Why Waiting for Triggers Is the Wrong Way to Train a Reactive Dog

Does your dog get anxious before the guests even show up for the holidays?

In this episode of The Dog Who Asked for More, we unpack the often-overlooked precursor cues—the subtle, early signs that signal to your dog that change (and stress) is coming. From deep cleaning to energy shifts, these quiet triggers can unravel even well-trained dogs if we’re not paying attention. You’ll learn how to support your dog’s behavior with proactive enrichment, routine preservation, and energy awareness.

In this episode:

• Discover how missed cues can sabotage even the best training plans during the holidays

• Learn 5 practical, low-stress enrichment ideas to regulate your dog before things escalate

• Understand your dog’s need for predictability, routine, and emotional safety in busy seasons

  
  

Press play to learn how catching your dog’s quiet stress signals early can prevent meltdowns—and create a more peaceful holiday for you both.

The Dog Who Asked for More Extras:

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This podcast explores real-life dog behavior and training through the lens of a canine nutritionist, dog coach, and retired vet tech—diving into reactivity, dog obedience, dog health, dog food, dog habits, dog lifestyle, canine enrichment, pet enrichment, dog myths, and what it actually takes to support reactive dogs safely and calmly. Whether you’re a dog mom navigating reactivity, building the human–dog bond, choosing dog products, or just trying to create a calmer dog life with your canine, you’ll find grounded strategies to build trust, improve dog behavior, and help your dog feel safe, understood, and supported.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Your dog knows the holidays are coming before the guests even
arrive. Welcome to the dog who Asked for
more, the podcast helping dog parents who feel stuck and
overwhelmed by their pup finallylet go of the guilt.
Learn to communicate clearly andbuild the bond you've always
dreamed of through a partnershipbased approach that combines
training, nutrition and enrichment instead of chasing

(00:22):
the quick fixes that don't actually work.
I'm Em. And in this episode, you'll
learn what precursor cues actually are and why they matter
so much for sensitive or anxiousdogs, how the holidays create
stress before anything big even happens, and five ways to help
your dog feel more secure duringweeks with extra cleaning,

(00:45):
prepping, or energy shifts. So here's something we don't
talk about enough as pet parents.
The things that happen before something stressful are often
just as overwhelming to our dogsas the event itself, and I get
why this gets missed. We're thinking about the big
moments, the guests arriving, the doorbell ringing, the chaos

(01:06):
in the kitchen. If your dog has big feelings
around change or noise or energyshifts, then those little
moments before the event matter just as much.
This is where precursor cues come in.
Precursor cues are signals that your dog notices, that predict
something is about to happen, even if it hasn't happened just

(01:29):
yet. Things like vacuuming or deep
cleaning, putting out guest towels, fluffing pillows or
prepping beds, dressing differently, putting on makeup,
boots or a jacket when you normally don't.
Cooking smells, candles or unfamiliar scents.
Your energy changing, moving faster, talking louder, getting

(01:50):
excited or stressed. Your dog picks up on all of
that. And if they've experienced the
holidays before or even just sensed your tension around a big
event, you can bet they're going, Oh, something is about to
happen. Fitz isn't even around for
Thanksgiving. I don't host.

(02:10):
We stay in our regular routine, but he still gets dysregulated
every November because guess what I do?
I clean differently. I move faster.
I make lists and I start packingfood.
I use the vacuum more, and I even pull out clothes that I
don't wear any other time of theyear.
To us, it's just life. To him, it's a whole bunch of

(02:33):
red flags that say uh oh, our routine is not going so smoothly
anymore. And here's the thing, most of
our dogs aren't reacting to the doorbell.
They're reacting to the build upof the 48 hours of tension,
energy shifts, and unpredictablechanges in their environment.
This matters because the more sensitive your dog is, the more

(02:56):
those precursor cues are going to affect them.
Your dog might bark more, Ace orshadow.
You ignore food him extra clingyor even more distant.
You might start guarding or getting snappy, or even refuse
to settle in normal places, barking noises they usually
ignore. And you might think he was fine

