How to Stop Leash Reactivity in Golden Retrievers with Simple Focus Games I remember the exact moment I realized my Golden had a reactivity problem. We were crossing the street—something I'd done a thousand times—when a Labrador appeared from behind a parked car. My 75-pound field Golden locked onto that dog like a missile, planted his feet, and started barking like I'd never heard before. I couldn't move him. I couldn't get his attention. I just stood there, red-faced, while a neighbor watched and offered that look. You know the one. I spent the next week reading everything I could find. I tried longer walks. I tried blocking his view. I even tried a prong collar for about three days before I realized I was just making things worse. Nothing worked until I stopped trying to stop the behavior and started teaching him a different one. What finally turned things around wasn't more exercise or better equipment. It was teaching my dog to look at me instead of the tr...