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@proguarda1 I've heard that getting a dog is, from a financial perspective, comparable to getting & maintaining an additional car. I guess we should try to think of our reactive dogs as luxury vehicles? 😂 All kidding aside, I have often had similar thoughts/feelings/frustrations. I can...

@zakknight Oh absolutely!! 💕

@imagebeastmarkbeast An excellent point! Our trainer has mentioned a few times the importance of letting our dog observe and process.

@joylakala Number 3 is a big one for me. Wins, even small ones, just hit different with reactive pups. 😊

@mystic2010 Agree on medication. It's unfortunate that so often people think of it as a last resort. If your dog had a physical illness would you deny them medication until they were dangerously ill? I look at behaviour meds the same way!

@addelheid Oh man, yes a hundred thousand times to #1!! It's sort of like back in HS when you would have to give a presentation in front of the class - no one is being as critical as you are!!

@monk58 Very good tips! "Dogs don't need a human life" - so true!! I recently ran into someone who had their Labrador with them in the Banana Republic in a mall! I actually commented something like "oh wow my dog would not be too into this" & the person replied "this is her first trip to the...

@tangtoungler Absolutely! Remembering that there are no "perfect dogs" has given me peace of mind, too.

@killbob234 Oh for sure. I feel you on this one because I am kind of a people pleaser by nature. But I too have learned that it's better to "disappoint" someone in the moment, rather than set everyone up for failure.

@christoph2005 Big hugs to you. I know I am just a random person on reddit, so take my words for whatever they are worth to you, but honestly I would be shocked if your dogs reactivity is your - or anyone's! - fault. Some dogs are just wired differently. My situation is a bit different, but I...

@smoothrose Oooh number 1 is so key!! Comparison is the thief of joy, right?

@deaconbling Great advice! Number 2 really resonated with me; once you learn about dog body language it's hard not to un-see it, if that makes sense. Honestly it's ruined a lot of "cute" viral videos for me because all I can see is how stressed the animal is!

@joshuawithmartin Yes, yes & yes! Thank you!

@glennheath I do a very similar thing! The narration goes along with the hand signal. Sadly we don't have any kids who regularly do this routine with us, but our dog has made a ton of progress. A year ago a kid across the street would have upset her, now we can be within 10 feet or so (this is...

@glennheath Great advice! Totally agree that the narration can help the people/bystanders in the situation. My pup doesn't like loud, excited children, so if we pass them I always say something like "OK now you be polite to that kid because they are going to be sure to leave you alone and give...

@jwtinker Good advice! It sounds so simple, but knowing our dogs - not who we think they "should" be - is so much of it!

@childman Oh hell yes these are spot-on!! Thank you 😊

Reactive dog owners, let's show each other some kindness & support! The title says it all! I'll start. It's OK to mourn the dog you hoped that you'd have, but don't forget to love & train the dog that you do have. 💖 Let go of caring what other people think. On a walk, my dog is my priority, not...