Reactive Rehab *Spring Registration is OPEN (with option to audit)

This 6-week course is designed for dogs who are moderately reactive around other dogs or novel stimuli. This includes dogs who may bark, lunge, growl, whine, spin, pace, or vocalize intensely when they see other dogs, people, or unfamiliar sights and sounds. Reactivity can be driven by fear, anxiety, frustration, over-excitement, lack of early socialization, previous negative experiences, genetic predisposition, or simply not yet having the skills to cope with challenging environments.

Class size is limited to 4-5 dogs to ensure adequate spacing, safety, and individual attention. Dogs with a serious bite history are not eligible for this course for safety reasons, but they may enroll in private sessions and/or audit the class instead.

Owners may audit the class for half price without bringing a dog. This includes the initial Zoom meeting, in-person observation of classes, and access to all written tutorials and videos. To be added to the audit list and receive the audit rate, please contact us directly rather than registering online.

This class emphasizes the science of behavior modification and evidence-based approaches to changing behavior without relying on punishment or suppression. Instead, we focus on management, setting dogs up for success, and teaching new emotional responses. We use desensitization and counter-conditioning to help dogs feel safer, calmer, and more confident around their triggers, rather than just forcing them to “behave” in the moment.

The goal of this class is to provide a controlled, structured environment for reactive dogs to work on their training. Topics include management strategies, reading dogs’ body language, understanding stress signals, desensitization, counter-conditioning, and reinforcing basic training skills that support emotional regulation and impulse control. Each dog will have access to a visual barrier to help reduce the intensity of the new environment, but the aim (safety permitting) is to gradually remove these barriers by the last session, allowing the dogs to work around one another from a safe distance.

The first session will be a Zoom meeting exclusively for humans, where we will cover learning theory, safety protocols, management tools, and what to expect from the in-person sessions.

All dogs must be on a collar or harness that they cannot slip out of; a martingale collar is highly recommended. Some dogs may be required to wear a properly fitted muzzle as a safety precaution.

Please remember to bring high-value treats for your dog and a current vaccination record. It is recommended that two adults attend so that one person has both hands free to work on training. You will receive both a text message and a welcome email about a week before class begins, containing all the information needed for preparation.

There are no credits or refunds for missed sessions. If a session is canceled by North Star, there will be a makeup class.