Why the “Why” Doesn’t Always Matter: A Simpler Approach to Dog Reactivity

Does your dog bark, lunge, or growl at the window—or on walks—and you find yourself asking why they’re doing it? Maybe you’ve thought, “They just want to say hi,” or “They’re protecting the house.” While it’s natural to want to understand your dog’s behavior, sometimes focusing too much on the why keeps us stuck in frustration… and makes things worse for our pups.

In this post, Megan, our team dog trainer shares a different approach—one that prioritizes your dog’s wellbeing and helps you actually change the behavior.If you live with a dog who barks, lunges, or growls at the window, other dogs, or people on walks, you’ve probably found yourself trying to figure out why.

You might think:

• “He just wants to play.”

• “She’s nervous.”

• “They’re protecting the house.”

• “It’s only when the neighbor’s dog walks by.”

And while it’s completely normal to assign a reason to our dog’s behavior, the truth is: sometimes the why doesn’t matter.

In fact, it can keep us stuck.

Here’s the thing: barking, lunging, growling, scratching at windows—these are all signs of a dog experiencing stress or overstimulation. And while your intention might be to better understand your dog, focusing too much on what’s causing the behavior can delay addressing it. Worse, it can even excuse patterns that are unhealthy for your dog and disruptive for your life.

✅ Let’s Reframe It
Instead of asking, “Why is my dog doing this?”—start asking:

“Is this behavior healthy for my dog?”

And in many reactivity cases, the answer is no.

These behaviors increase adrenaline and cortisol in your dog’s body, meaning they’re staying in a heightened stress state longer and more frequently. Over time, that can have real effects on your dog’s mental and physical health. And from a practical standpoint? It’s also incredibly frustrating for you as their human.

✅ What to Do Instead
As your trainer, I’m here to help you interrupt the cycle—not overanalyze it. That doesn’t mean we ignore the cause completely. But for many pet parents, focusing on the why becomes a loop that leads nowhere. Instead, we simplify and take action.

Here’s what that looks like:

✔️Create clear, consistent boundaries

✔️Teach your dog a calmer, alternative response

✔️Interrupt stressful behavior before it escalates

✔️Use tools that actually work in real-life scenarios

✔️Focus on progress—not perfection, guilt, or blame

If your dog is struggling with window reactivity, leash reactivity, or any version of the bark-lunge-growl spiral, we can work together to break the cycle—without guilt, without confusion, and without making excuses for behavior that’s stressing you both out.

Want help with your dog’s reactivity?
Reach out today to learn how we can support you and your pup on the path to a calmer, healthier life.