(03:17):
earlier then lost it when peopleshowed up.
But was he? Or was he coping all day until
he just couldn't handle it anymore?
That's the whisper before the scream.
And when we catch the whisper, we can prevent the meltdown.
So here are a few ways to help your dog feel safer and more

(03:38):
regulated when these cues start stacking.
First, acknowledge the build up.Don't wait for the guests to
arrive to start supporting your dog.
If you feel the shift in energy,so do they.
Use decompression proactively. Do some sniff walks, some trash
box enrichment, calming mats, ortwo sessions.

(03:59):
Lower the stimulation where you can't stick to the routine as
much as possible. Keep feeding, potty breaks,
walks, and the rest of your day as on schedule as possible.
Prep a safe space now, not the day of.
If you crate, use it. If your dog prefers a quiet
room, set it up now so that it'sfamiliar and let your dog

(04:22):
interact with it. It's totally fine to toss some
treats into the crate or in the quiet room and let your dog just
kind of exist in there. If they choose to go in there
during your regular day and regular routine, it's going to
feel that much more comfortable to them when the big day and
crazy events actually happen. And last but not least, watch

(04:42):
your own energy. I know it's hard, but if you're
stressed and chaotic, your dog is going to mirror that.
Slowing yourself down can help them feel safe, too.
You can sit down on the couch and snuggle up or pet them for a
little while. Take a break and take some deep
breaths. This will lower both of your

(05:02):
anxiety levels and surely help you both be successful in the
rest of the day. This week's Answering the Ask
story is about Toby. Every single time I start
washing blankets, fluffing pillows, and vacuuming the
floor, Toby disappears. It used to bother me.
I try to call him or get him excited about the extra

(05:23):
activity, but he would retreat under the bed or into another
room and want nothing to do withit.
Eventually I realized these are some of his precursor cues.
This is how he's always coped with change by getting distance,
hiding out, and regulating on his own.
So now instead of pushing him toget involved, I give him the

(05:44):
option to opt out. I give him a wolf popsicle, set
up a baby gate and give him space that is all his own.
Sometimes, say even turn on somemusic and just let him do his
own thing. I'll check in and refill the
popsicle if I need to and allow him to exit the room if he's
ready to join the group. That is his ask.

(06:05):
And when I honor it, everything goes smoother.
This week's brain Boost is supersimple.
Do your enrichment before your dog unravels.
Even 5 to 10 minutes of sniffing, shredding, or puzzle
work before the vacuum comes outcan help lower your dog's
arousal levels and make them more resilient to change.

(06:25):
Try a snafari, a treat toss game, or even just a frozen lick
mat with a calming scent like lavender around.
Set the tone before the chaos starts.
If your dog is struggling beforethe big thing happens, it
doesn't mean that you've failed.It means that they're trying to
process something that feels unclear or unpredictable to

(06:46):
them. And you don't have to fix
everything. You just have to notice the ask
sooner and meet it with curiosity instead of control.
Because when we support the dog in front of us, we're not just
helping them cope better, we're actually teaching them the world
is safe and that they don't haveto handle it alone.
So today we talked about what precursor cues are and why your

(07:08):
dog notices them, the real reason behavior suddenly falls
apart during the holidays, and how to support your dog before
they hit their limit. We also learned that the whisper
always comes before the screen if we're willing to hear it.
Be kind, spread joy, and remember your dog feels the
change long before you open the door.

(07:30):
Thank you for listening to the dog who asked for more and for
showing up for your dog today. If you've been trying to figure
things out on your own and nothing seems to work, it's
exhausting to keep guessing and wondering if you're failing your
dog. That's why I offer a free 15
minute call so you can walk awaywith clear next steps for
training, nutrition or enrichment that actually fit you

(07:52):
and your dog. The link is in the show notes.
New episodes drop every Monday and Wednesday.
I'll see you next time.