Page 174 - K9News_Issue12_July2020

have the opposite affect. Multiple mistakes
can happen when dogs are left to their own
devices; they can either become bullies,
get bullied or become hyperactive and
obsessive when it comes to playing with
other dogs. Often their over the top, rough
play style can elicit a negative reaction from
other dogs and when not properly taught
correct social skills, a negative cycle can
begin of their behaviour affecting other dog’s
behaviour, leading to a change in how they
view other dogs. In order to prevent this,
owners should carefully choose what kind
of dogs and in what scenarios their dogs
interact with other dogs; being careful to
choose calm, well socialised playmates and
also teaching their dogs how to keep focus
on their owner in the presence of other
dogs.

Sometimes it is necessary to try a few
different methods to get the right method for
to tackle the dog’s reactivity without first dog and owner. Patience, consistency and
assessing the dog, and the internet is full of repetiton are necessary, no matter what the
misinformation regarding how best to deal cause. Enlisting the help of a trainer who
with this. knows the breed will get the best out of any
dog and handler.
Reactivity can stem from lots of different
things, and getting an accurate diagnosis Amelia Murray, insync K9
is the first step towards establishing a
plan of action moving forward. I often see www.insynck9.com
frustration based reactivity misdiagnosed
as fear based reactivity, for example.
Frustration based reactivity is common in
Dobermanns. While there is likely a genetic
element to this, stemming from the terrier
breeds used to develop the Dobermann,
owners can often exacerbate issues by poor
early socialisation. New owners, worried
by the reputation for aggression, often
encourage their puppies to play with other
dogs to extremes; taking their puppies to
dedicated socialisation puppy parties and
utilising daycare centres to ensure that
their dog is friendly with other dogs. While
this is an important step in their dog’s
development, when not done with structure
and careful observation, this can actually

174
K9 NEWS DIGITAL / JULY 2020