Struggling with your dog’s barking, lunging, or growling? Learn why focusing too much on the “why” behind reactivity can keep you stuck—and what to do instead.

“I’m tired of unraveling my fetch fanatic, bossy, controlling, resource-guarding Aussie Shepherd. It’s exhausting.”

That makes so much sense—and if you’re feeling this too, you’re far from alone. This messy, high-intensity dynamic is incredibly common in herding breeds (like Aussies, Border Collies, Heelers), but it also shows up in many other driven dogs, regardless of breed.

I have always had an interest in training dogs. This began in childhood, raising Border Collie puppies on my family’s cattle farm. I pursued a professional career in dog training when I moved to Asheville and acquired my second cattle dog, Sage. I thought I knew how to raise cattle dogs, but Sage was different from any of my other puppies and I was struggling with her high drive/arousal, prey drive, and assertiveness.

If you are reading this, chances are your dog is having a hard time being home alone and you are wondering if he has separation anxiety. On your dog’s behalf, I thank you for being attentive to what he is experiencing and hope that this blog post will answer some of your questions.