Frantic, Frenetic Fido
(Can a dog be too friendly?)

By Fran Menley

The highly reactive dog that is overly friendly, scared, or angry dog all share a common problem:

The uncontrollable, friendly dog that is barking, whining, jumping, and/or mouthing when greeting people or dogs, and the dog that is growling, barking, lunging, and even biting at others, have similar traits. The overly excited dog, the fearful dog, and the angry dog can all be dangerous to others. At times, the overly excited dog can be more dangerous since the person with that dog will often allow their dog to jump on, claw, scratch, and yes, even nip and bite, because they are doing it out of “friendliness” perspective. “Oh, Fido is just so friendly!” Pet handlers with frightened dogs or angry dogs usually will avoid people and are not going to allow that interaction in most cases.

What is the trait that all these dogs share? All these dogs are so overly aroused that their brains are overpowered, and they literally can no longer “think”. They are merely reacting to stimuli (people, other dogs, cars, etc.).

Can these behaviors be completely extinguished? To say anything other than “no” would be a grave disservice to the people I work with. However, most dogs can certainly be worked with enough to diminish these behaviors to a great degree. Even dogs that are genetically predisposed can be retrained, with time and effort, to behave in more appropriate ways. In some cases, these dogs may need the help of medication. Make sure you and your vet understand that some of the drugs used to calm dogs down can make dogs more reactive and more aggressive. Drugs need to be carefully monitored and must be used in conjunction with a training program, they are not a cure-all. Dogs can be taught to relax their brain enough to make better choices and to behave in more appropriate ways.

There is never an easy, quick fix! It will take an intentional commitment of time, energy, and yes, finances to teach these dogs that they can relax when they are presented with the triggers that produce their reactivity. This type of behavior modification is different than the dog that has simply been taught by punishment. Harsh punishment, while often producing fast results, can often backfire and cause the dog to escalate its behavior towards an actual attack. This is not to say dogs do not need boundaries and limits, they do!
Most dogs will not just “outgrow” these personality behaviors. Usually, they worsen over time, so getting a handle on how to get the best long-lasting results is important to start right away, today!