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What Is Leash Reactivity in Dogs? Signs, Causes & How to Help

What is leash reactivity and why does it feel like your dog becomes a completely different animal the moment you clip that lead on?

Maybe you've noticed people staring. You’ve felt judged, embarrassed, ashamed or, maybe even wondered if you did something wrong along the way. Trust me, even though living with a reactive dog can feel isolating, you’re not alone. I’ve been exactly where you are.

Leash reactivity is surprisingly common, leaving many owners feeling stressed and overwhelmed by their dog’s intense on-leash reactions...but more importantly — there are ways to make it better.

In this post, I’ll break down what leash reactivity really is, how it shows up, and why your reactive dog on leash behaves this way (spoiler: they aren’t just being a stubborn arsehole!). I’ll also unpack the common factors that make reactivity worse and how you and your dog can avoid them.

By the end, you’ll understand what your dog actually needs from you, along with practical next steps to make walks less stressful and more enjoyable. I’ve worked through this journey with my own dog, and now I help others do the same through 1:1 coaching so I promise, progress is possible (it might be slow, but it is possible!)

If you're ready to finally understand what’s really going on at the other end of the leash — let’s dive in!

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Understanding The Basics Of Having A Leash Reactive Dog

Leash reactivity is when a dog displays intense behaviours like barking, lunging, growling or even that soul-piercing scream while on leash. This reaction is usually triggered by another dog, a person, or something moving in the environment. Think of it as an overreaction to a stimulus (or trigger, as it's more commonly known). And while it can feel personal, it’s one of the most common challenges reactive dog owners face — and one of the most misunderstood.

Despite how it looks, this isn’t just your dog being difficult. Leash reactivity often stems from deeper emotions like frustration, fear, pain, excitement, or overwhelm. Understanding the root cause is key as it’s what helps you figure out the right direction to move forward.

One of the biggest contributors is barrier frustration. When your dog is on lead,

they can’t move away or respond how they normally would. They can’t create space. They can’t go say hi. The leash becomes a physical, emotional and mental block — like shaking a bottle of fizzy pop with no way to release the cap. The pressure builds. That’s why some dogs end up biting the leash, or lashing out at their handler, or just exploding — they’re desperate for relief.

For some dogs, though, reactivity turns into a habit loop. Barking and lunging feels good. It creates distance, relieves tension, or gets them what they want. Over time, this becomes the default even when the original emotion is long gone and the trigger is in the distance. They’re not reacting because they’re scared anymore. They’re reacting because…well, they always have.

This is especially common in dogs whose needs aren’t being met — dogs with no outlets, no regulation, and no escape from chronic stress. If you’re starting to see these patterns, it’s not a lost cause. It’s a sign your dog needs something different.

Leash reactivity is layered, messy, and complex — but once you understand what’s driving it, you can finally start turning things around.

What Does Leash Reactivity Look Like

Reactive behaviour often looks dramatic, but can also be subtle and anything in between. Some dogs explode like a volcano the second a trigger appears — others hold it together until suddenly, they can’t. That unpredictability is part of what makes it so exhausting and emotional to deal with.

While many people assume reactivity = aggression, that’s rarely the full story. Reactivity can stem from a messy mix of emotions — frustration, fear, excitement, arousal, or overwhelm paired with a lack of regulation and misunderstood communication. Your dog isn’t being “bad” or “dominant”...they’re trying to say, “I can’t cope with this.”

Most of the time, reactivity is about a dog in distress.

Here are some of the most common signs of leash reactivity:

Barking or growling at dogs, people, or other triggers – Often sudden and intense, especially when on leash.

Lunging or pulling hard towards the trigger – Usually paired with vocalisations or frantic movement.

Freezing or staring intensely – A locked-on, rigid posture is often the build-up before an outburst.

Whining, pacing, or jumping up – Signs of internal conflict and high emotional arousal.

Redirected behaviour – Biting the lead, nipping the handler, or frantically jumping due to built-up frustration.

Difficulty recovering afterwards – Even after the trigger is gone, your dog may stay agitated or on edge for a while.

Reactivity isn’t always loud — sometimes it’s silent until it explodes. That’s why learning your dog’s individual signs is one of the most powerful things you can do to get ahead of reactions and build progress.

You’ll start noticing when they’re approaching their threshold, not just when they’re over it.

