Description

This is an introductory course for owners of reactive dogs. It covers both theory and practical handling skills for owners of dogs who react to other dogs or people (i.e they are uncomfortable around or aggressive towards other dogs or people).

This course is run with safety first and foremost, each dog is set up to succeed and improve with each lesson. Modern, evidence-based methods are used which focus on positive reinforcement and building positive associations with other dogs/people. This is not only more humane than some older methods, but addresses the root cause of aggression and anxiety rather than simply suppressing the symptoms.

Places are strictly limited in small numbers so only make this booking if you are sure that you can attend. Refunds or transfers will not be given for missed classes, sorry. We can accommodate a wide range of dog behaviour problems, if you have any doubts about attending please contact us (hyperlink).

This is a specialist behaviour modification class, the dogs are not all out at the same time and not every dog will follow the same plan.

Important:  Please leave your dog in the car until requested to bring your dog into the training venue.

Reactivity isn't usually something that can completely and easily be cured. Just like anxiety in people, it's something that we teach them to deal with in a healthier manner, while also adjusting our expectations of what the dog may find enjoyable (eg: A fearful dog is likely to hate going to the dog park, so that shouldn't necessarily be our goal). Our goals for this course will differ for each dog, but the basic aim is for you and your dog to be more comfortable day to day doing the activities you both enjoy.

6 x 50 Minute Weekly Classes

1 x Every Dog Reactive Dog Manual

1 x Clicker

  • Your dog. Your dog will be staying in the car alone in between turns. This gives them a chance to rest and prevents trigger stacking. A dog that gets to rest in the car and have several short training sessions will actually learn faster than a dog that is kept in the room training the whole time. To plan for this you may want to bring your dog's crate for them to relax in, or a white sheet to put over your car and keep it cool if it's a sunny day. 
  • A plain flat lead, preferably 180cm or more. No Flexi-Leads or Bungee-Leads please. Black Dog leads are available for purchase in our store.
  • A flat collar or a comfortable harness. Harnesses are available for purchase while booking, and at our facility.
  • Approximately 200g of soft, highly palatable treats diced into small pieces (~5mm cubes on average, some dogs may require smaller or larger treats). We use and recommend Prime 100 in the flavours: Turkey & Flaxseed (suitable puppy diet), Kangaroo & Pumpkin, or Salmon & Tapioca. We recommend these as they are healthy, palatable, and easy to dice without being squishy or crumbly. Some dogs may prefer other foods though such as cooked chicken or cheese. We stock ready to use bags of diced prime 100 in our fridge for $5. Please note that in the reactive course you will generally need more each week than the week before as the dogs become less anxious and we increase the amount of time they are training.