Willow’s First Big Win: From Lunging on Leash to Thinking Before Reacting

Meet Willow — a sweet, sensitive dog who used to explode the moment she saw another dog. Her walks were chaotic: barking on leash, lunging toward other dogs, zig-zagging all over the sidewalk, and pulling with her whole body. Her owners were exhausted and asking the same questions so many Charlotte dog owners ask: “How do I stop my dog from barking at other dogs on walks?” “Why does my dog go crazy on leash?” “How do I fix leash reactivity without using force?” At Mariah Dog Training, we specialize in helping busy owners who want real-world manners without overwhelm. Instead of asking Willow’s family to do all the work, we stepped in and handled the hard reps for them — no shock, no threats, just positive, practical dog reactivity training in the places where the problem happened. In this session, Willow is learning how to think instead of react. You’ll see early engagement work, calm check-ins, and structured loose leash walking around mild distractions. This is the foundation of stopping leash reactivity and helping a dog stay under threshold. It’s also the first step toward fixing behaviors like: • dog barking at other dogs • dog lunging on walks • dog pulling toward other dogs • dog that “loses their mind” outside Our goal is simple: build focus, confidence, and calm — then transfer those skills to you with easy, repeatable habits you can do in minutes a day. If Willow can do it, your dog can too.