Victoria Stilwell on reactive dogs. A force-free guide to reactivity, trust and real life training
About this episode
Victoria Stilwell discusses reactive dogs and the Reactivity Zones Approach for force-free training.
Victoria Stilwell on reactive dogs, force-free training and the Reactivity Zones Approach In this episode of The Yappy Hour powered by Yappily , Nathan Dunleavy is joined by world-renowned dog trainer, author, educator and TV presenter Victoria Stilwell . Known for It’s Me or the Dog , The Dog Academy , the Victoria Stilwell Academy and Positively , Victoria has helped shape modern dog training across the world. In this conversation, she shares her compassionate and practical thoughts on one of the most emotionally charged topics for dog guardians: living with a reactive dog . Together, Nathan and Victoria explore what dog guardians often misunderstand about reactivity, why so many people feel shame and isolation when their dog struggles in public, and how Victoria’s Reactivity Zones Approach offers a force-free, real life framework built around safety, trust, choice and predictability. They also discuss the difference between the comfort zone, tolerance zone and discomfort zone, how to recognise subtle signs of stress before barking and lunging happen, and why progress with reactive dogs is rarely linear. This episode is packed with hopeful, humane guidance for anyone supporting…
People in this episode
Host: Nathan Dunleavy
Guest: Victoria Stilwell
Topics covered
- reactive dogs
- force-free training
- Reactivity Zones Approach
- dog guardians
- dog behavior
- stress signs in dogs
Keywords
- reactivity
- dog training
- force-free
- dog behavior
- stress signs
- training framework
- dog guardians
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Victoria Stilwell Academy, Positively, It’s Me or the Dog, The Dog Academy
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