Pressure Points
Once we realise the struggle some dogs can have exerting a swifter or harder brake on their physical reactions in this way, we can judge their behaviour in a rather more sympathetic light. And also come to see that the key to improving it is not only to teach them how to master ever better impulse control in general, but also be more aware of the different pressure points in a dog’s life most likely to make hyper-reactive responses worse, including those involving aggression.
Social anxieties or insecurities, of different kinds, can cause a lot of mental pressure in dogs, and the hyper-reactive responses that then follow. So, if for instance, your dog’s hyper-reactive behaviour is commonly aimed at strange people or dogs when you are out — barking, lunging, snapping — then clearly the main problem that needs to be worked on is his social anxiety, with professional help from a good canine behaviourist or trainer if necessary. Because, until he is able to build greater social confidence, the anxiety cannot stop or the reactions that inevitably result from it.
Sometimes, however, the more exact trigger for a dog’s hyper-reactive responses may be less obvious, either because it has resulted from some more gradual escalation of mental pressure in the dog’s mind over time (see ‘Understanding stress loading in your dog’ on page 22) or because it is being launched from some deeper and more primal part of the dog’s brain, linked to instinct and impulse. This can be the driver behind many forms of resource guarding behaviour, as well as other phobic or aggressive responses that may seem, to us, illogical.