How we train through our heeler’s dog reactivity

Our Australian cattle dog, Scout, is fear “reactive” to other dogs.

After under socialization during her early life and then getting attacked on the street shortly after we adopted her, she started growling, barking, and lunging when she saw dogs in an attempt to say “stay away”. (You can read more about what caused her dog reactivity here.)

Over many months, we’ve developed a training plan that works well for our individual goals and lifestyle. Here are all the nitty-gritty details!

Updates over time

Our training is always evolving as we, our environment, and our opportunities grow. This article was first written on August 3rd 2020 and last updated on May 21st 2021.

Then in November 2022 I decided the adjustments to our process deserved their own separate article. You can read that piece here for the most up-to-date information on how we train through Scout’s dog reactivity!

I’ve left the below post intact to look back on.