Reactive behaviour in dogs towards other dogs or people often reflects fear and anxiety, and requires behaviour modification rather than punishment-based training approaches.
Reactive dogs experience genuine distress when confronted with their triggers. The barking, lunging, and growling that constitutes reactivity is typically a fear response, not dominance or aggression. Punishing these displays suppresses the warning signals while increasing underlying fear, creating dogs that bite without warning. Welfare-positive behaviour modification addresses the emotional state driving the behaviour rather than suppressing its expression.