Stop bringing your dog closer to whatever they are reacting to.I will often hear owners say something alone the lines of…“I try to bring them closer to _______ so they can see it’s not scary.”I get it, you have good intentions and are thinking along the lines of “it’s just a trash can, dog, person or whatever the trigger is, just come over and see it’s not bad!”When you do this with your nervous, anxious or fearful dog, it’s really just making them more fearful and creating a loss of trust between you and your dog. Let me explain with an example that is similar to your dog’s POV. Let’s say you hate spiders (most people do) You are sitting at home and BAM this HUGE spider, I’m talking the size they have in Australia, crawls towards you. You start backing away and want to get far from it because it’s causing you to have a fearful reaction. 👇🏻The person you are with isn’t scared of spiders and they grab your arm and start dragging you over to the spider to show you that “it’s not scary”. 👇🏻You want to get distance and your friend just tries harder to get you closer even though it’s making the fear response escalate for you. 👇🏻The spider runs away eventually and your friend thinks “wow, I’m so glad I showed you that the spider isn’t scary” and you think “That was awful and I don’t want that to happen again” you are also probably a little annoyed at your friend.” Fast forward 5 minutes and another giant spider pops out of nowhere. You repeat that exact same process. Eventually your reactions will get larger and you will stop trusting that your friend is going to keep you away from the spiders. You don’t feel better, in fact, you feel worse. You can replace spiders with anything. Fear of heights and someone drags you to the edge of a tall building. Fear of earthworms, anyone else or just me?, and someone chasing you with a worm. See how this is making you feel? Reactivity is complex and not intuitive
If you have been wondering what your dog’s day would look like with us, here is a look at day 1, drop off day!🎉When you book a program, we schedule a drop off time on the Monday of your start date. I’ll meet you and your dog outside and get to know them a little more. We bring all their stuff into the training space, or as we like to call it, “The Dawg House”. We will recap your training goals you sent to us, answer any questions and make sure you feel comfortable and confident. I’ll send you your personal Google drive link for updates and extra pictures 🫶🏼Then, we get to work! I like to let the pups free roam a bit to go potty and see what we are working with. I’ll also try out their walking, name recognition, recall and engagement to see where it’s all at. Then (if they are doing our ecollar program) we fit the collar and find the working number, which is the lowest number they recognize it at. Ripple is 5/100. Day 1 is for adjusting, relationship building, behavior assessment and introducing things like ecollar, place, and crate sends and thresholds. We make sure the dogs get a balance of downtime and outside free time in the evening to play and enjoy the beautiful weather. Around 5:30/6pm everyone goes in for dinner time and then relaxes until 8:30/9:00pm when it’s time for their last potty break before bed. Then we head out around 7/7:30 to start day 2!
I love working with reactive dogs, even more than that, I LOVE working with reactive dog owners. You are the most dedicated, passionate and understanding owners and the love you have for your dog sines through. When I get on calls with reactive dog owners, there are some tears and usually something like “I feel like I failed my dog” “I am so lost and confused, there is too much information and I didn’t know where to start” “I just want to be able to walk my dog somewhere” After our training together it turns into “We are even taking him to dinner on a patio....could have never done that two months ago 🥹🥰”“I could absolutely cry. We were out in the battery on a busy Saturday. We sat at a table and he settled while multiple dogs walked by. A few grumbles but then settled. You have no idea how confident this makes me. You all have saved us!”“… his progress is already so astounding I never knew we would be where we are rn!”I know investing in a trainer isn’t always feasible but this is a great starting point to help you feel ✅ Educated ✅ Confident ✅ Empowered ✅ Knowledgeable ✅ Ready to help YOUR reactive dog! This ebook is going to provide you clear, realistic and relevant information so you can see ACTUAL progress through a balanced approach to help your reactive dog!For today only 4/22/24 if you DM me “ebook” I’ll send you back a message with a 30% off discount code to celebrate launch day! This code will be gone after 24 hours and won’t happen again. Grab your copy today and start improving your life and your dog’s life 🫶🏼
