Dog reactivity - lunging, barking, and apparent aggression toward other dogs or people on leash - is a common welfare problem that affects dogs' quality of life and limits their experiences.
Reactive dogs face a double welfare burden: the internal experience of fear or frustration that drives their behavior, and the external restriction that results from it. Owners of reactive dogs often reduce walks, avoid social situations, and limit the dog's world to prevent incidents - responses that inadvertently reduce the dog's quality of life further. The emotional experience of a reactive dog during a trigger encounter likely involves significant distress, with cortisol and adrenaline responses consistent with acute fear or frustration. Training approaches that punish reactive behavior without addressing the underlying emotional state (prong collars, shock collars, punishment-based training) may suppress the visible behavior while compounding the dog's anxiety.