After begging my whole life, I finally was allowed to get my own dog back in 2021. I got Ivy (my dog) as a puppy and completed all her training by myself. I think I’d read just about every dog training and behaviour book on the market so I could give Ivy the best environment possible. While I got very lucky with Ivy’s temperament, I have been a sitter for reactive dogs before. One dog in particular whom I have walked on occasion (but mostly did home visits) was very reactive and anti-social. I did meetings with the owner present to ensure the dog was comfortable with me before completing home visits alone. While on walks, it was imperative to keep this dog away from all other dogs, especially off-leash ones. I picked routes that ensured encountering minimal other people, and when we did come across other dog walkers I simply moved a fair distance off the path and held Frankie’s (the dog) attention using treats and positive reinforcement. By ensuring she kept her focus on me until the people had passed, it kept her reactivity to a minimum. Her reactivity was triggered by fear and anxiety, so avoidance of such situations meant that she was comfortable and therefore a pleasure to walk. I have experience sitting/walking dogs of all ages (including puppies and seniors) and feel comfortable with all breeds/sizes.