When we first met Ghost and his littermates, we chose him because he seemed the calm one. How wrong we were.
As much as we loved him, our life with a dog did not turn out as we imagined. Those idyllic long walks exploring different areas followed by a café or pub lunch simply weren’t possible. Ghost is big, he’s loud, and when he sees dogs, bikes, horses… if it moves, he probably shouts and lunges at it.
The Dark Days
It got to the point where we hated taking him for walks. We would dread it, and they weren’t enriching for him either as we were confined to the same small route around the quiet fields near our house. We spent our walks constantly scanning for dogs, people, and wildlife, leaving us far more exhausted than he was.
Walking Ghost had become a source of stress rather than joy, and we knew something had to change.
A Glimmer of Hope
About a year in, we attended a sniffer workshop with Emma through another instructor. I was nervous at the thought of Ghost being around other dogs he didn’t know. In previous classes, he would often spend time away from the main group, shouting and lunging when he spotted other dogs.
But something magical happened. He loved it! Emma created a safe environment for him, and afterwards he was completely exhausted from all that thinking. For the first time, we saw a different side of Ghost.
Lockdown Lessons
Roll on to lockdown. By this time, I was following Emma on social media, and she ran a week focused on ‘Calmness’. We loved it! It helped us find calm and discover ways to help Ghost find his calm too.
Lockdown also meant everyone else avoided us on walks as much as we avoided them, so walks became less stressful again. It gave us breathing space to work on our relationship with Ghost without the constant pressure of managing his reactions.
Building Confidence Together
We continued working with Emma as our confidence grew at being Ghost’s owners. We started regularly attending sniffer classes and then progressed to mantrailing. We learned that when Ghost was working, he was less distracted by external stimuli such as dogs and people. He was focused on the game, and that focus was transformative.
We also did some one-to-one sessions with Emma and developed a set of strategies to help refocus Ghost when needed.
The Breakthrough Moment
As time went on and Ghost became more confident and comfortable with the regular dogs we encountered, we tried a ‘walk and sniff’ class. This involved walking with a small group of other dogs and doing searches in different locations.
While it wasn’t completely plain sailing, it was a much smoother walk than I had envisioned. By the end, we were walking really close to the back of the pack of dogs with no reaction from Ghost at all. I could hardly believe it.
Where We Are Now
Fast forward to today, and we’ve started trail hunting and begun attending ‘walk and trails’ as well as ‘walk and sniff’ classes. In our two most recent sessions, Ghost walked between two other dogs at a pretty close distance with no issues at all, and we even walked past hundreds of deer without incident!
The Reality Check
Whilst Ghost will never be a dog who will calmly wait while we have a leisurely tea and cake at a dog-friendly café, we have come such a long way. He’s made me a better owner, forcing me to think more about him and his needs than I would have if he had been an ‘easy’ dog.
A Challenge Worth Taking
Whilst Ghost has been a big challenge, he’s been the best challenge! He’s taught us patience, understanding, and the incredible power of working with your dog’s natural instincts rather than against them.
The transformation hasn’t just been in Ghost – it’s been in us as owners. We’ve learned to see his reactive behaviour not as something to be frustrated by, but as communication about his needs and feelings.
Gratitude and Growth
Thank you to everyone who has been on this journey and will continue to be part of our story – especially Emma for making all your classes so inclusive for Ghost and dogs like him. Your approach has shown us that every dog deserves the chance to succeed, regardless of their starting point.
For Other Owners Walking This Path
If you’re reading this and recognising your own dog in Ghost’s early story, please know that there is hope. It takes time, patience, and often professional help, but the transformation is possible. Your reactive dog isn’t broken – they just need different tools and approaches to help them succeed.
The journey isn’t always linear, and there will be setbacks, but every small step forward is worth celebrating. Sometimes the most challenging dogs teach us the most about ourselves and what we’re capable of achieving together.
Want to start your own reactive dog training transformation journey? Emma’s NEW Beginners Scent Work class starts Saturday 7th June, 10am in Chertsey! Perfect for dogs who need mental stimulation, reactive dogs who benefit from focus work, puppies learning to use their nose, and senior dogs who need low-impact activities. Limited spaces available.