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Things That Make Reactivity Worse (Without You Even Realising)

Leash reactivity doesn’t just appear out of nowhere — it builds. One day your dog might growl at another dog who maybe got too close, the next day, you're dog could be losing their shit trying to create that distance.

One of the biggest reasons things spiral is what I call the Unholy Trinity Of Behaviour: Stress. Arousal. Frustration.

These three forces work together, silently throwing fuel on a fire. You might not see them building…but your dog feels them and the more they stack up and build, the harder it becomes for your dog to stay calm, listen, or bounce back from challenges.

Here’s a quick breakdown:

Stress – That could be anything from a bad interaction at the park, to changes at home, to noisy streets. Even small stresses can add up over time (this is called trigger stacking).

Arousal – Not just excitement, but the adrenaline-pumping, heart-racing kind. High arousal makes reactions bigger, faster, and harder to interrupt — like your dog is already halfway to explosion.

Frustration – When your dog wants to do something (like greet a dog or run away) but can’t, it builds tension. Leashes often trap this frustration, and it boils over.

On their own, each of these can be managed. But together? They create the perfect storm for reactivity.

Here’s How That Storm Builds:

Trigger Stacking – One bad thing after another piles on in a short space of time. Think of it like a volcano building pressure. A noisy delivery van, a skipped nap, a dog barking across the street…and boom! Complete meltdown when a plastic bag floats in front of them.

Unpredictable Routines – Dogs crave consistency, routine, predictability and structure. Chaotic walks, last-minute changes, or inconsistent responses can leave them feeling confused and unsafe.
Pain – Dogs in pain can behave in completely unexpected ways. A limp, tight muscle, sore back, or even dental pain can make your dog more irritable, less tolerant, and more reactive — especially on leash where movement is restricted. If your dog’s behaviour has changed suddenly, it’s always worth checking for underlying physical discomfort. Even subtle pain can lower their threshold and make triggers feel overwhelming.

Poor Sleep or Decompression – Just like us, dogs need time to reset. Without enough restful sleep or decompression, they stay stuck in survival mode. Teaching a dog how to regulate their internal state won't only help with reactivity but also general behaviour.

Unmet Needs – Dogs need more than walks. They need outlets for their energy, mental stimulation, and high quality sleep. Without it? That frustration can show up in day-to-day life along with on the leash.

Harsh Handling or Overexposure – Yanking on the lead, flooding them with triggers, or forcing tough situations only adds fuel. It may silence the reaction but it builds more stress inside. You want to learn to work with your dog, not against them!

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Feeling Overwhelmed? You Don’t Have To Do This Alone!

Living with a reactive dog can be damn exhausting, emotional, and isolating — but you don’t have to figure it all out by yourself.

If you're ready for a clear path forward, virtual 1:1 support could make all the difference to make sure you are heading in the right direction.

With my virtual coaching sessions we will untangle the chaos, rebuild your dog’s foundations and confidence, and create a plan you can actually follow that fits your life and your dog's needs — all without overwhelm!

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Types Of Reactivity - Not All Reactivity Is The Same

Leash reactivity isn’t a one-size-fits-all behaviour. Just like humans lash out for different reasons, dogs react for different reasons too. While we’ve already explored what can cause reactivity (like stress, unmet needs, poor sleep, or pain etc) it’s also important to understand that reactivity shows up in different forms, or types. Even though they can look almost identical on the outside, they’re often fuelled by very different emotional states underneath.

Some dogs bark and lunge out of fear. Others react because they’re overly excited or frustrated by restrictions. Some are overwhelmed by anxiety. And others might be in pain and expressing it the only way they know how.

That said, identifying the exact type of reactivity can be tricky. Is it fear or anxiety? Is it frustration or excitement? The truth is, it’s rarely black and white, and while understanding the emotional driver can help guide your approach, in my experience, the cause is what matters most, because no matter the type, I always recommend the same core framework to rebuild the foundations.

Once you start to understand why your dog is reacting, that’s when real progress begins.

Here are five common emotional drivers behind leash reactivity:

Fear-Based Reactivity

Your dog is scared and trying to create distance from the trigger. This often looks explosive but only because we miss the signals our dog gives that they're feeling uncomfortable.

