One-to-one programme
Reactivity, fear, anxiety, aggression, barking or resource guarding. We do not stop the behaviour in the moment - we look for what sets it off and build a better response.
About the programme
Behaviour correction is for dogs that show behaviours which are hard to live with day to day: reactivity, fear, anxiety, aggression, excessive barking, resource guarding or difficulties adapting.
We are not after stopping a behaviour for the moment, but after identifying the causes that set it off and building more suitable responses.
Every dog is different. Its behaviour can be shaped by previous experiences, by genetics, by its health, by the environment it lives in, by its stress level, by a lack of socialisation or by the way certain situations have been handled.
That is why the programme is tailored to the needs of the dog and of the family. The methods are based on cooperation, rewarding the behaviours we want, managing the environment, desensitisation and counter-conditioning.
Before the first session
Sessions are, as a rule, one-to-one. Depending on the case, they can take place:
The number and frequency of sessions depend on how complex the case is, on the dog's history, on how often you train and on how involved the family is.
How the programme is built
We do not start with exercises. We start with the question of why the dog does what it does - because without that answer, every exercise is a guess.
Stage 1 · Modules 1-2
We look at the history, the environment, the routine and the concrete situations in which the behaviour appears. Then we look for the cause - because the same barking can come from fear, boredom or frustration.
Stage 2 · Modules 3-9
We cut down the situations in which the behaviour is repeated, you learn to read your dog's signals, and we start working on reactivity, fear and alternative behaviours.
Stage 3 · Modules 10-20
Aggression, resource guarding, separation anxiety, barking, jumping up, pulling on the leash or behaviour indoors - plus the plan you take home with you.
What the programme covers
The 20 stages cover 222 topics. We do not go through all of them with every dog - we pick what is relevant to your case. Open a stage to see what is in it.
Before we set the plan of work, we look at the dog's behaviour and at the concrete situations in which the problems appear.
In certain situations we also recommend a veterinary assessment, so we can rule out health problems that may be influencing the behaviour.
The same behaviour can have completely different causes. Among the most common:
Understanding the cause helps us choose the right method and, above all, avoid making the problem worse.
In the first stage we cut down the situations in which the dog repeats the unwanted behaviour. Management alone does not solve the problem, but it provides safety and creates the conditions in which learning can happen.
The purpose of management is to prevent incidents and to bring down the general level of stress.
A good part of the programme is about you learning to read the dog before it reacts.
Reactivity can mean barking, pulling on the leash, growling, lunging or trying to get to the other dog. It can come from fear, frustration, excitement or previous experiences.
The aim is not to make the dog play with other dogs, but to be able to see them and walk calmly past them.
Some dogs react to strangers, to men, to children, to uniforms or to people who approach too quickly.
Fear can show up as running away, hiding, trembling, barking, growling, freezing or defensive reactions.
Desensitisation means exposure to a stimulus at an intensity at which the dog stays calm and can learn. Counter-conditioning changes the emotion attached to that stimulus. A few examples:
Exposure is built up step by step. If the dog's reaction becomes too intense, we lower the difficulty.
Instead of only telling the dog what it may not do, we teach it what it can do in that situation.
Growling, showing teeth or attempting to bite should be neither ignored nor punished. They are signals the dog uses to communicate discomfort or the need for distance.
The safety of people, of the dog and of the other animals always comes first.
Resource guarding can show up around food, toys, objects, resting places or even around a person.
Dogs that struggle on their own may bark, vocalise, destroy things, try to escape or refuse food.
Separation anxiety is not treated by leaving the dog to cry until it “gets used to it".
Barking has different functions: warning, fear, asking for attention, boredom, frustration or anxiety. First we work out which one it is.
Jumping up is, most of the time, rewarded without us meaning to: through attention, touch or talking.
First we work out why the dog pulls, then we adapt the exercises to the reason.
In puppies these behaviours are normal. They do, however, need to be directed towards suitable activities.
We can also work on the difficulties at home, the ones that wear the family down day after day:
We organise the environment and build routines that help the dog make suitable choices.
Self-control is not achieved by holding the dog back all the time, but through progressive exercises.
The right activities bring the tension down and improve the ability to concentrate.
Mental stimulation is adapted to the dog. If it becomes one more source of frustration, it is not doing its job.
Results come from what happens between sessions. That is why the family's involvement is not optional.
Methods we use
Ten tools that we combine according to the cause of the behaviour and to what the dog can cope with at that moment.
