03/22/2025
I have a lot of respect for Sean O’Shea, but this is where we’ll have to agree to disagree. “Disarming” a behavior ultimately means punishing it (i.e., applying punishment to reduce the likelihood of that behavior), which is valid. However, for punishment to be effective, it must be clearly linked to a perceivable action so the dog understands how to avoid it. Additionally, the behavior we’re asking the dog to stop must be a reasonable request. Punishing a dog the moment it sees another dog risks reinforcing a negative association, potentially making the issue worse. Expecting a dog to selectively control its sight is also an unreasonable ask.
Some trainers believe punishing looking or loading works because obedience—such as teaching a proper heel—can naturally redirect the dog’s focus. This prevents the self-reinforcement of reactive behavior long enough for it to fade. However, in serious reactivity cases where negative associations with other dogs are at play, this approach can backfire, adding fuel to the fire rather than resolving the root issue.
So many of you struggling with reactivity issues need to do two things:
1/ Digest and process this simple formula, memorize it, and do not attempt to make it more complicated than it is.
2/ Stop allowing your reactive dog to look at other dogs.
Owners, once you truly *get* number one, and you see the clear sequence that takes you from relaxed/neutral dog to exploding dog, you are now empowered to solve the problem.
Of course the training universe will attempt to make reactivity into something profoundly complex — which will cause you to hesitate and second guess… which will cause you to fail. It’s not complex — not when it comes to how the reactivity escalation sequence works. Don’t let the multitude of online experts mislead you. Keep it simple, and you’ll succeed.
As for number two, this is also simple. Truly reactive dogs are unable to look at other dogs without moving — within milliseconds — onto the “lock”, and once locked on the “load” and “launch” come wildly fast and are often impossible to stop.
But because owners think: “Maybe he/she won’t do it this time.”, or “I don’t want to create a negative association.”, or “I want my dog to enjoy the sight of other dogs and make friends.”, or prior to this post you simply didn’t fully understand that looking was the gateway to the explosion… you allow the look.
Instead of doing what all the other owners who are struggling with reactivity are doing, do something different. Understand the reactivity escalation sequence, and knowing how it works, simply correct your reactive dog for attempting to get the sequence rolling by looking at prospective targets.
Yes, initially, we teach seriously reactive dogs not to look at other dogs — because they don’t know how to do so in a healthy fashion. And no, it doesn’t create a negative association — it begins to disarm the already existing negative association and gives you the chance to help your dog see other dogs from an emotionally neutral, and thus healthy standpoint. Over time, as your dog becomes more and more neutral (naturally counter-conditioning themselves) around dogs, you can slowly, incrementally, organically start to explore your dog’s limits and abilities. Perhaps, in a few months, your dog will be able to look at other dogs without escalation. Perhaps it will take more time. And perhaps you’ve got a very serious customer (a 1%er) who even after great amounts of time and effort still can’t look at dogs without racing through the R.E.S. Happily, these dogs are extremely rare — and thus why they’re called 1%ers. 🙂
PS, please for the love of all that is holy in actually successful dog training: don’t use food to try to redirect your reactive dog. Correct the looking behavior firmly and give your dog clear guidance/information about what is and isn’t desired/allowed. Because, if your dog is truly reactive, they won’t care what high-value food item you’re waiving in front of them — they will just continue to stare, and now you’re screwed.
PPS, sorry to say, if your reactive dog will take food, and disengage from the trigger/target, then you don’t have a reactive dog. True reactivity will ignore food every time, or will take it and go right back to the stare — and if they will take it, congratulations, now you’re training your dog to be reactive.
