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
Can you train out reactivity?
Delaney Kautzer
2025-08-06 15:06:06
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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. 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. If we're not working our dogs through things that stress them out, we're pretty useless to them in reactivity situations. Every reactive dog that I've ever met who reacted on walks to dogs/people/scooters etc was practicing reactivity in some way in the home. You can condition dogs to only get what they want when they're more relaxed by doing that in every single situation. Reactivity is hard but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Rocky Haag
2025-07-29 14:40:58
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We support the LIMA approach to dog training. The tips and advice here cannot replace a qualified certified trainer or veterinary behaviorist - if you are struggling please consider these resources for your dog. We signed our dog up for a reactive training course last year. It was useless and probably set him backwards too. They trained with an e-collar, we should have better researched before dropping $900+ on a trainer. We want to start over with a board certified behaviorist. However, those come with a big price, which we won’t be able to afford in the meantime. Has anyone had success in training their dog themselves? If so, what resources/research did you use?
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How to curb reactivity?
Emotional regulation is the ability to have control over your emotional state. Usually, this involve Read More
Alden Leffler
2025-07-20 16:48:32
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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. 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. Reactive behaviour can develop due to a dog's experiences, or lack of, during puppyhood. Some dogs may lack social skills because they haven't learned appropriate boundaries, or how to communicate appropriately.
Hollis Hamill
2025-07-20 14:41:13
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Most dogs don’t want to fight, so they display a number of behaviors designed to prevent it. These distance-increasing behaviors includes barking, lunging, or growling — anything to make the threat go away. Adult dogs, while patient with puppy antics, will usually start to discipline puppies once they reach 5-6 months. The discipline isn’t violent and usually takes the form of a bark or growl. If a puppy never experiences these corrections, he may continue this inappropriate behavior in adulthood. When an adult dog inappropriately greets another one, the other dog will react with a loud bark or growl. Many people correct their dog for any perceived display of aggression. Some may force them to sit or lie down in an approaching dog’s path thinking this will help correct the behavior.
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How to stop a highly reactive dog?
If your dog feels fearful or anxious around other dogs or people, they may try to hide or get away f Read More
How to desensitize a dog that's easily triggered?
Working to change a dog’s emotional response to their triggers is one of the most important parts of Read More