The dog is rewarded when it offers a suitable behaviour: turning towards the handler, staying calm or moving away from a situation.
The unwanted behaviour is interrupted or prevented, and the dog is given a clear alternative.
The dog is exposed to the stimulus at an intensity it can handle, without being overwhelmed.
The negative emotional association is changed through rewards and positive experiences.
The environment is organised so that incidents and the repetition of unwanted behaviours become less frequent.
The final behaviour is built out of small steps, each one rewarded separately.
We reward the good things the dog offers on its own: calmness, looking at the handler, moving away.
The dog learns a behaviour that cannot be performed at the same time as the unwanted one. For example, going to the mat instead of jumping up at guests.
When it is safe, the dog can decide whether to approach, stop or move away. Making the choice itself builds confidence and cooperation.
We work at a distance and an intensity at which the dog can watch, can respond to the handler and can take the reward.
The programme is not based on:
Removing the warning signals through punishment makes the behaviour harder to anticipate and increases the risk of an incident.
Results and expectations
Behaviour modification is a process, not an instant fix. The aim is fewer and less intense reactions, better handling of difficult situations and a better life for the dog and for the family.
We cannot guarantee that any behaviour will disappear completely. What we can do is build clear, safe and realistic strategies for managing and changing it.
Progress depends on
Frequently asked questions
The programme is for dogs with reactivity towards dogs or people, fear and insecurity, excessive barking, jumping up at people, hard pulling on the leash, resource guarding, defensive aggression, difficulties with handling, fear of the vet or of noises, separation-related anxiety, destructive behaviour, difficulties adapting, a lack of self-control and conflicts with other animals in the household.
As a rule they are one-to-one. Depending on the case, they can take place at the training centre, at the family's home, in the very environment where the problem appears, in public spaces or at a controlled distance from other dogs. Where possible, we can also run online analysis and advice sessions.
Behaviour modification is a process, not an instant fix. How long it takes depends on the cause of the behaviour, how long it has been repeated, the intensity of the reactions, previous experiences, the dog's health, how consistent the family is, how far the environment can be controlled and whether the dog's own pace is respected.
No. We cannot guarantee that any behaviour will be removed completely. What we can do is build clear, safe and realistic strategies for managing and changing it, so that the reactions become less intense and life gets easier for both the dog and the family.
No. Growling is a signal the dog uses to communicate discomfort or the need for distance. If we punish the growl, we risk removing the warning rather than the emotion behind it. The behaviour then becomes harder to anticipate and the risk of an incident goes up.
Sometimes, yes. Pain and health problems can directly influence behaviour, so in certain situations we recommend a veterinary assessment before starting the work. In complex or severe cases we work together with the vet or with a behaviour specialist.
One page for each problem: why it happens, what does not work and the step-by-step plan you can start at home.
At the window, at the doorbell, at the neighbours, when he's left alone. A dog always barks for a reason, and the plan starts with finding it.
He howls from the first minute and only goes quiet when you walk back in. That is panic, and panic is worked in seconds at first, not in hours of 'getting used to it'.
Needle teeth, torn sleeves, crying children. Play biting is normal in a puppy and it passes, but not by itself: you teach him how hard he is allowed to bite.
Arm at full stretch, aching shoulder, dog panting with his tongue out. Pulling on the lead is the most practised habit of all, because it works for him every single time.
A growl by the bed, a hand grabbed "out of nowhere". The dog tells you something every time before he bites, and the cause can nearly always be found if you know where to look.
One dog grazes calmly in the park, another gulps long blades and is sick on the carpet. Those are two different behaviours, and each one gets a different answer.
His own poo, other dogs' in the park, or the cat's litter tray. It embarrasses you, it is normal to him, and it is fixed more by organisation than by training.
He hides under the table at every doorbell or trembles at lorries. Exposed "to get used to it", he got worse. Confidence comes from distance and his own choice.
He sees a dog 50 metres away and explodes: barking, lunging, deaf to you. Off lead in the park he's a different dog. Reactivity is worked on from a distance, over weeks.
A chewed door frame, a gutted cushion, the third charger this month. He isn't getting back at you. Film the first hour and you'll see if it's boredom or panic.
Shaking under the desk, panting, refusing food. On the night you help him through it; the fear itself you work on during the rest of the year, and it does improve.
He freezes over the bowl, eats faster as you approach, growls over his bone. Resource guarding is natural behaviour that has become a problem, and you fix it by trading.
