06/08/2026
Listening and paying attention to behavior is a tool we all have, learning how to work through those moments is where a positive reinforcement trainer comes in.
⚠️Reactivity Doesn’t Happen Overnight⚠️
(*except when underlying health issues are involved)
Reactivity often starts small.
Maybe it’s a little bark.
Then a bigger bark.
Then perhaps some lunging or growling.
Eventually, it can develop into a full reactive display, and in some cases, behaviours that people may label as aggression.
👀But here’s the thing…
Dogs don’t usually jump straight to the big reactions. They get there because the smaller ones weren’t working.
‼️(*The only exception where a dog will go from “nothing” to “reactive” suddenly is when health issues are involved )‼️
Imagine a dog sees something that worries them 👉 a stranger, another dog, a bicycle, a vehicle, or any other trigger.
Their first thought is often quite simple:
⚠️ “I’m uncomfortable with this. Please go away.”
So they communicate.
➖Maybe they freeze.
➖Maybe they stare.
➖Maybe they move away.
➖Maybe they give a quiet bark.
These are all attempts at communication.
Unfortunately, the world rarely responds in the way the dog hopes.
🔘The other dog doesn’t disappear.
🔘The person keeps walking towards them.
🔘The bicycle continues coming.
🔘The trigger remains.
So the dog tries harder.
📈 If a whisper doesn’t work, they raise their voice.
📈 If a bark doesn’t work, they bark louder.
📈 If that doesn’t work, they lunge.
📈 If that doesn’t work, they escalate further.
After all, from the dog’s perspective, they have been trying to communicate all along.
🟡Many reactive dogs spend months, or even years, practising these escalating behaviours before their owners realise there is a problem.
🔺By the time the reactivity becomes obvious, the dog has often worked their way through an entire ladder of behaviours trying to make the scary thing go away.
💡 This is why early intervention matters so much.
🔶If we can recognise the subtle signs of discomfort before they become bigger reactions, we can step in sooner.
〰️We can create distance.
〰️We can reduce exposure.
〰️We can teach alternative responses.
〰️We can use systematic desensitisation and counter-conditioning to change how the dog feels about their triggers.
🟢Most importantly, we can listen.
Because reactivity isn’t usually a dog being “bad.”
💯It’s a dog trying to communicate. 💯
And when we fail to hear the quiet messages, dogs often feel they have no choice but to shout.
❤️ The goal shouldn’t be to suppress the behaviour.
The goal should be to understand what the dog is trying to tell us and help them feel safe enough that they no longer need to say it
🐕🦺 Reactive dog is one that tries to communicate. Desperately.
Let’s listen. 🙏
🐶💙
