Loose Lead Club

19/06/2026

You cannot erase a dog's memory.

Your dog's reactivity is a behaviour. And behaviour has memory. That is why behaviour rehabilitation is so hard.

You can't just "delete" the old reactions. You can't wipe the slate clean. Those neural pathways exist — and they always will.

The goal of behaviour rehabilitation is to quickly, effectively, and ethically build NEW memory pathways.

At the same time, you must limit their ability to access the old pathways through management.

Make the new pathways super valuable. Make them super clear. And make it obvious to the dog that accessing the old pathways is simply not worth it anymore.

That's the work. That's what real rehabilitation looks like.

Comment BOSTON below and I will send you the full video on play and reactive dogs.

dogtraininguk balanceddogtraining dogbehaviourist reactivedogowner dogpsychology dogtrainingadvice reactivedogtraining dogrehabilitation dogbrainscience neuroplasticity dogmum dogdad dogowner dogbehavior dogtrainingcommunity

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Want me to adjust anything or shall I hold it ready for when the Instagram connector is back?

16/06/2026

Transformation of a reactive dog ...

10/06/2026

Your reactive dog started their reactive behaviour way before you saw it exploding at the end of the lead.

Those small boundary pushes that you feel when you're enforcing but you're just that side, so you're in a big big problem.

Boundaries that are very clear to dogs and enable them to have a big life.

Those dogs that have been lacking boundaries often have smaller lives than those that have very clear, very understandable boundaries.

04/06/2026

You're forever told that a long line is just a long line. However the amount of dogs that I've seen and worked with that have come to us that have been on a long line for years have this very odd gait where they walk sideways and they're often incredibly tight down one side, having not been able to run as they should be able to run as dogs.

Here is a direct comparison of what I've seen so often.

02/06/2026

Marketing is very, very clever and when it comes to your dog it is incredibly easy to use language as a way of trying to convince you that something is better or kinder.

The amount of clients that then come and work with us or trainers similar, who are then completely flabbergasted as to how much happier their dogs are and how much better the relationship is.

They've sat on that fence watching and watching and watching and then suddenly feel brave enough to take the plunge because the words abuse, aversive, outdated have sat on those owners' minds and created severe doubt.

Trust your intuition. Trust your eyes

01/06/2026

In Week 3 of The Boston Project, Boston the dog-reactive Rottweiler had a reactive start to the session, but what happened afterwards showed real progress.

Boston initially reacted, but instead of staying stuck in that state, he recovered, refocused, and went on to have an excellent session. This is a huge part of reactive dog training. Progress is not about never reacting. It is about helping the dog recover faster, think more clearly, and make better choices after a difficult moment.

In this episode, we look at Boston’s reaction, how he came back from it, and why recovery is such an important milestone when working with dog reactivity.

In this video, you’ll see:

Boston’s reactive start to the session

How quickly he was able to recover

Why recovery matters in reactive dog training

The difference between a setback and real progress

How structure, handling, and clarity helped Boston settle

Week 3 progress in Boston’s 8-week transformation journey

If you have a reactive dog, a dog that barks and lunges at other dogs, or a powerful breed that struggles around triggers, this series shows what real behaviour change can look like over time.

Follow Boston’s 60-day journey as we work week by week to reduce his dog reactivity and help him become calmer, clearer, and more resilient around other dogs.

Subscribe to follow the full Boston Project.

31/05/2026

When you have a reactive dog, you often think, "I wish my dog could come into this type of dog-friendly environment. I'm seeing all these other dogs here, so why can't mine?"

I promise you, so many of those dogs are there not because of their training but mainly because their temperament just allows them to be an easy-going dog that just hasn't developed such significant behavioural issues. It's such a problem that people will forgive a bit of jumping up and the odd yap or bark.

The vast majority of people can't take their dogs into public spaces because of reactivity, and outside you'll mainly see the dogs in those spaces that are just about good enough to be there!

25/05/2026

21/05/2026

19/05/2026

This is fully peer-reviewed science that has been tested and proved in the real world time and time again. Not like 99% of the dog science

Facts are facts unfortunately