One of the biggest challenges many pet parents face is figuring out how to navigate their dog’s reactivity. Whether it’s barking every time the doorbell goes or lunging at strangers, having a nervous dog in your family can feel stressful.
Although there are many potential causes of reactivity in dogs, the most common ones tend to be anxiety, incorrect socialization, and a lack of education around proper dog walking etiquette.
While learning how to calm a reactive dog can certainly be helpful, as with all things, prevention is better than cure. Thankfully, expert trainer Andrea Isabell has shared a helpful video to Instagram where she shares four tips you can use today to ensure your dog stays calm in triggering situations.
1. Take it slow: “Slow down and wait for organic behaviors like eye contact instead of commanding your dog into obedience positions,” Isabell advises.
2. Mindset is everything: “Be mindful of the state of mind you encourage most in your dog. Do you play play play with them or encourage relaxation like place and downtime in the kennel?”
3. Be self aware: “Understand the role you play in the relationship with your dog and make changes in how you live with them,” says Isabell. “Constant cuddle and couch time? No boundaries? Adding structure and boundaries is a great place to begin.”
4. Practice self care: “Take care of yourself first! You can’t show up for others (or your dog) if you aren’t showing up for yourself,” Isabell explains.
As with teaching any new skill or behavior, dealing with reactivity takes time, patience, and consistency. If you find that after several months of working with your nervous pup you’re not seeing the positive progress that you’d like, we recommend reaching out to a professional trainer for some 1:1 support.
For more great canine tips and tricks, be sure to check out our guide to how to stop a dog from jumping up.
