Reward Your Dog Training

01/18/2025

This one goes out to you, amazing reactive dog parent.

🦸You keep your dog safe in this chaotic world - even when he struggles.

🦸You see him as an individual with needs and feelings - even when it’s hard to meet them.

🦸You love him unconditionally - even when things get tough.

The world can sometimes be cruel to your kindness.

People say that you need to be more strict. You need to tell him who’s boss. You need to make him listen.

But I’m here to tell you:

Letting your dog tell you what he can and can’t handle paves the way to his healing.

Asking him if he’s feeling safe makes it possible for his nervous system to regulate.

Being on his team makes you a trusted partner.

So let them talk.

You *know* that your softness is your ultimate strength. 💪

Leave a like or share if this resonated with you. 👇

01/15/2025

01/08/2025

Hot take: Your dog probably isn’t being “aggressive” when she barks & lunges at dogs on the leash 🤯

You’re terrified that your dog is a danger to society with this out of control behavior…

…which is usually mistaken as aggression–but there’s so much more beneath the surface.

Could she really be dog aggressive?

Yes. BUT.

It’s pretty rare for a dog to be outright aggressive to *all* other dogs.

Here are the two reasons your dog is probably behaving in this annoying (and, let’s be real, incredibly embarrassing) way.

🐕‍🦺 She’s excited about other dogs.
She barks and lunges because she wants to get to them. But the leash stops her, so she feels frustrated because she can’t be the social butterfly she is. For her, that leads to frustration about being held back. The underlying emotion for this behavior is excitement mixed with frustration- not aggression.

🐕‍🦺 She’s scared of other dogs.
Because she is on a leash, she has no escape. She barks and lunges to scare other dogs away to protect herself. Her barking is not aggression, but a desperate plea for more distance from the scary dog. The underlying emotion for this behavior is fear.

Fortunately, you don’t have to feel completely out of control, on edge, and hypervigilant forever.

There are proven processes to help your dog feel safe on walks–so you can finally have the relaxing, connected walks you’ve been dreaming of.

Even if your dog IS aggressive towards other dogs?

This kind of training will help her heal, too.

Tell me in the comments what YOU and your dog are struggling with on walks. I’d love to connect with you there.
ً

01/08/2025

Walks ARE hard for you and your dog right now.

Every time you see one of her triggers - bikes, dogs, skateboards… - you brace yourself for a barking and lunging fit.

But you don’t feel good about not walking your dog either.

😟 You feel guilty that you’re not meeting her needs.

😟 She’s becoming a nuisance in the house without the exercise.

So- how CAN you exercise your reactive dog?

You may have to change some things to make walks better for her - and for you.

✅ De-Stressing Walks

If you think that walks have a place in your and her life, try one of the following hacks:

⭐ Walk her in quieter areas where fewer of her triggers are
⭐ Walk at times of day when you are less likely to see her triggers
⭐ Drive to a different neighborhood where she hasn’t practiced her reactivity a whole lot yet
⭐ Walk her in a quiet park

❌Switching Out Walks

The purpose of walks is to enrich your dog’s life and add something good into her life.

If your dog is scared of other dogs, people, bikes, etc. on walks, she feels significant stress each time you see one of these triggers. At this point, the stress may outweigh the benefits of the walks.

If your dog has multiple triggers and is set off more than 2 or 3 times on each walk, she’s practicing being reactive so much that it will be hard to teach her a different response than barking and lunging.

If you are very stressed on walks, then it’s also time to make a change. You deserve to feel relaxed and happy. If you are hypervigilant, worried and on edge on walks, walks are not serving you either.

If you think that you’re better off without walks, you can still give your dog exercise.

⭐ Rent a Sniffspot for some off leash fun
⭐ Check out a local business park after hours or a church parking lot on a long line
⭐ Go to a fenced dog park after hours when nobody is there
⭐ Explore the joys of toy play

Giving up or changing your walks doesn’t have to mean missing out on life.

But making some changes to your routine can help you lay the groundwork for successful reactivity reduction training.

What are you doing to mitigate your dog's triggers? Share below! ⬇️

01/08/2025

Helping your dog heal from leash reactivity is hard.

Not just for your dog - but also for you.

Because every time he explodes on leash, barking, lunging and pulling for one of his triggers, your nervous system gets triggered too.

And those frequent stressors add up. 😟

So - the thought of finally tackling his reactivity sounds kind of scary and stressful - even if you really want to have more peaceful walks.

But there ARE many good reasons why you and your dog deserve to heal from his reactivity - together!


⭐ Peace of Mind

You’ve been working hard to manage your dog’s world - but you know that management can fail. And you’ve been watching over your shoulder for triggers when you do take your dog out. What if you… didn’t have to? What if you could trust that you and your dog have the necessary skills to navigate the world together?

Reactivity Reduction Training can give you the peace of mind you deserve out on walks with your dog - the peace of mind that he can pass by his former triggers and just be a dog.

⭐ Strong Relationship

Living with - and walking - a reactive dog can cause stress between you two. And that can put a wedge between you and your dog. As you and he work together to overcome his out of control on leash behavior, you will grow together as a team. You will develop trust and confidence in each other, and that will give you both the confidence you need to take on those triggers.

