How to tell if you dog is reactive?
Does your dog suddenly lunge, bark, or growl at people, other dogs, or random objects? You’re not alone. Reactivity is a common behavior challenge, but left unaddressed, it can make daily walks, outings, and life at home stressful—for you and your dog. The good news? With the right training, your dog can learn to “chill out,” react calmly, and enjoy the world around them.
Here are six telltale signs that your dog may need reactivity training:
1. Intense Staring and Fixation
Your dog’s eyes lock onto a target—another dog, a person, or a moving object—with an unshakable focus. This kind of stare often seems to come out of nowhere, and no amount of calling their name or offering a treat can break their attention.
Why it matters: Fixation is usually the first step toward a reactive outburst. It signals that your dog is mentally “locking in” and preparing to respond with excessive barking, lunging, or growling.
2. Hackles Up
Does the fur along your dog’s back, neck, or lower back stand on end during certain encounters? This reaction, known as “raising hackles,” is an involuntary response triggered by heightened arousal, excitement, or stress.
Why it matters: Hackles up is your dog’s way of signaling intense emotional arousal. While it doesn’t always indicate aggression, it shows that your dog is feeling uncertain or threatened. Combined with other reactive signs, it’s often a precursor to more disruptive behaviors like barking, lunging, or growling. Recognizing hackles as an early warning can help you intervene before the reaction escalates.
3. Stiff, Rigid Body Posture
Does your dog’s body tense up like a statue? Muscles tighten, weight shifts forward, and sometimes their hackles (the fur along their back) stand on end. This posture often happens moments before an explosion of reactivity.
Why it matters: A stiff, rigid stance indicates that your dog is on high alert and not in a relaxed state. It’s their way of bracing for action—an early warning sign that the dog’s nervous system is preparing for conflict.
4. Ear and Tail Tension
Your dog’s ears and tail give away a lot about their emotional state. In reactive moments, ears may pin forward or flatten back tightly, while their tail may either shoot straight up and stiffen or tuck low and tight against their body.
Why it matters: Ears and tails act like your dog’s emotional “barometer.” Tension in these areas shows they’re feeling stressed, hyper-vigilant, or unsure, which often escalates into reactive behaviors.
5. Mouth and Facial Tension
Take a look at your dog’s mouth: is it closed tightly, with lips pulled tight or even curled slightly? You may also notice shallow, rapid breathing instead of their usual relaxed panting.
Why it matters: Dogs naturally pant when they’re calm or after exercise. A closed, tight mouth paired with tense facial muscles signals stress and discomfort—key contributors to reactive outbursts.
6. Vocalization and Lunging
Growling, whining, barking, or sudden lunging—this is often the most obvious sign of reactivity. These explosive reactions can seem “unprovoked” or excessive, and they tend to happen quickly and unpredictably.
Why it matters: Vocalizations and lunging are the final stage of reactive behavior. By this point, your dog has built up stress, frustration, or fear, and they’re letting it all out in an intense burst of energy.
Why Reactivity Training Matters
If you’ve noticed any of these signs, it’s a clear indication that your dog is struggling to process their environment calmly. Reactivity is often rooted in a misperception of the world—situations your dog interprets as threatening or overwhelming, even when they’re not. While the behavior might seem understandable, it’s also disruptive and, if left unaddressed, can escalate over time.
Reactivity doesn’t just create stressful walks or tense moments; it can lead to bigger challenges. Poor interactions with other dogs or people can reinforce your dog’s reactive patterns, making them harder to break. Over time, this cycle can tilt reactive behaviors toward more aggressive tendencies. The longer these habits persist, the more ingrained they become, increasing the difficulty—and danger—of resolving them.
The good news? Reactivity is manageable with the right approach. The goal isn’t just to stop the behavior but to help your dog make better choices, build confidence, and navigate their world with less stress. Effective training focuses on interrupting the reactive cycle, creating space for your dog to reset and respond thoughtfully instead of reacting impulsively.
At Chill Out Dog Training, we’ve worked with countless dogs exhibiting these behaviors, helping them and their owners achieve long-term improvements. With a combination of clear communication, structure, and proven training techniques, reactivity can transform from a constant struggle into a manageable, even rare occurrence.
Understanding the signs and knowing how to address them is the first step to creating a calmer, more balanced life for both you and your dog. Reactivity may feel overwhelming now, but waiting to address it only raises the stakes. The time to take action is always sooner rather than later.
We had such a great session with Scott. Our 2 year old Berner had some reactivity issues with people coming into the house, and he taught us tools to help with those situations. We saw improvement within the first hour of the session. Would highly recommend!
