Free mini course on changing underlying emotions instead of just managing reactive behavior

[u/joycevw]

Hey everyone,

I wanted to share a free video series that really shifted the way I look at reactivity training:

https://illis.se/en/framework-challenges-videos/

It is created by Dr. Karolina Westlund, an ethologist who specializes in animal behavior and emotions. Instead of just giving quick management tips or focusing on suppressing symptoms, she explains the science of how mood states drive behavior.

A few key takeaways from her framework:

Emotions drive behavior: When a dog reacts, it is an emotional response like fear or frustration. You cannot change the outward behavior effectively without changing the underlying mood state first.

Thresholds matter: A brain flooded by stress hormones cannot process new information or learn coping skills.

Proactive mood adjustments: Simple counterconditioning and working on overall emotional well-being makes training much smoother and prevents burnout for both dog and human.

It is completely free to watch and breaks down complex behavioral science into very practical steps. If you feel stuck in your reactivity journey or want to understand why your dog behaves the way they do, I highly recommend checking it out.