Reactivity

On the leash, in the home, or wherever your dog is experiencing difficulty with their environment.

The Unique Challenges of Reactivity

Jumping up on guests, counter surfing, using the bathroom in the home, pulling on the leash– these are things that are annoying, but most people expect to have to train for them when getting a dog.

But reactivity is different.

People are often blindsided by it, whether they adopted an adult dog from the shelter who seemed to be fine with other dogs, or had their dog from 8 weeks old. There is an initial period of shock when a dog develops reactivity, accompanied with thinking it’s just a one-off event. Then the reactive outbursts from your dog grow more frequent. You often find yourself shouting to the other person walking their dog across the street, “Sorry! I don’t know what’s gotten into her! She’s not usually like this, I promise!”

Eventually, walks become a battlefield. You can’t enjoy your walks with your dog because you have become hypervigilant, expecting and anticipating problems around every corner. It can be extremely embarrassing and alienating. People shoot disapproving glares at you or make rude comments when you’re truly doing your best. The worst part: you know your dog is a great dog. You know they’re a sweet, smart, loving goofball, and you want others to see your dog for who they truly are.

I know what you’re going through because I speak from experience.

I have worked diligently with my reactive dog, Bindi, since I adopted her in 2018. I want to help you find the same joy in being with your reactive dog that I found with Bindi along the way. I want to save you time and heartache by guiding you to the right path and avoiding the same mistakes I made when I was first starting out. I want you to feel like you have at least one person in your corner who gets it, and most of all, who knows that you already have a good dog who needs compassion and support in order to overcome their behavior struggles.

Testimonials From Clients with reactive dogs

I would highly recommend Melody as a trainer

Our dogs have always been very reactive on leash. Since Melody became one of their regular walkers, she has worked with them extensively to reduce their reactivity to other dogs. Her work with our dogs has made my own walks with them so much more enjoyable. Thanks to her training with them, when we see other dogs on walks, they usually turn to look at me and sit without any pulling or barking at the other dogs. Melody has created a bond with our dogs and they are so excited every time they see her. She has worked wonders with them

Micah P.

Melody is an amazingly patient and knowledgable trainer

She is a great teacher and explains not just what to do in very clear steps but also why the methods work in relation to dog psychology. She has helped given me tools to reduce my pit mix’s sound- and people-reactivity, and more recently has helped with introducing a new puppy into our pack. I would highly recommend Melody for any sort of reactivity (dog, people, sound, leash, or other) issues you are having with your pup!

Karly N.

Melody really helped me and my German Shepherd/Rottweiler mix

She is a great teacher and really puts the well-being of the dog ahead of everything else which I love! I highly recommend her services to anyone looking for help with their dog.

Maple G.

We have had such a wonderful experience with Melody

She is so passionate about dogs and training us to be good pup parents. Taking on a 50lb Husky rescue was more challenging than we thought. Melody was there every step of the way. She was so responsive even after our training was done. Her support , knowledge, and encouragement when things were tough helped or newest family member to trust and love us so that we could do the same with her. It is so reassuring to know that there is always someone in our corner to turn to to share our journey in whatever capacity we need.

DeLisa L.

Melody has been really helpful as we add our new pups, Blazer and Dusty to our home

She clearly loves to teach and makes training with our dogs positive and enjoyable. Blazer was so proud of himself after our last training session, he couldn’t stop smiling 😁

Pascal T.

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