Growlers: Reactive Dog Class
Bark-y, lunge-y dog? Then this is the class for you! Your instructor, Emily, will dive into the "why" of your dog’s behavior, give you actionable steps to reduce reactivity, and help you and your dog have more relaxing walks.
When: 5-week series starting April 13th at 11:15am
Saturday, April 13, 2024 at 11:15am
Saturday, April 20, 2024 at 11:15am
Saturday, May 4, 2024 at 11:15am
Saturday, May 11, 2024 at 11:15am
Saturday, May 18, 2024 at 11:15am
Where: The Humane Society of Charlotte,1348 Parker Dr, Charlotte, NC 28208
Maximum number of dogs: 5
Investment: $375 for working spots, $250 for auditing spots
If you are looking to sign up for a working spot (bringing a dog with you to class), please email Emily to schedule a phone call for her earliest availability to ensure that this class is the right fit for you and your pet. You can also schedule a call here.
Auditors will be able to attend the 5-week series of Growlers without bringing a dog. This is perfect for folks who may be wary about bringing their own dog for safety concerns, for dogs who struggle in new environments, or for humans who prefer to learn by observation. Sign up for auditing spots below!
"Emily is actually the third trainer we've hired, and we wish we found her the first time around! She took the time to access and understand our specific situation and has trained us & Jones one on one accordingly. Jones' behavior will take a lot more time to train, but we feel we have the right tools now & he has been showing progress that gives us hope for peaceful walks in the future." - Diana
What is "Leash Reactivity?"
Leash reactivity is a common label used for dogs who bark, lunge, growl, etc while on leash. It's embarrassing to us, humans, but incredibly communicative in your dog's perspective. Some types of leash reactivity include:
Frustration reactivity: This is the type of reactivity where a dog may be trying to say, "Hey! A friend! I want to get close to you but I can't because I'm attached to this human! And I have a lot to say about it!" This type of reactivity is usually a dog and/or human-friendly dog just trying to say hello, but in a big way. Our main focus in these cases is to reduce arousal and excitement around these certain triggers and increasing engagement with the handler.
Fear/anxiety reactivity: This is the type of reactivity where a dog may be trying to say, "Oh no... It's you. I don't particularly want to interact so I'm going to bark at YOU to make YOU move away! I need space!!" This type of reactivity is usually a dog who isn't a fan of meeting stranger humans and/or dogs and is not particularly social (unless they're in the dog's inner circle of friends). This dog could have also been poorly socialized, had a negative experience with a dog/human, or genetic predispositions. Our main focus in these types of cases is to reduce anxiety and stress around these triggers through counter-conditioning and pattern games, and increasing engagement with the handler. Remedial socialization is also a great option in order for the dog to gain confidence in interacting with other dogs/humans.
Conflict-seeking reactivity: This is the type of reactivity is very rare. The dog in this case may be attempting to get closer to another human/animal to cause conflict/harm. This type of reactivity is usually a dog who isn't a fan of stranger humans and/or dogs and is not particularly social (unless they're in the dog's inner circle of friends). Our main focus in these types of cases is to reduce anxiety and stress around these triggers through active and passive prevention strategies, counter-conditioning and patterns games, and increasing engagement with the handler. This type of case especially needs a trainer and veterinary care team to ensure the most manageable and lifelong results.
Behavior suppression is not behavior modification.
We do not use correction collars for training with any aggression/reactivity cases. Tools such as e-collars and prong collars are intended to punish reactions which suppresses that behavior from happening again in the future. Suppression does not help the way your dog perceives their world. It can mask the underlying issue and may result in escalated fear/frustration for your pet. It's a bandaid fix.
Instead, ask the questions:
"Why is my dog aggressive and what are his/her triggers?"
"Is my dog experiencing pain or discomfort (medically/physically)?"
"How can I help my dog through his/her reactions?"
Let's take a deeper look into what is actually happening in your dog's brain before ever reaching the point where we feel like we need to punish these behaviors.
"Emily is awesome!! I have only had 2 sessions so far for my 2 year old Aussie who is reactive to strangers. She has been so helpful and I’m already seeing progress being made. She makes sure that your dog feels safe, and I have learned so much so far! I’m so excited to continue working with her!" - Kate
"Why does my dog have to do in-home lessons to 'fix' behaviors that are happening outside of the home?"
In-home training (in person or remotely) will be essential for the beginning steps of reactivity behavior modification. A dog (or human!) cannot learn in an environment where they are already experiencing fear/arousal. When reactions happen, adrenaline and cortisol are produced, and these hormones impede the ability to think and retain information that we may be giving your dog because they are in survival mode. There are also very important handling techniques that YOU will need to learn in a comfortable environment so that you can keep your dog feeling as safe and happy as possible. We, humans, have to start in basic math before taking advanced calculus - and our dogs need to start in easy environments before tackling the scary ones. We are here to help every step of the way!