⭐ Bigger World

Because of his reactivity, you need to keep your dog’s world smaller than it could be right. And that is sad and frustrating. What if you could take walks on sunny days, in busier neighborhoods or on urban trails? Unlocking your dog’s potential with reactivity reduction training will allow you to open up your dog’s world more.
And that means more adventure and fun - for both of you!

Why are you hoping to heal your dog’s reactivity? Share in the comments 🔽!

12/27/2024

How is 2024 almost over? I sure learns lot this year, and a lot was about dogs. Give this episode a listen and let me know what YOU learned.

Podcast Episode · Reward Your Dog Podcast · 12/26/2024 · 43m

12/24/2024

You’re out on a walk with your dog, and suddenly… and it happens. *ominous music*

Your dog begins barking, lunging and pulling on the leash. You’re struggling to hold on to her.

Then you realize: It’s a squirrel.

And it’s too late now. Things are about to get real… messy.

You try to contain your out of control dog by pulling her forward so you can get past squirrel central.

But it feels unmanageable. And for a moment your heart stops. 😱

What if you drop the leash?

… She could run into traffic.

… You might not be able to find her or call her back.

… Neighbors will see you and judge how you handle her.

Or, you’ll hang on–but the rest of your walk is chaotic and filled with anxiety.

What if there *was* another way to handle this situation?

There is!

🪷Here are 3 Steps to a Calm, Controlled Walk:

🎧 Presence & Connection
Walks can be a relaxed, connected experience–when you’re in the moment with your dog.

Leave your headphones at home, and take this time to focus on her and her needs. When you are not distracted by other things, you can more easily pay attention to her and the environment. And that means you can catch reactive outbursts before they start, using the next two tips:

🐕‍ Body Language Awareness
Her body tells you how she feels. Barking and lunging is her way of telling you that she is feeling overexcited or anxious at this moment.

But if you look closely…
You will see many signals in her body language before the barking and lunging happens. She might perk up her ears, begin sniffing the air, or lift her head. If you learn what she looks like before she lunges, you can help her as soon as things begin to escalate with THIS strategy:

🦴 Positive Interruptor
Use treats proactively to distract your dog before she begins barking and lunging at her squirrel friend.

Give your dog a treat to chase instead of a squirrel!

This strategy is called “trigger mitigation”. Trigger mitigation will prevent her from having big outbursts - win-win for both of you.

I am here to help you have chill, happy walks.

What questions do you have about trigger mitigation? Ask in the comments, I am happy to answer.

12/24/2024

12/23/2024

🦸Your superpower empowers you to help your leash reactive dog heal!

You don’t feel like you have superpowers right now.

You often feel powerless and worried when your dog barks and lunges at his triggers on leash.

You’re even scared that one day you won’t be able to control him anymore…

…And yet.

You do have a superpower - the power of observation.

The power of seeing your dog every day - when he’s asleep, when he’s excited, when he’s goofy and when he’s reactive.

Why is this a superpower?

Because learning what your dog does right before he barks, lunges and growls at his triggers is the KEY to your dog’s healing.

Let me explain:
There’s something called the sweet spot.

This is the spot where your dog can watch his triggers - bikes, dogs, cars, humans - with interest - but *without* having a big reactive outburst.

This is the spot where you can begin helping your dog heal from his reactivity - by allowing him to see his triggers and teaching him new, calm skills around them.

But what does the sweet spot look like?

Here’s where your superpower comes into play!

On your next walk, observe your dog as you walk with him on leash. Ask yourself:

❓What does his body look like when he sees a trigger?
❓What do his ears do?
❓What does his tail do?

When a dog gets excited, their body experiences a burst of adrenaline and other stress hormones. This will lead your dog’s body to change.
He will go from relaxed to tense, from wiggly to stiff, and from exploring the environment to focusing on the trigger.

If he is excited, his ears will perk up, his spine straighten, and his head come up.
If he is scared, he will fold his ears in, shrink back, and compress his body towards the floor.

Once you know your dog’s sweet spot, you can begin the journey towards recovery.

And you have everything you need to help your dog - because you have the superpower of observation.

What does your dog look like when they hit their “sweet spot?” Share in the comments to help other guardians. ⬇️

And please like 👍 and share ▶️ if this was helpful to you!

12/03/2024

Great contributions! The top picture is more harmonious:
- dogs are playing side by side
- they have relaxed faces and soft eyes
- the dog on the left shows flexion in his front leg
- loose and relaxed bodies

The other dogs are facing each other. They are stiff and rigid, and the doxie has their hackles up. Their heads are raised. So much tension! I hope this didn’t end in a fight.

11/29/2024

What do you see in these two images I pulled from the web? Who is more friendly with each other? Who is more likely to start a fight? Who is having more fun? I'd love to hear what you see.

11/28/2024

Be kind to yourself and your dog this holiday season. I'm glad you're here!

11/25/2024

We did a new podcast on this upcoming season of holiday gatherings. Enjoy!

Podcast Episode · Reward Your Dog Podcast · 11/24/2024 · 39m