26/05/2026
This is exactly how so many owners accidentally create a reactive dog!
Here we were purposely building Halo’s confidence & drive towards the decoy (in a controlled protection sports club environment, with an experienced decoy). Purposely doing what I see pet dog owners doing unknowingly every day, in contexts where they don’t want these behaviours - such as towards other dogs, people or even vehicles.
Same patterns, less awareness.
It’s really common that pet dogs start reacting from a place of being a bit unsure about something. They may have been quite anxious about their triggers to begin with, for a number of reasons. But with the right genetics and environmental responses, pretty soon that shifts into something that is reinforcing in itself - a habitual behaviour that the dog gets a great deal of value out of.
Owners and even trainers often miss that shift, treating it solely as a “fear” issue - which leaves them stuck and in management and avoidance mode for years.
Instead, we approach reactivity through a combination approach.
- Use equipment that allows for proper control.
- Teach the dog what we DO want.
- Give productive outlets such as play for their genetic drives, and use that to teach control in higher levels of arousal (not aiming for “calm” at all times).
- Build their confidence - in us as handlers, the world as a cool place to exist, and themselves as resilient dogs who can handle the world.
- Once they know what we want, and care about our opinion, then we will absolutely correct residual reactive behaviour - the door to that behaviour is now closed, but you can do this other thing with me instead. With the rest in place, this can be quite undramatic.
Through this approach, we have successfully helped many dogs from being stuck in their driveway to tackling busy walks & dog spaces with confidence.
Need help with your dog? We help dogs and owners on the Sunshine Coast live bigger, more confident lives together.
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