Triggers & Thresholds

Reactivity doesn’t come out of nowhere—and it doesn’t happen all the time. It shows up in specific moments, often with very specific triggers.

Understanding those moments matters.

This page will help you make sense of what sets off a reaction, and why your dog might respond differently on different days. We’ll explore the concept of thresholds, how stress builds up, and what to watch for so you can recognize when your dog is close to their limit.

Because when you understand what’s happening in the moment, you’re in a better position to help.

🎥 Watch & Learn

Learn what triggers reactions, how thresholds work, and how to spot the signs before things boil over.

Stress can feel contagious—but it’s not your emotions travelling down the leash. Learn why training doesn’t happen in those moments, and why management and observation matter more.

Triggers & Thresholds in Real-Life

Lucy’s body language clearly tells me she’s right at the edge of her squirrel threshold.

After the dog passes, she kicks and ground scratches before moving on. This is a good reminder that arousal can still be high even after the trigger is gone — recovery takes a minute.

This clip is a great reminder that “under threshold” doesn’t mean nothing is happening.

This clip shows arousal carryover in real time, and how trigger stacking can start when one exciting or stressful event piles onto the next before the dog has had time to recover.

Management & More

We see people with dogs walking on our road maybe once every few months. We haven’t worked on it so I use management to help Lucy handle this unexpected encounter.

A really simple management trick that can help manage your dog’s behaviour when it’s trained well.

Download Treat Scatters PDF

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