It's OK Pooch

Leash reactivity: what it is and how to help your dog on walks

Guides · 6 min read · Not yet reviewed by a certified behaviour consultant

If you walk your dog at midnight, duck behind parked cars, or hold your breath at every corner, you are not alone, and you are not doing it wrong. Reactivity is common, and it is not a sign that your dog is bad or that you've failed. This guide covers what reactivity is and the reward-based games that published sources describe.

What reactivity is

Dogs Trust describes reactivity as a dog struggling to cope, and the reason can be fear, frustration or pain [1]. Animal Care Centers of NYC also points to frustration and fear as common roots [2]. The lunging and barking is the loud end of a dog who has run out of other ways to say "this is too much".

Because pain can play a part, a vet check is a good first step, especially if the reactivity is new or has changed [1].

Dogs usually give quieter signs first. Dogs Trust lists early warnings such as lip licking, yawning, ears back, turning the head away, freezing, staring, refusing treats and panting [1]. The PDSA describes these signs as a ladder, from yawning and lip licking at the bottom up to stiffening, staring, growling and snapping, and notes that dogs whose early signals are ignored may skip steps. It also says never to tell a dog off for growling [3]. A growl is information.

Threshold and distance

Distance is the most useful tool you have. Trainers talk about keeping a dog "under threshold", meaning the trigger stays at a low enough intensity that your dog can notice it without getting upset [4]. In practice, that usually means further away.

Debra Horwitz, a board-certified veterinary behaviourist, advises starting where your dog shows little or no response, repeating at each distance before moving closer, and treating a dog who won't take food as a sign the trigger is too intense [5]. Cornell's canine health centre gives similar advice: start at a safe distance, reward there, and move closer only while your dog stays calm [6].

Early on, avoiding triggers is a perfectly good plan. Walk at quieter times and places [5][1]. Cross the road, turn round, or use a parked car to block the view [5]. Never force a greeting [5].

Look at That

Look at That comes from Leslie McDevitt's book Control Unleashed [7]. The idea is that your dog earns a treat for calmly looking at a trigger and then turning back to you.

Best Friends Animal Society describes the steps: first teach a marker word like "yes" that always means a treat; then, at a distance where your dog can see the trigger without reacting, mark the moment they look at it and give the treat as they turn back to you. Later, wait to see if your dog looks back by themselves. Move closer only about a foot at a time, and back off if your dog reacts [8]. A certified Control Unleashed instructor suggests practising with everyday objects first and not rushing [7].

Engage, then disengage

Alice Tong, writing for the Karen Pryor Academy, describes a two-level game. In level one you reward your dog for looking at the trigger. In level two you wait a moment and reward them for choosing to look away by themselves. After 3 to 5 easy repeats in a row, you might move 1 to 5 steps closer. If your dog stares for more than about five seconds, go back a level, and if they react, move further away. She suggests playing for 1 to 5 minutes, then taking a break [9].

The quick turn away

Every reactive dog needs an exit. Horwitz describes teaching a cheerful "let's go" cue with a full turn, practised in quiet places first [5]. Best Friends adds a useful detail: turn away from your dog, not into them [8]. Keep the lead loose and turn early, before your dog reacts [1].

Moving away is not failure. Grisha Stewart, describing her Behavior Adjustment Training, notes that moving away is fine and doesn't teach a dog to avoid things [10].

Calm passes count

A calm pass is a trigger that comes and goes while your dog stays relaxed. It doesn't look like much, but it is exactly the practice your dog needs. Over time, a dog who starts looking to you when a trigger appears is showing that the work is going well [4].

In It's OK Pooch, the walk log records how far away each trigger was and how your dog reacted, so these quiet wins show up on your progress chart next to the hard days.

After a big reaction: decompression

Big reactions happen, even when you do everything right. Dogs Trust explains that stress hormones can take 48 to 72 hours to settle after a reaction, so a day or two of rest helps [1]. The AKC suggests quiet time with chews, sniffing and naps, then starting again at a greater distance [11].

A decompression walk is a slow walk somewhere quiet where your dog sets the pace and sniffs freely, on a long line, or off lead only where it's allowed and recall is reliable [12]. In one study, two weeks of regular sniffing activity made dogs more optimistic than a comparison group [13].

Progress isn't a straight line [1]. A bad walk doesn't erase the good ones. If you'd like a plan that sets today's starting distance and moves it as you log, you can get your dog's first week, free, no card.

When to get more help

If your dog has bitten or tried to bite, or the reactivity started suddenly, please see your vet first. Our guide on when to see a vet behaviourist explains the warning signs and how to find a qualified professional.

This guide is general information, not veterinary advice. If your dog is hurting themselves or others, talk to your vet.

Sources

  1. Reactive dogs: why it happens and how to help, Dogs Trust
  2. On Leash Reactivity and Barrier Frustration, Animal Care Centers of NYC
  3. Canine communication: recognising stress in your dog (ladder of communication), PDSA
  4. The Science of Emotions: Desensitization and Counter Conditioning (DS/CC), East Bay SPCA, 2024
  5. How to Help Dogs That Are Aggressive During Leash Walking, Debra F. Horwitz, DVM, DACVB, Today's Veterinary Practice, 2015
  6. Managing reactive behavior, Cornell Riney Canine Health Center
  7. What Truly Is The Look At That Game?, Kim Palermo, CPDT, Fenzi Dog Sports Academy, 2026
  8. 'Look at That' (LAT) Training for Reactive Dogs, Best Friends Animal Society
  9. Reducing Leash Reactivity: The Engage-Disengage Game, Alice Tong, KPA CTP, Karen Pryor Academy
  10. BAT 2.0: A New Version of BAT for Fear and Aggression, Grisha Stewart, The APDT Chronicle of the Dog, 2014
  11. How to avoid trigger stacking in dogs, American Kennel Club
  12. Dog Walking: 4 Approaches to Add Enjoyment, Pat Miller, Whole Dog Journal
  13. Let Me Sniff! Nosework Induces Positive Judgment Bias in Pet Dogs, Duranton C, Horowitz A, summarised by Purdue Center for Animal Welfare Science

Ready to try it with your own dog? Get your dog's first week, free, with no card.