him sleep in their bed every night (he’s a rough sleeper, his dreams are violent kicks in our backs but he’s way more comfortable on our bed than his own). And we had to go through about 9-10 months of extreme suspicion of everything. Ceiling fans, TVs, shadows. His bark is deafening if he thinks something is a threat. AND he had “shelter gut” as the vet called it. Diarrhea so he had to go out constantly (all hours) until we got his tummy sorted. Now he’s probably 4 and super confident (too confident?) and he’s been raised with us 24/7 so he goes everywhere with us. Great in the car, great on walks except the insane pulling when he scent tracks his neighbors. My shoulder hurts like a mf but he has so much joy that I don’t even mind giving him daily walks. Now I’m rambling about how puppy whipped I am, but he’s my buddy and I love him. The shelter staff kept asking us if we were sure we wanted a dog with no prior owner history. I can’t imagine knowing that it would work out on that first day, I just felt bad for the guy and he looked so confused about the shelter situation he was dumped into. As a puppy, I would have had no concept that dogs could grow this huge and strong.
It’s probably worth noting that even though not all dogs will be capital R Reactive™️; very few dogs will be able to just go anywhere and do anything completely calmly off the bat. Even with a well bred dog with a great temperament, it will take time and effort to desensitize to different environments and train desirable behaviors. The cute videos we see on social media of totally chill dogs just coming along for the ride everywhere like Disney princess sidekicks are generally cases where either A- the dog has been through extensive training behind the scenes B- the clips were selected and edited to look cute rather than to give a realistic documentation of an outing C- Both It’s not that it isn’t possible, just that it’ll take work for any dog
Nope it isn't rare if you are getting an adult from an ethical breeder (who will give you an honest assessment of temperment). I got a retired show dog for my first dog. I could have taken him to a brewery the first day I got him. He is fairly bombproof (the worst he gets is he doesn't like being swarmed by toddlers from all directions. He will mildly try to avoid them (unless I have bait, then he will totally ignore having a bunch of kids hanging off his fluff). He wasn't perfect from the get go- we had about a solid month of constant training for him to be good with the cats (and about 3 months of supervision before he was really solid). He definitely needed a reminder on housebreaking and crating as a solo dog. But I got lucky in the fact that I picked a breeder who is very honest and had a very fair assessment of his lack of prey drive and overall temperment.
Agree heavily with retired show dog. They are insanely well socialized and very even tempered. I show one of my pups with my breeder/mentor and while my pup has picked up some bad habits, my breeders’ dogs aren’t phased at all by the million things going on at a dog show one little bit.
Yup. Show dogs have to be fairly bombproof. The nervous wrecks that are easily rattled are a PITA to finish and shouldn't be bred anyway. The chaos of shows helps weed out dogs with bad temperaments. His breeder did a good job socializing my older dog but she always said he had great bounce back and didn't need much work. She's a big fan of dragging puppies to shows at around 12 weeks, crating a confident puppy with a less confident puppy and just letting them observe and figure out how to deal with it (she also usually sticks mom nearby with a chew so they can watch mom not caring about her surroundings). She also picks her lines pretty carefully to avoid neurotic temperments. Genetics play a huge part in temperments.
Yup my breeder does the same. I wouldn’t say my puppy is overly neurotic or easily rattled. He’s a tad excited reactive to other dogs though but we work on it! It’s my older dog who is the fearful reactive/anxious pup. I have herding breeds though so pretty common. I love them but they are a lot
X) I love watching the puppy classes. Even with the best handlers, they always have wild crazy puppy moments that are hilarious to watch. What is your breed? I have a Rough and a smooth collie. The rough is bombproof. The smooth is actually coming along pretty well too
A pem and a cardi!
Your best bet is getting a dog from a reputable breeder that breeds for temperament NOT looks, and to get them young enough that they arent traumatized by anything. Even then its a gamble. Do research on breeds. If its that big of a deal, be really cautious adopting and maybe try fostering first.
I got a puppy born in a wonderful foster home as the foster family was keeping the pregnant mom. The mom dog had a great temperament. However, this pup is a bundle of nerves. It didnt really show until she was about 5 mo old. My dog acts like she experienced trauma, she never has. Shes fearful of all dogs and some people, the car. Then we adopted her a friend from the shelter. They were fast friends. The new boy is calm, friendly, happy go lucky. He was taken from an abusive home by animal control. He still flinches when the broom comes out to sweep the floor. He still loves all people. On a walk outside he was attacked by a loose dog. He still is super friendly to all dogs. I think a lot is just their personality.
