Layered stress is a strong contributing factor to what is often referred to as “reactivity” in dogs.
The problem with the term “reactivity” is that it takes a bunch of complex behaviours (anything from whining and barking to lunging, screaming, and even biting) and lumps them under one label as if it is the issue itself.
It’s not as simple as that. These things are all symptoms of something else going on, and they come with a whole raft of emotions and impulses from over arousal, fear and anxiety, to the need to chase and catch (prey drive).
When a dog has a reactive outburst, we always ask a lot of questions about the dog’s environment, health, routines, daily activities, and what happened in the lead up to an incident.
This is because it’s more important than the actual reaction. The reaction is usually just the final straw. It’s a symptom, not the cause. It tells us something else needs addressing.
Ever had a bad day where everything seemed to go wrong?
It probably started with something annoying that held you up in the morning (maybe the dog vomited on your carpet), then progressed to bad traffic, roadworks, red lights, or a flat tyre. You get to the office and your security card doesn’t work. You’re late to your meeting, there’s no milk for your coffee, everyone wants something from you, and they want it yesterday. You forgot to pack your lunch because you were distracted cleaning up after the dog. And then, the smallest thing - something that normally wouldn’t bother you – is just the last straw.
You explode and everyone says, “Oh I didn’t see that coming”.
But that’s possibly still only half of the full picture. If you have underlying health issues, constant stressors and triggers in your life, if you are not eating properly, not sleeping, not exercising, not taking time out for rest and relaxation, you’re already more than halfway there before you even get out of bed, and it’s not going to take too many layers of additional stress to send you over the top on a regular basis.
The number and consistency of these underlying factors is going to impact on the frequency and intensity of your outbursts. And the more you do it, the more likely it is to become your go to behaviour. Practised behaviours get stronger.
But it’s not just psychological. It’s physiological too.
Chemical changes occur that affect decision making and behaviour. We are all capable of doing weird stuff when the cortisol (stress) is already pumping, and the adrenaline (survival) kicks in over the top.
And in that moment, the moment we lose it and make an inappropriate decision, it’s kinda too late. What could we possibly have done in that moment to fix it?
It’s all about how we got to that point.
Now put yourself in your dog’s head.
Take a look at what your dog does every day and how they might perceive it. What is the basis of your relationship with them? How do they live in your household? What do they eat? How much rest and sleep do they get? Do they know how to switch off? How much exercise and mental stimulation are they getting? What outlets do they have for their innate instincts? What skills do they have and what skills are you teaching them? What behaviours are they practising on a daily basis? And so much more.
Mindset is important. A dog needs to be in the best mindset possible before being put into a situation they might find challenging and therefore react.
Taking several steps back and looking at each underlying layer of stress, rather than trying to quick fix the symptom in the moment, allows us to address the cause and create meaningful change.
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