Get help for your reactive or aggressive dog…
We are expert dog trainers covering Warrington and the North West.
Reactivity and aggression in dogs can be helped and treated.
We are absolutely not going to get into a discussion about ‘aggressive breeds’ or ‘there are no bad dogs, just bad owners’ If you have an aggressive dog or a reactive dog then you need help.
Reasons for canine reactivity are far more complicated than an ill-informed social media post thread and are almost always connected with fear. The good news is that with appropriate owner commitment, aggression is readily treatable.
What are my responsibilities with an aggressive dog?
If you have a dog, you should already know that as far as the law is concerned. YOU are responsible for his actions. You can face fines, bans from dog owning and even prison because of your dog’s aggression. If you have a dog who is aggressive or reactive to other dogs/people, you must take the following steps now.
- Never allow your dog to be alone with children / vulnerable adults
- Never walk your dog off lead in a public area
- Contact a trainer / behaviourist ( us or anyone, we don’t care who)
When we treat aggressive dogs, we never judge. We have seen the good, bad and ugly of dog ownership. Lots of factors can influence reactivity and aggression. We will work with you to identify the triggers and best ways to go forward. We need your buy in and commitment to this process.
How is an aggressive dog treated?
Treating an aggressive dog is a mixture of behavioural therapy ( treating the problem) and control / management. That means not putting him into a situation where he is likely to display aggression.
Most reactivity is preceded by a trigger – something causes it. We will work with you to ‘re-programme’ your dog so that these triggers lead to positive behaviour not negative. Simple! Well, not really but not brain surgery either. We will also work on a wide range of exercises which will teach your dog how to relax and how to have more fun in life.
For most reactivity cases we offer a block of 6 sessions. Each session lasts 60-90 minutes and takes place at your home and on local walks.
It is impossible to predict how long it will take for your dog to be ‘fixed’ In fact it is likely that your dog may always be sensitive to triggers, but they will be under control and not reacting. After 6 weeks your dog will have made significant progress and most importantly you will know what to do to carry on.
6 Week Block of Training
- 6 x 60-90 minute training sessions
- Training at your home and on local walks
- Written notes for all training exercises
- Use of all training equipment
- Phone / txt support during training
- 3 months support post training
from £360.00
Your price will depend on your location and distance from Warrington.
The training you are offered will be subject to a free consultation call where we will discuss all aspects of your dog’s behaviour.
In some cases of reactivity, medication may be necessary. After a free consultation call, I will let you know if I feel medication would help your dog.
It is important that owners understand how medication for reactivity works. Most importantly, you need to know that medication itself will never cure reactivity. Only training and therapy can resolve reactivity but often, medication is needed to support this. If your dog is reactive then she will quite possibly live her life with anxiety, not just during reactive episodes. This state of anxiety means that training can often be ineffective, as we just can’t ‘get through’ to the dog because she it stressed.
Appropriate medication will bring her down off the ceiling so that she can respond to the training we do with her. Medication for reactivity can generally be taken long term and so can be used to support all the way through training. Depending on the meds prescribed, it can sometimes take 4-6 weeks for them to be fully effective. Treatment can’t start until after this time. At the end of training, it is important that she is slowly weaned off the meds rather than just stopped quickly.
Only vets can prescribe medication for reactivity. It is quite common however, for vets to have limited experience of reactivity. To support you, we can produce a report for your vet. The report will detail your dog’s reactivity issues along with any relevant history. We will explain why we believe medication will be effective in supporting your dog and what medication we feel will be the most effective. The cost for this report is £65. If you proceed through to a package of training and therapy, the cost of the report will be deducted from your invoice.
What do I do about my reactive dog?
If your dog is showing signs of aggression, most importantly, keep him away from the triggers of aggression and no matter how his aggression shows itself, NEVER leave him alone with children or vulnerable adults.
Fill in this form and I will come back you to plan a consultation. I offer FREE Zoom and phone consultations up to 30 minutes. At the end of the consultation, I will give you an opinion as to the situation and what I believe the best way forward is. If I feel behavioural therapy is needed, I will email you a quote within 48 hours. Why not fill in the form below? It’s free!