What are the biggest mistakes in reactivity training?
Mistake #1: Exposure Therapy Like many well-intentioned dog owners, I thought that exposing my react Read More
How to punish a dog for being reactive?
Judah Ullrich
2025-07-27 19:26:49
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Punishment might work in the moment but it may be interpreted by the dog, very differently from what we intend. Punishment is also very satisfying for us as humans. The downside is that your dog is not barking and lunging because they’re “bad” - there is a very good reason behind this behaviour and it all stems from an emotional response. If we punish a dog for their emotional outbursts, they learn to suppress the emotions and the outburst to avoid the punishment. This is akin to humans bottling up their feelings, only to explode later on some poor, unsuspecting soul. Instead, let's learn how to stop the barking and lunging on walks without punishment.
Angelita Bauch
2025-07-20 17:10:04
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Unfortunately, the meltdowns themselves and punishing the dog for them only make things worse in the long run. Punishment makes the dog to feel worse about something he’s already worried about. If the dog’s collar is yanked to tell him barking is wrong, the discomfort is associated with more than just the barking. He’s meant to gather, “every time I bark, I feel pain, so maybe I should quit barking,” but he actually learns, “every time I see another dog, I feel this pain in my neck. Now I really hate other dogs because they make my neck hurt!” Punishing a dog is less like precisely cutting out the bad behavior with a scalpel and more like hammering away at it with a sledgehammer—there’s a lot of inescapable collateral damage and contamination.
Read also
How to curb reactivity?
Emotional regulation is the ability to have control over your emotional state. Usually, this involve Read More
Tyler Wintheiser
2025-07-20 15:20:11
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: 21
If your dog feels fearful or anxious around other dogs or people, they may try to hide or get away from them.
They may also approach them using threatening body language to make them move away.
Consistently use reward-based training methods and keep them on a lead when needed.
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.