Program fit
Is On-Leash Foundations enough for a reactive dog?
Pulling and reactivity can look alike from the handle end of the leash, and in many dogs they overlap. A dog that hauls toward every squirrel may also bark at the dog across the street. The honest answer to this question is that a label is not enough to go on. Here is what the two-week program covers, what it was built for, and what we would want to see before recommending anything.
Last reviewed September 28, 2026
What two weeks cover
Two weeks of leash position and everyday obedience.
On-Leash Foundations is a two-week board and train at $1,865 plus GST. It teaches loose-leash walking, heel, sit, stay, down and place, then works those skills around everyday distractions. It is built for dogs who drag, lunge at squirrels or treat the leash as a suggestion, and for owners who miss enjoying the walk. It includes a follow-up session, lifetime phone and email support, and a slip lead and training collar to take home.
Reactivity work is not on that list. Behaviour Rehab is the program that lists it: a five to six week board and train built for anxiety, reactivity and aggression, covering a full behaviour assessment, reactivity work, confidence building and structured socialization, priced at $4,850 to $5,760 plus GST after that assessment. Dogs with a bite history are accepted after the same assessment. Whether a particular dog needs that depth is not something a word on a form can settle.
- Loose-leash walking and heel
- Sit, stay, down and place
- Everyday distractions on the walk
- Follow-up and lifetime phone support
Overlap and observation
When pulling and reacting share the same leash.
Pulling and reactivity are not tidy opposites. Many dogs pull because they have never practised walking beside a person, and some of those dogs also bark or lunge when another dog appears. A hard pull toward a trigger, a freeze, a growl or a bark that stops the walk can each mean different things in different dogs, and a dog's food response or the direction it pulls is not a diagnosis. We would rather see the dog than guess from a description.
What helps us at the consultation is detail: when the barking happens, how close the other dog was, whether it also happens with people, bikes or cars, whether anything has ever escalated to a bite, and what a walk on an empty street looks like. Private Training is the other one-on-one option: $150 plus GST for a one-hour session with a written weekly plan customized to your home, including honest guidance on which program fits if more help would help.
Asked and answered
The questions people ask us.
Is On-Leash Foundations for a reactive dog?
It is built for dogs who drag, lunge at squirrels or treat the leash as a suggestion, and its curriculum is loose-leash walking, heel, sit, stay, down, place and everyday distractions. Reactivity work is listed under Behaviour Rehab, which is planned after a full assessment. The consultation is where we look at your dog and recommend a program.
Is a 2 week board and train enough for a reactive dog?
We cannot answer that from the word alone. The two-week program works on leash position and everyday obedience, while Behaviour Rehab runs five to six weeks, is built for anxiety, reactivity and aggression, and is customized and priced at $4,850 to $5,760 plus GST after a full assessment. Which fits depends on the dog in front of us.
Which program is right for a reactive dog?
Behaviour Rehab is the program built for barkers, lungers, hiders and growlers, and dogs with a bite history are accepted into it after a full assessment. Private Training and On-Leash Foundations are built for different jobs: hands-on owners who want a written weekly plan, and dogs who pull. We recommend the program at the consultation, including a smaller one when it is enough.
What does On-Leash Foundations actually cover?
Loose-leash walking, heel, sit, stay, down and place, then working those skills around everyday distractions. It is a two-week board and train at $1,865 plus GST with a follow-up session, lifetime phone and email support, and a slip lead and training collar to take home.
Keep reading
Describe the walk to us
Book a consultation and tell us when the barking starts, how close the trigger was, and what quiet streets look like.
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