Please Note: Service Area
In-Person Manners Training sessions meet in Coquitlam, Port Moody, Port Coquitlam, Burnaby Mountain and New West. Virtual Training is available anywhere.
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REACTIVITY & FEAR
Helping dogs feel better
about the world
Feeling lost about how to help your fearful or reactive dog?
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We can help!
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Our Certified Dog Trainer will help your reactive, nervous, or overly excited dog feel calmer and more relaxed, while reducing the overall frequency and intensity of their outbursts.
Does your dog...
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Bark, growl and lunge at people or dogs you pass during walks?
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Panic when they hear loud noises?
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Enjoy playing with dogs off-leash but whines, pulls and lunges at other dogs when walking on-leash?
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Bark at guests and everyone they see passing by your house?
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Cower and hide when you bring out the nail clippers?
When your dog is fearful or responds with reactive behaviour such as barking, lunging, or growling in certain situations, it is stressful for everyone. It can affect so many areas of your life and feel impossible to enjoy walks or have visitors to your home.
We are here to help you create positive change with how your fearful or reactive dog views the world, while reducing the overall frequency and intensity of their outbursts.
With professional guidance from our Certified Dog Trainer, we can help your dog learn that the world is not such a scary or challenging place. We can help nurture within your dog a sense of safety and curiosity about the world, and teach them new skills to navigate the world with more confidence and optimism. We can help your dog learn a new way of acting in the world and develop new habits around people and other dogs.
New client? Start here!
Initial Consultation
All training starts with a 45-minute virtual consultation with your trainer, Karly Hertel.
During the call, Karly will:
Assess your dog's behaviour history, discuss the challenges you are having, identify training priorities and create a list of training goals
Outline management & safety strategies to implement ASAP, to reduce the frequency your dog's undesirable behaviour occurs to give you some immediate relief
Address your primary challenge or frustration with your dog and provide 2-3 practical tips for improvement.
Explain the positive reinforcement training methods and techniques we will use during our training sessions
Recommend a training program that will equip you with the skills necessary to have the best chance possible of reaching your dog training goals
Initial consultations are 45 minutes and are conducted through Zoom.
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Investment: $125​
Please note: All clients must complete an initial consultation prior to booking any programs. Programs offered to individual clients are recommended on a case-by-case basis depending on the behavior and training needs of the dog.
After your new client consultation, choose a program:
Resilient Rover Program
This Program is For
Dog guardians who are struggling with their dog's fearful or reactive behaviors towards other dogs, people, noises, vehicles, bikes, or new environments. Suitable for dogs of all ages.
This Program Includes
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Four (4) 45-minute Private Coaching Sessions where our Certified Dog Trainer works one-on-one with you
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One (1) 45-minute Parallel Walk with another dog or human stranger to help build your dog's confidence
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Three (3) Months of Unlimited Email and Text Support to answer any questions you have along the way
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Behavioral Wellness Plan to support your dog's behavioural health
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Full Write-Ups and Training Exercises after each session
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Customized Shopping List of gear and products to aid in the training process
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Certificate of Completion and Dog Graduation Cookie
This Program Covers
The focus of this program is to provide you with the skills needed to prevent and manage your dog’s reactions, while also helping your dog develop a more positive association with their triggers and reduce their reactivity and fear.
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How to interpret your dog's body language
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Management strategies to minimize maladaptive behaviour being rehearsed
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How to improve communication with your dog and increase your dog's engagement with you.
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Training exercises to build your dog's confidence, attention and focus, help them to feel calmer and more positive towards their triggers (i.e. people, dogs, bikes) and teach them alternate behaviours they can do around the things that worry or frustrate them.
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Ways to advocate for your dog and how to help them feel safe.
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Activities during and in between walks to help your dog cope and recover
Outcome
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Reduced Reactivity: Help your dog feel more confident and secure in various situations
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Increased Confidence: Go out walking with your pup with the confidence and skills to handle any situation
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Enhanced Understanding: Gain a deeper understanding of your dog’s behavior and how to manage it effectively.
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Stronger Bond: Develop a stronger bond with your dog through trust and positive reinforcement.
Content Canine Program
This Program is For
Families with dogs who are not only fearful and or reactive but also need comprehensive manners training including recall, leash walking, and other essential skills. Suitable for dogs of all ages.
This Program Includes
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Six (6) 45-minute Private Coaching Sessions where our Certified Dog Trainer works one-on-one with you
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Two (2) 45-minute Parallel Walks with another dog or human stranger to help build your dog's confidence
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One (1) 30-minute Virtual Check-In Session after the completion of your in-person sessions
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Three (3) Months of Unlimited Email and Text Support to answer any questions you have along the way
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Behavioral Wellness Plan to support your dog's behavioural health
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Full Write-Ups and Training Exercises after each session
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Customized Shopping List of gear and products to aid in the training process
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Essential Enrichment Toy and Bag of Treats
- Certificate of Completion and Dog Graduation Cookie
This Program Covers
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Understand and Manage Reactions: Learn to read your dog's body language and implement strategies to reduce maladaptive behaviors.
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Build Engagement and Focus: Strengthen your bond with your dog to increase engagement and build confidence, attention, and focus.
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Behavior Modification: Use exercises to help your dog feel calmer and more positive around triggers like people, dogs, and bikes.
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In-Home Behavior Solutions: Address common in-home behaviors such as counter surfing, stealing items, and barking.
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Leash Walking and Recall: Teach your dog polite leash walking in various environments and develop a reliable recall.
Outcome
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Well-Rounded Dog: Develop a well-rounded dog with good manners both at home and outdoors.
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Reduced Reactivity: Noticeable reduction in fear and reactivity towards specific triggers.
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Enhanced Understanding: Gain a deeper understanding of your dog’s behavior and how to manage it effectively.
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Skills to Handle Any Situation: Gain the skills to handle any situation with your dog, whether indoors or outdoors
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Enjoy Relaxing at Home and Outdoor Adventures: Experience the joy of relaxing at home and having adventures outdoors with your dog, knowing they can handle various environments and distractions.
How does reactivity and fear training work?
Private training offers the ability to learn alongside your dog and is perfect for those who would like to hone their skills or troubleshoot problems with the guidance of a professional dog trainer. Our Certified Dog Trainer works one-on-one with you to teach you how to do the training and behavior modification with your dog. Using positive reinforcement training techniques, we will first demonstrate the new behaviours with your dog, teach you how to do them, and then coach you as your work with your dog. We implement management strategies to keep your dog feeling safe and to protect their nervous system from rehearsing maladaptive stress patterns while we work on changing your their emotional response to triggers. We look at your dog as a whole to understand and meet your dog's needs. We add enrichment to reduce stress and build confidence and optimism. During training, we work under threshold so that your dog can learn. That means working at a distance and an intensity where your dog is comfortable and feels safe. We set your dog up for success by arranging the environment so that your dog is likely to choose the behaviours we want (looking at you, looking away, moving on, scenting/searching) instead of the behaviours we don't want (barking, lunging). We will also cover key concepts that will be critical to your success. Then you will have easy, effective training exercises to work on between sessions. At subsequent sessions, we review your progress and trouble spots, teach you additional skills, and give you a new set of homework.