Chris Taylor-Rea - Dog Training

Chris Taylor-Rea - Dog Training 🐕 Dog Behaviourist | Trainer | Human Coach
🐾 Behaviour transformation expert
✅ 10+ years’ experience
💻 Online and in person
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29/05/2026

More training isn’t ALWAYS the answer to recall issues.

Yes, training matters — but one of the biggest things owners skip is building genuine connection with their dog outside of the home.

So many dogs are constantly being walked, trained, corrected, or distracted with treats and toys… but rarely given the chance to just slow down and be WITH their owner.

Sometimes, sitting still together and spending quality 1-1 time is one of the most valuable things you can do.

It helps regulate your dog’s nervous system, lowers arousal levels, and starts building value in being close to you outside.

Because in those moments, your dog is choosing to engage with you.
Not because you’ve asked.
Not because you’ve got food.
But because they’re learning there’s someone on the other end of the lead worth paying attention to.

You just have to create the space for that connection to happen.

26/05/2026

If every walk feels stressful… the walk itself might be the problem.

One of the biggest challenges with a reactive dog is trying to avoid situations that push them over threshold. So your walks start looking like this:

walking at quiet times
avoiding parks
constantly scanning the environment
hoping you don’t suddenly bump into another dog

And when you do… your dog explodes, the stress levels rise, and both of you come home frustrated.

But here’s the thing:
If every walk feels like survival mode, your dog probably isn’t ready for that environment yet.

Instead of trying to force “normal” walks, separate your dog’s WALKS from their TRAINING.

Your dog still needs daily enrichment, movement, and opportunities to just be a dog — but ideally in a calm, low-pressure environment where they can:

sniff freely
decompress
engage with you
explore without constantly being triggered

Then separately, find ONE suitable training location where you can work at a distance your dog can actually cope with. Somewhere with space, escape routes, and enough predictability that you can manage the environment properly.

That becomes training — not your daily walk.

When you stop trying to multitask walks and reactivity training at the same time, everything gets clearer.
You make better decisions.
Your dog feels safer.
And progress usually starts happening much faster.

23/05/2026

The same street walk from A to B isn’t what your gun dog was bred for.

They were built to use their brain.
To work with you.
To retrieve, search, problem-solve, and fulfil instinctive behaviours.

Constantly walking through stimulating environments and taking in new information can actually keep some dogs in a heightened state of arousal — which is why more walking doesn’t always create a calmer dog.

Instead, you’ll often build a better connection and create more fulfilment through structured games in a smaller space. Retrievals, search games, engagement work, and purposeful activities tap into what your dog actually needs.

These games aren’t just “extra enrichment.”
For many gun dogs, they’re essential.

Yes — dogs still need time to explore and decompress outdoors. But if you’re struggling with over-arousal, poor focus, reactivity, or behavioural issues, start by meeting the needs they were bred for first.

Follow for more gun dog training tips, behaviour insights, and practical games you can start today 🐾

16/05/2026

How to be the fun police… without actually being the villain 👮‍♀️🐶

There are times when you’ll need to interrupt two dogs playing.

Maybe you’re noticing one dog is giving signs they’ve had enough… but the other – less experienced or just too over-stimulated (over-aroused) – hasn’t spotted it. You can see it has the potential to escalate.

Or you’re down the park, your dog has made a new best mate, and you need to leave… but how do you stop play when they’re having the BEST time ever?

First, it’s worth noting: play for dogs is euphoric.
Research into the play system in dogs and the release of opioids highlights the complex relationship between play, euphoria and opioid release.

So when you suddenly stop play?
You’re interrupting something that literally feels amazing to them.

That explains why recall can be so difficult in these moments.

So how do you teach an “Enough” cue?

Start easy. Zero distractions.

✨ Step 1
Pair the word “Enough” with a generous handful of your dog’s favourite high-value food.
Repeat at least 10 times.

