By lowering expectations and accepting that dogs don’t have to be sociable with everyone they meet,

Finally, once your dog has learned a particular action or behavior, continue to reinforce it in everyday life, and never miss a chance to reward behavior that you like, even if it’s just a simple “good girl”—your dog will love you for it!

true packs don’t really exist in the domestic dog world in the first place.

Walking well on a leash and walking right next to you are separate leash manner skills that your dog can learn.

The brain’s circuits for aggression are separate from those for play; by playing with Tink near other dogs I was effectively engaging her play drive and shutting off any fear she felt.

Be patient and flexible with your expectations, and be prepared for failure—it is an important part of the learning process.

Leash reactivity and aggression are exacerbated by a dog’s feeling restrained and therefore unable to act naturally in a social situation.

I encouraged the family to play hide-and-seek games with him by hiding food around the home and sending him off to track it down. I set up some tunnels in the kids’ playroom so that he could search for the squeaky toys I laid out for him at intervals “underground.” Keeping him entertained in this way meant that he was much more content to stay

Canine Noise Phobia Series, which pairs psycho-acoustic music and sound effects with a behavioral protocol designed to help a dog overcome sensitivities to certain sounds