[FULL BOOKED!] START: 2023.09.09 | Group | Basic Course (Step 1) | From Reactivity to Interaction

Availability: FULLY BOOKED!

From Reactivity to Interaction

Do you have a dog that reacts to other dogs, people, children, cyclists, etc., by barking or even lunging? Are walks stressful for both you and your dog? Do you wish you could go for a walk where you pass triggers without your dog reacting to other dogs? Regardless of whether your dog does this because it is insecure, scared, or stressed, this course is right for you.

Meeting with Speedy/Molle

On at least one occasion, you will have the opportunity to meet Speedy or Molle, who have been specifically trained to work with reactive dogs. The meeting with Speedy/Molle takes place on each dog's terms and at a distance that suits that dog. The techniques we use are determined based on the dogs' daily form, what the owners feel comfortable with, and what we instructors believe the dogs can handle. The purpose is for both owners and dogs to practice new ways of managing dog encounters with a dog that would not react if it were barked at. The goal is for both dog and owner to manage the encounter and leave it with a positive experience.

Personalized feedback after each session

After each session, you will receive an email with all the exercises we have covered in the course. The email will also include personalized feedback for each team based on what we observed in the course. This can range from positive behaviors the dog offers that we believe can be beneficial to areas we want you to focus more on during training.

Preventive training, managing lunging, de-escalation, and recovery

You will gain access to an online theory module approximately two weeks before the course starts. The content provides you with the theoretical knowledge you need before the course begins. During three physical sessions, we will meet and work on the dog's emotional state during encounters with their triggers.

During the course, we will cover the following:

• Preventive training – various methods for the dog to handle triggers
• Optimal training zone and learning zone – we will go through when the dog has the best opportunity for new positive learning and what the optimal training zone is for achieving success with triggers.
• Managing lunging – what to do if an encounter doesn't go as desired and leads to lunging
• De-escalation – how can we help the dog de-escalate in the right way so it doesn't carry tension from a difficult encounter.
• Recovery and stress – we will go through how stress affects the dog in daily life and how we can facilitate and enable optimal training through proper recovery.
• Safety – how we should think about our safety, our dog's safety, and the safety of others
• Encounter with a neutral dog or other trigger/s – encounter with a dog trigger and/or other triggers specific to your dog, e.g., a person (either Johanna or Anahita) pretending to greet, walk or run past, bicycle or object with wheels, etc.
• Personalized feedback after each meeting – written personalized feedback based on your and your dog's needs
• And much more…

We combine theory and practice for the best results