✨ Step 2
Say “Enough” when your dog is in another room or sniffing in the garden.
They should come rushing in!

✨ Step 3
Add a little excitement. Play with them. Maybe have a helper gently hype things up.
Call “Enough!”
They should return for their lavish pay-out.

✨ Step 4
Work up to real-life play. Use “Enough” when your two dogs are just interacting at home — before play becomes too stimulating.

And just like that, you’ve built a force-free way of being the fun police 🚨
You’re not shutting down joy.
You’re teaching emotional regulation, safety, and a clean exit from excitement.

Because the goal isn’t to stop play — it’s to make sure everyone is still having fun.

14/05/2026

I hear these 3 mistakes ALL the time as a dog trainer working with problem teenage & adult dogs… and I wish this advice was shared more. 🐶

Read this now and you’ll thank yourself later 👇

Number 1)
Waiting until they’re fully vaccinated to start training loose lead walking & recall.

Then wondering why your dog has ZERO engagement on walks… 😅

Those first few weeks at home are GOLD.

That’s when you:
• Get them used to their harness
• Teach the basics of heel position
• Charge your recall word with food and toys
• Build engagement

Then when you go on your first walks, you just add tiny bits of structure — I’m talking 30 seconds here and there. Keep expectations LOW (their little minds are blown! 🤯)

You’ll be amazed what a strong foundation does when adolescence hits.

Number 2)
Attending badly run “puppy parties.”

There are some great classes out there… but there are also a lot that create problems.

So many reactive cases I see started with an under-confident puppy in class. The owner thought:
“If I take them more, and push them to socialise, they’ll grow in confidence.”

But what actually happens?

A nervous puppy learns:
“No matter what I do, dogs don’t leave me alone… and they’re scary.”

That’s not socialisation — that’s flooding.

Where possible, socialise with calm, well-rounded adult dogs who can actually communicate and back off appropriately.

Number 3)
Prioritising play over sleep.

This is HUGE.

I always do a sleep assessment with puppies who are extra mouthy or lacking self-control — and it’s often the number 1 issue.

Owners think:
More stimulation.
More enrichment.
More toys.
More walks.

When actually… the puppy needs structure and controlled downtime.

I’m currently raising a 1-year-old little girl — I can tell you first hand what broken sleep does to mood 😅

Puppies aged 8–12 weeks should be getting 18–20 hours of sleep.

Track your pup’s sleep. Make sure they’re getting enough… or else. 👀

Which one surprised you the most? 👇
Or which one did you accidentally do? Be honest 😅

Save this for when adolescence hits.

08/05/2026

Stop relying on treats for recall… this might be why it’s failing 👀

So your dog comes back → you give a treat → repeat…
…but when it actually matters? They ignore you.

Here are 3 reinforcers that often work better 👇

1️⃣ High-intensity play
Not just throwing a ball...
I’m talking about proper play — chase, tug, excitement.

Something like a flirt pole (like in this video) creates a huge rush and keeps your dog engaged with you.
Use it in short bursts so it stays high value.

2️⃣ Make food more exciting
Dogs love food… but eating from your hand is boring.

Instead:
➡️ Throw it
➡️ Scatter it
➡️ Hide it

You can use something like a food toy (Tug-E-Nuff's Clams for example) to throw, or just launch the treat far so they chase it.
Now you’ve added movement + search + reward = way more powerful.

3️⃣ Let them “win” something
Some dogs LOVE holding objects.

Plastic bottles, cardboard cups, boxes…
Not to destroy — just to carry and own.

That feeling of “I’ve got something valuable” can be incredibly reinforcing.

Bonus 🎯
Got a dog that loves bubbles?
A handheld bubble machine can be an amazing recall reward.

The key?
👉 Not all dogs work for treats
👉 Variety builds stronger recall
👉 Make coming back the BEST part of the walk

Follow for more real-life dog training tips 🐾

05/05/2026

If your dog goes CRAZY at the TV… you might be training it without realising 👀

So many people avoid shows like The Dog House (yep… you might’ve seen me on there as a Dog Handler👋) because their dog just won’t settle.