Anxiety-Based Reactivity

This is rooted in uncertainty and discomfort. These dogs might appear tense, hypervigilant, or overly sensitive to their environment, and are often reacting because they feel emotionally unsafe.

Excitement-Based Reactivity

These dogs want to interact badly. Their reactions are usually full of whining, bouncing, screaming or lunging. It’s still reactivity, but driven by overarousal, not fear. This is often caused by too much exposure and a lack of boundaries and sturcture.

Frustration-Based Reactivity

When your dog can’t reach what they want (a dog, a person, an object), frustration builds quickly and boils over. This often includes leash and barrier frustration — reacting because the leash is blocking their choices, or even a window or gate etc.

Pain-Based Reactivity

Dogs in pain often behave differently. They may react because a trigger has startled them, or because they anticipate pain when approached. It’s not always obvious, but discomfort can absolutely fuel reactivity.

You might notice your dog shows more than one of these. That’s normal. Reactivity is layered. But the more you observe and understand your dog’s specific patterns, the more personalised and effective your training plan will be.

📓 Track Progress, Spot Patterns, Stay on Track

One of the best things you can do is keep a clear record of your dog’s outbursts — what triggered them, how intense they were, and what helped (or didn’t). But I also recommend journaling daily, and reflecting weekly or monthly to spot patterns, uncover mistakes, and remind yourself of what’s actually working (especially on the hard days).

That’s exactly why I created the Reactive Dog Training Journal — to help you track wins, setbacks, and everything in between. It’s designed to take the guesswork out of training and make progress easier to see.

If you feel stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure what’s working…this is your next step. It’s the perfect companion for, reactive and challenging dogs, and helps you see progress more clearly over time!

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What Leash Reactivity Is Not

If your dog loses their mind while on the leash, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking they’re being stubborn, naughty, doing it for attention, or even trying to personally wind you up. But leash reactivity isn’t any of those things. And the sooner you let go of those labels, the easier it becomes to actually help your dog.

Yes, leash reactivity is an overreaction to a trigger — but that doesn’t mean your dog has control over it. Most reactive dogs are so overwhelmed in the moment that they’re operating in pure survival mode, straight into flight-fight-or freeze. It’s not personal trust me!

Here are a few things leash reactivity is not:

Not attention-seeking. Your dog isn’t performing — they’re panicking.
Not being stubborn. This isn’t a “won’t listen” situation. It’s a “can’t listen” situation.

Not dominance or alpha behaviour. That myth needs to be buried already — it’s not helping anyone.

Not something they’ll grow out of. Without the right guidance and support, reactivity usually gets worse — not better.

Your dog isn’t broken, dramatic, an arsehole, or trying to make your life harder. They’re telling you they’re overwhelmed — and with the right tools, you can help them feel safer and more in control.

What Your Dog Needs Instead

When your dog is barking, lunging, or snapping on the leash, it’s easy to think they need more obedience. More commands = more control right? Wrong! This is a trap that I got trapped in, and I see a lot of owers making the same mistake too.

Reactivity rarely comes from disobedience — it comes from dysregulation. It may seem like your dog isn't listening but it is so much deeper than that, and that changes everything.

A dysregulated dog is emotionally overwhelmed. Their nervous system is firing on all cylinders — heart racing, body tense, brain flooded with cortisol. In that state, learning is off the table. Logic is out the window. They can't hear what you want from them. They act out of impulse without thinking about their actions (or the consequences).

You’re not working with a dog who won’t listen. You’re working with a dog who can’t.

A regulated dog, on the other hand, can pause. Think. Make better choices. They might still notice a trigger, but instead of exploding, they can recover and stay engaged with you, ready to follow your lead and direction. That’s the dog we want to train — and to get there, we have to support their nervous system, not just their behaviour.

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So no, your reactive dog doesn’t need harsher corrections or longer walks. They need understanding. They need you to work with them, not against them.

Here’s what that can look like:

Predictability and calm routines
Reactivity thrives in chaos. A simple, stable, and predictable routine lowers stress and tells your dog, “you’re safe here.”

More rest, not more reps
Most reactive dogs are overtired and overstimulated. Quality sleep is non-negotiable. No dog can regulate without it.

Outlets for natural behaviour
Digging, scent work, shredding things, foraging, swimming, bitework, flirt pole for chasing... these meet needs before they spill over into reactivity.

