Reactive dogs and real-world training ยท Brisbane
Calmer walks. Cafe mornings. A dog that comes back.
For dogs that bark at bikes, lunge at other dogs, chase possums or pull your arm off. We train on your street, at the cafe strip and at the park, until the walk is one you both enjoy, and teach everyone at home to keep it going.
If you walk at 5 am so you don't meet anyone, this page is for you.
- You see a dog a block away and your whole body tenses, and so does your dog's.
- Your dog barks and lunges at dogs, people, bikes or skateboards, and you can't get its attention back.
- A bird or a possum, and you're holding on for dear life, or watching your dog disappear.
- You'd love a coffee with the dog at your feet. Instead you get stares, and leave early.
- Anything on the footpath goes in the mouth.
- You've been told to "just socialise him", or "he needs a firmer hand".
Reactivity is common, and it's not a sign you've done something wrong. It is something you can work on.
Your dog reacts on your street, so that's where we train. Then we go where you want to go.
What we train and practise:
- Calmer around dogs, bikes and people on your street. We start at a distance your dog can cope with and build from there. Nothing is set up to provoke a reaction.
- Focus. You become more interesting than the distraction.
- Loose-lead walks, so walking becomes easier for both of you.
- Switching off from birds, cats and possums, and coming back to you.
- Coming when called, practised around real distractions, including other dogs.
- An emergency stop, trained and practised around real distractions, for the moment your dog takes off towards another dog.
- "Leave it", which protects your dog from things on the ground, and you from the vet bill.
- Settling at the cafe: on a mat under an outdoor table while you have your coffee.
- Polite around people: no jumping, no pestering, settles when asked.
How we work:
- Assessment on your usual walk. We see what sets your dog off, how close is too close, and what your dog does just before it reacts.
- Real places, real triggers. Your street, the cafe strip, the park.
- Everyone who walks your dog is taught, so the walk works with whoever holds the lead.
- We use remote collars. A remote collar is our main tool for barking, recall, chasing and manners. Rewards, like treats, when your dog gets it right. If a cue is missed, a vibration until your dog responds, and it stops when they do. Where stimulation is needed, the lowest level that gets a response, set for each dog, and tones to mark a boundary. Anxious dogs are assessed differently, and some need a vet first. At handover, everyone at home learns to use the remote. You'll see it in every session video. Prong collars: never (they're illegal in Queensland).
What's realistic. The goal is a dog you can take out and enjoy: one that notices a trigger and can come back to you, and a plan you know how to use. Some dogs will always need a bit more space, and that's fine. We'll tell you honestly at the assessment what we think is achievable for yours.
How it works
From the first call to the last handover.
Apply
About a minute. Tell us where you'd like to be able to take your dog.
We call you
Usually within minutes in business hours.
Assessment and first lesson on your walk
About 90 minutes, starting at your home, $295. You keep the written plan either way. The fee comes off your program if you start within 7 days.
Your program
Steady Walks for walking and safety, or Steady Anywhere for reactive dogs and the cafe, the emergency stop and recall around dogs. Then handover to everyone who walks your dog.
What's included
- Assessment at your home and on your walk, and a written plan
- Training sessions on your street, at the cafe strip and at the park
- Video of every session
- Handover sessions for every person who walks your dog
- Text support during the program and for 4 weeks after, and a group walk every week
Steady Walks, 4 weeks, $2,450. Steady Anywhere, 8 weeks, $3,950. Each includes the $295 assessment when you enrol within 7 days. See the programs.
Is this right for your dog?
This is for you if:
- Your dog lunges, barks or pulls hard at dogs, people, bikes or traffic on the lead
- Your dog chases, bolts or doesn't come back
- Walks have become stressful, short or rare
- You want a dog you can take to the cafe, the beach and away for the weekend
- You want a plan the whole household can use
If your dog has bitten, or fought with, another dog or a person:
- Tell us on the form. We'll tell you honestly whether we're the right fit, and if we're not, point you to the right next step.
Talk to your vet first if:
- The reactivity started suddenly, or your dog is older or unwell. Pain and some conditions can cause it.
- Your dog may need medication for anxiety. That's a vet's decision. We're happy to work alongside your vet, or a vet with behaviour qualifications.
Questions
Straight answers.
Will my dog ever be calm around other dogs?
Many reactive dogs learn to notice a trigger and stay with their owner. Some will always need more space. We'll tell you what we think is realistic for your dog at the assessment, and we won't promise more.
Can you get rid of my dog's prey drive?
No, and nobody honestly can: it's part of being a dog. What we train is switching off: your dog notices the bird, cat or possum, and comes back to you. We practise it until you know how to keep it going.
Will my dog always stop when I call?
No dog is perfect, and we won't claim one is. We train and practise recall and an emergency stop around real distractions, including other dogs, so they've been rehearsed before the moment that matters.
Will my dog be able to come to cafes?
That's one of the things we train: settling on a mat under an outdoor table while you have your coffee, practised at real cafes. Some dogs take longer than others, and we'll tell you honestly how yours is going.
In Queensland, pet dogs are allowed only in a cafe's outdoor dining area, and only if the cafe chooses to allow them. Your dog stays tethered or close to you, and isn't patted by staff or other customers. We train for exactly that.
Do you train off lead?
Recall work starts on a long line. Off-lead practice only happens where dogs are allowed off lead.
Can you guarantee it?
No. Nobody honest can. We guarantee what we control: an honest assessment, a written plan, careful work, everyone who walks your dog taught, and text support during the program and for 4 weeks after.
Why not a group class?
Group classes suit a lot of dogs. A reactive dog in a room full of other dogs often isn't one of them. We work one to one, in the places your dog actually struggles.
What does it cost?
The assessment is $295. Steady Walks is $2,450 and Steady Anywhere is $3,950, each in total, including the assessment when you enrol within 7 days. A second dog in the same home adds $750.
Where would you like to take your dog?
Tell us about your dog. We'll call you, usually within minutes in business hours.
Apply for an assessment