I’ve been training dogs for over 30 years, from family pets to police K9s, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that dogs are individuals. They’re living, emotional beings, not robots. So when I see trainers offering the same “fix” for every reactive dog, it’s a major red flag.
Reactivity—that lunging, barking, and carrying on at the sight of another dog, a person, or a car—is a symptom, not the root cause. My eighth commandment is to always find the root cause before addressing the symptom. Is the dog fearful? Frustrated? Is it a lack of impulse control? A cookie-cutter approach that just throws corrections at the problem without understanding the *why* is not only unfair, it’s often ineffective. Clarity is kindness, and you can't be clear if you don't understand the problem yourself.
A reputable trainer will start by assessing your specific dog. They’ll look at breed tendencies—you can't ignore the genetics of a high-drive working breed—as well as the dog's individual history and temperament. From there, they’ll build a plan. For a fearful dog, the approach might involve slow, positive counter-conditioning. For a frustrated dog who just wants to play, it might be about teaching impulse control and a solid "place" command.
Remember my third commandment: faster is not better. Building a solid foundation takes time. We have to set the dog up for success, not failure. This means managing the environment to prevent the dog from practicing the reactive behavior while we build new skills. It's about structure first, freedom later.
So if a trainer promises a quick fix or uses the same technique on every dog, ask questions. A good trainer will have a whole toolbox of methods and will be able to explain why they’re choosing a particular approach for your dog. Because in the end, our goal is a confident, well-adjusted dog, and that’s a process that can't be rushed. It's never too late to start, but it has to be done right.
