Reactive Dog Support

Helping you feel calm, confident, and back in control

If your dog barks, lunges, growls, or completely loses focus around other dogs, people, or triggers—you are not alone.

Living with a reactive dog can feel stressful, embarrassing, and exhausting. Walks become something you dread instead of enjoy.

But it doesn’t have to stay that way.

I specialise in helping reactive dogs (and their humans!) build calm, focus, and confidence through kind, practical training that works in the real world.

Reactive dogs can be incredibly hard work—but they are also some of the most rewarding dogs to train.

With the right support, you can enjoy calmer walks, better focus, and a stronger bond with your dog

Workshops

1-2-1's

What is a reactive dog?

A reactive dog isn’t “naughty” or “bad”.

Reactivity is usually driven by:

Overwhelm or anxiety
Frustration (often friendly dogs who really want to say hello!)
Lack of skills to cope in busy environments

You might recognise your dog if they:

Bark or lunge at other dogs or people
Can’t focus on you when out and about
Seem fine one moment… then suddenly react
Are perfect at home but struggle on walks

My approach

I focus on:

Building calm emotional responses (not just “stopping” behaviour)
Teaching your dog what to do instead
Giving you simple, practical handling skills
Creating safe, controlled training setups with highly trained stooge dogs

No harsh methods. No quick fixes. Just real, lasting progress.

How we can help

Reactive Dog Workshops (Monthly)

This is the best place to start for most dogs.

These small-group workshops are designed specifically for reactive dogs, with plenty of space and careful setups to keep everyone safe and below threshold.

In these sessions, you’ll learn:

How to keep your dog calm around triggers
Engagement and focus games that work outside
How to read your dog before they react
Practical handling skills for real-life walks

Why owners love them:

Safe, non-judgemental environment
Everyone “gets it”
Real-life practice (not just theory)
Ongoing support as you progress

Book Here

1–2–1 Behaviour Support

For dogs who need more personalised help, I offer tailored 1–2–1 sessions.

This is ideal if:

Your dog’s reactions feel intense or unpredictable
You’re struggling to manage day-to-day life
You want a clear, step-by-step training plan
You’d prefer private support before joining a group

What’s included:

Full assessment of your dog and triggers
Personalised training plan
Hands-on coaching
Ongoing support between sessions

1-2-1 Sessions

Reactive Dog FAQs

How are the reactive dog workshops run?

Workshops are carefully structured to keep things calm, safe, and manageable for every dog.

Dogs are worked one at a time, rather than all together. This means your dog isn’t expected to cope with multiple dogs moving around at once, which helps keep them below threshold and able to learn.

While one dog is working, the others are:

Resting in their cars
Given time to decompress between turns

This setup allows us to:

Control the environment
Use neutral stooge dogs where needed
Adjust distances to suit each individual dog
Give you focused, hands-on coaching

You’ll get several short, productive training turns throughout the session, rather than one long, overwhelming experience.

This approach helps your dog stay calmer, learn more effectively, and build confidence with every repetition.

What if my dog reacts during training—does that mean it’s not working?

Not at all—in fact, some level of reaction can be part of the learning process.

In order to make progress, we sometimes need to gently work at the edge of your dog’s comfort zone. This is where real learning happens. Occasional reactions can give us useful information about what your dog is ready for and where we need to adjust.

Our job is to carefully read your dog and manage each situation—knowing when to progress and when to give them more space—so they can build confidence without becoming overwhelmed.

The goal is always to set your dog up for success and create steady, positive progress over time.

Will my dog be interacting with other dogs?

There is no forced interaction in any of our sessions.

The goal isn’t to make your dog “social” or to encourage them to greet every dog they see. Instead, we focus on helping your dog feel calm, safe, and neutral around other dogs first.

For many reactive dogs, being expected to interact can actually add pressure and make things harder. They often do much better when they realise they can simply exist around other dogs without needing to engage.

What are neutral stooge dogs and how do you use them?

We use carefully selected neutral stooge dogs as part of the training process.

These are calm, non-reactive dogs who:

Ignore other dogs
Don’t stare, approach, or put pressure on your dog
Help create predictable, controlled training setups

This is really important because it allows your dog to:

Learn without being overwhelmed
Build positive, calm associations
Practice new skills in a safe environment

Using stooge dogs means we can set your dog up to succeed, rather than relying on unpredictable real-life encounters.

Is this suitable for very reactive or “extreme” cases?

The short answer is yes.

We regularly work with dogs who feel “a lot”—whether that’s barking, lunging, reacting at a distance, or finding the outside world overwhelming. You won’t be the only one dealing with this, and you won’t be out of place.

In our workshops, dogs work individually in carefully controlled setups using neutral stooge dogs. This means your dog won’t be faced with unpredictable off-lead dogs or pressured interactions.

How many sessions will my dog need?

Every dog is different.

Some dogs make noticeable progress in just a few sessions, while others need longer-term support.

Reactivity isn’t something we “fix” overnight—but with consistency, you’ll start to see real, meaningful changes.

What methods do you use?

We use kind, reward-based training methods focused on building confidence, calmness, and understanding.

There are:

No harsh corrections
No punishment-based techniques
No flooding or overwhelming your dog

Just practical, science-based training that works in real life.

What should I bring to a workshop?

We will send full details before your session, but generally:

Your dog on a secure lead/harness
High-value treats (the good stuff!)

I feel embarrassed about my dog’s behaviour—will I be judged?

Absolutely not.

Most people coming to these sessions feel exactly the same way at first.

This is a supportive, understanding environment where everyone is working towards the same goal—and cheering each other on.