Canine Reactive

19/12/2025

🌟FUN FACT FRIDAY - Safety Bubble🌟

Every dog has a natural “comfort bubble.”
For some, that bubble is simply bigger.

When a reactive dog barks or lunges, it’s often because their space bubble was invaded and they couldn’t move away — especially on a lead.
It’s not defiance.

It’s communication:
“That’s too close for me.”

17/12/2025

🎄 **Christmas Closure & A Big THANK YOU** 🎄

As the year winds down and the hot chocolate baileys comes out, I just wanted to let everyone know that I’ll be taking a little **Christmas break from 19th December 2025 – 5th January 2026** to recharge, reset and spend time with loved ones (and the dog, obviously 🐶).

💙**To my wonderful reactive dog owners** – thank you.
Thank you for trusting me, showing up for your dogs, celebrating the small wins, and sticking with the process even when it feels hard. Your commitment and love for your dogs never goes unnoticed, and I’m so proud of how far you’ve all come this year.

🎅 **A little festive encouragement**
Remember: progress doesn’t disappear just because it’s Christmas. One busy walk, one barky moment, or one skipped training session does *not* undo all your hard work. Be kind to yourself and your dog – calm, safe and happy beats “perfect” every time.

🎁 **Quick Christmas Survival Tips for Reactive Dogs**
✨ Advocate for your dog – it’s okay to say “no” to visitors or walks if it’s too much
✨ Stick to familiar routines where you can
✨ Provide safe spaces away from guests and noise
✨ Enrichment over exercise on busy days (snuffle mats, scatter feeding, chews)
✨ Choose management over stress – sometimes the best training is avoiding triggers

🎆 **Looking ahead to 2026**
If 2026 is the year you want calmer walks, more confidence, and a better understanding of your reactive dog, I’d love to help.
📞 **Discovery calls are now open for the New Year** – a relaxed, no-pressure chat to see how I can support you and your dog.

👉 **Book your discovery call** using this link: https://calendly.com/canine-reactive/discovery-call

Wishing you all a **peaceful, pressure-free Christmas** filled with warmth, kindness, and plenty of dog cuddles 🐕❤️
See you in 2026! ✨🎄

Merry Christmas & Best Wishes
Gemma
X

12/12/2025

🌟FUN FACT FRIDAY - Sniffing!🌟

For reactive dogs, sniffing is more than curiosity — it’s a tool for calming, checking for safety, and understanding their surroundings.
It’s their version of scanning the environment and making sense of it all.
Encouraging sniffing can help reduce reactivity and build confidence.

05/12/2025

🌟FUN FACT FRIDAY #2 Dogs hear everything!🌟

Ever wonder why your reactive dog "reacts" even when the trigger is not in sight? Well, it's because they can hear things way before they come into view, and before we ourselves can hear it. This may explain why your dog may appear to be reacting to "nothing". It may to be a case that he is overwhelmed with his visual environment, it may just be that he can hear a trigger in he distance.

28/11/2025

🐾 Fun Fact #1: Dogs See the World in Motion First
Dogs are extremely sensitive to movement.
For a reactive dog, even a distant jogger or a quick-moving bike can feel like a big deal — not because they’re being dramatic, but because their eyes are designed to pick up motion long before anything else.

26/11/2025

📣 Introducing: Fun Fact Friday! 🐾

Okay, I know you may have seen this on many different dog associated pages and or groups. But this is different! WHY? Because we are looking specifically at fun facts related to our reactive dogs.

My aim is to help you understand your dogs world in a fun, relatable and memorable way.

Each Friday, I’ll highlight a small but meaningful fact that can help us better understand how reactive dogs perceive the world. This in turn will help you better support them on your journey.💙

📅 First Fun Fact Friday coming this Friday the 28th of November!

25/11/2025

25/11/2025

CELEBRATION TIME🎉⭐

Sharing these moments with such dedicated owners is so heart warming, and brings me pure joy.

Kaya and her owner Maureen Bingham are absolute soldiers. Kaya is a rescue from abroad and I've been working with her and her amazing guardian Mo for probably pushing in nearly a year. This poor girl couldn't come near me when I first met her, but over time she started to realise i was not scary and started to build trust. I never forget the moments when a dog finally accepts you, and I remember Kayas moment with. Very well. A few months later we started to work on her highly reactive behaviour towards dogs. We've had to take things very slow with Kaya, but today she blew us away. Not only were we able to work the close to the stooge with NO reaction, but the stooge was able to move (a big trigger) AND we were able to work on approach head on.

I cannot express how proud I am of these two. Absolutely wonderful session. kaya and Mo you smashed it! ⭐ Now for the next part of our journey to transfer all the amazing field work into the real world. We've totally got this. 🎉🩷

22/11/2025

🌿 For Anyone Walking Through Life With a Reactive Dog… This Is Your Reminder to Breathe 🌿

You carry a lot—your work, your home, your routines, your responsibilities, your hopes. And through it all, you’re showing up for a dog who feels the world a little more intensely than most. Some walks feel connected and calm… and others leave you tense, overwhelmed, or simply worn out.

If today felt like “a lot,” here’s a gentle space to reset:

**1️⃣ Take a slow, grounding breath.**
Pause for just a moment. A deep breath helps your mind settle and tells your body, *It’s okay now.*

**2️⃣ Let your body release what it’s been holding.**
Shake out your hands, roll your shoulders, stretch. These small movements help shift the stress that builds up during tough moments.

**3️⃣ Look for one tiny thing that went well.**
Maybe your dog recovered more quickly. Maybe you noticed a trigger early. Maybe you kept your voice soft. These small wins matter deeply—they’re the bricks of long-term progress.

**4️⃣ Remember: reactivity is hard, and you’re doing your best.**
Your dog’s big feelings are not a reflection of your effort or your worth. You’re navigating something genuinely challenging with a whole lot of heart.

