Dog reactivity can happen in various situations to varying degrees, and many, many dogs are reactive. Understanding how reactive dogs are feeling is the first step to knowing what to do to help.

That's why we've brought together Dogly Training Advocates, all certified positive trainers, to share these 20 step-by-step guides with what matters and what you need to know to help your dog feel comfortable in potentially reactive situations:

• Understanding reactivity: what it is, what causes it, and what's behind your dog's reactive feelings and behavior
• '"Managing" your environment to minimize triggers and set up your pup for success
• Reactivity training focusing on replacing your dog's negative, fearful feelings with positive, calm feelings and behavior
• Addressing leash reactivity for calmer, more confident dog walks and other outings

And remember, as dog trainers and behaviorists always remind us, be patient: your dog isn't giving you a hard time, your dog is having a hard time.

Here's an overview of the dog training tips in the 20 guides in the Reactivity Channel here on Dogly -- starting with understanding your reactive dog through what to do to support your pup and set both of you up for success.

**plan-panel

Reactive Behavior Guide 1: What Is a Reactive Dog?

Many dog parents wonder if their dog's behavior actually is reactivity, what's behind a dog's reactive behavior, and what they can do to help their dog stay calm and comfortable around whatever may be their dog's triggers. In this dog training guide, you'll learn what a reactive dog is and what are often the causes behind dog reactivity.

That lays the groundwork for what you'll also learn -- how you can help your reactive dog in two major ways to feel more comfortable around triggers:

• "Management" of the environment around your dog with tools like managing distance from triggers, for example.
• Teaching alternative behaviors with positive reinforcement to replace reactive responses.

Jump into the full guide here for all the step-by-step details.

Reactive Behavior Guide 2: What It Means to Have a "Reactive Dog" and What a Dog Trainer Says To Do

Do you know how to tell the difference between an excited dog or a frightened dog or a dog who is actually showing aggressive behavior? In this guide, positive reinforcement dog trainer and Dogly Advocate Tressa Fessenden-McKenzie takes you through how to observe your own dog's behavior, why and how to keep a log of it, and how you can put everything you know about your dog into training solutions.

You'll also learn why and how managing your dog's environment is so much more than avoiding triggers. You can get started with the full guide now here.

**follow-panel

Reactive Behavior Guide 3: Why Do Dogs Bark at Other Dogs and What To Do About It

If you're one of the many dog parents struggling with dog reactivity and wondering what you can do about it, the good news is there's a lot you can do to support your dog. In this guide, certified positive dog trainer and Dogly Advocate Karen Chapdelaine shares what you need to know to understand dog reactivity, what's behind your dog's reactions and body language, and specific ways you can set up both you and your dog to be more calm and confident around triggers.

You can check out the full guide and accompanying video here (with answers to reactive dog parents' commonly shared questions and concerns) as Karen takes you step by step through what you need to know about your dog's reactivity.

Reactive Behavior Guide 4: Understanding "Sudden" Reactivity and Aggression in Dogs

Has your well-behaved dog ever surprised you by suddenly barking or lunging at other dogs, a bicycle, or a person out of nowhere? The first thing to know when your dog reacts is it's almost never really sudden or out of nowhere.

In this dog training guide, you'll learn how to spot and understand your dog's body language so you can predict and prevent stressful situations and reactions.

Most dogs are talking to us all the time with their bodies; we just need to learn how to listen. In this guide, Dogly Advocate Karen Chapdelaine teaches us how.

Jump into the full guide here to get started.

**channel-panel

Reactive Behavior Guide 5: How to Keep Reactive Dogs Under Threshold

Successfully helping your dog work through reactivity means knowing your dog and anticipating trigger situations to keep your dog "under threshold." Why? Because learning doesn't happen when dogs are over their emotional threshold when reactive responses are purely emotional. That's where what positive dog trainers call "management" comes in.

In this training guide, you'll learn how to anticipate and manage what's happening around your dog to accelerate your dog's learning to be more comfortable around triggers. To get started learning the 3 key management tools to keep your dog under threshold, check out the full guide here from Dogly Advocate Tressa Fessenden-McKenzie.

Reactive Behavior Guide 6: How to Train Your Dog to Ignore Other Dogs and Other Triggers

Now that you have a good sense of what are likely trigger situations for your dog, you're ready for a professional dog trainer's tips on how to preempt them. In this training guide, Dogly Advocate Tressa Fessenden-McKenzie takes you through 5 common triggers dogs tend to react to and shares training tips to make them less threatening and eventually no big deal for your dog. Dive into the complete guide here to help your pup with these step-by-step pro tips for learning to ignore triggers!

Reactive Behavior Guide 7: How to Take the "Spotlight Effect" off Your Reactive Dog

Ever feel in your dog's reactive moments that all eyes are on both of you? Most of us as dog owners do, ratcheting up our own stress and in turn our dog's. Dogs are exceptionally good at picking up our emotions -- including our stress. Behaviorists call this type of false projection the "spotlight effect."