Cameron went above and beyond in our initial session to help fine tune certain behavior issues we were having. Chill out dog training is the first company that has not felt "pushy" regarding scheduling sessions or packages/board & train. Cameron even followed up and truly seems to care. If you are looking for professionals that are actually skilled in dealing with reactivity or aggressive behaviors- chill out dog training is for you and your pup!
Cam and Chill out dog training were great. Before I even signed up for classes, they answered all my questions around training without me paying anything yet.Cam did a great job with our dog. By the end of our sessions, he was done pulling on the leash and non reactive towards larger objects which were our main issues.He learned general obedience as well, highly recommend working with them. Worth every penny.
Very successful first lesson. Bridgette not only helped us understand why our dog is reactive and how to combat the reactivity, she gave us confidence in being able to have the life we want with our dog. We already noticed improvements after 1 session and are very excited for our dogs future.
I did two training sessions with Cameron for my dog and would highly recommend Chill Out Dog Training to any of my friends/family. Cameron was extremely knowledgable and was able to easily communicate training methods for the issues that my dog was having within two 90 minute sessions, and I feel confident that I'll be able to carry forward that training in the future. I have already seen huge improvements with my dog and her reactivity!
I’m the 4th or 5th guardian of a sweet GSD with a lot of anxiety and incessant fence barking. Cameron did a great job of training both me and my dog. If the collar is on she won’t bark in the yard. I no longer have to use the stim. (I chose not to correct indoor barking)She no longer eats poop and she can walk around the block without having a panic attack and trying to run home. The stim paused her fear reaction long enough for her to take her cues from me. Altogether, she’s a happier, more relaxed and outgoing dog. She has clarity on what is ok and not ok. (My guess is that there was a lot of confusing yelling at her in the past) l think she’s also happy to not have the “responsibility “ of being the barker. I highly recommend Cameron for his calm, clear and positive approach!
I was at my wits end with my dog Willow when I requested more information from CODT. We’d been working hard with her to quell her reactivity issues and had even been using an ecollar as well, but we needed extra guidance and tools (including a better e-collar with a wider range of settings) to get ourselves and Will past the point we where we were. Scott got in touch immediately, listened to the biggest concerns we had, answered questions, and we got started with training the next week. Will has shown so much improvement in just two trainings and I feel so much better equipped to bring her back down to earth when she’s escalated. It’s a work in progress and probably will be for quite some time, but it’s awesome having Scott and this team in our back pocket to keep Will’s forward progress up. Thank you so much, Scott!
We have had a wonderful experience with Chill Out Dog Training. Our dog was very reactive when we first got her, both to other dogs and anything on wheels (bikes, scooters, skateboards, etc). We were so excited to take our dogs when we rescued her but walks were not enjoyable because she was so reactive. Through working with Cameron, our pup has undergone some amazing transformation! Cameron worked on not only changing behaviors of our dog in the 1:1 sessions, but almost more importantly, training us as owners on what we should be doing outside of our training sessions to keep progress moving forward. We did three sessions with Cameron and now we take our pup on walks and hikes all the time, both of which are now very enjoyable for both her and us! We did a lot of research before selecting a training company and I am very happy with our results. Would definitely recommend Chill Out to anyone!
I cannot recommend CODT enough! I worked with Scott and Bridget and both are amazing! I went into the consult call very weary of using an e-collar and prong collar. Scott eased my nerves by explaining exactly how they use the tools and answered all of my questions until I felt comfortable! Before starting this e-collar training, I did not take my reactive pit bull on walks due to being dragged around and her barking at other dogs. Now we can pass right by other dogs with no reactivity! It has been incredible to see how far she has come in just 3 sessions. I feel confident that Scott has taught me how to properly use these tools and we can move forward with other goals such as off leash training and more public access training. Bridget joined us for our final training session and I learned a lot from her about reactivity and obedience training. I am forever grateful for the work CODT has done with training both myself and my dog to have a trusting and loving relationship! I've almost forgotten what life with an extremely reactive dog was like and now we love getting outside, going on long walks, and saying hi to other people and dogs!
Great experience for helping my fear based reactive dog! The training is really efficient and i was impressed how quickly my dog learned with their method. In 3 sessions we’ve addressed my pups issues. Can’t say enough good things about this program.
