# Reactive Dog Class



## ZebsMommy (Dec 4, 2010)

I have been searching online trying to find some help with my boy. He barks meanly at any dog that is bigger than a pug. I just found this online and wanted to get feedback on if people here thought it would be a good idea to take him to this class.

Lucky Dog Sports Club - Class Registration

Do you think it would help, hurt, or be a waste of money?


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## Hunther's Dad (Mar 13, 2010)

Go watch a class or two before you pay. They look qualified, based on their website. The CPDT-KA certification is not easy to get; two certified instructors plus a veterinary behavior specialist in one place sounds good to me.


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## crisp (Jun 23, 2010)

I agree with Hunther's Dad. Sounds good, but better to see in person. If you have a 'reactive dog' any class with other dogs will be great for it. Most of that 'reaction' is frustration of not being allowed to interact with other dogs. Just being around other dogs with a good obediance trainer can do wonders.


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## debbiebrown (Apr 13, 2002)

i agree go observe first.............i honestly am not crazy about some of the reactive dog classes i've seen.............if they are going to have a class like that they need alot of space inside to work in, and most of the ones i have seen are small rooms with to many dogs...........
IMO the best way to start is to get a private trainer let them set up situations with other dogs, learn how to control and read your dog, once you feel you can control him better then find the appropriate class..........
i don't know how in gods name a trainer can possibly control reactive dogs and people in a small room, especially people that don't have a clue on how to handle the situation before hand.........to me that senario is setting them up for failure.........
i am sure there are classes that have the appropriate space and don't overload the room, etc..........but that would be a huge concern........


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## Hunther's Dad (Mar 13, 2010)

debbiebrown said:


> i agree go observe first.............i honestly am not crazy about some of the reactive dog classes i've seen.............if they are going to have a class like that they need alot of space inside to work in, and most of the ones i have seen are small rooms with to many dogs...........
> IMO the best way to start is to get a private trainer let them set up situations with other dogs, learn how to control and read your dog, once you feel you can control him better then find the appropriate class..........
> i don't know how in gods name a trainer can possibly control reactive dogs and people in a small room, especially people that don't have a clue on how to handle the situation before hand.........to me that senario is setting them up for failure.........
> i am sure there are classes that have the appropriate space and don't overload the room, etc..........but that would be a huge concern........


Thes are good points. With Hunther, I had to start him out a good 75 yards away from the other dogs. He'd glance at them, do nothing, and get clicked and treated for doing nothing. Over the space of about six months, we gradually got the distance down to where he was on the field with the other dogs at about 20 yards for most practice sessions. Another year later, and he was reporting in and out at trials with no problem.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I don't know. 

The pictures look like they have plenty of room, and they do put out a good speal. It sounds like a proactive step to take with a dog that has a problem. A little pricey, but the instructor is a vet, and this is for problem dogs, and I am not sure what ordinary classes cost in that area. 

Evenso, I would only take a dog with a concrete problem to a class like this. A puppy that has begun some barking or lunging around other dogs, I would just work through it. 

I just finished a CGC class that had four reactive dogs in tight corners. The whole class, six of us was amped up. I was constantly trying to ensure the safety of my puppy, so she would not have a bad experience. The dogs fed off of each other. At the end of six weeks, the non-reactive Golden passed the test. The next best was my pup who had only been there one evening as she was subbed in for her sister. The reactive dogs ALL charged the Doberman, most of them failed supervised separation as well. 

Sometimes, I think a reactive dog needs to work around stable dogs, and other reactive dogs might elongate the process.


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## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

ZebsMommy said:


> I have been searching online trying to find some help with my boy. He barks meanly at any dog that is bigger than a pug. I just found this online and wanted to get feedback on if people here thought it would be a good idea to take him to this class.
> 
> Lucky Dog Sports Club - Class Registration
> 
> Do you think it would help, hurt, or be a waste of money?


It sounds like a good class - little pricey but well worth it if it works. I would ask them what you can expect at the end of the course, i.e. how much improvement can you expect. They probably can't tell you exactly but might give you some idea of what might be possible.

