Reactivity happens in many different forms and circumstances, but leash reactivity in dogs may be the most common. Many leash-reactive dogs aren't reactive in any other situation.

We hear from so many dog owners struggling with leash reactivity, frustrated that this everyday activity of going for a walk should be one of the most joyful experiences but has become stressful for everyone - especially the dogs.

That's why our Dogly Training Advocates, all certified positive reinforcement dog trainers, have created these 7 guides specifically focusing on leash reactivity to give you and your dog the understanding and tools you need to make your dog walks the happy, enriching times together they're meant to be!

Here's a quick overview of each of the guides to help with your dog's leash reactivity.

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Leash Reactivity Guide 1: What Does it Mean if a Dog is Leash Reactive?

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, your pup is showing signs of leash reactivity.

What you'll learn in this dog training guide:

• What to do and not to do about leash-reactive behaviors.
• 3 key types of leash-reactive behaviors and their causes. You'll learn about each type -- 1) Frustration or excitement reactivity to other dogs; 2) Frustration or excitement reactivity to non-dogs (squirrels, skateboards, bikes, etc.); 3) Fear-based reactivity to dogs or people
• What your fearful dog wants from you. Most reactive dogs are fearful dogs, so understanding what your dog is feeling and needs and wants from you is key.
• Practical, step-by-step strategies to preempt leash reactive situations and reactive behavior.
• How to replace leash reactivity with positive dog behavior. That includes how to teach and practice the more rewarding replacement behaviors with your dog.

If you're ready to get started helping your dog with leash reactivity, jump into the full guide here with Dogly Advocate Melissa Dallier.

Leash Reactivity Guide 2: 3 Leash Reactivity Skills Every Pet Parent Needs To Know

When dogs react with barking, lunging, you-name-it on walks, they're reacting out of emotion, with feelings that are very real to them regardless of whether they're logical concerns or not. It's up to us to change the equation and build feelings of comfort and confidence instead. That means we need to have a few training skills to set our dogs up for success on leash.

In this guide, certified professional dog trainer and Dogly Advocate Holly Ovington takes you through 3 essentials you need to know to be able to help your dog stay calm and enjoy your walks together.

What you'll learn in this dog training guide:

3 Key things to know as you get started working on your dog's reactivity:

1) What your dog's triggers are

2) What kind of food motivates your dog

3) How to keep your dog under threshold to set both of you up for success

• Pro tip: choose your training spots and make distance your friend

You'll learn how in this guide by managing your environment and gradually increasing your pup's comfort zone using the red/yellow/green zone method. With that approach, you're always keeping your dog under threshold while he/she is learning to feel more at ease on leash.

Why it matters: learning stops when your dog is over threshold and operating purely on emotion. Learning happens when dogs are in their comfort zones.

For all the step-by-step details, jump into the full guide here. And next up, how to work in tandem with your dog to teach better, more rewarding behaviors to replace reactivity.

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Leash Reactivity Guide 3: How to Help your Barking, Lunging Dog Stay Calm & Feel Secure

In all things reactivity and especially with leash reactivity where your dog is out in the world, you want to start with figuring out what's behind your dog's reaction (usually fear) and exactly the thing that's triggering your dog's reactivity.

Then you can begin to work together with your dog as a team to develop replacement behaviors for the negative association to use on walks to keep your dog calm, comfortable, and happy on walks. As walks are meant to be!

In this guide, Dogly Advocate Tiffany Baker takes you through how to begin to think and feel like your dog, then work together to teach your dog 4 behaviors that can become your better, happier, well-rewarded go-to behaviors to replace reactive behavior.

What you'll learn in this dog training guide:

• How to think about what your leash reactive dog is thinking and feeling on a walk that prompts reactive behavior
• All dog behaviors serve a purpose - why is your dog being reactive?
• Why to teach your dog a more rewarding, happier, alternative behavior and better coping skills

4 behaviors to teach your dog instead of reacting:

1) "Look at that fluffer!" - Details 6 simple steps to teaching this cue and behavior to your pup

2) The disengage and walk away - Takes you through 4 steps to learning this skill

3) Redirection behaviors - when it's all about the leash. For dogs who don't react to triggers when not on leash and how to use basic behaviors like "look,' "touch," or "shake" to redirect and reward your dog's focus away from the trigger

4) Dog park TV - Explains how to stay at a good distance OUTSIDE and away from the dog park and teach your dog to observe other dogs without reacting and be well rewarded for it!

Jump into the full guide here to start working with your dog to replace reactive, inappropriate behavior on leash with alternative, fun, refocusing behaviors. And next up, learn how to teach "look at that" to create positive associations around your dog's triggers.

Leash Reactivity Guide 4: How to Teach "Look at That" to Replace Your Dog's Leash Reactivity

Instead of automatically barking and lunging on leash, your dog can learn to develop a positive association with a former trigger as he/she figures out that looking at the scary thing, then you without reacting, is super rewarding. But how can you work with your dog to make this a solid, go-to replacement behavior?

In this guide, positive reinforcement dog trainer and Dogly Advocate Melissa Dallier takes you step by step through how to teach "look at that" as a fun, positive way to help your dog change how he/she feels about seeing the trigger.

In the process, you'll also be increasing your bond and communication with each other as your dog learns you're there, in sync, and making scary stuff into good things like high-value treats!

