Your Pre‑Reactivity Toolbox: What to Build Before You Start Rehabilitation

So — you’re working on reducing reactivity in your dog. Well done you! 🐕💛✨

Before you dive into rehabilitation, there are a few foundational skills I recommend getting locked and loaded in your toolbox. It’s easy to feel eager to CRACK ON and focus solely on the problem (your dog reacting to other dogs or people). And while avoiding the problem won’t make it better, jumping straight in without preparation can mean you’re unintentionally practising reactivity — strengthening those muscles instead of giving your dog the best chance of success 💪🐾.

(This comes with the caveat that you’ve eliminated or treated any medical reason for reactivity or aggression — please seek veterinary advice where needed, especially if behaviours seem sudden or unusual 🩺⚠️.)

1. A Strong Marker Word 🎯

You need a conditioned marker word to precisely mark tiny moments in time and build your dog’s drive to continue the “right” choices. This becomes your communication anchor.

2. Leadership & Trust 🤝

Your dog needs to know you lead and they follow. Without this foundation, you’ll be pushing water uphill — exhausting and not very effective. Leadership creates safety, clarity and direction.

3. Understanding Your Dog’s Drives 🔍

Ask yourself: What does my dog actually want?   Food? Play? Space? Sniffing? Without a reward your dog genuinely cares about, you’re bartering in the wrong currency. Knowing their drives allows you to reinforce behaviour meaningfully.

4. Strong Eye Contact 👀

Does your dog know to look to you? If not, start teaching this little and often. Eye contact is a powerful grounding tool and helps your dog orient back to you in challenging moments.

5. A Solid “Place” or Settle Command 🧘‍♂️

Can your dog switch off? First at home, then in slightly more arousing environments? If your dog spends the day in hyper‑arousal (“what next, what next, what next?!”), start here. Without nervous‑system regulation, rehabilitating reactivity becomes unnecessarily difficult.

Want Help Building Your Toolbox?

If you’d like support with any of the above — or want help building your personalised reactivity‑rehab toolkit — get in touch with Emma:

📞 07735795602   📧 emma@priestlandsdogs.uk