In this training guide, Dogly Training Advocate Karen Chapdelaine takes you step by step through 3 practical ways to turn off the counterproductive spotlight effect and stick to the reality of simply staying on your positive path with your dog.

Learn how in the full guide here.

**plan-panel

Reactive Behavior Guide 8: How Dog Boredom Could Be Impacting Your Dog's Reactivity

How can enrichment help your reactive dog? Enrichment is great for all dogs and especially valuable for stressed or reactive dogs. Dogs LOVE mental engagement and opportunities to do "dog things" like sniffing.

In this guide, you'll learn:

• 7 types of enrichment to provide for your dog and why
• 5 simple ways to enrich your dog's life

With regular enrichment activities, your dog will be less stressed, more relaxed overall and more even keel when triggers appear. Your goal is enriching and adding value to your dog's everyday life. And your bonus is reducing reactive behaviors at the same time!

Jump into the full guide here with Dogly Advocate Karen Chapdelaine to start de-stressing enrichment with your dog!

Reactive Behavior Guide 9: How to Make Camping with a Reactive Dog Easier

Thinking of taking a camping trip with your sometimes-reactive dog but wondering how to pull off the relaxing trip you're imagining for everyone? Thankfully, Dogly Advocate Tressa Fessenden-McKenzie recently did just that -- with two dogs, not one. She shares her pro training tips to use before and during your own fun adventure with your dog.

Check out the complete step-by-step guide here, and enjoy travels with your dog.

Reactive Behavior Guide 10: How to Practice No-stress Training to Keep Your Reactive Dog Under Threshold

When you're ready to practice training to help your reactive dog around triggers, how can you keep your dog in a low-stress, open-to-learning zone? Dogly Training Advocate Melissa Dallier shares a trainer's secret in this guide: use a fake dog for your "other dog" trigger. You'll learn why it works, what makes it work (a predictable dog you control who doesn't bark back!), and exactly how to use it with your pup.

For most reactive dogs, other dogs are at the top of the list of triggers. If your pup is one of them, check out the complete guide here to start no-stress training with your dog.

**follow-panel

Reactive Behavior Guide 11: Helping Your Reactive Dog with Counter-conditioning

Most reactive dogs are fearful dogs. That's why counter-conditioning is such an important tool in working with reactive dogs. Counter-conditioning changes how your dog feels at the sight of a trigger: from expecting something not at all good to expecting only good things when the trigger appears.

In this guide, Certified force-free dog trainer and Dogly Advocate Tressa Fessenden-McKenzie guides you through why and how counter-conditioning works and the specific steps to practicing counter-conditioning with your own pup.

Learn how to be a counter-conditioning pro here, teaching your pup that triggers are predictors of all good things (like high-value treats!).

Reactive Behavior Guide 12: How to Help Your Reactive Dog Using Desensitization

Once you and your dog have added counter-conditioning to your repertoire of solid training skills, you're ready for its close cousin: desensitization. That's really a fancy word in the positive dog training world for teaching your dog gradually that "scary" things are no big deal.

In this guide you'll learn how desensitization is different from counter-conditioning, how they work together to complement each other, and 6 steps to desensitizing your reactive dog around his or her triggers.

Jump into the full, step-by-step guide here to learn how to add desensitization to your dog's skill set for successfully coping with reactivity.

Reactive Behavior Guide 13: How to Help a Reactive Dog By Teaching Check-in Skills

Teaching your dog to check in with you using eye contact is a favorite behavior dog trainers love -- for all dogs and especially reactive dogs. What makes the ability to get your dog's attention such a valuable skill? It promotes communication between you and your dog, and replaces unwanted behavior (your dog's reactive behavior) with an alternate positive behavior.

The eye check-in is a versatile skill that keeps your dog feeling connected and calm. It's a way for your pup to look at you, get rewarded for it, and be reassured you're there and always have his or her back.

In this guide from Dogly Advocate Tressa Fessenden-McKenzie, you'll learn the 5 simple steps to learning and practicing eye check-ins with your dog. Check out the full guide here to add eye check-ins to your dog's skill set.

**channel-panel

Reactive Behavior Guide 14: What is Leash Reactivity in Dogs?

When your dog is on leash, does your pup lunge, bark, or in other ways lose control when another dog, people, bikes, skateboards or you name it comes into view? If that sounds like your dog, whether or not your dog is reactive off leash as well, your dog is showing signs of leash reactivity.

In this guide, you'll learn what to do about it (and what not to do), along with the 3 key types of leash-reactive behaviors and their causes. You'll learn what your fearful dog wants from you. And you'll learn practical, step-by-step training strategies to avert or gradually replace leash reactivity with positive dog behavior.