He howls after every ambulance or whines from morning to night. The causes differ, but the plan starts the same way: find out what he's trying to tell you.
Out in the road five minutes after you go inside. Running off is a safety problem first and a behaviour problem second, and you deal with them in that order.
Bulbs dug up one by one, a hole by the fence, a hole in the shade. Each has a different cause, and the hole tells you which if you look at it properly.
He launches at the cyclist, runs the fence after cars, vanishes after cats. The chase is its own reward, which is why it never fades on its own.
Drooling in the car park, sick at the third bend, refusing to get in. Car sickness lives partly in the inner ear and partly in the head, and you work on both.
They got on for a year and now they kick off at the door or on the sofa. People call it jealousy; we see a squabble over what they value, and often that is you.
A visitor's leg, a sofa cushion, a puppy in the park. It is rarely sexual and almost never dominance; nearly always it is excitement looking for a way out.
Shaking in the waiting room, growling at the nail clippers, hiding from the brush. Fear of handling can be learned from a single experience and unlearned in small steps.
In a puppy it is a few seconds of play. In an adult who spins until he falls over or chews his tail raw it is something else, and it starts with a vet visit.
Chewing, barking, racing round the house at ten at night and still not tired. A dog like that tires through his head, and you see the change within days.
The wound gets 15 minutes under running water with soap, and the doctor decides the rest. Then you turn to the dog: why he bit and what changes at home.
Your face when you get home, your feet after a shower, visitors and children. Licking nearly always has a simple reason, and you are the one who sets the rule.
The house is too quiet, you wake at walk time, the other dog searches every room. Grief for a dog is real, and it needs time rather than hurry.
The ball sits on the rug and he goes off to lie down. Play can be learned at any age, and it starts with what he enjoys, not with what you bought him.
He stops, sniffs, drops a shoulder and rolls over in bliss. Rolling has a few possible explanations, and the plan starts in the seconds before it happens.
At home he is the gentlest dog, on the pavement he lunges at anyone in a hood. The barking has a reason, and the plan starts from the distance at which he stays calm.
A puddle at every homecoming, or whenever a visitor leans over him. He knows where to go; in those moments he simply can't hold it.
He plants his feet at the corner or flops down belly-up. There is nearly always a reason, and the reason decides what you do about it.
He leans against you, you stroke him, and a few seconds later he nips. It is almost never "out of nowhere": he warned you, or something hurts.
Paws running, lips twitching, a muffled growl from the rug. Most of the time your dog is simply dreaming. Being woken with a start is another matter.
A few drops on the sofa, on a friend's handbag, on the new door. Marking is a deliberate message, and you work on it differently from house soiling.
Bones under benches, napkins, socks, stones. Scavenging comes naturally to a dog and it is dangerous for him; the habit changes with patience and good treats.
The bowl is empty in five seconds and sometimes the kibble comes back up. There is a reason for the speed, and you can slow meals down without taking food away.
To the kitchen, the bathroom, the bedroom and back. A dog who follows you is usually a perfectly normal dog. What matters is how he feels when he cannot.
Barking at every oncoming car, or only in the last two kilometres before the park. Barking in the car always has a reason, and it takes your mind off the road.
He braces at the first step, freezes at the top on the way down, or has stopped climbing after years. Each version has a different cause and needs a different plan.
He vanishes under the bed when visitors arrive, or flattens himself at the sight of a man in a hood. Fear of people is worked on from a distance, at his pace.
He presses against the wall at every bus, turns for home after two steps or sits down on the pavement. Fear of traffic improves with work, from a distance, at his pace.
He stops on the doorstep once it gets dark and will not walk down the dark hallway. Dogs see well at night, so the fear nearly always has another cause.
One dog vanishes under the bed, another lunges at the brush barking. To a dog, the vacuum is a loud thing that moves by itself and heads for his favourite spots.
Under the bed, behind the washing machine, behind the sofa. A hiding dog is saying either I'm scared or it hurts, and from outside the two look the same.
Three dogs come out barking from behind the garages. You stop, turn sideways, keep your bag between you and back slowly out of their patch the way you came.
You hug and within three seconds the dog is between you. What we call jealousy is usually excitement, unease or guarding, and each is worked differently.
A dog's behaviour is a form of communication. Instead of punishing it for what it is expressing, we try to understand what makes it react - and we help it find safer answers. Write to us and we will arrange an assessment.