Step 0: Support a normal stress response

Dogs learn best when they feel calm enough to cope. If anxiety is high, even gentle training can be hard at first.

Many families choose natural supplements to help support a normal stress response and make learning feel easier while working through the steps below.

Natural supplements may be used for:

• Daily support: a consistent daily amount to support overall balance
  
• Situational support: a higher amount before known triggers or practice sessions

BSAVA principle: Learning cannot occur when emotional arousal is too high.

Explore Calm+ products here

Step 1: Prevent Full Panic Episodes

The goal of training is to help your dog learn that other dogs are safe.

That learning can only happen before panic sets in.

It’s normal for your dog to feel a little unsure or cautious during practice.

Mild, short-lived discomfort is part of learning. What we want to avoid is overwhelming fear or full panic, which strengthens fear and makes progress harder.

If your dog panics, the step was too difficult.

Go back to an easier version next time and progress more gradually.

Preventing panic does not mean avoiding practice altogether.
It means choosing steps that are small enough for your dog to stay calm enough to learn.

BSAVA principle: Panic strengthens fear and prevents learning.

Step 2: Find a Comfortable Working Distance

Goal: Identify the distance at which your dog can notice another dog while staying calm.

Exercise:

1. Allow your dog to notice another dog at a distance
2. Observe body language closely
3. If your dog can take food, disengage, or recover quickly, stay where you are
4. If barking, lunging, freezing, or frantic movement appears, increase distance and end the exposure

Mild alertness is acceptable. Intense or prolonged reactions are not.

BSAVA principle: Behaviour change begins below the fear threshold.

Step 3: Reward Calm Observation of Other Dogs

Goal:
Help your dog learn that noticing other dogs calmly leads to positive outcomes.

Exercise:

1. At a comfortable distance, allow your dog to notice another dog
2. When your dog looks away, softens, or disengages, reward calmly (treats, soft praise).
3. Keep sessions short (30–90 seconds) and predictable
4. End while your dog is still relaxed

No approach, retreat or interaction is required.

BSAVA principle: Desensitisation with counter-conditioning

Step 4: Pair the Presence of Other Dogs With Calming Activities

Goal:
Support your dog in staying relaxed for longer periods in the presence of other dogs

Exercise:

While another dog is visible at a safe distance:

• Pause or stand quietly
• Allow slow sniffing at your dog’s pace
• Use calm, predictable walking with pauses
• Offer quiet presence beside you
• Slow your own breathing deliberately
• Praise calmly with a soft voice
• No tight leads or directional pulling

If your dog enjoys touch:

• Use slow, steady strokes in one consistent location
• Stop if alertness increases rather than decreases

Avoid excited voices, tight leads, or forced interaction.

BSAVA principle: Desensitisation with counter-conditioning

Step 5: Gradual Distance Adjustment

Goal

Increase tolerance to other dogs without triggering reactions.

Exercise

1. Reduce distance in very small, planned steps
2. Watch for early signs of tension
3. Increase distance again if stiffness, fixation, or pulling appears
4. Mix easy situations with slightly more challenging ones
5. Use calm rewarding , no excitement

Progress is based on comfort, not closeness. Do NOT force interaction.

BSAVA principle

Systematic, graded exposure

Progression follows emotional readiness, not a fixed timeline.

Step 6: Support Recovery After Encounters

Goal

Allow stress levels to return to baseline before the next exposure.

Exercise: Decompression Time

1. Provide quiet time after walks or encounters
2. Allow sniffing, rest, or calm routines
3. Avoid stacking multiple challenging encounters back-to-back

Recovery is part of training, not a setback.

BSAVA principle

Stress recovery & cumulative load management
Adequate recovery prevents sensitisation and escalation over time.

Step 7: Seek Extra Support When Needed

Goal

Ensure safety and progress when challenges exceed what training alone can address.

Know When to Pause and Refer

Contact your veterinarian if:

• Reactions are intense or worsening
• Safety feels uncertain
• Recovery between encounters is poor
• Progress stalls despite consistency
  

Additional support can help create the emotional stability needed for learning.

BSAVA principle

Multimodal behavioural support

Some cases require combined behavioural and veterinary guidance.

When fear around other dogs begins to reduce, a dog may not yet have the social skills needed to handle dog-to-dog interactions calmly.

Fear often suppresses behaviour. As a dog starts to feel a little safer, that inhibition can lift before new coping or social skills are fully learned. This can temporarily make reactions toward other dogs seem more direct or more noticeable.

This does not mean the dog is becoming aggressive or “worse.”

It means learning and emotional regulation are still in progress.

For this reason:

• Always work at safe distances from other dogs
• Avoid forced greetings or on-leash interactions
• Allow your dog to choose when to observe, approach, or disengage
• Focus on calm coexistence, not social interaction
  

Training should always stay below the point where your dog feels the need to defend itself.

If your dog has a history of snapping, lunging, or biting toward other dogs, seek guidance from a qualified behaviour professional before progressing.