Field Guide · Glossary
Neutrality training
Skills and cuesTeaching a dog to stay calm and uninterested in the presence of other dogs, people or distractions, without greeting, reacting or fixating.
How it works
The target is a dog who notices what is around them and carries on with what they were doing. Work usually starts at a distance where the dog is relaxed, then gradually brings the distractions closer, makes them more active, or lasts longer. Common tools include parallel walking, rewarding the dog for looking away, settling on a mat while things happen nearby, and working alongside a "neutral dog": a calm, steady helper dog who ignores the dog in training. Trainers across different methods use the term, and they differ in the consequences they use to build it.
What it looks like
A young dog pulls hard toward every dog on the sidewalk. Training starts across the street from a calm helper dog, rewarding the young dog each time they glance over and then turn back to the handler. Over several weeks the distance closes until the two dogs can pass on the same sidewalk while the young dog keeps walking.
Commonly confused with
- Socialization
- Socialization builds positive associations with people, animals and places, mostly during puppyhood. Neutrality training teaches a calm, uninvolved response to those same things, often in an adult dog.
Related terms
Gear that helps
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High-value freeze-dried training treats
The paycheck. For reactive work the reward has to beat the trigger, so we keep these tiny, soft, and genuinely exciting, not everyday biscuits.
Treat pouch (clip-on)
You can't reward fast enough digging in a pocket. A pouch you open one-handed changes your timing, and this one has a magnetic close plus a built-in clicker.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Links here are affiliate links, at no extra cost to you.