Reactive Dog Training: The Key to a Calm, Confident Companion
Whether your dog’s reactivity stems from fear, excitement, or anxiety, this training program is designed to help you build a stronger, more trusting relationship with your dog. In my experience, every reactive dog I’ve worked with has struggled with deep-rooted insecurities. By establishing calm, consistent leadership, you can help your dog gain the confidence and security they need to thrive.
The program consists of:
- Minimum of 2 in home consultations
- Up to three 1 on 1 real life exposure walks (with an option for more).
- Access to Kat’s 4 Dog Pack Walks
Kat’s 4 Dogs reactive dog program is for dogs that:
If you’re looking for common sense in your dog’s journey, call Kat’s 4 Dogs NOW!
In Home Consultation and Assessment
Most people think that because they own a reactive dog that we simply target that behaviour. To jump straight into classes or head straight out for a walk around other dogs without addressing all behaviours and the most important part of the issue, the human and dog relationship, you will struggle to fully overcome this behavioural problem.
Unfortunately, reactive dogs always suffer with other behavioural problems. If you want your dog to develop and improve in all areas, it’s crucial to look at your situation holistically. Most dogs’ behaviours are very much linked.
For example, if your dog’s reactivity stems from excitement, modifications have to be made to the amount of excitement your dog practices each day.
I will first assess the relationship between owner and dog in the home. If the relationship is not based on leadership, rules and boundaries trying to modify behaviours is very difficult. After doing a full assessment, I will then write you a lifestyle program. I will give you 2 weeks to start your rehab journey and then be back to reassess. Changing a relationship can take time particularly if the association to your dog is an unhealthy one. You need to be a leader your dog wants to follow and trust. If your dog doesn’t value your relationship, rehab can be tough. This is why at Kats 4 Dogs the focus is always going to start with your relationship.
What’s important is that you no longer think as dog training as one session a day, it’s a lifestyle. It’s how you live with your dog daily, it’s how you show up every day, it’s your consistency, it’s yourself believe, it’s your ability to roll with the punches and understanding that you aren’t up for negotiation.
Establishing a solid foundation at home is what will help with your new lifestyle unfold into positive and worthwhile results.
Real Life Exposure Sessions
Prior to setting off to exposure you and your dog in the real world. It’s absolutely crucial that your dog can walk well with no triggers or distractions. If your dog struggles to preform with no distractions, then you’ll have no chance with triggers or distractions.
This is why we work in stages.
When you and your dog are ready, we will then progress to exposing you both in the real world. Understanding your energy and the impact that can have on your dog is the key to mastering reactivity. My job is to coach, guide and help you develop. Building up the human in order for the dog to trust is essential.
Seeing is believing though. It’s all about development for both dog and owner. The power of mastering the walk is where the magic happens.
Over the next 3 real life session, I will show you how to go to cafes and how to maintain your now neutral dog in public.
Training Videos
Bowie 2yr old French Bulldog male. Main issues: Territorial, reactive to dogs and birds.
Bloke – 5 year Full grown male Kelpie. Showed extreme fear on the first week. He returned the second week and all he did was bark in fear.
Scooby Great Dane x Mastiff 2 year Male Reactive to dogs/people and struggled being out with any distractions. The video speaks for itself!
Luna – reactive to dogs. Highly strung and easily triggered.
Reactive dog pack walk.
Reactive dog pack walk.
Dogs We’ve Trained
Frequently Asked Questions
Dog psychology, not human psychology!
It is important that I think like a dog, not a human. This is why my methods are based on dog psychology not human psychology.
My main focus is on your dog’s state of mind. So often we think a dog is happy if it’s over excited or if it is obsessed or unable to calm down, in fact these states of mind are unhealthy in the dog world. In dogs with these issues you will probably notice they suffer with some form of anxiety as well.
For me, it’s important to find out why your dog has a behavioural problem. Once I’ve assessed the home environment and determined the reason behind the behaviour we can start the rehabilitation process.
Kat’s 4 Dogs is all about creating calm assertive leadership and guidance your dog will benefit from in so many ways. If we learn to fulfil our dog’s needs both mentally and physically you will have a happy stable companion.
All my sessions are designed for you and your dog and are specific to your environment. To me, a truly educated dog lover always ensures their dog’s needs are met first.