No one gets a dog and thinks “oh man, I hope I get a reactive one!”. You wanted a dog to take to coffee shops, on hike and get active with…not Cujo’s descendent. Us reactive dog owners usually end up just being thrown into the ocean and either sink or swim. That part is up to you. These are ways YOU can help your reactive dog…that don’t directly involve training. #1- Filter out the bulls***. There is SO much dog training advice out there. You can’t possibly make progress or make a plan when you have 70 people telling you 87 ways to train. Narrow it down. Find a style and trainer you like and learn from them. We love working with reactive dogs in our board & train program!#2- Know when you are out of your league. Reactivity is complex and fluid. It can take trainers years to develop the right skills to truly help owners. So don’t feel bad if you can’t figure it out on your own. Asking for help and investing in good quality training will be life changing. #3- Stop acting like you don’t own a reactive dog. Stop taking them on walks where you don’t have any chance for success. Stop assuming it will just get better. Stop putting your dog in situations that they will always fail in. Stop wishing they were different or better, because they aren’t. That will only change when you do. #4-Get out of your head and be open. Maybe you only wanted to train your dog one way. You are dead set on using this technique. If your dog is not responding to it, you have to make a change. Your desire to only train one way is the only thing standing in the way of your progress. Behavior doesn’t lie, if there isn’t progress then your training is not working. You will know within a few days if you are on the right track or not. If your trainer doesn’t adjust the plan, ditch them.#5- Get a plan and follow it. You can’t make progress without a plan. Work with a trainer who is versed in reactivity and has a track record of success. Our online reactivity course is al
You might not want to hear it, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need to. If you don’t change your behavior, your dog won’t change theirs. You can wish and complain and hope all you want, but until you do something about it, nothings getting better. Training your dog new skills takes time, consistency and a change in how you do things. Trust me when I tell you that training your dog is nowhere near as hard as getting pulled down by your dog, knocked over by them, damages to your home, the stress and everything that comes with an untrained dog. Embrace the process and let’s get started!
Are you guilty of any of these? I’m so excited for this series and covering loose leash walking ✨Hit that follow button so you don’t miss out on any of it!
I get it, I have heard the horror stories that come from board & train programs. I set out to create for you a better board & train ✨Imagine this: You find the right trainer, not just any trainer, someone who actually has good and realistic training without the BS. Your dog is learning in an environment that helps them thrive & be prepared for real world situations. They aren’t stuck in a crate for 22 hours a day with one session. Our signature K9-5 Board & Train program is done in a home setting where your dog will get lots of training, attention and the comforts of home. You don’t have to have big behavioral problems to work with a trainer, but if you do it’s cool because we work with tough dogs too! Believe it or not, you can have a great dog that you actually enjoy living with. Here’s what you get with our signature Board & Train ✨Custom training plan to hit your unique goals✨Your dog comes home to you on the weekends ✨Improved quality of life for you and your dog✨Owner involvement and education ✨A happy & healthier relationship with your dog. If you’re not ready to dive into training, thats fine. I just don’t want to see you struggle and miss out on that time with your dog. But, I’ll be here when you are ready! A few weeks from now, you could be sipping coffee or beer or cocktails at your favorite spot and have your dog calmly hanging out next to you. *Caution: The side effects of taking a well trained dog in public include but are not limited to excessive compliments, talking to strangers and adoring your dog. Here are some what our recent graduates experienced:“We were frustrated and the vet had even mentioned re-homing. Elizabeth is patient, kind and thorough in her approach and we now have a wonderful relationship with our puppy.”“Our experience with Pawsitive Vibes has been a life-changing one. If you have ever thought about engaging a trainer for your dog, this is who you want to go see. It’s an investment that will pay
Knowing these thresholds like the back of your hand is a key component to addressing your dog’s reactivity! If you don’t understand your dog’s thresholds or choose to ignore them, you won’t make progress. It’s as simple as that. If you only work your dog over threshold, your dog will continue to be reactive. You will get stuck in a spiral of doom and feel like there is no light at the end of the reactivity tunnel. You don’t have to be in a doom spiral though! Working with your dog’s thresholds and understanding them will require your daily walks to look a little different. You can’t keep doing the same thing and expect your dog to change. Making a mindset shift about your dog’s reactivity training will be a game changer for you too! Follow along for more helpful training tips and tricks 🫶🏼
