Reactive dogs · Calgary
Reactive dog training in Calgary, for the dogs everyone else gave up on.
Barking, lunging, growling, freezing, hiding behind your legs: we work with dogs who do these things one-on-one, never in a group class. Reactive dog training in Calgary with us takes one of two shapes: Behaviour Rehab, a 5 to 6 week board and train customized after a full assessment, or Private Training, one-hour sessions with a written weekly plan. The consultation is where we recommend one, and the smaller one when it is enough.
Last reviewed September 25, 2026
What we work on
The reaction is what we work on, at the dog's pace.
Reactivity, as we use the word here, is a big reaction to an ordinary trigger: another dog, a stranger, a bike, a doorbell. What it looks like varies, from barking and lunging to freezing or hiding, and the reasons vary too, so we do not diagnose a cause from a description over email. Our fuller definition, and how reactivity and aggression differ, are on the two pages linked under Sources. This page is about choosing the right help for your dog.
In either format the method is the same. Skills are taught with markers and rewards first, so the dog has a calm behaviour to offer. Tools, whether a slip lead, prong collar or Educator e-collar, are matched to the individual dog, introduced properly and taught to you. Proofing happens in the real world, around the distractions that set the dog off. Behaviour Rehab adds a full behaviour assessment, reactivity work at your dog's pace, anxiety rehabilitation, fear-based behaviour work, confidence building and structured socialization.
- Markers and rewards taught first
- Tools matched to the individual dog
- Real-world proofing around triggers
- One-on-one, never a group class
Two routes, one method
Behaviour Rehab or private sessions, chosen at the consultation.
Behaviour Rehab is a 5 to 6 week board and train for anxiety, reactivity and aggression, priced at $4,850 to $5,760 plus GST, with the program and price customized after a full assessment. Your dog lives the structured routine they are learning: daily one-on-one training, enrichment, structured socialization at their pace, and clean, comfortable accommodations with fresh water and daily exercise. It includes a handover lesson, two free follow-up sessions and in-depth owner education, so you learn the why, not just the what.
Private Training is one-on-one, one hour at a time, with a plan you can practise all week. It is built for hands-on owners who want to do the training themselves with a professional reading over their shoulder, and it includes honest guidance on which program fits if more help would help. The consultation is where we recommend one or the other. Dogs with bite histories are accepted into Behaviour Rehab after a full assessment.
| Behaviour Rehab | Private training | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Anxiety, reactivity, aggression; bite histories after a full assessment | Hands-on owners doing the training themselves |
| Format | 5 to 6 week board and train, daily one-on-one | One-hour one-on-one sessions |
| Price | $4,850 to $5,760 plus GST, customized after assessment | One private session |
| Included | Handover lesson, two free follow-ups, in-depth owner education, updates | A plan to practise all week, guidance on which program fits |
| Your role | Learn at handover, keep the routine going | Run the plan between sessions |
The programs
Programs and prices
W · One-hour session
Private Training
One-on-one coaching with you on the other end of the leash.
Includes a written weekly plan to work from
S · 5–6 week board & train
Behaviour Rehab
Kaitlin's specialty, and the work she loves most.
Includes assessment-built plan, 2 follow-ups, deep owner education
Asked and answered
The questions people ask us.
How much does reactive dog training cost in Calgary?
Behaviour Rehab, our board and train for anxious, reactive and aggressive dogs, is $4,850 to $5,760 plus GST for 5 to 6 weeks, with the figure customized after a full assessment. Private Training is a one-hour session, with a plan to practise all week. The consultation is where we recommend one, and a smaller program when it is enough.
Will you take a dog that has bitten someone?
Yes. Dogs with bite histories are accepted into Behaviour Rehab after a full assessment. The program and price are customized to your dog from that assessment, not from the label.
Can a reactive dog actually be fixed?
We do not promise a dog who never reacts again, and we would not describe the work as a fix. Behaviour Rehab works on reactivity at your dog's pace, alongside confidence building and in-depth owner education so you learn the why, not just the what. What that adds up to for your dog is something we can only talk about after meeting them.
How long does it take to train a reactive dog?
Behaviour Rehab is 5 to 6 weeks of daily, individualized work, with the length customized after the assessment, followed by a handover lesson and two free follow-up sessions. Private Training runs one hour at a time, with a plan to practise between sessions. We do not put a timeline on how any individual dog responds.
Can I visit my dog during Behaviour Rehab?
Visits are gently discouraged while your dog is with us, because they interrupt the routine the dog is learning. You get social-media updates and personal phone or email check-ins instead. The handover lesson at the end is where you take the routine home.
Do you use e-collars or prong collars on reactive dogs?
Sometimes, and only when the individual dog needs one. Skills are taught with markers and rewards first; a slip lead, prong collar or Educator e-collar comes in when it helps a specific dog, is introduced properly, and is taught to you at handover so it is used the same way at home.
Keep reading
Tell us the honest version.
Bites, growls, the walks you dread: we have heard it before. Book a consultation and we will recommend the format that fits.
From real owners
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