My dog training methods:
- I will not ask you to throw things near or around your dog to scare them. These methods will not work.
- You will not see me arrive with a pocket full of treats or a water bottle to spray in your dog’s face.
- I don’t believe in harsh methods such as hitting or yelling, this will only create fear in your dogs.
- I’m honest and up front and will only work with people prepared to make changes for the better.
- I will help you create clear rules and boundaries in your home to establish leadership, trust and respect.
If you are truly looking to create a trusting and respectful relationship, your calm yet assertive energy is the key, your dog understands very quickly when he is in the presence of good energy. I will explain and show you how to achieve this. There is so much you need to know about dog training and I’m here to help you understand your role in helping your dog become balanced.
My promise to you is I will be with you the whole way through your dog’s training and rehabilitation stage and provide ongoing support.
Customer service means so much to me and ensuring you and your dog’s welfare and happiness is my passion. I want to see more dogs stay in the family home environment and out of rescue centres.
What My Clients Are Saying…
Susie – the dog that would attack
Hi Katrina,
Just wanted to say thanks for all you have done with our dog Susie.
You took Susie under your wing and transformed her from a dog that would bark and lunge at every other dog, to a dog who we can now let off the lead in the dog park and feel at ease that she will not attack them all.
She still has her moments, but at least she is starting to associate with them, something she has not been able to do before. It’s three steps forward and one step back at the moment.
Your training methods are impressive and very effective. Thank you Katrina you are a treasure.
Kindest regards
Kat’s 4 Dogs Dog Training and Behavioural Specialist Sunshine Coast
Straight from the dog’s mind – What Banjo really thinks!
Dear Aunty Katrina / All-time best human trainer that ever walked the planet, being adopted is hard. When they picked me up I found out my new parents didn’t even speak the same language as me and to top it all off, they hadn’t ever even been masters to a dog before so they really just didn’t know what they were doing.
Didn’t they know being a working dog is in my blood and that I am really really smart and that they were going to have to prove to me that they were smarter than me if they wanted to be my master?
I realised pretty quickly that I wanted to be the leader of this pack. My new parents really tried and they certainly love me to bits (after all I am pretty darned good looking and a sweet pooch at heart) but I was too smart for them and pipped them at every turn.
But then Mum found you.
At first I was just relived because at least you spoke the same language as me (which Mum and Dad certainly still didn’t) but then you started teaching them how to be the leaders of the pack which I wasn’t so into. I do love you Aunty Katrina but you have really changed my life and now I can’t get away will all the fun naughty things I used to.
Far out you made it tough for me to keep winning – not only did I have puppy school with you but you started showing up all over the place – at my house, in my yard, on walks, in the park!
At first I thought just by showing off and doing stuff right at puppy school I could get away with still doing whatever I wanted at home and outside of class. Most of puppy school was pretty easy for me because like I say, I am very smart – “sit, stay, leave it”, ha! Surely even a cat could do that.
I made Mum feel like she was going crazy because everyone thought I was so well behaved at school and then we would get home and I would just do whatever I wanted and she couldn’t get me to stop. Even though I am really lovely I even had to start nipping them when they were bossing me about to show them that I was the pack leader.
Mum thought you had magical powers at first because I would do what you said but not what they said but then over time you trained Mum and Dad how to communicate better with me and provided them the perfect solutions to all the tricks I was pulling to show them who was the big dog in the pack.
Puppy school was fun and made me feel like I was working which I loved but it was really the home training that ended my reign of household domination. I was pretty darned persistent so Mum thinks you were like an angel coming and seeing me in action in my own environment so you could really help them get to the core of why I was acting out.
Even after I lost my puppy teeth, I really enjoyed chewing on anything I could especially if my folks let me out of their sight in the house even for a moment – I had a lot of fun chewing window sills, doors, computer and camera cables, shoes, anything hanging on the line, outdoor furniture and cushions – the list is endless. Ahhhh, good times.
Mum and Dad tried all sorts of things they read about on the internet like spraying me with water, putting yucky tasting stuff on things I liked to chew or giving me other things to sink my teeth into but none of that worked on me. I was the leader of the pack and the only way they were going to be able to get me to stop is by showing me they were going to be the leaders.