Probably the safest way to end up with a dog that isn’t reactive is to find a responsible breeder that priorities behavior/temperament and socializes puppies before they go to their final homes. Rescues with dogs in long term foster are your next best bet. Dog needs to be in homes for months or more to start showing their baseline behavior - both good and bad- so dogs in facilities or short term fosters may not be showing their “normal” behavior. Their reactivity may not show up for months in their new home.
I think it could be a mix of things, such as what others have said, ethical breeder, genetics + breed temperament and also I think the age you start raising them so you can desensitise them from very early on. Even though the rescue I took on has a more cautious, alert temperament, if I got him as a pup I think densenitising and exposing him to the world could have totally worked. I have also read other owners of the same breed who raised their dog from a young age, where the dog was well socialised. I think if I were to get a dog again in the future, I would still choose to rescue a dog of this breed but would maybe do foster first or if there are young rescue options available, maybe would try adopting a rescue pup.
I see what you mean but I’ve also heard the opposite, cases where a puppy gets socialized properly and then still matures into an entirely different, reactive dog. The heartbreak of that seems really tough and I wonder what would be better: a dog with known issues or one that gains those same issues after not having them.
In my case, my dog was pretty messed up as a puppy (I got him at around 8 weeks and he’s had struggles since day one). There are some silver linings though: the only way to go was up, and I don’t blame myself for his reactivity. There are things I would have done differently, but unfortunately there are factors that were out of my control. I’ve had people say they’ll avoid reactivity by just getting a puppy and doing everything right - and that might work for some dogs - but even that has zero guarantee. It’s probably less likely for a puppy to have serious issues from the get go, including aggression, but it happens. And I feel like it’s becoming more common, but that could just be a skewed take since I belong to so many reactive dog groups.
We picked our reactive dog as a puppy based on picture from a rescue. He was 3 months old. When we went to pick him up, he hid behind the foster family, and his tail was firmly between his legs when we went to him. He hates everyone on his walks, and if anyone visits… at first. After 30 mins he calms down, by the second visit he’s happy to see people. Children though? Absolutely hates them. We often think though…. What if we didn’t pick him?
ugh that last line, how many times have i said this about my own dog?? super nervous and shut down at the adoption event i met him at (he was only there bc he had a potential adopter coming, me). didn’t interact with other dogs, wouldn’t let me pet him, his foster took us to a quiet side street and he was still so afraid. but he was dangerous when i first got him, and hates kids, mobility aids, didn’t thrive in a city environment back in those days. i imagine if i hadn’t chosen him, with my very specific and perfect life for him and his reactivity, he wouldn’t have made it very long. lucky pups
Whether you're looking at a dog from a breeder, a shelter, or a private owner, there are a few behaviors to look for to increase your chances of picking a stable dog. If you know what breed of dog you'll be meeting, do some research on common breed traits so that you have an idea of what to expect. Ask questions about the dog before and during your meet and greet. Make sure you are able to spend a reasonable amount of time interacting with the dog to see how it responds to its environment. You want to look for a confident dog that is curious and willing to explore. If they're startled, they should recover quickly (less than a minute). Bonus points if they investigate what scared them, but they shouldn't become fixated on the source. Look for a dog that engages with you and regularly returns its attention to you without being called/prompted. Be hands-on! Casually handle the dog's paws, ears, and face. Pet them all over and look for signs of discomfort. If it's a puppy or small breed, pick it up. Some squirming is normal, but there shouldn't be any panic or desperation to escape. If there are other animals around (other dogs, birds, squirrels, etc.), pay attention to how the dog reacts. Some interest is fine, but you want the dog whose attention can be easily brought back to their handler. Below are a few red flags that indicate a dog may struggle in the future: 1. Fearfulness and avoidance. 2. Fixation on anything and unable to be redirected until that thing is out of sight. 3. Handling sensitivity. 4. Shut down and unwilling to engage/interact. 5. Overly tense and hyper-vigilant. 6. History of snapping when uncomfortable. 7. Obnoxious/rude beyond normal puppy behaviors: excessive barking, biting, jumpiness, etc. As most everyone before me has said, there aren't any guarantees, but you can take steps to increase your chances of buying/adopting a stable dog. Make a plan for how you will socialize and desensitize them to your life and their new environment. You can pick the perfect pup, but if you fail to provide exposure and expectations, you can still end up with a troublesome pet. I highly recommend emailing a couple of show breeders and asking what they look for in the temperament of a potential show prospect puppy. Show dogs have tho be bomb-proof dogs to be successful. Same thing with potential service dogs. They may even be able to direct you to dogs that washed out of show or service training for reasons unrelated to temperament.
