Dog owners often accidentally reinforce bad behavior by avoiding triggers, over-reassuring, or over-exercising. Instead, focus on what your dog practices daily: pulling, scanning, ignoring commands. If reactivity is limiting your life, get professional help.
Chapters
Recognize yourself in these habits, what should you do? First of all, don't beat yourself up. Most of these habits come from love. You avoid because you want to protect your dog. You reassure because you want them to feel safe. You get that Chuck It Stick out because you want to give them exercise. You let them stare because you don't want to overreact. But good intentions don't always create good patterns. Second, start paying attention to what your dog practices, not just what they do when they explode. What do they practice right before that? Do they practice scanning the environment? Do Do they practice pulling? Are they ignoring you? Do they practice coming back to you? Do they practice moving calmly? Do they practice safe off-lead freedom? That daily practice really matters. Third, get help if your dog's behavior is already controlling your life. If you can't walk on normal routes, if you can't have visitors over to your house, if you can't pass other dogs, you feel like you can't relax outside, or if you're constantly planning your day around avoiding every single trigger, this isn't just a small habit anymore. If you help with foundations like play, recall, food motivation, or just understanding your dog a bit better, then join the Behaviour Bible. It's a free course and the link's in the description. And if your dog is reactive, anxious, fixating, lunging, or their behaviour around triggers is starting to control your life, then apply for our 5-day boot camp. The link is also in the description. Because your dog doesn't need you to care less, they need all the care pointed in the right direction.
