Leash Reactivity: A Calm Recovery Plan

Lunging and barking on walks is manageable with the right distance and rewards. A clear plan from our behaviour team.

Leash reactivity — lunging, barking, and pulling toward triggers — is almost always rooted in frustration or fear, not dominance. The leash blocks fight-or-flight, which raises arousal on busy roads and in parks.

Our recovery plan follows four phases: trigger identification, sub-threshold exposure, positive association, and gradual closer work.

Phase 1 (Weeks 1–2): Find the distance where your dog can see a trigger without reacting. That is your starting threshold.

Phase 2 (Weeks 3–5): At that distance, pair trigger appearance with high-value rewards so the emotional response shifts from threat to opportunity.

Phase 3 (Weeks 6–8): Slowly decrease distance while staying under threshold. One step back beats two steps forward with a reaction.

Most reactive-dog clients see clearer walks by week 4–6. Cases with bite history need our behaviour lead and may take 8–12 weeks.