I can't recommend Cameron and the team at Chill Out Training enough. Our goldendoodles are great dogs who have received plenty of training in the past, but we had never been able to get them to behave on a leash. They would pull all over the place, get tangled up, and drag us after every runner, dog, squirrel, cat, or child that would pass by. There were more than a few times where walks would frustrate us to the point of tears (especially after a long day of work). We've so badly wanted to give them the Colorado dog experience, but any time we have taken them camping or hiking it has turned into a big mess. We couldn't even take them to sit at a coffee shop without them making some sort of scene with their barking and excitable behavior.When we first met Cameron, we felt super reluctant about the E-collar. All I can tell you is it has changed our dogs' lives. Not only do they get pumped when we put on their collars (they have figured out it means extra long walk time), they seem so much more happy and at ease when we are out and about. Cameron gave us the perfect guidance to use this tool while also using meaningful training cues to guide them toward better behaviors. Our pups still have some work to do and we will be booking sessions in the future, but the 3 session package did more for our dogs than any previous training sessions combined. We have already taken them on more adventures in and around the city (including sitting on patios!) and look forward to hikes and lake trips when it gets warm out again. Even our neighbors have made comments about how well-behaved they are which is high praise because we definitely had "those dogs" in the neighborhood. This training is the best investment we've ever made for our dogs' safety and well-being.
I own a Doberman Pinscher with social anxiety which has made life in a very populated neighborhood difficult. In addition to constantly pulling on walks, she also had unpredictable reactivity to dogs and humans. At home, she was constantly barking at passersby. After the first session with Scott, her pulling and reactivity improved ~90%. Walks with her immediately became enjoyable (and I stopped having to wear my SI belt to protect my back from an unrelated injury ha). She also stopped barking at every living thing that walked by our place. I could not believe that my main 3 concerns were so drastically improved within the first 1.5 hours of training! We have continued to work with Scott on a few additional issues, and he’s always very helpful, astute, and communicates clearly. I’m incredibly grateful for Scott’s help. My dog’s progress through this training has been life-changing for both of us.
My dog and I have completed one training session and have a follow up scheduled. After working with Cameron, I gained a new perspective about my relationship with my dog and her needs around feeling comfortable on the leash. I was surprised and delighted that we left our first session already showing so much progress. What has been most impactful was learning how to predict and interrupt the unwanted behaviors. Prior to reaching out to Chill Out Dog Training, I was actively working to reduce some of the leash reactivity on my own, with some results (over months of effort) but nothing near what we were able to do with Cameron’s help in just 90 minutes. I am so incredibly grateful and very hopeful for continued growth!
I have a highly exuberant and reactive (excitement) male Great Dane. I had taken him to puppy classes, basic obedience classes, and tried my best to socialize him. But he's a wild 2.5-year old dude with leash and barrier reactivity. I'd worked with other trainers before Chill Out and had some small successes and set a solid foundation; however, I was to the point where I'd stopped walking my dog in my neighborhood because passing other dogs on the street or being surprised by a bike/motorcycle/garbage truck became too stressful to deal with. When I called Chill Out Dog Training, I was driving him and walking him in a business park area that was mostly free of triggers. I wanted to regain a sense of normalcy and after talking to Scott on the phone, I scheduled a session. Scott has been awesome to work with and I've had great results. He's taught me and my dog how to make e-collar training meaningful and I've regained a lot of confidence and control. After one session, I was able to walk Swayze in my neighborhood again. We still have some challenges, especially if we see other high energy or reactive dogs...but I feel equipped to handle 95% of situations and that's a place I never thought I'd be just a couple months ago. Chill Out Dog Training has been a really great investment - and Scott has been a great listener and continues to provide support.
I can’t say enough about our experience!!! We have had 2 sessions and went from having a dog who was scared and leash reactive to being able to walk without pulling or reacting to most dogs - AND being able to have her capable of enjoying a dog park!!! So happy with our results with Scott!! If you have a reactive dog - look no further - this is the place!!! We tried 3 other trainers before this with multiple sessions and no results - Scott took the time to properly evaluate Valentine and it works!!!
Chill Out Dog Training is absolutely fantastic, the best money I have ever spent. I highly recommend working with Cameron and the other trainers for anyone struggling with training issues with their pet. After only one appointment my dog's severe leash reactivity has finally improved to the point where he can walk past other dogs with no reaction. I have spent years working with different trainers with minimal results. I was weary of e-collar training, but the results are very effective. My rescue dog had absolutely horrible leash reactivity, it was hard to even walk in my neighborhood, and it was taking a toll on my and my dog's quality of life. My dog is happier, more excited for his walks, and both of our quality of life has greatly improved. If you or your dog need training help, please reach out to Chill Out Dog Training for a free consultation call. Thank you Cameron and everyone at Chill Out Dog Training!
