Behaviour Rehab
Is my dog a candidate for Behaviour Rehab?
Behaviour Rehab is the program we build for anxiety, reactivity and aggression, planned and priced after a full assessment. Deciding whether your dog is a candidate is not something a web page can do, and this one does not try. What it can do is describe what the program is built for, what the assessment looks at, and how to keep everyone safe until you have talked to us.
Last reviewed September 29, 2026
Built for
Barkers, lungers, hiders and growlers, assessed one at a time.
Behaviour Rehab is published for the barkers, the lungers, the hiders and the growlers: dogs whose trouble looks like anxiety, fear, reactivity or aggression. In practice that might be a dog that erupts at other dogs on leash, one that trembles or bolts from guests or traffic, or one that has growled, snapped or bitten over a bowl, a couch or being reached for. A bite history does not rule a dog out; it is assessed first, like everything else.
The full assessment comes before any plan, and the price, $4,850 to $5,760 plus GST, is set only afterwards. We do not sort dogs into programs from a phone description or a checklist, because a dog that lunges can be frightened, frustrated, over-excited or some mix of the three, and the same dog can look different on different days. The consultation recommends the program, and a smaller program is recommended when it is enough.
- Anxiety, fear, reactivity, aggression
- Bite histories assessed, not refused
- Assessed before it is priced
- Smaller program when it is enough
Before the consultation
What to bring, and how to stay safe meanwhile.
Specifics help more than labels. We suggest noting when the behaviour started and whether anything changed at home around then, what your dog does in the first moments before the barking or the retreat, roughly how far away the trigger was, whether teeth have ever made contact and where, and whether eating, sleeping and movement seem normal. Footage that already exists can help, but we would rather you never set up a reaction to capture one.
Until we have met your dog, distance is the tool. Avoiding the triggers you know about, crossing the street early, and keeping children and other pets separated from a dog that has growled or snapped all count as progress. If the change was sudden, or your dog seems stiff, sore or off its food, we suggest asking your vet, since a trainer cannot rule out pain or illness. Behaviour that is severe or escalating is also a reason to involve a professional promptly.
Asked and answered
The questions people ask us.
Does my dog need Behaviour Rehab or just training?
Behaviour Rehab is the program built for anxiety, reactivity and aggression, and the full assessment is how we find out whether it fits your dog. Describing what the dog does, rather than what you think it is, gives the consultation the most to work with. A smaller program is recommended when it is enough.
Is my dog reactive or just excited?
Often that is hard to tell from the outside, and the two can exist in the same dog at the same moment. Taking a treat, a wagging tail or playing once the dog arrives does not reliably rule out fear, so we do not ask you to make that call. Distance from the trigger is the safe default until the assessment has looked at your dog.
When should a behaviourist be involved instead of a trainer?
We suggest asking your vet first whenever a behaviour change was sudden or there are physical signs such as stiffness, flinching or a drop in appetite, since pain and illness can sit behind behaviour. For fear or aggression that is severe, your vet can also advise on whether a veterinary behaviourist should be involved. That is advice to act on independently of anything we recommend at the consultation.
Will a bite history rule a dog out?
No. Dogs with bite histories are accepted into Behaviour Rehab after a full assessment. We suggest bringing the details of each incident, including what happened beforehand, so the assessment has the full picture.
Keep reading
Describe what your dog does.
Book a consultation and describe the behaviour, not the diagnosis. The assessment, not a web page, decides which program we recommend.
From real owners
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Real Northline dogs