Who needs this Program?
Answering the following questions will help you to decide whether then this program is suitable for you.
Are you sick and tired of endless
“Reactive Dog Training Sessions”
where you teach your
dog to look, sit, stay, etc?
Maybe your dog yowls and
overreacts to dogs across the street?
Maybe your dog is fearful of new
people or a certain type of person
in a hat/has a beard/etc?
Does the problem seemingly
never resolve?
Have you tried more forceful trainers
with minimal success?
Reactive Dog Training in Maine
If the thought of a trainer coming to your home to work on training together seems overwhelming, or you haven’t had friends, family, or other dogs over to your home in a long time- this is the best plan for you! We structure our reactive dog program in an easy-to-understand manner. Treating a reactive dog is akin to treating generalized anxiety, with a few special adjustments.
Although we customize this plan specifically for your dog, we really don’t want you to do endless sessions with us.
The goal of this treatment plan is to:
1. Educate you on why your dog is acting the way they are, and treat the underlying cause.
(No, that’s not typically with obedience cues, though they may be a small (<10% part) of the plan!)
Has anyone ever told you to “calm down” or “chill out” during a panic attack? Did it work? Likely not, because you were experiencing a genuine overwhelm of emotion! We need to recognize that our dog’s fear and anxiety in new situations is genuine, and you simply cannot “train” emotion out of your dog… You can, however, train a behavior, teach them to regulate their own arousal (how to get themselves worked up, as well as how to calm down and settle), and work on the arrangement of the environment or treating their generalized anxiety.
2. Educate – Body language, your dog’s breed origins, proper exercise tailored for them!
3. Create a treatment plan that works for you that fits the time you have available, which may include a behavior consultation with a veterinarian, and discuss the prognosis of your dog’s situation. This treatment plan is a start to end “how to solve the problem!”.
We promise, there won’t be endless work to do.
4. Complete the treatment plan, while meeting on zoom weekly. It won’t be stressful. We’ll set 3 baby steps each week to work through, and they will be fairly simple.
5. Reevaluate. Either we’ve completed our training, or set our next goals.
That’s it… No endless sessions.
Generalized Plan Below. We will always tailor this plan specific to your dog’s needs.
We are in it for the long haul.
REACTIVE DOG TRAINING
Canine Academy Berwick
Reactive Dog Training
starting at
$2,500
Necessary Clicker, Treats, and Binder of Homework to succeed!
We will include necessary items to succeed such as:
A Clicker and Treat Pouch, Head Halter, Freedom Harness, High-Value Treats, Enrichment Toys.
This aspect is custom to YOU!
Private Zoom Sessions
(Owner can have them booked within the 8 weeks)
We’d love to help you understand body language, and the basics of your dog’s breed.
What are they bred for? | What are they trying to tell you? | Exactly what are their exercise requirements? | Why are they so high energy? | How can you recognize anxiety?
We’re here for you. We’d love to spend time on zoom showing you some educational videos and explaining them along the way!
In-Person Private Training Sessions
(Booked within the 8 weeks)
Please contact us to schedule these training sessions at the start of the program, and we will be there for you!
This is also incredibly helpful if you need help desensitizing or counterconditioning to anything (dogs, types of touch, people, treating leash reactivity, etc)!
These sessions are in-home or an agreed-upon location and they “take as long as they take” depending on the stimuli we’re CC/DS your pup to, how long they can train, or your time length preference.
Proper Management Advisement
We will start with how to structure your dog’s life to meet their exercise needs without causing stress. A cortisol vacation, of sorts. This may include a variety of force/fear-free tools and tips to help you.
For example, a simple baby gate, or a biothane basket muzzle can help prevent mistakes.
Behavior Consultation – (Recommendation & Consistent communication) Only
We will refer you to a local veterinary behaviorist or Dr. Emmons at Eliot Veterinary Hospital (General practitioner with a special interest in behavior) to treat underlying medical causes of behaviors your dog is experiencing. We also work with Dr Claire Tusch in Wells, ME or Dr Tasha Wilson at Acupet Vet for a more holistic/chinese medicine/acupuncture type approach to treating anxiety. We are open to the professional who will work well with your dog!
For example, if your pup is having trouble coping, we may need to treat the underlying medical cause of that anxiety, stress, and fear. We use science-based techniques, that do not include force, fear, or anything your dog will consider aversive.
Group Class (if applicable)
(Booked within 16 weeks)
Our Group Class focuses a LOT less on sit, stay, down, come, etc— and a lot more on the foundation of training with your dog.
For example, our Monday night class teaches you how to teach your pup to relax, how to greet new stimuli calmly, and how to reinforce the right behavior so your dog thinks for themselves and automatically makes AWESOME choices (like… sitting instead of jumping all over your 90-year-old mother in law!)
This class will be available to those whose dogs can work in a group setting while remaining below the threshold for the entire duration of the course.
Get Enrolled
We are happy to enroll you at the behavior
consultation, which can be booked on Gingr
(our scheduling software)
Pay in Full
We offer a 10% discount
if paid in full.
PAYMENT OPTIONS
We offer flexible payment plans
to suit any budget.