**5️⃣ Create a gentle “after-walk” ritual for yourself.**
A warm drink, a breathing moment, a favourite song, or simply sitting beside your dog in calm. Something quiet and nurturing that helps you shift back into ease.

**6️⃣ Speak to yourself with the same kindness you offer others.**
You support so much—your work, your family, your home, your dog. You deserve that same tenderness directed inward.

**7️⃣ Let tomorrow be flexible.**
It’s okay if the next walk needs to be quieter, shorter, or softer. Thoughtful adjustments aren’t setbacks—they’re smart, compassionate choices that support real progress.

✨ You’re doing something incredibly meaningful—guiding your dog with patience, love, and the willingness to learn and grow.💙

Every moment counts. Every gentle choice matters. You’re building a calmer, more connected future together, one walk at a time.

If you’re ready for more guidance, clarity, or support on this journey, I’d love to help.

🌟 *You’re warmly invited to book a free discovery call with me.*

Let’s talk about where you are, what you’re struggling with, and how we can create a new journey supporting you and your dog.
https://calendly.com/canine-reactive/discovery-call

21/11/2025

If you have a reactive dog, you’ve probably felt:

• embarrassed
• judged
• frustrated
• confused
• anxious about walks
• worried about being blamed

You’re not imagining it — reactivity *does* feel personal.

That’s because you care deeply, and because every reaction feels like the world is watching.

Here’s the truth:

Your dog’s behaviour is not a reflection of your worth as an owner.
You’re doing your best with a dog who needs extra support — and that is something to be proud of 💙🐾

Remember too, that you do not and should not face this alone. Trust me I have tried.

Canine Reactive has a supportive non-judgemental community, where you can get free advice and support on your journey. I would love to welcome you into our community. A space where people who are experiencing the same as you, and feel the same as you. 💙https://www.facebook.com/groups/275353517943614

YOU ARE NOT ALONE💙

19/11/2025

Let’s talk about something that can completely derail your training journey… 👉 **Getting advice from too many sources.**

If you own a reactive dog, you’ve probably already heard it all:
🐾 “You just need to show them who’s boss.”
🐾 “Mine stopped reacting when I used [insert quick-fix gadget here].”
🐾 “You’re being too soft — you’re rewarding bad behaviour.”

Most of it comes from well-meaning people — family, friends, neighbours, or other dog owners. But here’s the thing: **good intentions don’t always mean good advice.**

🚫 It can be so damaging When you take advice from everywhere, you start to lose confidence in yourself — and in your dog. You might:
💔 Try different methods every week.
💔 Confuse your dog with mixed signals.
💔 Start to doubt the relationship you’ve worked so hard to build. And before long, you and your dog are both overwhelmed, frustrated, and back to square one.

🧠 The truth is: every reactive dog is unique. There’s no single method that works for everyone. What’s right for one dog could be harmful or even dangerous for another. That’s why ethical, science-based support is so important — from someone who:
✨ Understands reactivity on a deeper level (emotionally *and* behaviourally).
✨ Uses positive, force-free methods tailored to your dog’s needs.
✨ Works with you as a team, not against you.

💙 Here’s my advice: When you choose to work with a qualified behaviourist who specialises in reactivity (like me), you’re not just getting “training tips.” You’re getting: ✅ A plan built specifically for *your* dog.
✅ Ongoing support when you hit setbacks.
✅ A compassionate partnership that helps rebuild trust and calm — for both of you.

💬 What’s one piece of “helpful advice” you’ve been given that actually made things harder? Let’s share and support each other — no judgement, just understanding. 🐾

📅 If you’re ready to stop feeling pulled in every direction and start following a calm, proven plan for you and your dog, book your free **discovery call** with me today. Let’s bring clarity, calm, and connection back into your walks 💙https://calendly.com/canine-reactive/discovery-call

17/11/2025

Changing Your Mindset CONTINUED — The Key to Helping Your Reactive Dog

I would like to extend our conversation on the importance of mindset. I briefly touched on this in my last post, but this one element deserves a lot of attention. It often get's over looked with traditional training plans, yet it has been proven (in my experience with my own clients) to have the most positive effect, aiding their journey to success.

Let's face it when you live with a reactive dog, it’s easy to get stuck in frustration, fear, or embarrassment — especially when progress feels slow or when other people “don’t get it.”

But here’s the truth ⬇️

Reactivity work isn’t just about training your dog — it’s about retraining your expectations, reactions, and emotions too.

When we shift our mindset from:
❌ “My dog should know better”
to
💙 “My dog is struggling, not misbehaving”
When we move from:
❌ “I’m failing because it’s taking too long”
to
💙 “I’m helping my dog feel safer, one step at a time”
— everything changes.

Because your dog feeds off your calm, your energy, and your consistency.

💬 Here are a few mindset reminders I share with all my clients:
✨ Small wins are still progress.
✨ Regression doesn’t erase the work you’ve done.
✨ Avoid comparison — your journey is unique.
✨ You are your dog’s safe place, not their drill sergeant.
✨ Calm leadership is built through empathy, not control.

💙 Try this today:
Next time your dog reacts, take a slow breath and remind yourself:
“My dog isn’t giving me a hard time; they’re having a hard time.”

That one thought can completely change how you respond.
💬 Let's help each other by opening up this conversation:
What’s one mindset shift that’s helped you on your reactive dog journey?
Comment below — your experience might inspire someone else. 🐾

If you’re ready to go deeper into understanding your dog’s behaviour and how your own mindset shapes progress, book a free 20-minute discovery call with me.
Let’s build a plan that supports both of you 💙

Use this link to book: https://calendly.com/canine-reactive/discovery-call

I can't wait to speak with you. 💙