DroopyChaos

DroopyChaos Positive training for reactive, anxious dogs. Nurturing well-mannered confident companions.

What can I do with my dog to avoid them developing barrier frustration? 👇Let’s talk tethering—because prevention is ofte...
17/07/2025

What can I do with my dog to avoid them developing barrier frustration? 👇

Let’s talk tethering—because prevention is often about structure, not control.

I’m not saying tether your dog for hours.
I’m saying build their ability to settle calmly when nothing exciting is happening.
It’s a skill. And it’s a skill worth teaching before the reactivity starts.

Here’s the problem:
Many dogs are constantly aroused until they drop from exhaustion.
That arousal, if unmanaged, can become frustration.
And frustration, when practiced daily, becomes reactivity.

So how do we help?

🪢 Tethering (or supervised crate time) teaches your dog:
🧘‍♀️ How to calm themselves
⏳ How to wait without demanding
🐾 That being still is safe

Start small:

Short supervised sessions in a boring space

Reward calmness (not eye contact, not whining, not fidgeting—calm)

Ignore the appeasement behaviours

Don’t let them “earn” freedom by begging for it

Then build up:

Settle near a window, with mild distractions

Settle on walks or during guest visits

Settle in new environments

This doesn’t make your dog less happy—it makes them more emotionally balanced.

Because dogs who have no structure and no alone time?
They become dependent, overstimulated, and anxious.
And that anxiety often shows up at the window, behind the fence, or when they can’t reach what they want.

It’s all about your timing, your consistency, and your boundaries.

Do you practice tethering or structured settle time with your dog? If not, what’s stopping you? Let’s chat in the comments 👇

We’ve all been there—your dog explodes at someone or something, and you feel embarrassed, frustrated, and even angry. Bu...
09/07/2025

We’ve all been there—your dog explodes at someone or something, and you feel embarrassed, frustrated, and even angry. But what you do next matters more than you think.

Here are 3 common reactions that can cause more harm than good:
❌ 1. Leaning over them and grabbing their face
This might feel instinctive, but it can backfire fast.
Your dog could bite you out of fear—and even if they don’t, they may start to see you as unsafe. Leaning over them after a stressful moment can feel extremely threatening, not calming.

❌ 2. Shouting or wagging your finger in their face
In a high-arousal state, your dog isn’t being “naughty”—they’re dysregulated.
Punishing them when they’re already overwhelmed can push them further into panic. A dysregulated dog is an unpredictable dog. It’s not correction—it’s confusion.

❌ 3. Popping the lead and dragging them back into position
Yanking or forcing your dog into a heel doesn’t teach them how to feel better.
It shuts them down. They might stop reacting temporarily—but they’re not learning. They’re just surviving the moment until they can escape.

So what should you do instead?

Take a breath. Take a step back.
Ask yourself: “Did I set my dog up for success?”

If your dog feels the need to defend themselves, it’s often because they’ve learned no one else will.
That’s not your dog being dramatic—it’s them showing you where they need support.

Go back to basics. Reduce distractions. Advocate for their space.
That’s how you rebuild trust and create real change.

🧠 Reminder: Reactivity isn’t a character flaw or a behaviour "issue"—it’s communication.
And if we can hear it and understand it, we can help.

Have you ever made one of these mistakes before? You’re not alone. Drop a 💬 if you’re committed to showing up differently for your dog—and tag someone working through reactivity, too.

Correcting out of frustration won’t make your dog more obedient—it’ll make them more unstable.We’ve all had those moment...
09/07/2025

Correcting out of frustration won’t make your dog more obedient—it’ll make them more unstable.

We’ve all had those moments.
Your dog reacts, pulls, ignores a cue—
And your body tightens. Your voice raises. You correct them not to teach... but because you’re frustrated.

But here’s the truth:
Training can’t happen when you’re dysregulated.
And it definitely can’t happen when your dog is too.

Correcting out of frustration doesn’t create a reliable dog.
It creates a nervous one. One who tiptoes around you, unsure what’s “right” or “wrong.”
And that doesn’t build trust. It builds stress.

✨ Frustration is not failure.
It’s a sign to step back, breathe, and regulate yourself first.

Lower the pressure. Shift the goalposts.
Because real behaviour change takes: • Time
• Patience
• Consistency
• And lots of micro-wins along the way

And that idea of a “well-behaved dog”?
Let’s challenge it.

You already have a good dog.
You just need to understand each other better.
Work with the dog in front of you—and the behaviour will follow.

🧠You don’t have to choose between being effective and being kind.

Have you caught yourself training from a place of frustration? Drop a ❤️ if you’re learning to take a pause before you react.
Tag someone who needs this reminder today 🐾

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Harlow
CM20

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