Here’s what actually works 👇

✔️ Introduce a clear reward word
Use a clear marker like “yes” = reward

✔️ Start EASY
Still image of an animal → mark & reward for looking

✔️ Then flip it
Stop rewarding the stare…
Reward the disengage/looking back at you (this is the magic)

✔️ Build it up
Movement → then sound → then full scenes (Smart TV's linked to Youtube are perfect for this!)

✔️ Only step in if needed
Lead + name = backup, not the main strategy if reaction occours. Reduce intensity of your training back a step.

✔️ Be Consistent
Each time your dog barks they practice this before. So wear a treat pouch constantly to enforce this training!

Do this right and your dog will start choosing YOU over the TV 🙌

Follow me for more real-life training fixes like this 🐾

01/05/2026

🚨 You might be accidentally making your dog MORE reactive…

…and it’s coming from a place of trying to help 👇

You see a dog in the distance…
So you:

👉 Grab treats early and wave them in your dog’s face
👉 Or let them look for 3 seconds… then panic and pull them away

Because you’ve heard of the “3 second rule”… right?

⚠️ Here’s the problem:

You’re not teaching your dog how to process the situation…
You’re teaching them to either:

❌ Avoid it completely
❌ Or get rushed out of it

💡 What should you be doing instead?

I rarely interrupt what’s going on in a dog’s head…
IF their body language stays calm and low arousal.

Because this is where the magic happens ✨

Your dog is:
👀 Looking
🧠 Processing
⚖️ Deciding what to do next

In this video, Flo makes the right choice to disengage 👇
And that didn’t happen by accident…

It’s because we set it up properly:

✔️ The RIGHT distance
✔️ A strong history of rewarding disengagement
✔️ No tight lead, no dragging away

👉 Result?
She chooses calm. On her own.

And THAT is what we reinforce 💰

🔥 Real talk:

If you constantly step in too early…
Your dog never learns how to handle the situation themselves.

👇 Let me ask you:

Are you guiding your dog…
Or controlling every moment?

Follow for real-world reactive dog training tips 🐾

29/04/2026

🚨 STOP doing this on walks… it’s making your dog MORE reactive 👇

You’re approaching that corner…
Blind spot.
You’ve seen a dog there before.

You hear someone coming…
So what do you do?

👉 Tighten the lead.
👉 Brace yourself.
👉 Hope for the best.

Sound familiar?

Here’s the problem 👇

❌ That tight lead?
You’ve just told your dog: “Something’s about to go down.”

❌ That anxious feeling?
Your dog remembers that spot too… and now you’ve confirmed it’s a “problem area.”

❌ Same route, same setup?
You’re rehearsing the same reaction over and over again.

💡 So what should you do instead?

✔️ Keep the lead loose but controlled
Enough control, without adding pressure.

✔️ Let your dog see the trigger EARLY
Don’t hide it. Don’t distract endlessly.
👉 The earlier they see it, the more time they have to process.

✔️ Move towards the trigger slightly
This helps “point it out” clearly instead of it suddenly appearing.

✔️ REWARD disengagement like it’s gold 💰
Every look away = big win.

✔️ Step in front if needed
You become a visual barrier + signal to others:
“My dog is in training.”

✔️ Use your voice if you need to
🗣️ “My dog’s in training and may react!”
Most people will give you space.

⚠️ Hard truth…

Most reactive dog owners don’t have a training problem…
They have a planning problem.

If your current route sets your dog up to fail…

👉 Change it.
👉 Drive somewhere quieter.
👉 Choose space over convenience.

Your dog doesn’t care if the park is 5 minutes away…
They care about feeling SAFE getting there.

🔥 Want calmer walks without the stress?

Follow for more dog reactive tips!👇

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