Before Your First Lesson: What I Want You to Know About Reactive Dog Training

As a dog trainer, one of the first things I want you to understand is this:

Early in training, I will ask you not to put your dog into situations they are not emotionally or mentally ready for. Doing so often makes reactivity worse, not better.

Placing a reactive dog into overwhelming environments too soon increases stress and can lead to stronger reactions or shutdowns.

Reactivity takes time because we are not just teaching a dog a command like “sit.” We are working to change a dog’s mindset, help them feel safe, and build confidence in situations that used to be stressful. This is a process, not a quick fix.

Reactive dogs need someone who will step in, make safe choices, and handle situations before the dog feels forced to react. When dogs trust that their handler will advocate for them, their behavior improves. This advocacy is the foundation of all successful reactivity training.

Why We Don’t Rush Reactivity Training

I understand the desire for fast results. Living with a reactive dog can feel overwhelming, embarrassing, and exhausting. Barking, lunging, growling, freezing, or shutting down behaviors take a toll, and many owners want to jump straight into “fixing” the problem.

However, skipping foundations is one of the biggest reasons reactive dog training fails.

Types of Reactivity I Commonly See

Not all reactivity is the same. Understanding why your dog reacts helps me build a training plan that actually works:

• Fear Based Reactivity: reacting out of anxiety or uncertainty

• Excitement Based Reactivity: over-arousal and poor emotional regulation

• Frustration Based Reactivity:  reacting because they can’t reach something they want

• Territorial Protective Reactivity: guarding space or resources

• Social Reactivity: poor coping or social skills around dogs or people

• Genetic Tendencies: some dogs are predisposed to heightened reactivity

• Prey Drive: reacting to moving objects, small animals, or fast-moving targets

Each type requires a thoughtful approach, not overwhelming exposure.

Reactivity Is Not the First Step

Reactivity does not exist in isolation. It is influenced by:

• Your relationship with your dog

  
  

• How clearly your dog understands expectations

• Your confidence and handling skills

• Your dog’s ability to focus and engage

• Your dog’s stress threshold

If these pieces are missing, putting a dog directly into triggering and overwhelming situations often leads to explosions, shutdowns, or repeated unwanted behaviors.

The Foundations I Focus On First

1. Building a Strong Relationship

Before behavior can change, your dog needs to feel safe, understood, and guided. A strong relationship creates trust and clarity, especially for dogs who already feel overwhelmed by their environment.

2. Teaching Owners How to Handle Their Dogs

Reactive dog training is not just about the dog, it is about the handler.

If you feel unsure or overwhelmed, your dog will feel it too. I focus on building owner confidence, consistency, and clear communication so your dog can rely on you in stressful situations.

3. Setting Clear Expectations for Your Dog

Dogs cannot succeed without clear direction.

Before working around triggers, your dog must understand:

• What behaviors are expected

• How to disengage

• How to follow basic cues reliably

4. Why Obedience and Engagement Matter

Obedience training alone does not fix reactivity, but it gives both you and your dog structure.

Obedience and engagement help owners manage their dogs during overwhelming moments and give dogs clear alternatives to reacting. Instead of barking or lunging, your dog learns what behaviors are expected.

If your dog cannot respond to simple cues under mild distraction, expecting calm behavior around major triggers is unrealistic.

5. Understanding Your Dog’s Threshold

One of the most important parts of my work is identifying your dog’s threshold, the point where they become too overwhelmed to think or learn.

During training, your dog may experience small, controlled amounts of stress. This is normal and safe when managed properly.

Think of it as gradually wading into shallow water, rather than being thrown into the deep end. We work carefully, increase difficulty slowly, and always keep your dog in a space where learning is possible.

Progress happens below threshold. That is where real learning occurs.

About Corrections

Corrections are often misunderstood, especially in reactive dog training.

A correction is never yelling, hitting, or intimidating a dog. Those actions often increase fear and overwhelm, making reactivity worse.

When used, corrections are calm, brief, and purposeful. They provide information, not fear.

Corrections are only appropriate when:

• Your dog understands what is expected

• Your dog has been taught alternative behaviors

• The root cause of the reactivity has been identified

• Your dog is not already overwhelmed or over threshold

Corrections are one small part of the training process, not the foundation.

Why Slow Training Works Faster

Foundational work can feel slow, inconvenient, and overwhelming at first.

In reality, it builds the skills that make reactivity training successful.

When foundations are solid:

• Dogs recover faster

  
  

• Triggers feel less overwhelming

  
  

• Owners feel more confident

  
  

• Progress lasts long-term

Final Thoughts From Your Trainer

There is no shortcut to behavior change.

For reactive dogs, relationship, engagement, obedience, and owner education always come first. Reactivity training works best when both the dog and the handler are prepared.

If you are struggling with a reactive dog, you are not alone. I am here to support you and create a training plan that sets both you and your dog up for success.

Slow now means successful later.