29/05/2026
I read a post recently suggesting that “reactive” is simply a softer word people use because they don’t want to say “aggressive” — and that there’s really no difference.
Honestly, I disagree.
Yesterday I walked a dog past three other dogs without barking, lunging or an outburst.
Was he still reactive?
In my opinion, yes.
There was still a clear surge in arousal:
• faster movement
• harder jaw
• stiffer body language
• increased physiological activation
His nervous system was absolutely responding strongly to the environment.
But what I didn’t see was aggression.
What I saw was a dog experiencing a bigger-than-necessary response to stimuli… while learning alternative ways to cope with it.
And I think that distinction matters.
Because “reactive” as we commonly use it generally describes an exaggerated or disproportionate response to something in the environment.
That over-response might look like:
• barking
• lunging
• avoidance
• panic
• freezing
• frantic movement
• hypervigilance
• or sometimes aggressive behaviour
Aggressive behaviour absolutely overlaps with reactivity at times.
Aggression is often a normal behavioural strategy for creating distance, increasing safety or expressing frustration when the dog cannot cope effectively.
But they are not automatically the same thing.
A dog can be reactive without displaying aggressive behaviour.
And equally, aggressive behaviour can occur outside what we’d typically define as reactivity.
I’ve also experienced firsthand how limiting labels can become.
Over the years people have described my own dog Winnie as “aggressive” — a label I personally found unhelpful.
Yes, she has used aggressive behaviours at times to cope.
But that doesn’t define her.
These days, she’s probably the most socially skilled dog I own and one I trust deeply around everything from visiting puppies through to wildly over-the-top adolescent dogs.
That growth didn’t come from pretending behaviour didn’t exist.
It came from understanding why it existed and helping her learn safer and more successful ways to navigate the world.
That nuance matters.
Because labels influence how we feel about dogs, how we treat them and what future we imagine for them.
For me, the more useful question is not:
“Is this dog reactive or aggressive?”
But:
“What is this dog experiencing, and what skills or support do they need to cope more successfully?”
That’s where understanding begins.
And usually where progress begins too 💛
