Case Study: Helping Henry Feel Safe & Confident
Henry looking dapper, as always! Read more about this handsome boy’s journey with us!
Dog: Henry, Chocolate Labrador Retriever
Program: 8 Private Training Sessions
Focus: Reactivity, confidence-building, emotional safety
Background
Henry is a friendly chocolate Lab living with his family in a very active, walkable neighborhood. Daily exposure to frequent foot traffic, dogs passing closely, and dogs behind electric fence lines that often rushed the boundary kept Henry in a constant state of alert. Over time, this led to increasing reactivity toward people and dogs on walks, jumpiness at the door, and difficulty fully relaxing at home.
Training History & Assessment
Before training, Henry had been taught using aversive methods and tools, including a shock collar and a prong collar. While he could perform cues, his responses were driven by avoidance rather than confidence.
During assessment, we observed:
Reactivity to people and dogs, especially in his neighborhood
Heightened hypervigilance and startle response
Discomfort with body handling, including putting on equipment
Limited ability to self-settle or seek comfort
These behaviors indicated elevated stress and a lack of emotional safety.
Training Goals
Reduce reactivity by changing Henry’s emotional response
Increase comfort and predictability at home and on walks
Transition to humane, welfare-centered equipment
Improve body handling through cooperative care
Help Henry learn that other dogs can be safe and neutral
Training Plan
Over eight sessions, we implemented a customized, force-free plan that included:
Transition from a prong collar to a well-fitted Freedom Harness. This was selected for it’s double point of contact and double-ended leash.
Cooperative care and body-handling conditioning to put his harness on
Emotional regulation and recovery skills
Environmental management for a high-trigger neighborhood and reactions to deliveries at the home
Structured confidence-building using Sam, a skilled decoy dog, allowing Henry to safely practice calm observation and disengagement around another dog
Henry’s family was fully committed to the process and consistently practiced between sessions.
Results
By the end of training, Henry showed:
Significantly reduced reactivity on walks and towards deliveries to the home
Improved recovery around triggers
Increased comfort with handling and equipment
Retired prong collar and e-collar entirely
Calmer behavior at the door and in the home
Beyond these measurable changes, Henry began voluntarily seeking physical closeness—choosing to rest with his family in bed for the first time—and showed greater independence and relaxation, indicating improved emotional safety.
Takeaway
Henry’s progress demonstrates how addressing emotional wellbeing, environment, and training methods together can create meaningful change. When dogs feel safe, confident behavior follows.
Why This Approach Works
Behavior is communication. When dogs react, it’s often because they don’t feel safe—not because they’re being “stubborn” or “dominant.”
Our approach works because we:
Address the emotional root of behavior, not just the outward symptoms
Replace aversive tools with humane, science-based alternatives
Teach dogs skills for emotional regulation and recovery, especially in busy, trigger-heavy environments
Incorporate cooperative care, giving dogs choice and agency during handling
Use skilled decoy dogs when appropriate to create safe, controlled learning experiences
Coach families so progress continues long after sessions end
When dogs feel safer, they don’t need to rely on reactive behaviors to cope.