Dive into helping your dog with leash reactivity in the full guide here with Dogly Advocate Melissa Dallier.

Reactive Behavior Guide 15: 3 Leash Reactivity Skills Every Pet Parent Needs To Know

As you already know, you and your dog are very much in this together on your road to working through reactivity successfully. What are the human skills you need as you make it all work? In this training guide, you'll see the specific knowledge, skills, strategies and exercises you'll need to help set both you and your dog up for success on leash.

Making these skills second nature gives you what you need to support your dog: the confidence and foundation to help your dog feel and react differently around triggers on walks.

Check out the details in the full guide here.

Reactive Behavior Guide 16: How to Help your Barking, Lunging Dog Stay Calm & Feel Secure

How can you help your barking, lunging dog stay calm and feel secure on walks? In this training guide from Dogly Advocate Tiffany Baker, you'll learn how to start by seeing what's happening as an inseparable team from your dog's perspective. All dog behaviors serve a purpose, so what's behind your dog's behavior?

Tiffany takes you through 4 alternative, positive dog behaviors and how to teach them to your dog as better, calmer, more rewarding solutions for what your dog needs.

Jump into the full guide here to get started working with your dog to feel calmer, more secure on walks!

**plan-panel

Reactive Behavior Guide 17: How to Teach "Look at That" to Replace Your Dog's Leash Reactivity

Does the sight of anything exciting, scary or unpredictable on your walks send your dog a bit (or a lot) out of control? Many dogs on leash react with barking, lunging, whining, spinning, and more. In this training guide, Dogly Advocate Melissa Dallier shows you how to teach your dog a more rewarding (for both of you!) positive behavior called "look at that" to replace reactive behaviors.

You'll learn the 7 steps to replacing how your dog feels around triggers with the positive, reassured feeling that comes with using "look at that." In the process, you're creating a calming, rewarding ongoing conversation with your dog and strengthening the bond between you.

Get started with the full guide here.

Reactive Behavior Guide 18: How to Train a Reactive Dog on Leash with a Parallel Walk

Does meeting or even seeing other dogs make your dog feel threatened or nervous? Even if meeting unknown or strange dogs on your walks isn't something you seek out, there are times when you need to introduce your pup to other dogs (other family dogs, etc) and it's a good skill to have covered.

Professional dog trainers like Dogly Advocate Tressa Fessenden-McKenzie have a favorite trick for that called the parallel walk. It's a way of introducing dogs gradually, on their terms, and in a side-by-side or parallel mode avoiding the often threatening head-on, in-your-face approach.

Learn the specific steps to practice using the parallel walk and distance for your dog's calm and safe introductions in the full guide here.

Reactive Behavior Guide 19: How to Help a Reactive Dog Pay Attention to You with Distractions

What? Turn distracting environments into cues to teach your reactive dog to pay attention? That's exactly what Dogly Advocate Amber Aquart does in this training guide as she takes you step by step through how to use distractions and triggers as opportunities to change behavior and teach your dog one of THE most valuable skills - paying attention to you.

You'll learn the 5 simple steps to teach your dog how and when to look to you -- and how to practice it first in a quiet indoor environment, then take it outside in the real world of less predictable distractions and triggers (not including dog parks, of course!).

Get started with the full guide here.

**plan-panel

Reactive Behavior Guide 20: What to Bring on a Walk with Your Reactive Dog

If there's a training secret to just about everything with our dogs, it's to do everything possible to set your dog and yourself up for success from the get-go. Enjoying happy, stress-free walks with your dog is no different.

In this training guide, Dogly Advocate Karen Chapdelaine, a certified positive dog trainer and reactive dog mom, shares her checklist of 7 things she never leaves home without and why to set up her pup (and herself!) for whatever distractions might come their way on walks.

Check out the complete guide here and get ready for your next happy walk with your dog.

That's the Reactivity Channel here on Dogly!

If you've gone through each guide in the Reactivity Channel , you and your dog should be well on your way to enjoying your lives together with more confidence, calm, and fun. Congratulations on working through reactivity with your dog -- keep it going!

If you're just getting started, that's ok too! You can start at the beginning with What Is a Reactive Dog? or jump in with whichever topic resonates most with you and your dog such as What is Leash Reactivity in Dogs? if you're most concerned with leash reactivity and what to do about it now.

It's all connected and here to help your dog in reactive situations, so wherever you start, it's a great idea to go through all 20 guides with your pup.

Reactivity is just one of many channels here on Dogly. Be sure to check out the other channels like Allergies in Wellness or Home-cooking in Nutrition to learn everything you need to know about your dog's training, nutrition, and overall wellness.

And, as always, you can get started in your dog's customizable training plan to start improving your life with your dog with step-by-step guidance from the certified force-free dog trainers here on Dogly.