Counterconditioning & Look-at-That Training: Helping Your Dog Handle Triggers

Feb 15

4 min read

Counterconditioning is a powerful tool when we want to change a dog’s emotional response to something that currently triggers fear, insecurity, or frustration. The goal is to shift the dog’s feeling toward a specific trigger – whether it’s other dogs, cats, people, bicycles, or cars – and then teach an alternative behavior to replace the unwanted reaction.

This process requires time, patience, and maintaining the right distance from the trigger. A reactive dog isn’t “stubborn” or “difficult”—it’s simply responding to an emotion it has learned to associate with a particular situation.

Counterconditioning – Changing the Dog’s Emotion

With counterconditioning, we work on creating a positive association with the trigger. This means starting in a situation where the dog still feels safe and can take rewards. When the dog sees the trigger, they receive something they love—often a high-value treat or another meaningful reward. Over time, the dog starts linking the trigger to something positive.

The Right Reward & Timing Matter

🔹 Use a treat your dog truly values – not everyday kibble. Go for something extra rewarding, like a squeeze cheese tube or soft, lickable treats. It´s a calming act to lick for a dog. 🔹 Find the correct distance – start at a distance where your dog can see the trigger without reacting. This might mean staying very far away at first. 🔹 Position your dog correctly – let them sit by your side, facing the trigger, and reward them the moment they notice it.

Timing is Everything!

For counterconditioning to be effective, the reward must come immediately after the dog spots the trigger—ideally within ½-1 second.

It is not counterconditioning if you use food to distract the dog so they never notice the trigger – although this can be necessary in emergencies when the trigger is too close.

How Do You Know If You Have the Right Distance?

If your dog can take the reward and remain calm, you’re at the right distance. If they ignore treats, freeze, or tense up, you’re too close—step back and give them more space.

👉 Important: Work at a functional distance—one where your dog can notice the trigger without becoming too stressed.

Once counterconditioning starts to take effect, you can gradually introduce Look-at-That (LAT) training—but not before!

Look-at-That Training – Changes Behavior, Not Emotion

Look-at-That (LAT) training teaches the dog to voluntarily turn toward you when they see their trigger. Unlike counterconditioning, where we actively reward upon seeing the trigger, here we wait for the dog to make eye contact before giving the reward.

This training should start while stationary, where you can control the situation, and later transition into movement as the dog begins to understand that checking in with you pays off.

Important: LAT Training Does NOT Change Emotion!

A common mistake is to jump straight into LAT training without first using counterconditioning. The issue with this approach is that the dog learns to change their behavior—but not their underlying emotional response.

A reactive or anxious dog may learn to "look at you" for a reward, but if their core emotion hasn’t shifted, the reactivity may resurface later—especially when they’re tired, stressed, or too close to the trigger.

👉 This is why LAT should always follow counterconditioning so that the dog’s emotional state has changed before you start modifying their behavior.

The ADD Formula: Three Keys to Success

One of the most common mistakes I see when working with counterconditioning and LAT training is moving too quickly or standing too close to the trigger. That’s why I want to share a simple and effective formula that I first learned from Hundtränar Lilly (a Swedish dog trainer and behaviorist!). ADD stands for Association, Distance, and Decompression – three key factors for success.

1. A – Association

What emotional response has your dog linked to the trigger, and what do we want them to feel instead? This is why counterconditioning should always come first—we must change the emotion before we can change the behavior.

2. D – Distance

The most common reason training doesn’t work is because the dog is too close to the trigger.

Common signs that you’re too close: ❌ Your dog won’t listen ❌ They refuse treats ❌ They freeze or fixate

This means your dog is in the red zone, where no learning can happen. Their brain is in full alarm mode—they’re reacting, not thinking.

3. D – Decompression

Have you ever noticed that your dog can handle three dog encounters calmly, but on the fourth one, they suddenly react?

This happens because their stress bucket overflows—they’ve been processing multiple stimuli, and eventually, it becomes too much.

How Do You Help Your Dog?

After every trigger exposure, allow your dog to decompress: 🐾 Scatter treats on the ground to encourage sniffing 🐾 Let them sniff natural scents and unwind 🐾 Use a lick mat or a squeeze tube (like cheese or peanut butter) 🐾 Play a short tug or fetch game 🐾 Jog or do a few quick steps together

This helps your dog release tension and continue the walk without carrying residual stress.

Summary

Counterconditioning and Look-at-That training are two of the most effective ways to help dogs manage triggers. BUT! To succeed, you need three key things:

✅ Correct Association – Change the dog’s emotion first. ✅ Correct Distance – Train in the green zone where the dog is relaxed. ✅ Correct Decompression – Allow the dog to release stress and reset.