what is the bubble theory for dogs

The bubble theory for dogs is a way of thinking about counter conditioning, which relates the dogs inner emotional state to the physical proximity of things that trigger them. The theory is based on the idea that reactive dogs have a "bubble" around them, which describes how their emotional state relates to whats going on around them. Reactive dogs go over their emotional threshold when their trigger comes inside their bubble. Bubble theory training is all about gradually manipulating the size of that bubble so that reactive dogs can tolerate getting closer to the things that trigger them before going over threshold. The bubble analogy is helpful because bubbles are fragile and can pop, just like a reactive dogs emotional state can be easily triggered. The bubble theory is not a single training method or technique, but rather a way of thinking about dog training that emphasizes the importance of adapting to the unique needs of each dog and recognizing when certain training methods or techniques may no longer be effective.