The only other thing I noticed was the statement that a dog's reactive behavior was based on fear. Sometimes it probably might be but certainly there are some aggressive dogs who are aggressive to other dogs who are not fearful but just aggressive for whatever reason.


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## mistimp (Jun 17, 2004)

ZebsMommy said:


> I have been searching online trying to find some help with my boy. He barks meanly at any dog that is bigger than a pug. I just found this online and wanted to get feedback on if people here thought it would be a good idea to take him to this class.
> 
> Lucky Dog Sports Club - Class Registration
> 
> Do you think it would help, hurt, or be a waste of money?


Wow, I was just looking at their page myself. Then as I was looking through google I came across your post. The info on the website looks good, and they are up front on their prices. I found another site that had reactive dog classes, but did not list any prices. Tells me right there it is not the place for me. 
Please post back or pm me if you wind up going. It is a bit of a drive for me. I was hoping to find something in Orlando since there is nothing here. But this place looks better than anything in Orlando, and I am not going as far as Tampa, unless it is to look at Angelaw's puppies. Lol


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## gsdraven (Jul 8, 2009)

codmaster said:


> The only other thing I noticed was the statement that a dog's reactive behavior was based on fear. Sometimes it probably might be but certainly there are some aggressive dogs who are aggressive to other dogs who are not fearful but just aggressive for whatever reason.


Reactive is not aggressive. Reactive is a term used by the dog training community to describe dogs that appear aggressive by barking, lunging and just generally making a scene but if you really watch their body language it is out of fear and being unsure and not actual aggression.

I know a lot of trainers that work with reactive dogs won't work with real aggression as they are not qualified to do so. They know how to work with fearful dogs that put up a big show but not actual aggression.


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## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

gsdraven said:


> Reactive is not aggressive. Reactive is a term used by the dog training community to describe dogs that appear aggressive by barking, lunging and just generally making a scene but if you really watch their body language it is out of fear and being unsure and not actual aggression.
> 
> I know a lot of trainers that work with reactive dogs won't work with real aggression as they are not qualified to do so. They know how to work with fearful dogs that put up a big show but not actual aggression.


Did you get a chance to read their site description of the "Reactive Dog Class"?

Here is part of their description and part of what I was referring to in my posting.

"This *aggression is fear based* and this behavior is called reactivity. "

I think it seems to indicate that they think that the aggression of "reactive" dogs is fear based.

Regardless of the cause, a reactive dog is aggressive and you or your dog can get bit by a reactive dog.

What I was suggesting was that a number of dogs are aggresive with out being fearful - they are just aggressive and their aggression is based on something other than fear.

Fear is NOT the cause of all dog behavior, as some folks I have met would have you believe.

One obedience instructor I had once tried to convince her class that if a dog tried to sniff the ground while on a down stay that it was anxious or fearful so we should reassure him that everything was ok!


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I took a class based on the book Control Unleashed and the dogs in it were all reactive. We had one dog that was dismissed the first time because the owner had no control whatsoever(they were going to do private lessons instead of group).
We only had 6 dogs, and had some X-pens set up if needed, though the dogs could jump them and did.
One border mix was zoned in on Onyx every week. We had seen this dog in another class and he always focused on Onyx, so she had a bit of "relationship" with him thru eye contact. By the end of our 6 or 8 week class these two dogs were able to walk past each other with no issues.
But it was mostly us handlers that were learning how to redirect them before the reactivity could begin. 
I believe most dogs are reactive out of fear and it will become aggression if you do not manage the dog. 

Reassurring the behaviors is not what I would do, instead build the confidence level of the dog if possible and have the dog look to you when they are feeling insecure. They need to know that you are the one who is in control so they can relax. 
I would visit that class linked above, and decide whether Zeb will be a good candidate, maybe see if the instructor can do an eval before you sign up. I would think that should be standard procedure for reactive dog classes anyway(it was for mine)


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