4 Things to Watch to Keep Your Reactive Dog Under Threshold

When working on counter conditioning and systematic desensitisation to help your reactive dog relate better to the world, keeping them under threshold is vital. What is threshold, and how can you be sure to keep your reactive dog under their threshold?

Threshold is a term that often comes up when talking about reactive dogs and marks the point at which the dog feels they can take no more. This is when they feel there is no other option but to react, to display reactive behaviours to make the threat go away. To get more detail on trigger stacking and how this relates to threshold, see this article or watch this video.

To be sure that the dog is not approaching threshold, there are some signs to judge the level of stress your reactive dog is currently experiencing.

Eyes

We can use the dog’s eyes as a way of checking how they feel about a situation. There are a few things relating to the eyes of which to be aware.

• Pupil size: when dogs become stressed, their pupils dilate. This allows more light to enter the eye and so visual processing is improved.

Don't stare into a dog's eyes as that's rude in canine terms

• Direction of gaze: if something is worrying the dog, they usually keep a close watch so they can take whatever action they deem necessary to feel safe.
• Gaze intensity: the more bothered the dog is about something, the more intently they watch it. A fixed stare on something could mean your reactive dog is close to reacting and action is needed to keep them under threshold.

This collie appears interested in something, but not concerned

Ears

Ears are a good barometer of the dog's feelings and keeping a watch on them can really help you keep your reactive dog under threshold.

• Ears hard forwards: easier to see in prick eared breeds, ears are held as far forward as possible and fixed on something. Especially if paired with eyes fixed on the same thing, these are a warning something could be concerning the dog and removing them from proximity may be the best idea.
• Ears back: conversely, ears held out to the side or back can denote a dog who is conflicted or fearful about something. Again this is harder to see in dogs with pendulous ears. If not allowed to leave the area, the fearful dog may feel they need to take action.

This dog looks concerned, with backwards body language and ears well back

It is well worth spending time observing your dog and seeing where their ears are in a normal, relaxed situation. Knowing what is normal for the dog can allow you to see earlier when your dog may be feeling increased stress and approaching threshold.

Tail

As with ears, it's very useful to observe your dog's tail in normal situations when they are relaxed, so you know what's normal for them. There's no substitute for knowing and understanding the dog in front of you and knowing the neutral body language for your dog's breed and type. The tail tucked under the body showing fear in many dogs is the natural neutral position for breeds such as whippets. Equally, some breeds' tail carriage naturally sees the tail curved over their back.

• Tail raised above the horizontal: this is a sign of increased arousal in many dogs and can be a useful way to judge when more distance is required. With my own dog, when his tail reaches around 45 degrees above horizontal we need to move, create distance and find something else for him to think about, or he might fixate and react. Ensuring the dog isn't stressed to the point of raising their tail high through over-arousal is one of the key signs to watch to keep your reactive dog under threshold.

This dog's arousal come from play, but it's always important to be aware of arousal levels

• Tail tucked right under the body: In most breeds (with the exception mentioned above of breeds like whippets) this is a sign of fear. While these frightened dogs would generally prefer to run away but if they are prevented from being able to get away, they may feel forced to resort to reactive behaviours.

Piloerection

• Piloerection is the raising of hair along the dog's back, commonly referred to as raised hackles, and it may appear as raised hair on the neck, the shoulders, in front of the tail, or along the whole back of the dog. Piloerection is a sign of raised arousal or interest not necessarily denoting aggressive intent but is a sign to be aware of, particularly in conjunction with the other signs of increasing stress.

If any of these signs are seen, it's best to increase distance from whatever is concerning the dog if possible. Any situation where the dog feels they have no option but to react can put progress back on counter conditioning and desensitisation by weeks. The best thing is always to keep your reactive dog under threshold if you can.

If you want to learn more about how to tell if your reactive dog is getting stressed and how to keep your reactive dog under threshold here are some links:

Fight or Fright? A Reactive Dog Guardian’s Handbook is an empathetic guide I have written for the guardian who has discovered their dog is struggling. Inside are explanations of what is happening, both inside and outside the dog, where to find help and support, and ways to make life easier for both guardian and dog.

Understanding Reactive Dogs: Why Dogs React and How to Help is my in depth examination of what can cause reactive behaviours to develop in dogs, how to recognise reactivity in dogs, and the methods that we can use to help the reactive dog develop a better relationship with the world. The book also examines the precautions and steps we can take to give puppies the best chance of avoiding developing reactive behaviours.

Both of the above are available in ebook, paperback (via Amazon) and audiobook.

Understanding Reactive Dogs workshop is a webinar I created for the lovely Canine Principles. It's available as part of their wonderful value Skills Hub membership or may be purchased alone.

Canine Principles also have the superb Canine Reactive Behaviour Advanced Certificate. This course is packed full of information, written in an accessible manner aimed to promote understanding of what is going on in the dog's body and brain, and what we can do to help them feel safer in their world.