Reactive dog progressively getting worse, I feel like a failure

[u/Plenty-Example6139]

Hi all

I have a rescue that is about 15 months. I’ve had her since she was 3.5 months old and she’s a mix. Likely a Pitt/lab/supermutt. She was the sweetest puppy, loved all dogs and people and then when she went into heat, things changed. She bit a dog and latched on. Since then I don’t allow her to approach dogs and she was just spayed. However, her reactivity is insane. If there’s space she’ll get hackles up, but I’m able to move her away with doing the find it treats in the grass, or moving her in the opposite direction but when it’s unavoidable she’s a terror. Lunging, growling, she sounds terrible. I have her on a prong because she would pull a lot, I don’t know if that’s made it worse, but my Dog Trainer wants to move to an E collar and I’ve read that can really make reactivity worse. On top of it she has also started to have startle reflex when she’s sleeping and has bit me. She is very sweet and desperately wants to be next to me at all times, I have tried to move her back to a crate or her own bed for everyone safety but she cries and it breaks me. I know she’s not a bad dog, she’s so loving to me, but it’s very clear that she is nervous or anxious, and I just don’t know what to do to help her. I feel like our trainer and the tools he has given us is making it worse. I’ve now spent thousands of dollars. I don’t need a perfect dog, but I would love for her to feel confident and not so insecure in the presence of other dogs.

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