What is the best training for reactive dogs?
Maye Simonis
2025-06-27 10:57:06
Count answers: 11
At Woodgreen, we recommend three things: Practice basic training, Keep your dog away from triggers, and Teach them alternative behaviours.
All dogs benefit from having a good recall and knowing simple cues like ‘sit’.
This builds trust between you and your dog, and will make the bigger issues easier to tackle.
You can also work on calm behaviours throughout your day – teach them to wait for their food, settle down on cue and solve problems through enrichment.
Teach them to sit down, sniff out some treats on the floor or turn away and walk in a different direction.
All of these should be rewarded with something your dog finds motivating, like their favourite treats or a toy.
First, you should teach these cues while you’re at home before trying them out on a quiet and calm walk.
Then gradually increase how close you can get to your dog’s triggers – but make sure you go at your dog’s pace.
The more practice your dog has, the more they will associate their triggers with positive outcomes rather than stressful ones.
Have an open mind and be realistic about what your dog will be capable of.
Training is not a straight-forward process, your dog will need time and patience to develop these new skills and habits.
Jordy Hamill
2025-06-27 10:11:52
Count answers: 6
Can a reactive dog be trained, absolutely.
Consistently use reward-based training methods and keep them on a lead when needed.
Choose quiet places and times for walks, when possible, to avoid triggers while you’re working on changing their emotions.
If you encounter a trigger, calmly move your dog away, avoiding adding extra tension to the lead.
Try luring them away with a tasty treat or favourite toy to play with.
Reward calm behaviour.
Practice focus training to help them pay attention to you.
Learn to recognise your dog's body language, this will help you understand when they're feeling worried or frustrated.
Speak to your vet to rule out any underlying medical conditions.
Vida Marks
2025-06-27 10:09:49
Count answers: 14
Personally, I don’t think there is a one-size fits all technique that suits every dog and guardian in every situation. We need to learn to read our dogs and the situation we are in and choose the most appropriate tools to help them in that moment. For me, what is more important than the specific tools is that we address fundamental elements of training. When we are working with reactive dogs we tend to focus our training on helping them to handle their triggers but, for me, this is only one part of the necessary training. Relaxation and calm is one part of the necessary training, as many cases dogs who are reactive are anxious or easily frustrated and benefit hugely from work to lower their arousal and teach them how to relax. Essential Life Skills is another part, which includes core behaviours that would make life easier for them and their guardian, such as a really reliable recall, getting behind their guardian, walking on a loose lead, maintaining focus on their guardian, and being comfortable wearing a muzzle. Relationship is also essential, as it is often damaged due to the pressure of handling a reactive dog, and we need to include in our training something that both dog and guardian can really enjoy together. Only after we have addressed these three, do we reach the top of the pyramid: specific training to help our dog become more comfortable with triggers and to negotiate them without becoming over-aroused.
Aurelie Monahan
2025-06-27 08:22:07
Count answers: 6
Reactivity is a symptom, not the root issue, dogs react because they feel the need to, this is generally related to fear, insecurity, over-excitement and frustration. Understanding where reactivity stems from is necessary to address the cause. Teaching proper pressure and release with a leash, marker word, energy and body language, and consistency are all necessary components to address why your dog is reactive. You can condition dogs to only get what they want when they're more relaxed by doing that in every single situation. If they want to go back inside, they can't pull you, if they want to get their toy, they can't bark at you and be pushy. Confidence building fixes 95% of my reactivity cases, dogs just want to feel safe with their handler and they want to know what's coming next. Take note of the things at home that make your dog even slightly uncomfortable and get them comfortable with them, start adding in structure, rules and consistency in your message to build your dogs confidence. Find a trainer who focuses on relationship building and not obedience only, someone who has a proven track record of rehabilitating reactivity and not just suppressing or avoiding it all together.
Katheryn Kunde
2025-06-27 07:15:39
Count answers: 16
Practicing their recall, redirects, counter conditioning with high value treats, etc., are basic tips for training reactive dogs. Working with a trainer has helped my dog to an extent. The support of a community and a qualified certified trainer or veterinary behaviorist can also be beneficial for people that own reactive dogs. We support the LIMA (Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive) approach to dog training.