11/07/2025
Understanding Fixation Stages in Reactive Dogs & Why Early Intervention Matters
Reactivity rarely comes out of nowhere. It starts with a number of escalating behaviours — from noticing the trigger, to intense fixation, to full-blown barking & lunging. These fixation stages are your early warning signs. Learning to spot and interrupt them is key to both preventing reactions and creating lasting emotional change.
Fixation (intense staring, frozen posture, locked focus) is the moment a dog mentally shifts from awareness to a pre-reactive state. If this state is allowed to continue, adrenaline rises, the threshold is crossed, and you’re no longer training, you’re just managing a meltdown.
By calmly interrupting fixation before tension escalates, you give the dog a chance to choose a different behaviour — such as checking in with you — which we immediately reward. Over time, this reshapes the dog’s default response and builds positive associations and neutrality near triggers.
Failing to act during the early stages leaves you with fewer options later. Once a dog is barking or lunging, not only have you missed your oppurtunity, they’re no longer thinking — they’re reacting. At that point, you can only manage and retreat. No learning is happening.
Book a 1-1 session today and I can help build your dog's new emotional response to ANY trigger!