You're in good company with many other dog owners in wanting to help your leash reactive dog develop better coping skills so you can enjoy relaxing walks or other moments living your best lives together.

Before we bring your dog into the mix though, let's cover skills you as the human need to have to set your pup up for success in potentially reactive situations. Just about any good certified professional dog trainer will tell you, leash reactivity isn't the only area where dog training is almost a misnomer and success relies on the dog's humans!

Let's get into the top skills you need to hone as a dog owner in order to help your dog overcome leash reactivity.

Here are 3 key things to know as you get started learning how to manage your dog's leash reactivity:

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1) What are your dog's triggers?

First, you need to define what your dog's triggers are, so you know them and will be able to anticipate potential leash reactivity.

What is it that causes your dog to have a reaction? Some common triggers are other dogs, people, bikes, squirrels, strollers, scooters, etc.

Try this

Make a list of what your dog reacts to and what the reaction looks like. That way you'll be prepared in advance to avoid or manage those triggers with your dog. Having a list of what your dog's triggers are and what your dog's body language and reactions look like will help you know what to look for to navigate your dog's leash reactivity.

Give me an example

My dog Larry reacts to other dogs on leash and people with umbrellas. When Larry has a reaction, his ears perk, his body stiffens, he begins to bark, growl, and lunge toward the trigger. Like many dogs, Larry tends to be a leash-reactive dog, meaning most of his reactivity is likely to happen during an on-leash walk when we encounter an approaching dog or his more unusual nemesis, umbrella-carrying humans.

Many leash-reactive dogs (and otherwise reactive dogs) are fearful dogs, a good thing to keep in mind as you work to deepen your understanding of what your dog is feeling so you can support your dog through stressful situations.

Making your list is a reminder that, like all dogs, your dog is an individual and reacts to different things in different ways - and a good way for you to get prepared!

2) Know your dog's training motivators - what kind of food motivates your dog?

Next we want to find out your dog's favorite, most compelling food so you will be prepared with high-value treats to create a positive association in the moment when your dog's reactivity comes up. Let your dog judge what is a high-value treat and always have plenty at hand.

I always like to choose something of the highest value, human-grade food - that means pieces of real chicken, cut up hot dogs, string cheese, or soft, breakable, super-quality-ingredient treats. Choose whatever your dog's absolute favorite treat is and make that snack exclusive to reactivity training sessions.

Give me an example

Larry, for example, only ever gets chicken when we are out on a walk and he sees a trigger, like other dogs. Choose what this extra-awesome food is with your dog, and always have it on hand to use exclusively for leash reactivity training.

By on hand, I mean in hand if you're on a walk so you can give treats to your dog at the precise moment you spot a scary thing at a safe distance so your dog learns to associate treats and good things like praise from you with what will become a former trigger.

You'll learn how that works in upcoming guides in the Reactivity Channel here on Dogly.

Choose your dog training spots and make distance your friend

It is extremely important when you are working with a leash-reactive dogs that you don't put your dog in a place or situation where your dog will not be successful. You always want to prioritize your dog's emotional well-being, so you set them up to be successful and to do this, distance needs to be your friend. At this point, you may not be in a place where you can walk on the same side of the street as other dogs and that is ok!

Give me an example

If you have a leash-reactive dog, you'll want to plan your dog walks to areas where you are less likely to encounter your dog's triggers - lower-trafficked areas without other dogs, streets with wider sidewalks, or where you know you have several easy escapes like available side streets or where you can simply cross the street.

Of course, it goes without saying but I will underscore anyway, if your dog is reactive to other dogs, the last place you want to go is a dog park where dogs off leash can surprise and trigger your dog. Dog parks are full of unknowns and can be dangerous emotionally and physically for your dog - while your goal is to surround your dog with as many knowns as possible.

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

You want to try your best to keep your dog under threshold. What is threshold? And more importantly, what is threshold for your dog?

Threshold is defined as how close you and your dog can get to a trigger before a reaction happens. Keeping your dog under their threshold means the ability to be in a state where your dog is calm and can think, even when there are triggers around.

Give me an example

When I am working with Larry and passing by another dog, my goal is to keep him under his threshold. To do this, I need to make sure he doesn't have a reaction to the other dog. As we get closer, if Larry starts getting nervous or agitated and showing signs of leash reactivity like barking or growling I will stop in my tracks. I want to keep a distance where Larry is relaxed, comfortable and not reacting, so he can still think and listen.

It's important to always remain calm yourself in situations like these as your dog will pick up on your emotions.

Try the reactivity threshold zones

To break down how threshold looks, here's how I like to explain and encourage you to think of managing your dog's threshold in green, yellow and red zones based on triggers present and how your dog is likely to react:

Green threshold zone - anywhere your dog is calm, relaxed and able to learn easily.

Your dog is under threshold here. This is usually in your home, perhaps on an early morning dog walk when fewer triggers are present or maybe a certain area you know there are fewer or no triggers. This zone is a great place to work on easy things like leash walking, basic behaviors, or tricks.

Yellow threshold zone - when there is a trigger present your dog sees but at enough distance your dog doesn't react.

Your dog should still be under threshold here but may go over if you don't manage this zone correctly. In this zone you will likely see some changes in your dog's body language as your dog sees the trigger.

For some dogs, they may see another dog on leash across the street or for others you might be two blocks away from the trigger in a yellow zone. The distance a dog can tolerate is different for every dog. This is the zone where you want to do your counter-conditioning exercises we will get into in upcoming Dogly guides.

Red threshold zone - when your dog has gone over threshold.

Your dog has gotten too close to the trigger and is having a reaction. Unfortunately this will happen but you want to do your best to avoid getting into red zones.

Use your environment to create more distance and barriers from a trigger such as taking a u-turn or hiding behind a blocker like a tree or parked car. You want to avoid red zones at all costs because unfortunately no learning will happen here. Whatever you try to teach your dog will not be received or retained when your dog's stress levels are so high.

Remember, the aim isn't to avoid triggers altogether but to set your dog up for success by staying under your dog's threshold. It may not be possible to keep your dog in a green zone all the time but by working within the yellow zones you can gradually make progress towards managing leash reactivity.

The more you utilize dog training techniques to work with your dog in the yellow zones, the less likely your will be to go into red zones and the more you can get your dog back to a green zone.

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The key to remember on leash reactivity

Remember, patience and consistency are key! Keep at it and eventually you'll see progress with your reactive dog. Don't give up, keep working on it and always have treats handy to reward your dog for good behavior in those yellow zones.

Distance is your friend and always prioritize your dog's emotional well-being. With time and proper training, you can help your leash-reactive dog become a more confident, calm, and well-behaved canine companion.

Next up in the Reactivity Channel on Dogly

Knowing the skills you need to manage leash reactivity gives you the confidence and foundation to help your dog feel and react differently around triggers on walks. Next up as you continue in our Dogly Channel on Reactivity, we'll take you through all the useful leash reactive skills you can put into practice with your dog!

If you have any questions on your dog and leash reactivity, jump into our Community Discussion. Or continue in our Reactivity Channel where you'll learn everything you need to know for your dog from our community of Dogly Training Advocates.

If you ever need more individualized guidance, get started in your dog's training plan here.