10/12/2026
Not every change in your dog’s body language requires a correction.
Learning how to read dog body language is an important part of understanding dog reactivity.
When I’m working with a reactive dog, I pay attention to subtle changes in ear position, eye expression, sniffing, muscle tension, posture, and overall engagement. These can provide clues about the dog’s arousal level, emotional state, and how they’re responding to their environment.
Ears popping up or a dog suddenly becoming alert doesn’t automatically mean they’re about to react, and it certainly doesn’t mean they need a correction.
The goal is to recognize shifts in your dog’s emotional state, understand what those signals mean in context, and respond appropriately.
Reading your dog comes before deciding what to do next.
