Your Dog's Friend

A NONPROFIT IN ROCKVILLE, MD WITH FORCE-FREE, POSITIVE DOG TRAINING, WORKSHOPS & ADVICE

Reactive Dog Classes

We have three different reactive dogs classes:

  • Weeknight Reactive Dog Class
  • Weekday Growly Dog
  • Online Reactive Dog Class

Weeknight Reactive Dog Class

  • Does your dog go crazy every time another dog appears on your walk?
  • Are you embarrassed by the hair-trigger lunging and barking?
  • Is your worst nightmare meeting up with an off-leash dog on a walk?

You’re not alone! We’re here to help.

We have expert trainers and dedicated training assistants to help you with your reactive dog. Our job is to take your dog from barking and lunging at the sight of another pooch to calmly looking back at you. These are intensive classes that require you to do your homework during the week, and they deliver results!

What is Reactive Dog Class?

This class gives you and your dog tools to go out and about without the stress you’re experiencing now. Your dog might not like other dogs, but by the end of the class, your dog will begin to look to you for guidance in challenging situations.

In our eight-week Reactive Dog Class, you are able to take more time to achieve your goals. To succeed, you will have to do homework outside of class. You’ll come without your dog for the first two weeks in order to develop skills in class and practice with your dog at home. When you bring your dog to class you’ll have the support of our team to safely and comfortably enter and leave the training space.

We focus on these aspects of on-leash dog-dog reactivity.
    1. Changing your dog’s emotional response to other dogs
    2. Management techniques
      1. Preventing your dog from practicing the behavior
      2. Removing your dog quickly and easily from unexpected encounters with dogs and other “triggers”
    3. Fun strategies to build your dog’s focus on you on walks
    4. Building your skillset to increase your confidence with your dog in public
    5. Reducing your dog’s overall arousal level
    6. Equipment to support your dog when walking on leash (without using choke, prong, or electronic collars)

See the Results:

Latte’s mom couldn’t take him for a walk without him making a scene every time he spotted another dog. Here he is on the last day of Reactive Dog Class.

reactive1

 

Instructors:

Sarah Stoycos, KPA CTP (Laughing Dog Academy)
[email protected], 240-498-9920

Marnie Montgomery, PMCT3, CPDT-KA (Joyful Dog)
[email protected], 703-554-2384

Tues nights, 8:30 – 9:45pm; 8 weeks
Dates:
Current: Dec 10 – Feb 11 (no class on Dec 24 or Dec 31)
Upcoming: Mar 3 – Apr 21
Fee: $295

Register for the weeknight Reactive Dog Class at https://yourdogsfriend.dogbizpro.com/Public/Registration/Index.aspx

Other Reactive Dog Class Options

We also have a weekday, five week Growly Dog Classes and a six week online class.

Read more about the Growly Dog Class and register here.

Read more about the online class and register here.

More Help for Your Reactive Dog

We have handouts on reactive dogs under behavior issues. We also have a list of positive trainers, divided by location, and veterinary behaviorists.

You can register for any of our reactive dog classes here. We use the same wait list for all three types of reactive dog class. You can join the wait list here.