Do you have an afraid of or aggressive dog when meeting strangers?
Have you stopped having company because of your dog?
Does your dog embarrass you by barking at your neighbors on walks?
Our Stranger Danger class can build your dog’s confidence, control his aggression, and help you get your life back!
In this unique invitation-only class, we provide a safe structured environment to help a shy or aggressive dog overcome their fears and dangerous behaviors in a group setting where they can meet a variety of strangers. Working an aggressive dog in public can be embarrassing or even dangerous, but there are no surprises at our facilities. We customize each dog’s exercises to their specific needs.
This format has several advantages over private training or board and train programs:
- Cooperative Strangers: In our Stranger Danger classes, both our instructors and your fellow students act as strangers for your dog to work with. Because everyone in class has similar issues, you can count on them to follow instructions. We even teach you the best way to handle people out in the world who don’t follow your instructions.
- Safety: We follow strict safety protocols in the class. All dogs are carefully evaluated by our aggression specialist prior to class, and any dogs who might pose a bit risk are muzzled in any close interactions with other students.
- Focused Attention: We have at least 1 instructor for every 2 dogs in Stranger Danger. While we work in a group environment, each dog does exercises specifically designed for them under the close supervision of our trainers.
- Affordability: Because you share the time with your fellow students, this semi-private class is significantly less expensive than private training or board and train.
The Program
Initial Behavior Consult: All programs for fearful and aggressive dogs begin with a behavior consult with one of our Certified Dog Behavior Consultants. We’ll thoroughly evaluate your dog, create a safety plan for aggressive dogs, and a training plan. Some dogs can immediately join the Stranger Danger course immediately after their consult while others will need some one-on-work before being ready for a group setting. We must meet your dog in person in order to determine your dogs needs, but you can call to speak for free with one of our trainers to get an idea of the severity of your dog’s issues and how quickly they might be ready for class. The fee for the behavior consult is $195.
Group Class: Unlike our other group classes, Stranger Danger does not have multiple levels. The class format is essentially semi-private instruction with each student’s exercises tailored to their dogs specific needs. About two thirds of our Stranger Danger graduates get all the skills that they need from one session of class, but the other third require more than 6 weeks of structured work before moving on to working in public or with their owners’ friends and family. These dogs simply repeat the class. The fee for the class is $350.