28/09/2026
🐾 REACTIVE DOGS: WHY AVOIDING TRIGGERS ISN’T THE WHOLE ANSWER 🐾
When you have a reactive dog, it can be tempting to avoid every trigger you possibly can — turning around on walks, crossing the road, avoiding other dogs or only walking at quiet times.
And sometimes, creating distance is absolutely the right thing to do. A dog that is already over threshold cannot learn effectively.
But completely avoiding triggers forever doesn’t teach your dog how to cope with them. It can actually mean that your dog gets fewer opportunities to learn that seeing another dog, person, environment or situation doesn’t automatically mean something bad is going to happen.
This is where controlled exposure and neutral walking can help.
🐕 What are neutral pack walks?
A neutral pack walk isn’t about letting dogs meet, greet or play together.
It’s about teaching dogs to walk around other dogs without needing to interact with them.
Dogs are given space and are encouraged to focus on their handler, move calmly, observe their surroundings and learn that other dogs can simply exist nearby without becoming an exciting or threatening event.
Over time, this can help build:
✔️ Confidence
✔️ Focus around distractions
✔️ Impulse control
✔️ Calmness around other dogs
✔️ Better handler engagement
✔️ The ability to disengage from triggers
✔️ Positive experiences around situations they previously struggled with
CONSISTENCY IS KEY
Reactive behaviour doesn’t usually change after one walk or one training session.
It takes repetition, consistency and realistic expectations.