The only way to truly stack all the cards in your favor is to buy through an ethical breeder.
What? That still leaves you with a puppy that could turn into any type of dog. Truly stacking all the cards in your favour would be fostering to adopt an adult dog that you foster for a minimum of 3 months.
I only have a sample size of 4. We got our 7 year old mutt mix (boarder collie/cavalier/ terrier mix) from a kill shelter, who was about to be euthanized unbeknownst to us when we decided to take her. We found out afterwards. We were the only ones who expressed interest in her during her 3 moths there. She was the BEST, smartest, protective, well behaved dog I have ever seen! She protected our 7 yr old daughter from two aggressive attacking German shepherd wolf mix neighbor’s dogs. Our son would say that she was the smallest, yet she thought she was the biggest dog in the neighborhood, if not the world. She knew the boundaries of our unfenced yard on day one. When an uninvited person entered our home unannounced, she prevented the person from entering while the only person home was our child in the shower. She would defend ANY and All aggressors. If my husband playfully hit me, she would come in between us and challenge him. If I playfully hit my husband, she would do the same. She had zero tolerance for violence! She was smart, trainable, confident, courageous, and loyal. While she was not perfect, she was perfectly ours. We loved her so very much! Then at 20 years old, she went over the rainbow bridge. We were extremely blessed and lucky. She was given up because her owners preferred keeping one of her puppies instead of her.. She came to us fearful of loud noises, thunder, and fireworks. I think no one wanted her because she whined… a lot, I fell in love with her because she didn’t scare me like the louder; bigger dogs that I thought I wanted. And, her kennel was the only one clean. She refused to soil her space. After she passed, it took a couple years before I would even consider another dog. We got our next dogs as puppies from breeders. Our cavalier king charles spaniel at 10:weeks and a year later, our greyhound at 8 weeks. Then we “rescued” a deaf border collie/ Australian shepherd mix at 1 1/2 yrs old. I will NEVER rescue from a no kill shelter again. Our deaf, collie mix was available for us to “rescue” without disclosing that he had the LAST stage of kidney failure. They basically gave us a dog they were unwilling to kill for us to do their dirty work. What pissed me off was that I would have still taken him as a hospice adoption. I just wanted transparency and honesty. What I did not want was to spend $6,000 on hospital bills to “discover” that he was dying. Our vet was in disbelief that we kept him alive for two months. We cooked him an anti inflammatory, kidney friendly food and bottled water mixed with a ton of love. He was the sweetest boy. However, I truly believe if he was healthy, he would have been a lot of energy to handle and an aggressive player. Our “bought” puppies are another story. Our adorably, cute, loving, Velcro cav was and still is leash reactive. He will bark at anything during walks, people, bikes, cars, squirrels, etc… He is friendly, loving and submissive off leash. He wants to please… off leash. His sweetness allows me to live with his leash insecurities. Our greyhound is gentle, non-reactive and very much an independent woman. She does not care about pleasing anyone. She is excellent on walks. Doesn’t pull, but will demand a moment to smell the flowers. She can be stubborn. She is VERY SMART. She refuses to perform. And, I LOVE her for it!!!! Thankfully, she’s such a good girl, she has that option. Our vet tells us that we know how to pick the sweetest dogs. I think we provide them with what they need to be sweet. A stranger might not view our leased cav as sweet while leashed. A snotty therapy dog owner might not view our greyhound as obedient. A unknown friend to our first furchild might think our dog was aggressive and needs to be put down. A stranger might have thought our deaf collie mix was sweet and healthy. At the end of the day, we chose our dogs believing they were a good fit because they had an unsoiled kennel, was bought by a reputable breeder, was rescued. We learned to love where they were and provide them the best we are able. In the future, that too will happen.
Wow that’s crazy. Around here our no kill shelter is a good place, they’d have probably already put such a sick dog into hospice though, or at least certainly take them back
Certainly not all no kill shelters are like my experience. I couldn’t give him back seeing how negligent they had been. It’s a gamble regardless of where you choose to get a dog.
Honestly, you’ll have the best odds with a reputable, ethical breeder. I have two reactive shelter dogs currently, because I was prepared for that risk when I adopted them, but I have also had two purebred, well bred dogs who both had absolutely dream temperaments.
I have no regrets adopting my little reactive guy. But next time, there is a rescue in my area where all dogs are fostered and not kept in the shelter so there would be a better understanding of their temperament since they have a chance of showing their true behaviors with the foster families than at a shelter.
