Excitable and Reactive Dogs
Just like humans, through experiences, dogs can become sensitive and worried about things in the environment, like dogs, loud vehicles, strangers, children etc. They could be too excitable, or they may be nervous, and show signs of apprehension in the presence of these perceived 'threats'.
When dogs feel nervous about something in the environment, they will likely show behaviours in hope that the trigger may go away, such as growling, barking and lunging or by showing subtle signals that we humans have to learn how to read. Mostly, these behaviours help the dog to stay safe, by increasing the distance between them and the perceived 'threat', and not a sign of over-confidence as often thought.
Our Excitables/Reactives course aims to create a carefully-managed, calm space for dogs who need help with getting more comfortable with their environment, through neutralising their triggers. In this course we will teach you how to help your dog with remaining calm in the presence of things that make them uncomfortable or overexcited, and can trigger a reaction.
You will be teaching your dog calming exercises gradually getting them comfortable with being in close proximity to triggers without feeling the need to react. We limit this class to 4 dogs and we introduce screens, where needed, to soften any visual triggers.
This course runs over 6 weeks and each class is an hour.
As a preliminary course, and for those who would like to learn about reactivity in their own home, we offer an Online Excitable/Reactive course over 4 weeks. The online class is a great start to learn about their dog's behaviour in a safe environment and how to overcome it.
Alternatively, we can also offer 121 support for those who prefer learning that way, or if the needs of your dog calls for that.
Navigating the environment with a dog that lacks confidence can be an isolating journey, and we fully appreciate that, as some of our trainers have experienced it themselves.
If you have difficulty deciding which course might be the best for you and your dog, we are only an email away.