“Both of those dogs are reactive,” the trainer told me, gesturing toward two dogs whose behaviors had earned them that familiar label. “Why aren’t you using the same training approach for both?”
It’s a question I hear often, and one that reveals how deeply we’ve been conditioned to see categories instead of individuals. Yes, both dogs showed intense responses to stimuli. Yes, both had handlers struggling with their “over-the-top” behavior. But when you truly SEE THE DOG – when you look beyond surface behavior to understand the individual temperament profile – you discover two completely different beings with completely different needs.
This is why I developed CARAT. Not because I suddenly learned to see dogs differently, but because I realized how desperately we needed a way to help others see what I’ve always seen: the exquisite individuality of each dog.
Two Dogs, Two Worlds
When I assessed these two dogs using CARAT, their distinct profiles emerged like photographs developing in a darkroom – suddenly clear, detailed, actionable.
Dog A showed high arousal that spiked quickly, but she also demonstrated remarkable resilience – returning to baseline rapidly once the stimulus passed. Her reactions were intense but brief. She had strong visual awareness and moderate persistence, meaning she noticed everything but didn’t get stuck on any one thing. Her social tolerance was good, and she showed excellent self-modulation in familiar settings.
Dog B had more moderate arousal levels, but his resilience was poor – once something triggered him, he stayed in that elevated state for extended periods. His olfactory awareness was off the charts, and his olfactory persistence was equally high – he could get locked onto a scent and lose all awareness of his handler’s existence. His social tolerance was lower, and self-modulation was a significant challenge.
Same “reactive” label. Completely different dogs. Completely different needs.
The Individual Behind the Behavior
Here’s what the “reactive” label missed entirely: the WHY behind each dog’s responses.
Dog A’s intense but brief reactions made perfect sense when you understood her temperament profile. She was actually a highly functional dog whose arousal system worked beautifully – quick to activate when needed, quick to recover when the stimulus passed. Her training needed to focus not on “calming her down” but on helping her handler understand and work with her natural responsiveness.
Dog B’s prolonged elevated states told a different story. His poor resilience meant that even minor stimuli created lasting internal upheaval. Combined with his intense olfactory persistence, he often became overwhelmed in environments rich with scent information. His training required a completely different approach – environmental management, self-modulation skills, and careful attention to his slower recovery patterns.
Treat them the same because they’re both “reactive”? You’d fail them both.
The Cost of Category Thinking
This is what happens when we rely on broad behavioral categories instead of seeing the individual: we miss everything that matters. We create training plans that address symptoms rather than understanding. We make management decisions based on labels rather than temperament. We recommend interventions that might help one dog while making another worse.
It’s like a doctor treating all patients with elevated heart rates the same way, regardless of whether the cause is excitement, anxiety, medication, or heart disease. The symptom might look identical, but the underlying reality – and the appropriate response – varies completely.
What Changes When You SEE THE DOG
When professionals learn to assess individual temperament profiles using CARAT, everything shifts:
Training becomes precise. Instead of generic “reactive dog” protocols, you create interventions tailored to each dog’s specific temperament traits. Dog A might benefit from impulse control games that channel her quick arousal/recovery cycle. Dog B might need environmental decompression and systematic resilience building.
Predictions become possible. Understanding a dog’s individual profile lets you anticipate how they’ll respond in various situations. You can proactively manage their environment and set them up for success instead of constantly reacting to problems.
Relationships deepen. When handlers understand their dog’s unique temperament, frustration transforms into appreciation. They stop fighting their dog’s nature and start working with it.
Outcomes improve. Dogs placed in situations that match their individual profiles thrive. Training that aligns with their temperament succeeds. Stress decreases for everyone involved.
Beyond the Label
The dogs I work with aren’t “reactive” – they’re individuals with complex temperament profiles that influence how they experience and respond to the world. Some have hair-trigger arousal systems paired with excellent recovery. Others have moderate arousal but poor resilience. Some get overwhelmed by visual stimuli, others by scent or sound or social pressure.
Each combination creates a unique individual who deserves to be understood, not categorized.
This is the heart of Relationship Centered Training and the foundation of CARAT: seeing the dog as they truly are, not as a collection of behavioral symptoms or breed stereotypes or training challenges. When we SEE THE DOG, we can finally give them what they need to thrive.
The Invitation
Every dog – from the “perfectly behaved” companion to the “project dog” that challenges us daily – has a story written in their temperament profile. Learning to read that story, to see the individual behind the behavior, changes everything.
CARAT has changed how my students now see their own dogs and their clients’ dogs. And it can change how you understand every dog you meet.
Because they’re not just “reactive dogs” or “difficult dogs” or “easy dogs.” They’re individuals, each one deserving to be seen clearly, understood deeply, and supported appropriately.
Ready to learn how to see every dog as the individual they truly are? Discover CARAT assessment training and join professionals and serious dog enthusiasts who understand that CARAT changes everything. Intro to CARAT opens September 14th – join us to find out how CARAT changes EVERYTHING.
About Suzanne Clothier
Suzanne Clothier developed the CARAT (Clothier Animal Response Assessment Tool) in 2007 to help others see what she’s always seen: the unique individual within every dog. Through her Relationship Centered Training methodology, she helps professionals and dedicated dog enthusiasts learn to look beyond behavior to understand temperament.