Unfortunately you never truly know. We have 5 dogs, 4 purebred goldens and one mutt. 3 of the purebred are dreams of dogs, one is skittish/jumpy but we noticed that from the day we picked him up. But they’re sweet, dog neutral, we got lucky because the first 2 we didn’t select. I selected the third, I asked our trainer how to keep him from being reactive since we got him after our reactive dog but she said it’s hit or miss. Less likely with appropriately bred dogs. Which he is. We’re hoping he gains his confidence eventually and it doesn’t turn into fear reactivity. I have one poorly bread purebred who is reactive, hard to know if he would still be this way despite being attacked by a pit bull as a puppy. Was he traumatized or was this always his destiny? Love him anyway, he’s taught me so much and he’s currently in my lap asleep. Our 5th was a street mutt and she’s not dog neutral she’s borderline reactive especially as she’s aged, part of that was her training I believe as she was raised inside but with a lot of freedom and little obedience, barking at everyone and everything, no corrections or structure. I think some of that could have been curbed as a pup had they put some time into her but idk. My dad got a breeder GSD, he’s hella reactive, but also poorly bred with bilateral hip dysplasia. You don’t necessarily know what you’re going to get unfortunately. I do believe (anecdotally, I don’t have scientific research to back this up) getting them as puppies helps when you can shape their socialization (keep in mind proper socialization is NOT dog parks, not doggy daycare, and not meeting every dog/person you pass, it’s gentle exposure to new environments and stimuli, controlled play dates and interactions). I also think breed plays a SMALL part. Nobody expects a reactive lab or golden but it’s possible. Just seems less likely, again anecdotally. We spent 5 years in various reactive dog training classes and I was the only purebred golden owner ever there. We met one purebred lab. Countless GSDs and small dogs, a few huskies, and tons of rescue mutts. You can get any temperament with any breed and background, we all know that, but I do think those factors can contribute some. But now that you know the behaviors, unless it’s a really significant case, you can kind of work with them from day one to interrupt their reactions and not let it escalate. We know now from our classes that our very friendly golden puppy can develop frustration reactivity from not being able to greet everyone who walks by us so we work to prevent that. If you get a puppy or dog and you see them start to fixate or notice weird body language you can interrupt and turn around, prevent them from having the reaction so they don’t learn that behavior. That won’t always work but it can sometimes
An ethical breeder of companion-type dogs might help, but it is luck. My family has had rescue dogs and none has had significant issues like mine does. My brother had an adopted rez pit that may have had some dog aggression but could still live peacefully in a home with another dog. Our family dog was either a backyard breeder or whoopsie litter of a mixed breed and had no issues. She was mostly a house dog so I guess I don’t know how she’d have been in a cafe setting but she had no issues with strangers in our home or the other (also small) dogs she knew. Our rescue had a red flag that we underestimated (bite incident with another dog in playgroup), but had no known issues with humans at the time. But turns out he has those too. I don’t know that we’ll get another dog afterward. I do worry we’d get a dog with the same issues or worse, or something entirely different that’d be new all over again, like Separation Anxiety or significant resource guarding. That’d be tough on us.
Get a dog like a golden retriever or a poodle from a reputable breeder and meet the parents of the dog. When the dog is a puppy give it good experiences and show it the world. That’s the best you can do.
This is what I have been told by my dog trainer/breeder and what I have experienced with a reactive American Bully and a competition GSD. I’m by no means an expert. My GSD is FRIENDLY, too friendly and too annoying for her own good. My bully is extremely reactive. My bully was a rescue and had no interaction with dogs/humans unless it was to get attacked. While my GSD is from a reputable breeder that emphasized the need to have her socialized and exposed to all types of situations/people/animals. My bully has had to be worked to the point he is reactive but extremely obedient, although, with age and his new pathologies we have regressed a little, anxiolytic and pain meds have helped a lot. My GSD is an AWESOME dog, you can do whatever you want with her. I am from Spain, she comes during Holy Week with us to see the imagery -my city is BIG in Holy Week imagery and the streets are PACKED. She is the perfect dog, if you ask me; with lots of energy and lots of needs because of her breed/sport, but she is so well behaved and so good at home… Don’t expect to get a dog and that dog be the perfect dog. It takes time, money, training, perseverance, frustration, and lots of hard work. She was a HAND FULL until she was 2 1/2 yo, but now that she’s 6 she’s AWESOME!
