Reactive Behavior

Are you experiencing aggression, arousal, and/or fear behaviors that lead you to feel your dog is unsafe in some way?  Perhaps your dog not only jumps on people at the door, but also nips at feet or hands? Maybe your dog lunges, barks, or nips when he sees other dogs? Did you adopt a dog that has went through neglect or abuse and are struggling to get have them comfortable with you? Maybe your dog just bit someone for the first time and you have no idea why or what to do about it. Perhaps you have trained other dogs with great success but this one in particular is different.

Your dog is likely sweet and meets your expectations 90% of the time (I know this feeling intimately and have lived with dogs who bite). It is that other 10% of the time that can be a problem and result in a liability.  For dog owners that have a likelihood of showing aggression or biting a person or another dog, please check out the California State Laws for liability. Also if you want to know more about why dogs might bite, here are other resources.

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Many behaviors that are called "aggressive" are actually behaviors that result from 2 factors being present:

• the dog is afraid and/or highly aroused

• there are no appropriate options for escape
  
  

All behavior serves a function and many behaviors you see are related to the environment.  The good news is that we can modify the environment to set up your dog for success rather than failure.  We will identify the function of the behavior, change the environment so that current behavior does not work anymore, and teach other behaviors that are more acceptable.

There is no "cure" for aggression or any other learned behavior, nor should you believe anyone who says so. You can not "unteach" a behavior (once you know how to ride a bike, your body doesn't forget). The focus is to reduce the severity of the reaction and reinforce other behaviors that you like better. We change the emotional state for long-term behavior change. For an example of what this behavior change looks like, click here for a dog that was very aggressive to other dogs, especially on walks.

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• Discuss history form that was filled out prior to visit

• Identify your dog's body language so you can can be proactive for behavior change
  

• Determine management tools and an action plan to prevent further aggression until training and/or conditioning can occur (i.e. buying a head halter or going to your veterinarian for blood work). 

• Handouts provided during the consultation so you can start behavior change immediately.  
  

• Euthanasia or re-homing is sometimes advised. Support is given to help you through that process if you feel that is the right step.
  
  

FURTHER TRAINING INCLUDES: 

• Active training sessions that are 60 minutes every 7-10 days depending on the behavior problem and your progress.  The sessions can be broken down into shorter and more frequent training sessions if it seems appropriate.

• Visits may include one of my assistants and/or a calm "helper" dog. Video clips are used to measure progress

•  We will adjust the plan as needed because behavior changes and so will your goals. We are creating new pathways in the brain. This is similar to stopping smoking or losing weight. There are no quick fixes if you want long-term change.

• Includes unlimited email and phone follow‑up at no charge! Follow-up will likely be intensive.

• Empower you to modify the behavior as soon as possible, so you will not need my service anymore. Successfully changing reactive behavior requires time, experience, and repetition. Progress is much quicker if we can both commit to several sessions in the first month. Anything less is not likely to meet either of our expectations for behavior change.

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             Fees for your Reactive Dog, click here and choose private training.

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***Please Note*** Due to the time intensive nature of seeing behavior cases, I limit the number of new cases every month.  Before filling out the history form, please contact me to see if I can take your case.  I look forward to talking with you and becoming an advocate for your dog! If you want to schedule an appointment, you may call (888)798-9473 or email Heather ("Contact Heather" button on bar to left). We require that the following history form is filled out before the first visit. It will take you 45-60 minutes to complete.