22/05/2026
When we are working with a reactive dog (guard dog) we first look at all of the behaviours that the family calls reactive and then also understand the dogs perspective- whether the behaviour is normal for the breed, whether the dog has appropriate exercise and sleep schedules and whether the ‘reactivity’ is coming in the way of the dog and community living a healthy lifestyle
In Rocky’s case, it’s absolutely normal for an adult GSD to take time to befriend new people and we will work towards building a system through which the family can slowly get him acquainted with new staff at home
When it comes to his barking and lunging during walks, we will do a mix of setting up a good exercise routine and walk training with treats to shift his focus from the world outside to the handler