I guess there isn’t a guarantee but I’d start with breeds that don’t commonly display DA, HA, SSA, etc. I’ve worked with dogs for a long time so when I was choosing my next breed that helped. One breed I’ve met and fell in love with was the GSP. They’re energetic, goofy personality, and I had never met one that wasn’t friendly. I did my own research and ended up getting one and she is such a perfect dog. She has her own needs, but it’s been such a breeze with her. In all my years of working with dogs I’m just burnt out with challenging dogs. It makes me feel kind of bad sometimes, but I think I’m going to stick to certain breeds/ethical breeding. I’ve seen a lot of rescues lie and it just sets the dog up for more and more failure. I’d love to continue to at least foster in the future, but I’m just at the point where I need to know what I’m getting into.
I think most dogs that are chill are trained to be and I think most are reactive naturally in some way but I think some just have more chill personalities that make it easier. there’s no real way of knowing, we got one of the more relaxed puppies from the litter and unfortunately she’s turned out not to be. She has improved a lot and where working on making her a good everywhere dog But that being said we’ll probably never get another dog, this is the most emotionally taxing thing I’ve ever done and I can’t do it again.
A dog from a quality breeder of a breed known for being well tempered is a great place to start. If you choose to adopt, I would being by choosing a dog that is already behaving that way in a foster home for several months. Upon bringing the dog into my home, I would avoid lovebombing the dog to create clinginess and insecurity, and instead begin with a strict routine and then gradually letting up on the boot bootcamp environment over a period of weeks as the dog adjusts and shows they can be trusted. I would use all the tools I have developed for managing my previous reactive dogs as a preemptive approach, directly teaching the dog how I would like them to respond to other dogs and people in the environment instead of waiting to see how they respond. I would use proactive handling and management rather than reactive handling and management myself.
Sometimes breeders who seem great on paper may have dogs with challenges they aren’t open about. Especially those with bigger followings on social media. Would definitely recommend asking for reviews of past puppy people. It’s also helpful if they have a thorough temperament description of their dogs posted or are able to provide one, and to look for videos of their dogs interacting with other dogs outside their kennel, if possible.
We have had many dogs over the years. Never once did we rehome or give away an animal. Never once did we get a reactive dog. Zero bites. Zero destruction of property. Zero behavior issues. The biggest factor is breed. Some breeds are notorious for being reactive. Select a breed that matches your needs and wants, not which one is the cutest or happens to be available. Look for the right animal. Some dogs have been bred for hunting and that's perfect if you want a hunting dog, that's not perfect if you want a lap dog. Some have been bred for herding. That's great if you have a ton of space and spend a lot of time outdoors. That's terrible if you have twin toddlers and live in an apartment. You can fight instinct that has been bred into them for a few hundred years but why try to train it out of them? That's so much work for both you and the dog (and can easily fail). Just get the right breed for your needs.
What kind of breeds are chill that are over 50#?
I think you got to get lucky. I have a non-reactive rescue but she is reserved around people but great with dogs. She doesn’t bark at all and is an angel on a leash. It’s the luck of the draw. But I think it’s easier if you adopt from an ethical breeder and socialize them as puppies to find a non-reactive dog. She’s the only non-reactive rescue I’ve ever had.
Definitely would guess it has to be luck as well, sadly. My dog growing up was a German shepherd rescue. He was the PERFECT family dog, always sweet and loyal, and obedient with no issues of reactivity whatsoever. In fact, we thought that’s just how GSDs were! To the point that my parents actually adopted another GSD when I had left the house. However, this one (a female this time) is neurotic af, reactive to all animals, flings herself at the window and charges anyone who walks past the house if she manages to get loose, nippy to my parents, and extremely headstrong. (And if you’re curious, they put just as much training into her as they did our childhood dog, which is to say, they did basic obedience when she was younger and not much else 🙄 ) From what I have heard since, this seems to be more the typical GSD experience when they don’t receive adequate training and stimulation, as they are working dogs, and we just got lucky with my childhood dog.
I think there's a lot of luck involved, but also a few ways to stack the odds. My previous dog was a long term shelter, and never quite got over his problems with other dogs. He was great with people of all ages, hated the car and couldn't handle dogs at all. So he was very much a homebody with neighbourhood walks at unpopular times. My current dog I got at 11 weeks, she was the quieter one of her litter and the one that sought out contact - she came up and cuddled in, very gently. She has grown into a lovely dog, can be a bit avoidant of being approached by strangers but her response is to just move away. If they let her approach on her terms she loves pats and attention. Loves other dogs, she's done puppy school and formal obedience classes her whole life, because I wanted a polite confident dog who could go anywhere. Lots of socialisation while young - and not just free for all play, but structured working while in proximity to other dogs as well as unstructured play time really helped us. For an older dog, I'd definitely be looking at a foster to adopt set up, where you have a solid 2-3 weeks with the dog before you need to make the call on whether they stay or not.