What you'll learn in this dog training guide (and accompanying video):

• What is your leash-reactive dog feeling?
• What is "look at that" and what's your goal?
• What you'll need to start practicing "look at that"
• 7 steps to teaching "look at that"

1) Teach your dog to lie and relax on a mat or at home in a quiet, safe space.

2) Place a new-to-your-dog item out of view.

3) Present item.

4) Click and reward with high-value treats when your dog orients toward the item.

5) Remove item.

6) Place item in your dog's space and let your dog "tell" you about it naturally without prompting with body language, etc. Click and reward with treats.

7) Name it! Where's the toy, person, dog, etc? Click and reward when your dog shows you.

As your dog learns the game with a non-moving stimulus, you can begin introducing things that will bring more of a reaction - a person moving, etc. You can introduce more types of moving stimulus gradually - always keeping your dog under threshold. Once your dog learns to "look at that" and return focus to you for treats, feeling comfortable knowing all is well and you're there for him/her, you can take it into the real world.

For all the nuances and details of teaching "look at that" to your pup and to watch Melissa demonstrate it with her dog, jump to the full guide here and enjoy your walks! Now for a versatile skill to introduce other dogs and getting your dog comfortable with them.

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Leash Reactivity Guide 5: How to Train a Reactive Dog on Leash with a Parallel Walk

Are other dogs one of your dog's main triggers on your walks? Or when your dog does need to be introduced to another dog (new dog, family/friend's dog, etc), do you worry how to be sure it will go safely and smoothly?

One of the most versatile ways to make sure dogs will be comfortable with other dogs and ease into it so both you and the dogs have space and time to keep it relaxed is the parallel walk. Dogly Advocate Tressa Fessenden-McKenzie explains why parallel walks work and exactly how to do them in 5 simple steps in the guide here.

What you'll learn in this dog training guide:

• What exactly is parallel walking?
• Why parallel walks are so useful in getting your dog comfortable with other dogs
• How to choose the location for your parallel walk (a place with plenty of sniffy things like bushes etc where you can have distance between the dogs - obviously nothing busy like dog parks)
• Why and how judging the right distance from other dogs is your secret to success

5 steps to parallel walking and progressing successfully

1) Both you and the other dog parent want to mark and treat your dogs for noticing the other dog but choosing to look away and switch focus elsewhere.

2) As body language relaxes, decrease the distance between you and the other dog gradually.

3) If it feels right to keep some distance from the other dog on a walk and move toward actual interaction on another day, that's fine!

4) Allow your dogs to get together and take breaks - when it makes sense.

5) Keep communicating with the other person to keep your dogs in their comfort zones.

• Pro tip: Distance and time are your friends with a reactive dog. Take it slowly and keep the distance reduction gradual so your dog has time and space to adjust, be rewarded, get comfortable.

• Pro tip: Remember, a key point of parallel walks is to keep dogs from greeting in the traditional, high-intensity, head-on, face-to face way. When your dogs do meet, better over a side-by-side sniff or something else indirect.

With consistent practice, patience, and positive reinforcement, you can help your pup (and you too!) enjoy life out and about in the world with other dogs around. Check out the full guide here for all the details on using parallel walks to help your leash reactive dog feel comfortable around other dogs on your walks and during dog introductions.

Leash Reactivity Guide 6: How to Help a Reactive Dog Pay Attention to You with Distractions

What? Turn distractions into cues to teach your pup to pay attention? That's what Dogly Advocate Amber Aquart does in this guide as she takes you step by step through how to use distractions and triggers as opportunities to 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.

Next up, the must-haves to support your leash reactive dog on walks that make it all so much easier.

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Leash Reactivity Guide 7: What to Bring on a Dog Walk with Your Reactive Dog

As a positive reinforcement dog trainer and dog mom of sometimes reactive CJ, Dogly Advocate Karen Chapdelaine knows how stressful going for a walk can be for all of us. When we venture out, if we are prepared for any of the "what ifs" a dog walk can bring, we can feel more confident that we can handle anything we encounter - and share that confident vibe with our dogs at the same time.

In this guide, Karen shares the what and why of her don't-leave-home-without-it dog walking list so you can keep your dog safe and set both of you up for success.

What you'll learn in this dog training guide:

7 Items to bring on every walk with leash reactive dogs:

1) A safe, durable, front-clip harness (or dual clip to give you options)

2) Leash - traditional only, not a retractable leash.

3) Treat bag or pouch

4) Plenty of treats - high value treats to your dog

5) Umbrella - folding type, a portable, visual barrier when you need it

6) Spray shield - "a last resort, insurance I've never had to use" ~ Karen

7) And of course, poop bags

This is just the topline list; for the why and how details of each from an experienced, certified dog trainer of many reactive dogs, check out the full guide here. Remember, being prepared and feeling confident are key ingredients to making walks with your reactive dog enjoyable for both you and your pup. So don't forget these must-have items on your next walk!

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Next up in the Reactivity Channel on Dogly

Once you've finished all 7 guides on leash reactivity in dogs, you and your dog should have a good base of skills to begin enjoying your walks more again. If you haven't already, check out the many other guides on reactivity here on Dogly in the Reactivity Channel to support you and your dog on the way to a calmer, better life together.

If you have any questions about your dog, just ask in our Community Discussion. Continue in our Reactivity Channel where you'll learn everything you need to know for your pup from our community of Dogly Training Advocates or hop over to the Anxiety Channel to learn more about causes and confidence-builders for anxieties that can be behind reactivity.

Or if you ever need more personalized dog training guidance, get started in your dog's training plan here.