Behaviour · 4 min
When your dog goes over threshold
A barking, lunging dog isn’t being bad. It’s past the point where learning can happen.
There’s a window where your dog can think and learn. Past that window — what trainers call "over threshold" — the brain shifts into reactivity. You can’t train through it.
The job in those moments is simple: make space. Step sideways. Add distance. Feed calm treats at your leg. Wait for the body to soften.
You are not "rewarding bad behaviour" by feeding calm food in a hard moment. You’re lowering the temperature so learning can happen later.
Takeaway
Distance is the cheapest training tool you have. Use it early.