Calm & Confident
Behaviour modification for dogs who are struggling with the world around them.
Some dogs need more than obedience training.
If your dog barks, lunges, growls, snaps, freezes, hides, or becomes overwhelmed around people, dogs, environments, or other triggers, simply teaching them to "sit" isn't going to address the whole picture.
Calm & Confident is our specialized behaviour modification pathway for dogs struggling with reactivity, fear, aggression, frustration, over-arousal, and other complex behavioural challenges.
Rather than treating every reactive dog the same, we start by understanding your dog—what triggers their behaviour, what their body language is telling us, what they are capable of handling, and what strategies will help them succeed.
Before We Start:
Before the program even begins we do a 2.5-3 hour behavioural consultation discussing your dog's background, history, behaviour, environment, triggers, previous training, and your goals.
We'll also assess your dog's behaviour and develop a training and management plan specific to your situation.
Behaviour Before Obedience:
While obedience is important, it is not the focus of the first two weeks of the program, other than to build engagement and work on building up a system of communication. The focus will instead be on building the dogs resilience around their triggers, building their confidence, and creating safer, healthy alternatives to reacting.
Real World Application:
We won't just make sure your dog is confident in your neighbourhood, but we'll also start building up their confidence in public places too! Per friendly stores and businesses, downtown walks, leashed hikes on Meewassin trails, and how to safely co-exist with the public, both people and other animals.
Beyond the Program:
Because reactivity and confidence building isn't something that can be solved in just 20 days, this program extends beyond the initial program, including 3-6 months of follow up (1 lesson a week, or every other week schedule after the initial program is complete) and unlimited phone call and email support.
Is calm & confident right for my dog?
Does your dog experience and over-reaction to people, other animals, or new locations, do they lunge at dogs or people, fearful of others or new environments, display aggressive behaviour, has difficulty recovering after a trigger, makes walks or everyday life stressful? If you answered YES to one or more of these, then this may be the program for you!
Every behaviour case is different, however, and not every dog is appropriate for the Home School format. The Behaviour Consultation allows us to determine the safest and most appropriate path forward.