I have a little secret. Well if you live in our neighborhood in Coppell, or have met our dog Ginger, my secret isn't so little. Ginger is highly reactive, particularly while on leash. What is reactivity / a reactive dog? It's a dog that has an outsized reaction to a normal stimulus like seeing another dog or person. Typical reactions are barking and lunging at the trigger stimulus. Some dogs, like Ginger, can get so over threshold (threshold being the point at which they can see a trigger stimulus and NOT overreact) that they can practice redirecting behaviors like biting their leash or even their owner. 

Once a reactive dog "bubbles over", it can be really difficult to get them back with you and paying attention to the camera, especially if you see trigger after trigger (also known as trigger stacking). Resiliency plays a big part in how quickly a dog can recover from seeing a trigger. Resilient dogs can see a trigger and once it's removed, can calm themselves within a few seconds or minutes. Extremely reactive dogs are not resilient and once they've seen a trigger, even after it's been removed, continue erupting as if it were still there. One picture of a barking dog can be funny, but not thirty. 

Owning a reactive dog myself means that reactive dogs hold a special place in my heart. It's not easy to own a reactive dog. You can't stop and chat with your neighbor walking their dog. It's embarrassing, you can feel like the pariah of the neighborhood (imagine being the dog trainer with the loudly barking dog). In my role as a Certified Professional Dog Trainer - Knowledge and Skills Assessed at Camp Bow Wow, I see 4-6 reactive dog cases a month; unfortunately it's a very common problem. 

If you own a reactive dog, you might think that professional portraits are out of the question, but I'm here to tell you that's not the case. There are some public locations that on certain days, at specific times, are quiet with a low likelihood of seeing your dog's triggers and I've got a long list of them around the Dallas - Fort Worth metroplex. But see below for two other options that will guarantee your reactive dog stays safe and comfortable during their pet portrait session. 

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