Training Games To Help Your Reactive Dog (That Are Useful for Non-Reactive Dogs Too!)

Some basic activities, games, and frameworks that I find incredibly useful for a good number of reactive dogs (also super useful for any dog around a distraction)

As Dr. Susan Friedman says, behavior is a study of one. Even with that in mind, there are some basic activities, games, and frameworks that I find incredibly useful for a good number of reactive dogs (also super useful for any dog around a distraction). So let’s chat about three of my favorites, how I use them, how to teach them, and why I love them.

Sniffing Games That Are Fun and Useful for Any Dog

Here is a look at a reactive dog choosing to sniff instead of stare at or bark at another dog.

Sniffing is a great (and often underutilized) alternative behavior for many reactive dog behaviors like hard staring or lunging. It’s also a high probability behavior for many dogs and puts them in contact with a lot of naturally occurring reinforcers. Plus, it’s fun for everyone to practice sniffing games (I love watching dogs sniff out hidden treasures!).