Riley - A Reactive Dog's Story in Columbus, Ohio

These days, 14-year-old Riley is a sweet, sleepy Mini Dachshund who spends most of his time snuggled on the couch. He’s mostly deaf and couldn’t be more relaxed — but that wasn’t always the case.

Before I became a dog trainer in Grove City, I got Riley at 19, just as I moved into my first apartment in the Brewery District near German Village. He was spoiled from day one. He was crate-trained for a while, then straight to the bed (yes, even when he peed on it). We loved him so much and figured that was enough.

At our apartment’s small dog park, he made a best friend, a Basset Hound named Bo. But around a year old, Riley started attacking him. We thought it was a fluke. “We socialized him young!” we told ourselves. But soon he was trying to fight any dog that came in. Riley had claimed the space.

We moved, but the behavior followed. Barking out the window, leash reactivity, full-on meltdowns at the sight of another dog. “He’s friendly!” I’d call out as I scooped him up. Walks were embarrassing. Riley mostly stayed home.

At five years old, I went to school at National K-9 in Gahanna to become a Certified Dog Trainer. That’s when I realized I had created this. With no structure or boundaries, Riley took on the role of protector, which looked like reactivity and aggression but was really insecurity.

So we changed everything. Back to the crate. Daily training. Clear expectations. Coaching him through tough moments instead of babying him.

Within weeks, he could calmly walk by dogs at places like Schiller Park or Scioto Audubon. The barking stopped. The tension lifted. Now Riley lets other dogs into our home and actually trusts us to handle things. The “little man syndrome” bully was gone, replaced by the calm, sweet boy he always had the potential to be.

Most people feel guilty setting limits with their dogs, but it’s the kindest thing you can do. Riley’s life got so much bigger once we took that pressure off his shoulders.

If this sounds familiar and you're a family in Columbus or Grove City, Ohio, struggling with reactivity or frustration on walks, we’d love to help.