Can reactive dogs be trained using positive-only training methods?
Yes! Reactive dogs respond well to positive-reinforcement training when it is done correctly and under the guidance of a skilled dog trainer. The easiest way to help your reactive dog is to find an AnimalKind accredited trainer to work with.
A skilled trainer will determine the reason behind your dog’s reactive behaviours (might be fearful, frustrated, or the behaviour might just be a habit). Once the reason is known, the trainer will design an appropriate training plan that will help you teach your dog new behaviours to replace reactive ones. Most importantly, a good trainer will never use fear or pain to train your reactive dog – instead, they’ll use reward-based methods to motivate and make training fun for your dog.