Reactivity / Aggression
This 8 week program works on your dog's reactivity or aggression while strengthening their obedience, impulse control and engagement with you. We'll spend quite a bit of time addressing the causes of the problem behaviors and teaching you and your dog new skills to be able to manage their outbursts. This course has some of the same lessons as the basic obedience course but is geared towards dogs/handlers who are struggling with reactivity or aggression.
Reactivity and aggression can look similar on the surface, but they are not always the same problem — and they don’t always have the same cause. Barking, growling, lunging, snapping or attempting to attack another dog can develop from fear, frustration, territorial behavior, resource guarding, overexcitement, prey drive, previous experiences or learned behavior. Some dogs react only to other dogs, while others may struggle with unfamiliar people, specific environments or situations. Understanding what triggers the behavior — and the motivation behind it — is an essential first step toward changing it.
Our approach begins by evaluating the individual dog and developing a structured training plan based on its behavior, temperament, environment and specific triggers. We work on communication, obedience, impulse control, engagement with the handler and controlled exposure to triggers at an appropriate level. As the dog progresses, training gradually moves into realistic situations where both the dog and owner learn how to respond before barking, lunging or aggressive behavior escalates. The goal is not simply to suppress a reaction, but to give the owner better control, teach the dog more appropriate responses and develop a practical long-term strategy for safely managing unwanted behavior in everyday life.