After you trained Mum and Dad how to control me in the house I am now trustworthy and can be left alone without anyone having to worry about my safety (either from very dangerous things like chewing on cords or by what might happen to me if Dad caught me eating another pair of his thongs). I even know when it is time to relax and go straight to my designated spots in the house when asked where I am allowed to sit calmly and wait – I like knowing my job even if it’s just to wait.
There are too many other things to list that you have trained them how to fix – I am no longer freaked out totally by the sound at the lights when the little green man says we can walk. I chew only my own toys. I am lovely with small children instead of jumping up on them and knocking them over. I don’t nip my parents (or anyone). I wait on my spot when a visitor arrives at the front door instead of crying and trying to jump up at them and lick them (at least for a few moments). I prance like a pony when walking on my lead most of the time. I (mostly) do as I am told.
There are still some things Mum and Dad are working on (like that I am still adamant about barking at possums or birds that dare come into my yard) but the difference is that now you have trained them how to cope with me they know how to calmly assert their wishes and show me they are now my masters.
Even though I wish I was still the leader of the pack I have to say it is more fun now Mum and Dad have a better idea how to really be my masters – they get to enjoy walks with me and take me on holidays and lots of fun places they just couldn’t trust me before.
You have been tirelessly dedicated to helping me and my parents be a happy family and we can’t tell you how awesome we think you are – even in doggy language there are not enough words to express what an amazing difference you have made in our lives.
I could never dream a human would be so passionate and dedicated about what they do (I thought only dogs were that loyal) – taking desperate phone calls, emails and visits with my folks – you are truly an angel to us doggies and masters. Thank you.
– Lots of licks and tail wags, Banjo the 2 year old Border Collie (translated to English by my Mum and Dad / Masters Steve and Haley Bellamy)
Kat’s 4 Dogs Dog Training and Behavioural Specialist Sunshine Coast
Molly – Who’s taking who for a walk?
Thanks Katrina for your expertise in training me so I could enjoy my beautiful 15 month old dog Molly, she has responded so well to my training that she actually reminds me what to do if I forget.
I certainly don’t miss those runs Molly used to take me on I now take “her” for a “walk” instead which is much more pleasurable, the neighbours want to know where Molly is because they don’t see me flying past anymore, think they thought I was in training for some marathon “NOT” my legs and arms thank you Katrina.
Molly is very high spirited and as I have aged had forgotten what it was like to have a child in the house one that actually wanted me to give her direction and guidelines and you showed me that Katrina of which I am very grateful.
I have control over Molly now and it feels great for both of us, we still have our rebellious moments but I know how to handle that now.
I consider you the Dog Owners Angel, our very own Dog Whisperer, Thankyou once again.
Kind Regards
Kat’s 4 Dogs Dog Training and Behavioural Specialist Sunshine Coast
Ellie – the dog nobody could groom!
To Katrina Boyd
My 12 year old Border collie Ellie and I would like to share our experience with you at Katrina’s.
My Ellie was badly treated in her younger years so she became very fearful, aggressive and defensive and did not trust anyone. I could never touch her hind legs or brush her. Visiting a vet was a joke; they were all scared of her.
Taking her for a walk was testing – she wanted to attack every dog getting close to us.
Katrina has dogs of her own and I was apprehensive about Ellie’s behaviour. She introduced the dogs, played with them, took them for a walk and rewarded them. Her calm and confident behaviour, firm but friendly approach and handling, relaxed Ellie and she accepted to be one of the group. When she stepped out of line, one of Katrina’s dogs pulled her back. What a great training Katrina’s dogs had.
Later, Katrina decided to cut Ellie’s matted coat, the fur between her paws and her nails.
Good luck Katrina, you will need it… But she did not need any luck. She knew exactly how to treat the wriggling, snarling and biting Ellie. Katrina was firm, but without force, professional and determined, but passionate. She was in charge – Ellie gave in.
Ellie no longer scratches, takes anti-itch medication and uses anti-allergy shampoos. She is a happy girl, her skin is healthy and her coat shiny. She does not want to attack every dog anymore and even the vet is surprised.
My confidence in Katrina? – 100%. She is professional, firm, consistent and totally dedicated.
I have no hesitation recommending Katrina and her services to any owner who cares and loves their pooch.
Thank you Katrina.
