This is a brief overview of our methodology for working with reactive and fearful dogs.

STARR Protocol for Reactive Dogs

Working with reactive or fearful dogs is a specialty of Pawsitive Vybe. The key to dealing with these troubled dogs is allowing the dog to make decisions – simple decisions – that will help to center and ground them and to enable them to deal with environmental distractions on their own terms.

The Pawsitive Vybe STARR Protocol is an elegant system for handling reactive and/or reactive dogs.

Skinner Rocks but Pavlov Rules

The realm of rational decisions (operant behavior) are dictated by the classically conditioned state.

The woman who stands on the chair in the kitchen shrieking, broom in hand, in the presence of a mouse, is not making a rational decision. She canʼt. Sheʼs over threshold. Sheʼs making a silly decision, a decision that is … Read More »

Yesterday, I did a piece on Reframing the Dog’s Understanding of the Door. A couple of the comments pointed out some gaps in the one ‘how to’ paragraph. That paragraph was not meant as a lesson plan, it was just a quick hit explanation of the technique. Today’s installment is also not meant as a lesson plan. This piece is about some concepts we can use to desensitize our dog to the classical condition.

Pavlovian Humor – Make Their Drive a Joke

Humor is essentially taking people down a common path and popping them out into an unexpected destination:
“Three guys walk into a bar,”

The listener knows what’s coming: a long drawn out story about a minister, a priest and a rabbi, or something like that. Eyes roll,”Oh no, not another one… this is going to take a while.” We are already on … Read More »

STARR protocol session with Layla exiting the car.