02/07/2026
If I hear one more person tell a reactive dog owner that their anxiety is “travelling down the lead” and causing their dog’s reactivity, I’m going to scream 🫠
Let’s be real, reactivity isn’t that simple.
Dogs don’t become reactive because you are worried they’d bark. Genetics, learning history, frustration, fear, pain, arousal and the environment can all play a role. And yes, I’m not saying dogs can’t pick up on things like your body language and the tightening on the lead when you see a dog.... but blaming owners with a one line explanation just adds guilt and pressure to an already challenging journey.
You can absolutely make huge progress with your reactive dog, even if walking them causes you anxiety 💛
Here’s what I have my clients focus on instead ↓
✨ Learning to read their dog’s body language and understand the WHY behind the reactions
✨ Setting them and their dog up for success by building the right behaviours away from triggers first
If you’re ready to ditch the outdated comments and start training in a way that actually makes sense, drop me a DM and let’s see if we’d be a good fit x
