05/28/2026
I took Luke to the vet for his annual checkup this week. Having a dog reactive dog can make vet visits stressful, but thankfully our vet is amazing and does their best to keep dogs from interacting too much. We got there about 15 minutes early so we could sit, decompress, and practice being calm before going inside.
The parking lot was pretty full, so I couldn’t really pick a spot that gave us much space. Another car pulled in right after us with a dog. I was talking calmly to Luke and trying to keep his focus on me, but he noticed the other dog and started barking. Then I heard the woman in the other car yelling at Luke to “shut the f**k up.”
I looked over for a second, and I think my face made it pretty clear I wasn’t impressed with her behavior. Honestly, she was acting worse than Luke. I put my focus right back on him, and we were able to calm down and move on.
Luke is my first reactive dog, and this has been something completely new for me. We’ve spent hundreds of hours working through his reactivity, and he has come such a long way. Our walks are calm now, and when he does have an episode, we’re usually able to redirect and regain focus pretty quickly.
A lot of people don’t understand how hard it can be living with and training a reactive dog. It’s embarrassing sometimes, and you start wondering if people think it’s your fault or a lack of training. But reactive dogs are not “bad dogs.” They are dogs struggling with fear, overstimulation, anxiety, or frustration.
I don’t scream at Luke for barking. Barking is communication. It’s his way of telling me he’s uncomfortable or overwhelmed, and that’s okay. My goal with training has never been to silence him. It’s to help him feel more confident and comfortable in the world.
So if you see someone working with their reactive dog, please show a little grace. Don’t yell at their dog. Don’t make the situation harder. Just focus on your own dog and know that person is probably trying their absolute best. Too many people give up because they’re afraid of being judged.