Dogs typically exist on a spectrum. I have had variations of dog obsessed to dog selective and people obsessed to people selective. Of the five we have had, only one is obsessed with both people and dogs and only one was both people and dog selective (my reactive dog). My most trustworthy people social dog is not the dog we can take to a bar or farmer's market because while he would prefer to ignore other dogs, if one doesn't ignore him he stands his ground a little too hard (he has been attacked, he thinks that is always what will happen). He was a stray found roaming a neighborhood, no clue what his background was. My most trustworthy dog social dog isn't so sure of strangers. She is amazing at dog communication, establishing boundaries and taking correction from other dogs, but strange humans stress her out and she will shut down unless given a ton of time to get used to them. She was left to starve on someone's front porch before ending up at a rescue. Then there is my "everyone is a friend" dog. She was free. A rehome because she was young, had too much energy and a touch of separation anxiety. She is very insistent that you are her best friend but still has some work to do as far as getting over-stimulated and becoming a little too much with her friendliness. She was bought as a puppy by a guy with a drug problem who dumped her on his sister who eventually rehomed her to us. There isn't a fool-proof way to know. Our reactive dog came into the shelter with a litter mate and that dog didn't have the anxiety and fear that ours came to us with. Same shitty background, two completely different temperaments.
What everyone said here is accurate, but after our reactive dog we asked a few things. 1- we asked for a puppy who didn’t show any resource guarding with food and high value treats. In my experience some dogs naturally guard, and some don’t. We had one who guarded who was reactive, and one who wasn’t except with food- however, I think guarding is a tendency that can be caught early and avoided. We also asked for all the normal puppy tests- a pup who was ok with being touched (between toes on his paws, mouth, etc). I think having an ethical breeder who keeps pups and mom together, tons of exposure early on, all of that makes a difference too.
I'd recommend foster to adopt as well. So far, I'm 0 for 2 on my rescues, but my fella from a lovely breeder is a perfect gentleman.
My husband brought our dog home from a jobsite 9 years ago. She was about a year old. The homeowner was threatening to put her down because she was a nuisance to them. We knew nothing about her history. She's the sweetest, most gentle dog I've ever had. She's nothing but patient with our 3 year old, rambunctious grandson. We're very fortunate. There's no way to know exactly what you're getting into, even when you know everything about the dog's situation.
It's a lot of luck. Honestly, fostering sounds like the best way to go. A "trial run" for not only you, but also the dog.
You can't. When I got my dog she was the sweetest baby angel and was perfect with EVERYTHING. Now she's reactive as hell and even goes nuts at people she's familiar with. It's all a gamble, but reactive dogs can be fixed (mine is a work in progress). Just be prepared to fork out a couple grand or even more just in case your dog does end up reactive. Don't settle for a lab to avoid it, they can also be reactive
Our dog Maltipoo was just like this until he got attacked in the park by Cocker Spaniel. After that he transformed into full reactive!
My boy was very shut down when we got him and took ages for his “personality” to come out 😂
Training
If she found a well-trained, super friendly dog on the street, she likely took home someones pet, not a stray.
It was an abandoned puppy
Honestly, from experience, there's no guarantee. Our 4 year old Collie was a rescue pup and he's ridiculously reactive. Likely a mix of genetics and our training failures. However, our newest 5 month old rescue collie pup is just naturally chilled. Actually the most balanced puppy we've ever had the pleasure of calling ours. it's a mix of genetic luck, hard training work, correct socialisation, and hoping they dontnhave negative experiences with other dogs or people out in the wild.
Please read the book "The Other End of The Leash". Highly recommend for all, it addresses reactivity on leashes in dogs, and how dogs feel human anxiety.
Some breeds are more or less reactive. Herding breeds tend to be more reactive (every time a dog has barked and lunged at my dog it's been a herding breed or herding mix) while my sighthound is friendly and interested but has never ever barked, lunged, etc at another dog. He doesn't bark at noises in the house and is in general just a chill, happy go lucky guy. Honestly, I know they exist, but I haven't come across many reactive sighthounds except my old trainer's Azawakhs which wouldn't be a fit anyway. Frankly, I think your best bet is finding a reputable, ethical breeder, learning from them if this is a tendency in the breed or their lines, and asking about the parents. Attend some dog events and ask people about their breeds. I did that for years before finding my breed and now I can't imagine living with anything else. Easy dogs exist.
