Danette Johnston of Ballard’s Dog’s Day Out Seattle will be facilitating a four week class aimed at reactive dogs, aptly called “Difficult Dog Class.” The next round of the class, which is limited to six dogs, still has a few openings and is set to start on November 2nd.
“Many difficult dogs are fine with others when off-leash (or at least have some doggie friends) but reactive on-leash and have poor impulse control. If your dog cannot calm down, focus and connect with you, they will not be able to learn,” writes Johnston on her website.
The training is set to focus on teaching your dog to relax in the presence of other dogs and get them to look to you for cues on how they should react around other dogs.
Check out the class structure below:
- Before: A 30 minute private evaluation (included in the price of the class) with the instructor must be completed at least one week prior to the start of class. During this evaluation we will discuss appropriate equipment and the student will be introduced to a “look” and “touch” cue to begin practicing before the start of class.
- During: We introduce and implement several different types of training in this class including classical conditioning & desensitization as well as LAT and BAT techniques.
- After: After completion, a (formerly) reactive dog should then be able to enter The Basics.
After the students have completed the 4 week course, they are able to sign up for the “Difficult Dog Drop-Ins.” These classes allow for continuing work in a space with controlled distractions.
Cost of the course is $100. If you are interested in finding out more or signing up contact Johnston at (206) 706-4875 or email danette@dogsdayoutseattle.com.