Are you so over the barking, lunging and jumping at the door when people come in? Let’s talk about reactivity in the home. This is my dog Bella, she is people reactive to large men, especially when they are coming into her home. We had an exterminator coming to spray the house and I know I can’t have her out while a new man comes in the home. If you have a dog like this, first you have to figure out why they are reacting so strongly to someone coming in. For Bella, it’s stranger danger anxiety. It takes her a minute to warm up to someone new. (Go watch my types of reactivity reel if you’re not sure about your dog). My girl is good if she doesn’t have the person coming into her space, hence the crate and snacks. Step 1: figure out cause of reactivity. This helps treat the bigger issues and not just stop the barking. Step 2: Give your dog space. Your dog can’t learn when their brain is in overdrive mode. Get them distance so they can calm down and be in a learning headspace. Grab a leash or use a crate. They might even have to be in a whole separate room to start. Step 3: Consistently work the same successful set up every time someone comes in. Step 4: Start making progress. Slowly work your dog closer to being near the trigger. For Bella, that means in a crate in the same area. I’m not going to ever let her out when a new person is just popping in. This is as far as I want her to progress. I know it’s better for her to stay separate. Step 5: Make it a habit. Once you have gotten your dog to the final step, stick with it! The management then becomes routine for you and your dog. ✨Comment “Door Manners” to download our Guest Entry Instructions so your guests can see how they can help you with the training process!
Barrier reactivity is usually rooted in frustration. Frustration that they can’t get closer or further to or from a trigger. That dang wall, crate, car window, leash or whatever it might be is in the way! Some dogs only have this type of reactivity, but barrier reactivity can also overlap any of the other types to add to the excessiveness of a reaction. Follow along for our deep dive into all things reactivity!
If you want to learn more about how to work with your reactive dog, hit follow and join me for this deep dive into reactivity!
This can be the hardest type of reactivity for owners to work through because you are working against natural instinct. It’s also the hardest ones for owners to wrap their minds around because it drastically changes what they thought dog ownership would be like. That doesn’t mean you can’t have a well behaved, low reaction dog. It means it will take work, understanding of the breed and consistency. 👌🏼I personally own a genetically reactive dog and started seeing her reactivity/selectivity at 12 weeks old. We joke what an honor it is to be on the “Bella approved list” because not everyone makes that cut. Rather than trying to force her to be social with people and dogs, I know her limits and situations she will be successful in and keep her in her success zone. Every dog has their own unique ability to make sustainable change. For some dogs, you can think about their threshold as a rubber band. You can stretch that rubber band pretty far without it snapping but you won’t be able to stretch it across the room. Other dogs, think about their thresholds like the plastic cap on a bottle neck. You can bend it a little but it’s not stretching like that rubber band will. Some dogs have more room to grow just purely based off their genetic ability. If you have a dog with genetic based reactivity, this is the type where you really have to look at the individual and decide if you are trying to do what’s best for you or best for them. If you have a highly anxious dog, don’t take them to dog parks. It doesn’t matter if that’s what you want, they don’t want to go. If you have an Aussie and they aren’t snuggly and affectionate, don’t force them to be. They aren’t bread to be lap dogs. Do your research on the breeds and figure out how you can best help them be fulfilled biologically and give them and yourself some grace. Follow along so I can help you learn more about reactivity and how to manage it!
Do you have a fearful/ anxious dog and can’t understand why they can’t just get over it? It’s not as simple as that. Fear/anxiety based reactivity creates a biological fear response when they see a trigger that sends them into fight or flight mode. When they have these big feelings, they express them through barking, lunging and trying to create space and distance between themselves and their triggers. Space is the ultimate tool when you are working with fearful and anxious dogs. Do you have to move at a snails pace? No, you can help push your dog within reason but you absolutely do not want to flood them with a trigger. Building your relationship with your dog by constantly advocating for their space and leading them will help them feel more comfortable and confident in hard situations. If your fearful or anxious dog can trust that you are not going to let something bad happen to them, they are able to relax more and take a backseat rather than be loud and upfront trying to advocate for themselves. I am going to be blunt here. If your dog has fear/anxiety based reactivity, it might be something you manage for their whole lives. I’m not saying that no dog is capable of overcoming this, but it truly depends on your dog and their experiences. Just because you have to manage it long term doesn’t mean it’s always going to be a big ordeal. You can train and get them to the point where management is second nature and very easy to do. If you don’t know what type of reactivity your dog has, check out our recent reels to figure it out!