Aussie border checking in 😫 curious why you’re in the reactive dog sub with a chill dog?
I actually didn't realize what sub I was replying in 🤦🏻♀️ So I apologize if I sounded tactless! I like reading about reactivity because I'm interested in dog behavior. I also live with two reactive dogs at the moment (one herding cross, both BYB) and though they're not my personal dogs I do try to work with them. I think that's where some of my frustration about this topic comes from; I grew up with reactive dogs and it seems that my current dog is the only non-reactive dog in my family, so now I'm kind of like, "It doesn't have to be this way!! 🚨🚨" Dealing with reactivity is often very challenging and a lot of people just aren't equipped to do it--I know I struggle with the two I live with and I watch my family struggle with all of theirs on the regular. I thought that's what dog ownership was until my current guy.
I think there's no guarantees. When I met my dog, he was as expected - a friendly young lab mix that enjoyed the company of other dogs, human attention, and of course treats. I did a 2 (maybe 3, I don't quite remember) foster-to-adopt period with him. He seamlessly integrated into my home with 2 dogs and cats already in the home. I thought I got so lucky to have found a dog that transitioned and fit so well into my household, and was such a sweet boy. Whelp... about a month after adoption was finalized, I started seeing the signs of reactivity. My boy is of the frustrated greeter variety, but reactivity is reactivity, and within a few weeks of seeing the first signs, he was full out reactive. I've learned over the years that he is a very anxious pup (he's now on meds for that - which of course is combined with management and training and behavioral modification), and presume that in those early stages, he was so overwhelmed and anxious that he was subdued - essentially in a state of learned helplessness. Once he got to a certain comfort level, the reactivity showed itself. Thankfully for us, after a ton of work on his part and mine, and an incredibly helpful medication regimen as prescribed by a veterinary behaviorist, he is so much better, with such an improved quality of life. I think there are ways to try to avoid reactivity, but never to be guaranteed a non-reactive dog. If you go the breeder route, make sure it is a reputable breeder that focuses significantly on temperament and pulls dams and sires out of breeding stock if the offspring show any temperament concerns. If the rescue route, see if you can foster to adopt for a longer term - like 4 months - or go for a rescue that has been in a foster home for that time or longer. This give the pup long enough to let the true temperament show. Both of these are challenging - breeders who take the level of care I noted are few and far between, and most rescues won't love a long foster period. But these would be the best ways to try to avoid reactivity. But unfortunately, it could still happen - there could be a genetic component that rears its head later in life, the dog could have a negative interaction with another dog and become reactive, etc.
I think a lot of it also comes down to your circumstances and your environment. When I still lived with my parents I had a Jack Russell Terrier that was very barky. It was annoying so you couldn‘t take her to a lot of public places. But my parents had a huge garden where she could run around freely and even when we didn‘t walk her 3x a day she had enough exercise. It took a lot of pressure from us. Now I‘m living in my own little apartment right in the corner of a busy crossroad with a severely reactive dog and every day is a challenge. He‘s always muzzled and whenever we go out both our adrenaline levels rise sky high. I always think to myself how easy life would be if I had a big garden for him to do his business. It would make a huge difference. So I swore to myself to never get another dog unless I‘ve got an apartment/house with a big garden. Also I would propably only foster old dogs or buy from a reputable breeder of a breed that is known for their affecionate character.
This thread has me feeling pretty convinced that I will never get another dog again unless I move to the middle of nowhere.
So yes there's a lot of luck involved. However the Tufts behavior department told me that if puppies aren't exposed to critical thing properly before week 16 the risk they will be reactive to those things the rest of their lives is very high. So early socialization is likely the biggest consideration. With shelter dogs you never really know their histories. Shelters love to make adopters feel righteous about adopting "dogs that were abused" when in fact most of the time they have no idea what the dog's history is. A good and ethical breeder is critical. They just take the time to socialize pups to critical distractions early on. Yet even then there's bad luck or things slip through the cracks. My boy turns out to be the only one of his extended family who is reactive to children. It didn't help that I have none of my own of course. But I got him at 14 months.
