Nervous or reactive dog? You're not alone in your journey

Do you have a nervous or reactive dog? Do you worry about walking them, in case they attack another dog? Anxious taking them to public places, in case they bite someone? Or even just handling them yourself? Well never fear! You are not alone!

Having a dog with behavioural problems can be very lonely and extremely isolating. When I got my rescue dog Pooch 8 years ago, the rescue centre I got him from, were rather economical with the truth, shall we say! ‘A bit quirky and a bit growly’ really didn’t cover it. I had got myself a dog that I couldn’t look at without him bearing all his teeth, I couldn’t walk past him, get in the car with him, I’d risk amputation just trying to take his lead off! It was really quite scary. However, if I wasn’t trying to handle him and he came to me, he was a real sweetie, so I knew he had a big heart in there somewhere.

But I didn’t know where to turn to for help. My friends and family were telling me to take him back to the rescue centre, but I couldn’t because I knew he was on death row. I didn’t dare to take him for training in case he bit someone. I felt very alone. However, as time passed, I realised that all of Pooch’s aggressive behaviours were fear-based.

I was his sixth owner in six years and more than one of those had been abusive. Eventually, Pooch and I came to an agreement on what he would and would not tolerate and he learned that there are things that I had to do, regardless of how he felt about it (even now, putting ear drops in is risky!)

After some time, our life together became great, he is my soul mate. Pooch’s rules are easy, if you don’t touch him, you don’t get bitten. It’s that simple. Unfortunately, some of the general public struggle with that. Even with a collar and lead on that said ‘caution’, and me warning them repeatedly not to, people would still dive in for a pat, with sometimes bloody results. It was scary as I knew that one day, someone would insist on him being put down. Then I discovered the real magic of hi-viz! I found a hi-viz coat for him with ‘DO NOT TOUCH ‘ plastered on it. It was a game-changer for us. People would stop and have a proper conversation before touching him. Pooch would then approach them in his own time and make a new friend! Also, it gave me confidence as I knew that if someone did ignore the hi-viz and got bitten, they couldn’t say that they hadn’t been warned!

Pooch like many rescue dogs, is not an aggressive dog – he’s a dog with triggers. By understanding what those triggers are, you can start to manage and control the situations where they may arise. I’m not saying that you can always ‘cure’ these behaviours, but by being a calm and confident handler, the dog will take confidence from you and the behaviours may start to calm down a little.

Pooch was an excellent teacher and taught me everything the hard way! The dog I had previous to Pooch, another rescue dog called Nel, was unbelievably aggressive towards other dogs, so she was also an incredibly good teacher. Between the two of them, they have taught me so many strategies to keep both the dog and the general public safe whilst out walking. This is why as a dog walker, I am specialising in walking nervous and reactive dogs. I know how scary and isolating it can be. There are also behaviourists and trainers out there that can help you. But I realise that these guys can be expensive, I never could’ve afforded their help. A great source of free information is the Dogs Trust. They have some really interesting articles on behaviour and nutrition, which are intrinsically linked to behaviour. All for free! They were a huge help to me when I first got Pooch, and I cannot thank them enough.

So if you are struggling or maybe feeling guilty because you are at the end of your tether and want to give the dog back, don’t beat yourself up. Like I said, YOU ARE NOT ALONE! Pick up the phone and talk to someone. Anyone who works with dogs, in my opinion, should be more than willing to listen to your fears and problems and advise you the best they can. Or message people. Whatever you feel comfortable with.

Rescue is the BEST breed, but they can be a challenge! So let’s all help each other out and make life as easy as possible for these amazing hounds and the incredible people who give them a chance.

Big love to you all

Lisa and The Magnificent Pooch