Did you know that there are different driving forces behind your dog’s reactivity? Understanding where your dog’s reactivity is rooted can help you create a training plan to help truly improve the root cause of the reactions. Follow along as we go through this series diving into reactivity
Did you know that your dog’s reactivity could be rooted in something specific? Figuring out what type of reactivity your dog has will help you create a training plan to best address the behavior! Follow along as we dive into all things reactivity for this series!
Do you even own a reactive dog if you haven’t come home crying from a walk that went terribly? Here are some tips that will help you every single timeWe have all had one of those walks…you know, the one where you run straight into another reactive dog, kids are running and screaming, some a$$ hole let their dog off leash and it ran up to you then had the audacity to tell you to train your dog?! It just seems the whole world is out to get you on that walk. Owning a reactive dog is HARD. Anyone trying to tell you it’s easy has never had a reactive dog. It’s emotionally draining and makes you feel so guilty, embarrassed and stressed to do every day activities. Then, you try to look online at how to help your reactive dog but just get lost and even more confused! Tips & tricks:✨ Get Distance: If you see a trigger that you know you won’t be able to pass or came out of nowhere, get distance! I don’t care if you have to turn and walk up someone’s driveway, down a street, cross the street, get in your car and drive to Australia…just get enough space that your dog can process that trigger. ✨Don’t try to stop your dog in the middle of a reaction by giving commands or yelling at them. Use movement and distance. ✨ Be Fluid: If you own a reactive dog, you don’t always have the luxury of a routine walk. Be adaptable and open to changing your plan. If you go outside and it’s busy, your dog is off or you are off, then go inside and reset. Maybe you don’t even go on that walk and you work on training/exercise inside. Just because you had a plan doesn’t mean you have to do it. ✨Stop thinking about the other people! You are doing the best you can. Don’t go into the walk wondering what people are going to think, say or judge. You are thinking about it way more than they are. Their opinions don’t help you and don’t help your dog, so don’t pay more attention to random people passing than to your dog who needs you! ✨If you have been struggling w
If you feel personally victimized by your dog, raise your hand 🙋🏻♀️This is Rooney’s story, but I know it sounds a lot like your story too…Rooney is a sweet, loving and happy boy. His family absolutely adores him but the struggle with the excessive excitement and pushy behavior was getting to be too much. They couldn’t take him on outings, adventures or do anything they dreamed of when they got a “family dog”. Only Rooney’s dad was able to walk him because he was the only one strong enough to hang on to the leash. Fast forward a few weeks and a k9-5 board and train later, Rooney is mentally is a much healthier space and his mom is finally able to walk him! The secret to success with Rooney was this:✨ Consistency. If you barge out of the crate 20x I am going to ask you back in 21x. If you do something we like, you get reinforced. If you do something we don’t like (100# of lab jumping up on you) there is a correction/interruption and a redirection to the correct behavior. ✨Slow it down. If you have excessive energy, we are not moving forward until you have settled. Even if that means I don’t have time for the session I wanted. An overexcited mind is not a mind ready to learn. ✨Communication. Rooney did our ecollar program and was on leash anytime he was out of his crate for the first week, so we had the ability to clearly guide him and communicate to him what we wanted. ✨Mindset work. Training place, impulse control and working on the art of doing nothing. This boy needed to learn how to settle and how to find his “off switch” ✨ Meeting the biological needs. Lots of playtime, fetch and retrieving games. ✨ A whole lot of work, love and consistency through his program. I am so proud of how far Rooney came during his program. He still has work to do and behavior to maintain but the difference from week 1 to week 3 was truly remarkable to watch. These are the reasons and moments that keep me doing what I do. Watching Rooney tr
