Why I Started How to Dog (And What Living With a Reactive Dog Taught Me)

The reason I started How to Dog is snoring beside me as I write this. Her name is Orion.

Like many dogs, Orion struggled with fear, anxiety, and reactivity. Today, we know that she has an anxiety disorder and a panic disorder, but at the time we were flying blind.

When your dog reacts to people and other dogs by barking, growling, and lunging, it can feel unmanageable, unsafe, embarrassing, and so very overwhelming. You start avoiding situations, changing routines, and your world gets smaller and smaller.

I looked for help, and after a few false starts, I found two women who deserve a great deal of credit for helping both Orion and me survive her adolescence. Those two were Dr. Wyman at the Atlantic Veterinary Hospital and Steph Schreiber from Beta Dog Training in Edmonton. I am eternally grateful to both of these wonderful humans!

Dr. Wyman is an incredible veterinarian who has since, sadly for me, moved away. She listened to me and believed me when I told her what was happening while Orion alternated between cowering behind me and snarling at her. I promised I would put in the work if there was anything she could do to help us. She prescribed Orion's first anti-anxiety medication.

Around the same time, I flew to Edmonton to attend the Beta Dog Training Foundations Course. The knowledge and skills Steph gave us students fundamentally changed the way I saw and trained Orion.. I listened to her podcast, Make it Weird, religiously. Looking back, I honestly don't know if Orion would still be here without Steph's influence.

It took another year of working with Orion and seeing progress before I became a trainer myself.

Living with Orion taught me something important: behind every reactive dog is a dog who is struggling, and a person who is doing their best with the information and resources they have. I realized that most owners need someone to help them understand their dog and learn how to work with their dog.

That's the idea behind How to Dog.

I wanted to help people who felt the way I once felt, the way Steph and Dr. Wyman helped me. Today, I work with families whose dogs struggle with fear, anxiety, and reactivity. Every dog is different, and every family has their own goals, challenges, and circumstances. My job is to help them understand their dog, build new skills, and create a training plan that works for them.

Another important lesson Orion taught me is that progress is rarely a straight line. You'll have great days and difficult days. You'll celebrate breakthroughs and, if you're anything like me, cry when you encounter setbacks. Learning doesn't happen in a straight line for people or for dogs. What matters is continuing to move forward: Progress not perfection.

If you're currently living with a reactive, fearful, or anxious dog, I want you to know something: you are not alone. Many people are facing the same challenges you are. Progress is possible. Improvement is possible. And while the journey may not always be easy, you don't have to navigate it by yourself.

Orion is the reason How to Dog exists. Every client I work with and every dog I help can be traced back to the lessons she taught me about patience, empathy, and the power of understanding behaviour rather than simply trying to stop it.

She may never know it, but she changed the course of my life and for that, I'll always be grateful. Good girl, Bubba ❤

📸: Denise Aube