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Reactive Dogs Welcome

We have answers.

Australian Shepherd, Pluto – had a 52 year old Nick getting on a skateboard to help him get over his reactivity!

Reactive Dog Training

Reactive dog training is a very specialized form of dog training. It requires us to understand how the dog operates, what motivates the dog and how to engage the dog during high states of excitement. Reactive dogs act out for various reasons. They put all their focus and energy in the wrong direction.

Training reactive dogs is a focus game and you had better be good at the game. 

Most reactive dog owners will tell me that their dog looks like it doesn’t even though there’s a human holding the leash when it’s having it’s big meltdown.

Reactive dogs are singular in their focus, honing in on the object of their reactivity like a laser pointer.   

The key to reactive dog training

I always tell my clients that we’re playing a focus game with their reactive dog.

How to train your reactive dog

If we can get the dog to focus on us instead of the stimuli, then we’ve won.  If we haven’t completely won we have at least cushioned the blow and created a space where we can gain some focus and have a conversation with the dog instead of being tuned out entirely.

Reactive dogs have a lot of static noise in their heads

Once we train our dogs to focus on us and the job we are giving them – we lower the noise level in their heads which helps to calm them down. This results in dog that is not only more manageable than before but also in a dog who is generally calmer in its day to day life.  The snowball effect goes into play once the owner feels more in control of the situation – thus showing less anxiety and this also affects the dog in a positive way.  
Rescue dog from Lebanon This is our sweetest little/giant boy, Rove. We adopted him from Lebanon about 8 months ago. We were told he was amazing with dogs/kids/people….turns out wasn’t so true. We found Nick and family K9 as a reference from a friend and let me tell you, this man does magic! We were so skeptical and worried to leave him for 3 weeks but Nick is so gentle and kind (and I happened to know his wife, who is just as sweet and lovely) so we trusted them. When we came to pick our dog up, the transfer lesson was a revelation. It was a DIFFERENT dog (yet the same sweet soul we know) but suddenly he’s listening to our commands, heeling at our feet while walking so calmly. Remember, Nick can’t change a dog’s DNA, but he can help give you and the dog confidence to deal with anything. Rove is very aggressive towards other dogs and I am sure he will never change, but now we have the proper skills to correct his behaviour with confidence and to the point of him being able to sit and lie down near another dog (MIND BLOWING). If you have a problematic fur machine at home, Nick is your man. The follow ups have been so great too, anytime we have a question, his responses are so fast and informative. Worth every penny. Thank you, Family K9

Matti McNicol

Rescue dog from Lebanon

This is our sweetest little/giant boy, Rove. We adopted him from Lebanon about 8 months ago. We were told he was amazing with dogs/kids/people….turns out wasn’t so true. We found Nick and family K9 as a reference from a friend and let me tell you, this man does magic! We were so skeptical and worried to leave him for 3 weeks but Nick is so gentle and kind (and I happened to know his wife, who is just as sweet and lovely) so we trusted them. When we came to pick our dog up, the transfer lesson was a revelation. It was a DIFFERENT dog (yet the same sweet soul we know) but suddenly he’s listening to our commands, heeling at our feet while walking so calmly. Remember, Nick can’t change a dog’s DNA, but he can help give you and the dog confidence to deal with anything. Rove is very aggressive towards other dogs and I am sure he will never change, but now we have the proper skills to correct his behaviour with confidence and to the point of him being able to sit and lie down near another dog (MIND BLOWING). If you have a problematic fur machine at home, Nick is your man. The follow ups have been so great too, anytime we have a question, his responses are so fast and informative. Worth every penny. Thank you, Family K9 <3
Saint Golden Doodle We have a 1.5 year old golden doodle named St., who has a lot of adrenaline, and was incredibly difficult to deal with. We were unable to walk in without him, dragging us down, and his reactive nurse to other animals (dogs, cats, squirrels) was very high. He spent three weeks with Nick and came back up with a whole new set of fundamentals that have allowed us to gain his focus and manage his behavior. It was absolutely incredible to change we saw in the dog, and the respecter dog head for NICK. During our transfer session, NICK showed us everything, and it felt like a TV show seeing how well trained and behaved our dog w Nick is a true professional, and every single interaction you'll ever have with him. He is diligent in his responses, he's always on time, he takes as long as needed to train your dog (and you), and he genuinely cares about your objectives for your dog. He gave me regular updates, while my dog was gone, and he spent hours with us for transfer training over several sessions to make sure we had continuity. What's most important above all else is that NICK is an absolute wealth of knowledge. Speaking with NICK for a few weeks, and watching him engage with dogs taught me so much that I never would've learned from any other source. He is an A+ teacher (both for dogs and human and I can't imagine what more he could've done to help us.

Alexander Barrett

Saint Golden Doodle

We have a 1.5 year old golden doodle named St., who has a lot of adrenaline, and was incredibly difficult to deal with. We were unable to walk in without him, dragging us down, and his reactive nurse to other animals (dogs, cats, squirrels) was very high. He spent three weeks with Nick and came back up with a whole new set of fundamentals that have allowed us to gain his focus and manage his behavior. It was absolutely incredible to change we saw in the dog, and the respecter dog head for NICK. During our transfer session, NICK showed us everything, and it felt like a TV show seeing how well trained and behaved our dog w Nick is a true professional, and every single interaction you’ll ever have with him. He is diligent in his responses, he’s always on time, he takes as long as needed to train your dog (and you), and he genuinely cares about your objectives for your dog. He gave me regular updates, while my dog was gone, and he spent hours with us for transfer training over several sessions to make sure we had continuity. What’s most important above all else is that NICK is an absolute wealth of knowledge. Speaking with NICK for a few weeks, and watching him engage with dogs taught me so much that I never would’ve learned from any other source. He is an A+ teacher (both for dogs and human and I can’t imagine what more he could’ve done to help us.
Indy Border Collie mix   We were looking for a hero to help us with Indy our collie/lab puppy we were at the point of thinking we would have to rehome her because of her extreme reaction to cars, bicycles, dogs, etc. after meeting Nick for a consultation, it was clear, he was the hero we were looking for. Nick's customer service, professionalism, dog training, knowledge, passion, and his commitment to getting it right and getting results, was all beyond our expectations! Indy did the three week in kennel training, and we couldn't be happier with the results. He helped us to understand what drives our puppy, and how to have a successful relationship with her. We are grateful and thankful to have found NICK and have recommended him without hesitation to friends and family. Once again, thank you Nick

Kathy Prophet

Indy Border Collie mix

  We were looking for a hero to help us with Indy our collie/lab puppy we were at the point of thinking we would have to rehome her because of her extreme reaction to cars, bicycles, dogs, etc. after meeting Nick for a consultation, it was clear, he was the hero we were looking for. Nick’s customer service, professionalism, dog training, knowledge, passion, and his commitment to getting it right and getting results, was all beyond our expectations! Indy did the three week in kennel training, and we couldn’t be happier with the results. He helped us to understand what drives our puppy, and how to have a successful relationship with her. We are grateful and thankful to have found NICK and have recommended him without hesitation to friends and family. Once again, thank you Nick

Montreal Reactive Dog Training Video Gallery

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