Less than one session with a dog trainer
He isn't a bad dog. He's too close.
The complete, illustrated, punishment-free method for calming a reactive or aggressive dog. Step by step, back to walks you can enjoy.
- Understand why he explodes, and what's going on in his head
- A 12-week plan, week by week, with clear success criteria
- Over 100 step-by-step drawings + 21 printable sheets
- No shouting, no punishment, no choke or prong collars
+ 21 A4 sheets included
That's less than a single session with a dog trainer (about £74 on average in the UK, ManyPets 2026), and it's yours to keep.
Or get all 3 books for just 5,90 € more →
- In your inbox within a minute
- Free 6-page sample
- Secure checkout
- Phone, tablet, computer
Sound familiar?
Walks have become an ordeal.
You haven't done anything wrong. Your dog has feelings that are bigger than his coping skills. It's common, it's well studied, and it gets better with a clear method. Not with more firmness.
Quick check · 30 seconds
Does this sound like your dog?
Tick everything that rings true. Nobody sees your answers: they stay on your screen.
The idea that changes everything
Move the slider. Watch your dog change.
Every reactive dog has a distance at which he tips over: the threshold. Beyond it, he can look, sniff, eat and learn. Inside it, his brain switches to survival mode, and nothing gets through. Retraining is all about finding his right distance, working just beyond it, then closing it very gradually.
The D.I.S.T.A.N.C.E. method
8 steps. One thread: the right distance.
Every step is grounded in the clinical literature. We've put them in the order that genuinely helps, and turned them into simple actions.
Diagnose
Understand his profile, his triggers, his history.
Interrupt the cycle
Stop the repeated explosions: safety, management, home.
Settle the basics
Rule out pain, lighten the stress load.
Threshold
Measure the distance at which he can still think.
Anchor calm
Build in rest, relaxation, the mat, settling.
Nurture the bond
Marker, eye contact, the emergency U-turn.
Change the feeling
Counter-conditioning, desensitisation, BAT.
Extend to the real world
Walks, dogs, visitors, children, the vet.
Look inside
Pages made to be used.
Every technique is illustrated step by step, then summed up in a 'protocol' box with duration, kit and evidence rating. Tap to enlarge.
Everything you get
A complete programme, not just a book.
The book: 314 pages, 26 chapters, over 100 drawings
Understanding, foundations, the method, every special case, and keeping it going.
The seven-profiles test
Fearful, frustrated, guard, possessive, hunter, sore, wound-up: finally know where to start.
34 step-by-step protocols
Each with duration, kit and an honest evidence rating: solid, promising, practice-based or unproven.
The 12-week master plan
Week by week, with a success criterion so you know when to move on.
21 printable A4 sheetsIncluded
Reactivity log, threshold map, 72-hour emergency plan, vet-visit prep, house rules and more.
The hard cases
The dog who has bitten, the rescue dog, banned types and UK law, children, the vet.
The Right Distance
- 1 single PDF: 314 pages + 21 A4 sheets at the end of the file
- Emailed to you instantly
- Yours to keep
Less than a single session with a dog trainer.
Or all 3 books in the collection: 24,90 € instead of 36,80 €. Get all 3 →
An honest comparison
It doesn't replace a professional. It makes you capable.
| A session with a pro | Free videos | Short guides | The Right Distance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | About £74 a session on average (ManyPets, Jan 2026), often several sessions | Free | Around £5 to £17 | 19,00 €, once |
| A complete method, in order | Yes | Scattered tips | Partly | 8 steps |
| Tailored to your dog's profile | Bespoke | No | Rarely | Seven-profiles test |
| A week-by-week plan | Depends | No | Sometimes | 12 weeks |
| Evidence rating for every technique | Depends | No | Rarely | 34 rated protocols |
| Reread whenever you like | Your memory | Yes | Yes | Yours to keep |
| If your dog has bitten badly | Essential | No | No | Tells you when to get help, and who |
Our advice: this book first, to understand and act, plus a qualified professional if your dog has bitten or nothing has shifted after six weeks. Chapter 24 helps you choose one.
The master plan
12 weeks to change your walks.
Stabilise
Safety, the vet, a decompression week.
Measure
Threshold map and first skills.
Begin
U-turn, mat, first Open Bar sessions.
Review
Measure progress, adjust.
Advance
Close the distance, visitors, real life.
Consolidate
Relapse plan, maintenance, final review.
Verifiable sources
Nothing made up: everything is sourced.
Every technique carries an evidence rating (solid, promising, practice-based or unproven). The 18 studies cited are listed with their DOI, the official identifier that lets you find each one in a click.
Punishment-based training: more stress signals in dogs, and a more pessimistic emotional state.
Breed explains only about 9% of the differences in behaviour between dogs.
Hidden pain often lies behind a behaviour problem.
Nearly 13,700 dogs studied: fear and anxiety are among the most common difficulties.
Shelter behaviour tests are poor predictors of life at home.
Living with a reactive dog: stress and isolation, but also pride in every step forward.
Plus the position statements of veterinary behaviour societies such as the AVSAB, in favour of punishment-free methods.
An honest promise
What this book will and won't do.
It will
- Help you understand why your dog reacts
- Give you a clear plan you can follow at home
- Aim for a dog who reacts less intensely, less often, and recovers faster
- Tell you plainly when to call your vet or a qualified behaviourist
It won't
- Promise to 'cure' your dog, or results in seven days
- Use punishment, 'dominance', or choke, prong or shock collars
- Replace your vet, or professional help after a serious bite
Read before you buy. The cover, the contents, one complete protocol and its diagrams are free: download the free sample. You know what you are getting.
Questions
Before you buy.
How do I get the book?
Straight after payment, a download button appears and your PDF is emailed to you: the book, with the 21 A4 sheets to print at the end of the same file. Check your spam folder if you can't see it.
My dog has already bitten. Is this for me?
Yes, as a guide, alongside a professional. There's a full chapter on dogs who have bitten, with a safety plan, and it tells you plainly when to involve a veterinary behaviourist.
Does it work for rescues, Staffies, puppies, seniors?
Yes. Dedicated chapters cover the rescue dog and the first 100 days, puppies, teenagers and seniors, and breeds and banned types, including the Staffy and UK law.
How much time does it take?
15 to 25 minutes a day during the 12-week plan, on top of your usual walks. Every chapter opens with the essentials in 30 seconds and closes with your mission for the week.
Will it fix my dog?
No honest book can promise that. The aim is a dog who reacts less intensely, less often and recovers faster, with indicators so you can measure progress yourself.
I'm not an expert at all.
Everything is written in plain English and illustrated. Each chapter ends with three concrete actions, and a glossary explains every technical term.
Is this for the UK only?
It's written in British English with UK law, services and prices, but the method works for any dog, anywhere.
Can I read a sample before I buy?
Yes: download the free sample (6 pages: the cover, the contents, one complete protocol and its diagrams).
Is there a French or German edition?
Yes: La Juste Distance, written for French readers, and Der richtige Abstand, written for German readers.
Start today
Your dog isn't the problem. He's just too close.
Tonight you can take the profiles test and plan your next walk differently.
- In your inbox within a minute
- Free 6-page sample
- Secure checkout
- Phone, tablet, computer
The Right Distance is an educational guide. It does not replace the advice of a vet or a qualified animal behaviour professional. Results vary from dog to dog. The Ash, the Zen Dog collection.
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