Whilst all of our progress was fantastic I found that I still had a terrified dog when he had to go to his local vets. Now everything you are meant to not do and avoid doing to a fearful reactive dog is guess what, exactly everything that happens when a dog goes to the vet. Each time there was a different vet including one who proceeded to tell me during a consult that my dog ‘just has to learn it’s (physical exam) just not that scary’ which I replied – “no actually he doesn’t”.

I am the owner of a fearful Ridgeback called Zander who is also reactive to dogs and people. He used to be terrified of certain objects and noises inside the house and terrified of everything (and I really do mean everything) in the outside world – cars, trucks, people, other dogs, tree branches rustling in the wind, gutters, plastic bags stuck on fences moving in the wind, birds flying in the sky, walking around street corners (I could go on but I think you get idea).