Want to prevent reactivity before it starts? Here’s one of the most overlooked skills—learning to watch without staring. Here’s how to tell the difference: 🔹 Watching = relaxed, checking in, less than 3 seconds of direct eye contact, able to disengage 🔹 Staring = stiff, tense, frozen in position, locked-in eye contact, unable to look around, sniff, or connect with you So, why does this become a problem? Because we often miss the early warning signs. 🚩 We confuse "socialization" with letting...

What's the Real Trigger? Have you ever been told that your anxiety is the reason your dog is reactive? Let me be clear: that’s not true. Reactivity stems from a combination of learning history and genetics—not your emotions. That said, our dogs do pick up on patterns and cues in ways we often don’t notice. After losing both Maxi and Enzo last winter, I noticed something surprising. I had always assumed I fed the dogs breakfast simply because it was morning. But in reality, it was Maxi and...

Are you a predator stalking your dog? Or the prey your dog wants to chase? When people practice recall or engage their dogs in play, they often face the dog and move in toward them. Cues are typically reduced to a single word like “come” or the dog’s name, with the tone becoming more forceful if there’s no immediate response. Let’s clear something up right away: a reliable recall doesn’t happen just because you said so. Really. 😊 Your dog doesn't come when called because you’re the boss or...