Fear/Aggression-Based Reactivity Program
10 weekly sessions
This program is designed for dogs who react due to fear, anxiety, defensiveness, insecurity, or aggressive behaviour. These dogs may bark, growl, lunge, snap, hide, freeze, show avoidance, or become highly stressed around certain people, dogs, environments, handling, or everyday situations.
The goal of this program is not to “force” your dog to simply tolerate things they are uncomfortable with. Instead, we focus on understanding why the behaviour is happening, improving safety, building trust, developing clearer communication, and helping your dog feel more secure and controlled in real-life situations.
Across 10 weekly sessions, we work through a structured behaviour modification plan tailored to your dog’s history, temperament, triggers, and current skill level.
Program Structure
Step 1: Detailed Behaviour Assessment
The first session is focused on understanding your dog properly before any training plan is put in place. This session helps us understand what your dog is reacting to, why they may be reacting, and what needs to be prioritised first.
Step 2: Safety, Management and Immediate Changes
Before behaviour can improve, the dog, owner, and public need to be kept safe. This session focuses on putting practical management strategies in place straight away. The aim is to stop things getting worse while we begin building better coping skills.
Step 3: Understanding Body Language and Thresholds
Many dogs give subtle warning signs before they bark, lunge, growl, or snap. This session teaches owners how to recognise those signs earlier. This helps owners respond earlier, reduce risk, and avoid pushing the dog too far too quickly.
Step 4: Building Trust and Handler Engagement
Fearful or defensive dogs need to feel that their handler is clear, consistent, and safe to follow. The goal is to make the owner more relevant, reliable, and reassuring when the dog is unsure.
Step 5: Confidence-Building and Calm Skills
This step focuses on helping your dog develop more confidence and emotional control in low-pressure situations. The aim is to help the dog feel more capable and less reactive in everyday life.
Step 6: Lead Skills and Controlled Movement
Many fear or aggression-based reactions happen on lead because the dog feels trapped, restricted, or unable to escape. This gives both dog and handler clearer options when triggers appear.
Step 7: Controlled Trigger Exposure
Once safety, communication, and foundation skills are in place, we begin working around triggers at a safe and appropriate distance. The goal is not to rush your dog closer to the thing they fear. The goal is to help them stay calm, think clearly, and feel safer around it.
Step 8: Real-Life Management and Problem Solving
This session focuses on applying the training to real situations you may face day to day. The focus is on practical handling, not just controlled training exercises.
Step 9: Handling, Boundaries and Household Behaviour
For some dogs, fear or aggression is more noticeable inside the home or during handling. This step is tailored to your dog’s specific challenges. The aim is to create a calmer and safer home environment with clearer expectations.
Step 10: Progress Review and Long-Term Behaviour Plan
The final session reviews your dog’s progress and creates a realistic long-term plan. Behaviour change takes time, especially when fear, anxiety, or aggression is involved. This session ensures you leave with a clear understanding of what to continue and how to support your dog moving forward.
Program Goal
The goal of this program is to help your dog feel safer, more secure, and better able to cope with the world around them.
For fearful, anxious, defensive, or aggressive dogs, progress is not about forcing them into situations they cannot handle. It is about building trust, creating structure, improving communication, and teaching the dog that they have safer options than reacting.
By the end of the program, owners should have a clearer understanding of their dog’s behaviour, how to manage risk, how to support their dog around triggers, and how to continue the behaviour modification process long term.
Our Fear/Aggression-Based Reactivity package includes
Unlimited phone / virtual support during the program – $1200
