Training a reactive dog requires patience, consistency, and positive reinforcement. Reactivity often stems from excitment, frustration, fear or discomfort, and addressing it involves changing your dog's emotional response to triggers. We offer a structured program to help your reactive dog:
1. Understanding Reactivity: Recognise that reactive behaviors—such as barking, lunging, or growling—are your dog's way of expression. Punishing these behaviors can increase stress and worsen the problem. Instead, we'll focus on positive reinforcement to build new associations.
2. Management and Safety:
We'll discuss Avoiding Triggers: Identify and steer clear of situations where your dog might react, especially during the initial training phases.
Using Appropriate Equipment: Consider using a well-fitting harness and long line.
3. Desensitisation and Counter-Conditioning: Gradually exposing your dog to triggers at a distance where they remain calm, pairing the presence of the trigger with high-value. This helps shift their emotional response from negative to positive.
4. Implementing other Training Stratergies and Teaching Alternative Behaviors.
5. Providing Mental and Physical Stimulation to create a suitable and effective walking experience.
6. Consistency and Routine: Maintain a consistent training schedule.
7. Monitor Progress and Adjust: Keep track of your dog's responses and adjust the training plan as needed.
Every dog is unique, and tailoring the training to your dog's specific needs will yield the best results.  The initial course will be a minimum of 4 sessions and will provide tangible results based on the above, booking any additional sessions will be your discrection and based on an hourly fee of £25 for customers who have undertaken the initial stages of this program.
After booking please email office@itsnotthedog.co.uk with your 'phone number and preferred class availability and we will contact you.