Beyond Reactivity — Local services in London

We first asked Matty back in October 2024 to help us with our very anxious bull terrier, Lily. Our dog, who was once incredibly social and loved her walks started to become reluctant and increasingly scared and distressed about being taken outside. She was also becoming depressed inside the house.

Not knowing any specific reason for this anxiety made Matty’s job difficult but on our first meeting, it was clear she was determined to make things better. Advice was given on ACE training to stimulate, distract and motivate Lily and noise tolerance training to desensitise her from sudden noises. She also suggested that we see our vet about putting Lily on anxiety medication. Together, the training and medication started to make a difference. Lily’s apathy inside the house started to decrease and her interest in taking a peek outside the front door started to grow. She slowly started to take walks again.

Lily has peaks and troughs with her confidence and will probably continue to do so. However, Matty has equipped us with a tool box to understand and support our dog. We enjoy the days she wants to go for a walk and race around and don’t stress as much any more on the days that she doesn’t.

Matty was warm, approachable and very understanding. She was particularly sympathetic on days when it all felt a bit too much. The Beyond Reactivity website was easy to access all our specific courses and the WhatsApp group was a...

We needed some expert help after our adopted 5 year old dog started to become very fearful when walking, to the point where she become dangerous to herself and others by bolting across busy roads and then she wouldn’t leave the house to walk through fear. Matty was very good in helping us identify and understand when our dog was stressed and how this had accumulated over time. She spent time with us to work on trigger or stressful situations at home where response could be managed, as well as different activities to stimulate her and build her confidence, and of course much of the advice was what we needed to change in our behaviours. She has visibly improved in the house, with visitors and out walking. We had tried to address issues doing our own research but the training or instruction to follow are very nuanced and Matty’s instruction has made us observe the correct approach, for a long lasting recovery. There is more to do as the process is continuous and we are now confident to continue to work with our dog in the future without Matty’s direct involvement, and she now leaves the house and is really enjoying walking and being a dog again which is great! Would recommend Matty and her...

We came across Beyond Reactivity after a visit to the vet, following their recommendation to see a dog behaviorist regarding our dog Moka's discomfort, fear, and trauma issues—specifically with motorbikes and unknown dogs.

We worked with Matty (Founder of Beyond Reactivity) for 6 months, both in-person and online. Matty was very kind and patient, listened attentively, and read our long reports and journal entries.

Moka's behavior has improved significantly, and we have learned more about our dog's needs and how to fulfill them through various exercises recommended specifically for Moka.

Top 6 things that we learned:

1.) Patience, love, and consistency go a long way.

2.) Your dog communicates with you all the time—learn to read them.

3.) Boundaries are important.

4.) Independence is important.

5.) Points 2-4 help build their confidence.

6.) Strengthen your relationship through play, rest, and exposure to neutral/positive environments.

We have recommended Beyond Reactivity to neighbors and friends since starting, as we are very happy with the results.

We are so grateful to Matty, and we will ensure we stay consistent with meeting Moka's needs to ensure...