If you have a reactive dog, or even just a “selective” dog, then you know the struggle of trying to find somewhere that’s both safe and fun for them to enjoy an adventure.  Without giving you major anxiety.

Our Emmie was not a fan of other dogs without a nice, slow intro and it broke my heart to leave her home when we’d take our other pups on excursions.  Going to parks where dogs are supposed to be on leash (pretty much anywhere except dog parks) wasn’t really an option since you could never be sure that all dogs would be leashed (“It’s okay, he’s friendly” is a quote that should be banished from our vocabulary.)

Even though you have a reactive dog you both deserve a space where they can play and run and have fun!

Here are some resources for where to take your reactive dog for an adventure without anyone getting hurt:

Sniff Spot App

If you’re looking for a local adventure with your reactive dog, the Sniff Spot app is quite helpful. It’s a GPS-based dog park finder that helps you discover parks near your home that you can rent out for just you and your dog. 

You’ll enter your location and the app will show you all of the nearby dog parks. From there, it’s up to you and your pup to decide which park looks best; after all, one person’s exciting park is another person’s boring park (and vice versa). This is one of my favorite ways for reactive dogs to still get adventures. Just make sure that the location is fully fenced (and some will even let you know if there are neighboring dogs).  Here are a couple of my favorite local spots: 

Private Dog Park In White Lake Charter Township

M&L Private Dog Park In Canton

Training Centers + Parks

I know the importance of allowing your dog to run and play off-leash. However, when you have a reactive dog the dog park is a no go. If you’re not comfortable with privately owned “parks” then here are some resources for commercial spaces you can rent:

Outdoors:

Einstein Dog Training Yard 

K-9 Turbo Training

Indoors:

K-9 Turbo Training

Michigan Dog Center

Northfield Dog Training

Zoom Room

Pools for Rent

As with any other activity, swimming is an excellent form of exercise for your dog. However, finding a dog-friendly pool for a reactive dog is challenging so we’re making it easy! These pools are available to rent for you and your dog to have some fun in the sun without the risk of other dogs. 

Private Pools on Swimply:

Heated backyard pool chillin’

Small Town Oasis

Commercial Pools 

The Bubble Puppy

Bunk and Biscuit

Reactive Dogs Deserve Fun Too

As someone who has had a reactive dog I know it can be stressful to bring them in public and most dogs need that extra stimulation that comes from getting out of their day to day. There are so many great resources for where to take your reactive dog on an adventure now! Whether it’s a pool day in the summer or a rambunctious romp around a training room in the winter I hope this helps you find a solution for you and your dog. 

Having a reactive dog doesn’t mean that you can’t have a great photoshoot experience either!  I know of a few locations that are off the beaten path a bit and where I don’t generally see a lot of other dogs.  Or we can rent one of the SniffSpot locations.  I’m also familiar with shy dogs that need time to warm up to new humans so don’t let any of those reasons stop you from getting family photos to cherish!  Schedule your free consultation call today to see if we’re a good fit.