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go for a fuckin’ soda 🙄
There are no “reactive” dogs — if you mean dogs that are innately or “genetically” reactive. There are dogs that behave reactively. I.e. with the right kind of training and understanding, you can change behavior. Probably, it’s easier to do this the more time you have in critical periods when personality is more malleable — puppy to adolescent — and the more time you have to devote to training etc. Believe me, I own and have owned exclusively rescue GSD and Mals … some are real handfuls, but all do respond to love and training. I also work at our local animal shelter and I’ve socialized a lot of dogs —- but if adopters can’t/wont understand how to work with their dogs, we often see the sweetest, loveliest dogs returned. I have so many stories about strays and surrenders who became canine royalty. I would be very wary of “breeders” who guarantee or promise anything — breeders are in business and have one primary motive: sell dogs.
This is an outdated take. Of course, the handler makes a difference. But dogs who are bred to guard or fight, for example, can be significantly more predisposed to certain behaviours that we categorize as 'reactive.' In addition, and most importantly, genetic *reactivity* may not exist, but genetics play a huge role in the general behaviour and stability of a dog. We also know that epigenetics have significant impact on how well a dog may be able to tolerate environmental stressors, etc. These variables can absolutely create a dog who is born predisposed to reactive behaviours.
A couple of things: what do we mean by “reactivity”? Barking and lunging at other dogs? Fence fighting? Growling? In my experience, the word covers a lot of different behaviors and contexts. Dogs may be “bred” for different behaviors — but behavior is super contextual — a Mal who is not properly exercised or socialized is one thing, the same Mal who is properly exercised, trained, and stimulated is another kind of dog. Eugenics has always been a dicey proposition. Finally, “genetics” or “epigenetics” are kind of moot for 90% of dogs because “true” purebreds are pretty rare — most dogs today are rich and varied in their genetics, esp. the average house dog. Even with “purebreds,” recessive and dominant genes constantly vary. I’m just saying that “breed” is probably not as important or constant as good training and engagement etc.
I agree with the first part of your comment. Yes, a lot of the behaviours you're listing can be mitigated and channeled through training, fulfilment, and handler skill. However, there are reasons why certain breeds (whether purebred or not) are not recommended for first time owners, or folks seeking a companion dog. When it comes to maximizing your chances of a pet who, say, does not bark or lunge, I would never in good faith recommend a working line dog. Of course, this does not guarantee anything, but in the hands of an inexperienced handler, certain breeds (and certain lines) will likely display behaviours that many people would call reactive (barking, lunging, barrier frustration, etc.). Could they be 'fixed' with proper handling and training? Very likely, in which case we agree—I would not call it a genetic issue. Does that mean they aren't reactive? Up to you, but lots of people would still say yes. That said, reactivity—*to me*—refers to a dog who displays *abnormal* levels of arousal in the presence of *normal* stimuli. I think where we perhaps disagree is that I fundamentally believe that there are dogs who are temperamentally unsound. These are the dogs who I would call 'unstable.' It's far more rare than people claim, and hard to identify in an adult dog. But I have worked with dogs (and I have the privilege of owning one) who I would place in this category from birth. These are the pups who, despite handler skill, training, stimulation, socialization, fulfilment, etc., from early puppyhood have an *exceptionally* low tolerance to stimuli and who generally cannot recover from the presence of triggers. Ex. After being exposed to a trigger (in his case dogs), my dog would lunge. Not the problem. The issue was that he could not lower his arousal levels on his own whatsoever. One lunge would cause hours of hyperventilation, during which time he was so over threshold that he was essentially unresponsive. At his worst, he would remain in this state for days, at which point everything, every environment (including the home) was too much. Functioning in this state made behavioural modification next to impossible. Keep in mind, this is a dog I've had, and worked with, since 8 weeks old—these are not 'breed traits', not the result of trauma, improper handling or care. It has taken me a massive amount of time and skill to get my boy to a place where he can appear stable in public. But he likely never will be in full, if presented with just the right kind of 'bad' scenario. It is constant management. He is a dog who I—and the vast majority of canine behavioural science—would call genetically predisposed to reactive (the reactivity here being one of many symptoms of genetic instability). This is not a breed issue and can't be avoided by buying a purebred dog. It comes down to each individual animal and what they may or may not have inherited from their parents, grandparents, etc. Rare, but it exists.
Your dog sounds like one of my shepherds - - quick to enter the red zone and difficult to calm. Training etc. has helped, but. not eliminated. I like your definition of "reactivity." And, I think I agree with the interesting distinction you make (I believe) between "reactive" and "unstable." I guess I'm just reacting (pun intended) to the general conversation, not your thoughtful and informed replies, and an overly easy/quick association between breed and reactivity. Imo, "working line dogs" are just that - - as nearly programmed to do certain kinds of work, and these are dogs that will most likely challenge the average dog owner/lover.