Reactivity in dogs — aggressive or over-threshold responses to triggers like other dogs or strangers — is a major welfare issue that often leads to surrender or euthanasia.
Dog reactivity is fundamentally a welfare problem on two sides: the reactive dog experiences chronic fear, frustration, or anxiety, and the owner experiences social stigma and restriction of the dog's enrichment. Reactive dogs often live impoverished lives — avoided off-leash parks, shorter walks, increased isolation — which perpetuates the anxiety cycle. The evidence base strongly supports positive reinforcement-based desensitization and counter-conditioning protocols, which address the emotional root of reactivity rather than suppressing its expression. Prescription anxiolytics combined with behavior modification show significantly better outcomes than training alone in severe cases. Reactive dogs are not dangerous by nature — they are often dogs with inadequate early socialization or trauma histories.