Dog getting more reactive

[Puppupandaway]

Our toy Cockapoo is coming up to 3 years old. She has been socialised well and is fantastic off lead. But in the last six months she has started showing anxiety on walks. She jumps a mile if a car beeps its horn, she grumbles or barks at men with hats or high vis jackets on. If someone walks near her, if they seem to come from nowhere, she barks. Yet on our walks she sees lots of kids and teenagers and doesn’t bark at all at them.

If she barks, we tell her no and stand in front to block her view. This usually stops her.

Anyone got any explanation for why, at the age of nearly 3, she has started to be so reactive like this? She’s great with other dogs, people she knows and children. It’s just bigger adults, those in hats or people who catch her unawares.

Any advice? Thanks.

I’d be very worried about her eyesight tbh - sounds like she can’t see properly and she’s terrified, not reactive. Straight to the vets.

Did you see her parents health checks for eyes?

But she can spot a guy in high viz from the other end of the street! I’ve not noticed anything with her eyesight. Both parents were fully health checked.

Barking at people with hats on is quite common as I had a dog that did this. My dd also had a dog who did the same as did my friend’s dog. Apparently it’s because the shape of the head looks strange and worries them. Also knew a dog who barked at women with grey hair. Hope your vet can reassure you by checking eyesight and hearing.

i would nip this in the bud pretty sharpish with some extra training. DMT - basically as soon as she sees a trigger, say a mark word (I use Nice) and give her a treat. Distraction, mark, treat. In time she starts to associate the trigger with something nice and so stops the behaviours

But also vet check to make sure she’s not in pain

She also went crazy at a guy carrying a guitar on his back. I’m just wondering whether it could be a developmental thing. Like she has now crossed from the ‘scared of nothing’ puppy to ‘more anxious’ adolescent. We do tend to do the same walk, with little variation, so I wonder if she sees it as her territory and has to protect it. I’m clutching at straws here!

@nightmarepickle2025I love this idea. I can definitely try that. Then if no improvement I will get her to the vets. She’s due her check up next month anyhow so I can ask then.

@nightmarepickle2025Do I wait until she reacts and barks (to distract and treat) or do I try to preempt the barking??

My Pomchi is dog reactive, not people reactive, but we did Dogs Trust Dog School reactive dog classes with her which was really helpful finding ways to manage her and get her to be a lot less shouty! They may well help you
www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice/dog-school/reactive-dog-classes

That doesn’t mean she can’t see properly - dogs eyesight works differently to us. PRA, for example, can start very gradually and at a young age. My mums cocker has it, although she is older, and one of the first ‘triggers’ was being scared to go into dark rooms and ‘large people.’

A vet can check in five minutes if there are any issues and that should be your first port of all.

I wouldn’t be trying to change her behaviour by yourself if it is behavioural - you should enlist in a behaviourist. Otherwise you could make it worse and, I don’t mean to be rude but there’s no gentle way to phrase it but you sound quite like a novice owner ‘protecting her territory’ and anxious behaviour needs to be handled carefully

the timing is tricky. Essentially I would try to spot the trigger first, then as soon as her head turns in that direction, say the mark word and give her the treat when she looks at you. Distance is also crucial, you need to be close enough to the trigger that she sees it but not so close that she goes over threshold and you can’t get her attention.

Thanks @bunnygeek I will have a look.

Im not a novice owner, far from it, but we’ve never had a Cockapoo before. I’ve always had pure terrier breeds. This dog is the first dog we’ve ever managed to have off lead with no recall problems so I don’t want to have to take a backwards step and put her on lead all the time. But I take your advice on board and will book in with the vets.

One of my dogs becomes 'reactive' (i.e. horrible to other dogs, esp on-lead) if she doesn't have any outlet and is, effectively, going a bit nuts from sheer boredom. Off lead running isn't enough for her, so most days we do a bit of focused obedience, stops on the whistle, retrieving etc. With that in her life, she is delightful - great recall, very stable, excellent with children and other dogs etc etc.

So could that be a possibility? Your dog is half-cocker after all, and cocker working lines really need a proper outlet.

I think at almost three she’s too old for this to be adolescence.

I also agree with @EdithStourton that reactivity is often a result of their needs not being met somehow. I have a scent hound and if he doesn’t get the chance to use his nose regularly, his behaviour gets worse. If I make sure he has what he needs everyday, he’s generally fine.

Another one to agree with @EdithStourton
My dog has become reactive to, in particular, people with hats/ headphones and other dogs as he's got older. After working with a behaviourist I've found regular games engaging his brain, doing scent work etc along with rewarding the moment he sees a trigger so he hopefully associates this with a reward. It's definitely helping!

Has she been spayed?

Yes she’s been spayed, after her first season.

Ive got her booked in for a health check at the vets, but I’m also going to work on more training with her. I’ve bought some low fat treats this morning and will be practising rewarding correct behaviour. I’ve decided to use the word ‘look’ to distract her attention and she’s already responding so fingers crossed this might be the way forward.

Thank you for all your suggestions.

I would go and see a behaviourist, so they can see your dog's reaction on the context of triggers + your own reaction. Might just be one session.

Another thing, my dog can be reactive, it's getting more and more infrequent now, but today, he was all over the place for 10 mins. Turns out I had attached his poo bags holder to his leash, which I never do. I removed it and he was back to his joyful self. My point being, the pressure, the weight we put on the leash is acutely felt by the dog, and can have an adverse impact.

Good idea to use the word look, it works very well for my dog!

Dogs can only see blue and yellow, so high viz stands out much more than it would for us (and it's high visibility for us!).

Don't tell her no, it's meaningless to her, and sounds like you're telling her off for being afraid. You're not trying to reward 'correct' behaviour here, you're trying to distract her from scary hats and/or pair nice things with the scary hat so it gets less scary. Standing in the way of the trigger is a good idea but if you're going to counter-condition, you really need to let her notice the scary thing from a distance then immediately treat.

My adolescent dog goes through spooky stages when he gets freaked out by hi viz and hats, but we live in a very dog friendly area and often if I explain, the person wearing the hat will take it off and say hello to him and allow him to approach if he's feeling brave. Might be worth a try if she's not too scared.

Finally, several of the posters here are very experienced and if they're suggesting vet checks or behaviourists, or breed-specific training, that's the advice to follow :) .

All opinions gratefully received. Thank you everyone, lots to think about.

To check that your training is the best method, try the Facebook group Dog Training Advice and Support. It’s run by professional dog behaviourists who have published extensive guides which can be accessed through the group. They’ll also answer individual questions if your situation isn’t covered by the guides. Can't recommend highly enough.

Update….. vet couldn’t see any issues with eyes or ears. So thankfully it seems just a behavioural issue.

I have consistently been using the key word ‘look’ and so when she is about to react I say look, she turns to me and sits, I then give her a treat. This works 99% of the time. I may be imagining it, but she seems much less reactive. Almost like I’m protecting her and taking control, rather than her having to be on alert protecting me. I’ve also switched up our walks so she gets more variety in environment.

Thanks again to everyone who responded.

Coincidentally I was talking to a friend yesterday whose (enormous) dog had started barking at other some dogs and generally being a dick. I'd suggested to her a few weeks ago that perhaps bringing back training and play sessions (which had lapsed for various life-related reasons) might help.

And, unprompted, she told me that she thought they had.

Play is a really good way of building a bond with your dog, which helps them to feel safe and confident. I do all sorts of daft stuff with my two.