You might not know this, but you can work with a trainer even if you don’t have “a bad dog”Picture this with me:It’s the perfect summer day, so you think “I would love to take my dog out” then realize you CAN! You don’t have to worry about them dragging you down the street or causing a scene. Why? because you invested in yourself and your dog’s wellbeing and got training!Not just any training, obviously, actually good and realistic training without the BS. Our signature K9-5 Board & Train program is done in a home setting where your dog will get lots of training, attention and the comforts of home . You don’t have to have big behavioral problems to work with a trainer, but if you do it’s cool because we work with tough dogs too. You can have a great dog that you want to train to reliably go on adventures with you. Here’s what you get with our signature Board & Train ✨Custom training plan to hit your unique goals✨Your dog comes home to you on the weekends ✨Improved quality of life for you and your dog✨Owner involvement and education ✨A happy & healthier relationship with your dog If you’re not ready to dive into training, thats fine. I just don’t want to see you struggle and miss out on that time with your dog. But, I’ll be here when you are ready! A few weeks from now, you could be sipping coffee or beer or cocktails at your favorite spot and have your dog calmly hanging out next to you. *Caution: The side effects of taking a well trained dog in public include but are not limited to excessive compliments, talking to strangers and adoring your dog. Here are some what our recent graduates experienced:“We were frustrated and the vet had even mentioned re-homing. Elizabeth is patient, kind and thorough in her approach and we now have a wonderful relationship with our puppy.”“Our experience with Pawsitive Vibes has been a life-changing one. If you have ever thought about engaging a trainer for your dog, this is who you want to
Are you living with a manipulative doodle? 😂Most of the doodles we work with have very similar behaviors that their owners want worked on. They are either reactive, over-attached, or are excessively excited. Sometimes they are all the above. The common trend with my lovely doodle owners is they say “they are just so cute, and I let them get away with everything.” That’s where these behaviors stem from. Dogs will do the least amount of work for the highest reward possible. Doing their own thing is definitely easier than listening to you. Doodles are so cute but they also are SO smart! Once they start realizing that they can walk all over you, get away with anything and basically do anything they want…it’s game over for you 🤷🏻♀️The best advice I have for my doodle owners is look past the cute face and look at the behavior. Do you want a dog that you can’t leave alone? Do you want a dog that constantly jumps on you, other people and is attached to your hip? If the answer is no, then it’s so important to train them just like any other dog! Setting very clear boundaries and structure for your doodle right from the start will help you avoid the spiral of behavior. Build their confidence and help them become resilient and happy dogs! If you are living with a manipulative doodle, send them our way, we love the doodles around here! #doodle #dogtrainer #doodletrainer #doodletraining #dogtraining #dogtraineradvice #dogtraining #doodledog #goldendoodle #dogtrainingtips
I bet you didn’t realize that simply saying Hi! Or Hello! Could be a trigger that sends your dog into a barking fit. I see this all of the time with dogs that come through out board & train program. I’ll be working on door desens and throw in a “Hello!” like I’m greeting someone at the door and the dogs 99.9% of the time get heightened and start barking or grumbling. This greeting has been paired so frequently with people entering and all of the feelings that come with guests entering. So, how do you work on this? Grab a leash and some treats and let’s go! 👉🏼 Start anywhere in your house and just say “Hi!” Or “Hello!” In the same way you greet people at the door(see what your dog does)👉🏼 If your dog starts barking or runs to the door, use the leash to help guide them away from the door, ask them to sit and reinforce. 👉🏼Now you have a baseline of the behavior so start from there. Say “Hi” or “Hello” in a neutral/calm voice. If your dog doesn’t react, reinforce. If they do, use the leash to guide them to the behavior you want instead or use the movement to help them settle. 👉🏼 Don’t move on to the next step until your dog is successfully staying calm for you to neutrally say a greeting. 👉🏼 Once they are successful here, make your greeting more and more chipper and realistic. Keep the pattern of: No reaction = reinforcement. Reaction = redirection. 👉🏼 Embrace the fact that you will sound like a parrot and start saying Hi! throughout your day. 👉🏼 Once you have success with your dog staying calm with the word, start adding in knocking and the door moving. You might have to fade back to saying your greeting in a more neutral voice if your dog struggles with this step. Then go back through these same steps and build it back up with the door being involved now. Pro tips:✨Use a treat pouch or put little bowls of their food around the house to be able to reinforce randomly. ✨ Work your session but t