Support with emotional recovery
This isn’t about ignoring triggers. It’s about helping your dog return to calm after they see one. Allowing decompression and teaching regulation can do wonders for emotional recovery.

Safe exposure, not overwhelm
Flooding doesn’t teach coping. It teaches shutdown, helplessness, or explosion. Progress comes from working at their pace — and moving on only when they're ready. This is why I always focus on neutralising, before socialising

Connection with you
You’re not just a leash holder (even though that's what it might feel like at times). You’re their guide. Their guardian. The one they look to when the world feels too much. You need to build a foundation of trust, respect, and engagement.

What Helps: Your First Steps Forward

You’ve made it this far — and that alone deserves credit. Understanding leash reactivity is half the battle. But now comes the most important part: what you actually do with that understanding.

Here are some simple, effective first steps to start turning chaos into calm:

Track what you see – Start paying attention to when your dog reacts. What were the triggers? What happened just before? How long did it take to recover? These patterns hold the key to real progress. (Make sure to check out my Digital Dog Training Journal).

Focus on regulation, not reps – Your dog doesn’t need more training sessions. They need nervous system support. Sleep, calm, and decompression come first.

Create space – Step off the path. Cross the road. Build distance. You’re not avoiding the problem; you’re giving your dog a fighting chance to think instead of exploding. Too many owners force their dogs to sit in the face of their triggers instead of creating space.

Reward calmness, not commands – Don’t wait for obedience. Start reinforcing any moment of softness, curiosity, disengagement, or recovery — even if it’s small.

Start slow – You need to take your time and work at your dog's pace. They need you to meet them where they are, not where you wish they were.

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Final Thoughts

If you’ve been beating yourself up, wondering why your dog can’t “just behave” on the leash then I hope this post helped you see that leash reactivity is so much deeper than bad behaviour.

It’s rooted in emotion, in unmet needs, in dysregulation, and thankfully it’s something you can improve with the right support, the right tools, and the right mindset.

Progress won’t always be fast. It never is. Some days will test your patience. But other days will surprise you — like the first time your dog glances at a trigger and looks back at you instead. That’s not just progress. That’s trust.

Reactivity isn’t who your dog is. It’s something they’re going through, and with compassion, structure, and a little help, they can come out the other side calmer, more confident, regulated and far easier to walk.

So take a breath. Re-read the parts that resonated. Grab the Reactivity Starter Bundle. And start learning how to work with your dog, not against them!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs): Dealing With A Leash Reactive Dog

Can you fix leash reactivity?

Yes — but “fix” might not mean what you think. Leash reactivity can be significantly improved with the right support, structure, foundations, and training, but it’s rarely a quick fix. You’re teaching regulation, not just obedience. Many dogs can go from explosive to manageable — even calm — with consistent effort and the right tools.

What’s the difference between leash reactive and leash aggressive?

Leash reactivity is often confused with aggression, but they’re not the same. A leash-reactive dog overreacts to triggers out of frustration, fear, excitement, or anxiety — but they don’t want to cause harm. Aggression, on the other hand, involves intent to threaten or injure. A lot of reactive dogs are unfairly labelled as aggressive, even though they’re not.

What qualifies a dog as reactive?

A reactive dog is one who overreacts to triggers — like other dogs, people, or moving things — with behaviours such as barking, lunging, growling, or freezing. It’s not about being “bad” or “naughty”, believe it or not most dogs don’t have control over it. It’s a stress response. If your dog consistently reacts like this while on leash, they likely fall under the reactive umbrella (or are living in a constant state of stress).

How common is leash reactivity in dogs?

Surprisingly common. Leash reactivity is one of the most frequent behavioural issues dog owners deal with. You’re not alone, even though it feels like it! So many reactive dog owners feel isolated and judged, but this is something thousands of people navigate daily. There’s a whole community (like mine!) dedicated to helping you through it. Find one....or several!

Should I walk my leash-reactive dog?

Yes — but with care. Walks can be a trigger minefield, so focus on setting your dog up for success. Use the right tools (like long lines, muzzles, or calming gear), walk at quiet times, and avoid overwhelming environments. If walks are too much right now then take a break for a while, focus on outlets, decompression, meeting needs and rebuilding emotional balance at home first.