Cameron’s perceptiveness into my dog’s behaviors has really helped me to understand why he does what he does. I was a little apprehensive about using the e-collar, but it’s such an effective tool to quickly give my dog feedback so he can understand what behaviors just aren’t necessary. Within 3 sessions my dog no longer pulls on his leash, he’s showing appropriate curiosity in other dogs on walks without aggression, he’s getting more comfortable with greeting new dogs, his recall is improving, and his barking at strangers or people he’s not comfortable with has improved so much. Throughout this process, I’ve really appreciated Cameron’s knowledge and insight. He has really taken the time to understand what my dog needs as a rescue dog that’s fearful of men, new people, and new situations. My confidence and my dog’s has grown so much, and I feel like I have the tools and support to continue working on things on my own (but we might need a follow up session or two- we’ll see!) The training materials on their website have been helpful too. Overall, I’m so glad I went with this company. Their outlook of helping dogs understand how to “stay in their lane”, redirect their behavior, and trust their human more makes so much sense. My dog was reacting out of anxiety, fear, and he just didn’t know what to do in situations- which meant I didn’t either! But now we’re on such a great track. I’m very grateful!
Training with Cameron was THE best decision we've made for our dog Birdie. She is a rescue who was really leash reactive (dogs, squirrels, bikes, skateboard, etc), reactive at the window with anything passing by, with guests, in the car, etc. We tried so much other training (10+ sessions with another trainer and a 6 week reactivity course ) as well as medication which were all somewhat helpful but only very minimally with the reactivity (about a year process). We decided to try the e-collar package with Cameron in part because of all the positive reviews and also how comfortable I felt with the potential plan after chatting via the phone for a consultation. We started to notice a change quite literally after the first session. We just completed our third session and 6 months later she is a totally different dog. We can now go for walks without worry, go camping, take her on patio's, and really live life with her, versus around her. I was hesitant about the e-collar with all the conflicting information you see online but how Cameron teaches you to use it feels really fair for the dog. We can't thank Chill Out dog training enough!!!
I was scared to walk my pup before meeting Cameron. I now feel like I have the resources and skills to be a better owner to my leash reactive pup.
I worked with Cameron for our second session with my reactive dog. The first was when she was a puppy so her bad habits have had a couple years to harden. Cameron is so clear in his explanations and guidance. My dog was having literal toddler tantrums and he was unbothered. I saw a lot of what I was doing wrong in trying to curb her reactivity but now know I need to be more firm to give my dog clearer boundaries. The goal is breweries and patios this summer so we will definitely be doing a follow up or two after lots of practice! Our two walks since the training session have already been immensely better! Highly recommend!
Scott absolutely changed our 6 year old doodle Nana’s and our lives for the better! She had such a barking problem, we had to keep the blinds closed all the time. She hated going on walks, and was very reactionary to sounds.She is a whole different dog, we are all so much happier! Huge thank you to Scott!
We reached out to chill out dog training in hopes that they could help our pup Maverick with leash reactivity, and a couple other things we wanted to work on with him. We met with Cameron and he did a phenomenal job by helping us and giving us the tools to help put our pup at ease on walks. Now we can take maverick to more populated areas like Wash park, and tons of hiking trails as the weather gets warmer. Chill out dog training rules and we highly recommend them!!
Had one training with Cameron and it was amazing. Super knowledge and nice dude and was able to fix my dog’s reactivity on leash in about 20 minutes. Couldn't recommend Cameron and this company more.
Before training with Cameron, my pittie mix struggled with anxiety and reactivity, making outings stressful. Cameron's holistic approach not only improved Denver's behavior but also boosted my confidence. His consistent support between sessions was invaluable. Our journey has been transformative, thanks to Cameron's expertise and dedication. Highly recommended!
My only regret is not finding Chill Out Dog sooner. I cannot thank Scott enough for helping me with my reactive dog. Scott is truly a wealth of knowledge. He helped me deep dive into the my dogs behaviors to find the root causes behind his reactivity. Scott worked with me to develop a personalized plan and helped guide me and my dog to success through our training sessions. The night and day difference of my dogs behavior and his confidence is truly remarkable. I am extremely grateful and highly recommend Scott for anyone in need of a dog trainer with a reactive dog.
We adopted our dog Nala in May of 2022 from a puppy mill in Iowa. Due to her experiences there, we had a long way to go to make her feel safe and comfortable. After about 7 months, we started to see some problem behaviors like separation anxiety, fear of men, strong reactions to minor noises or unexpected noises and incessant barking. We also struggled to have control over her when she would go on walks.We had a consultation call with Cameron and really liked his approach. Cameron has been SO helpful to us. He’s helped us to understand Nala’s behaviors, know how to anticipate them and mostly importantly, know how to respond.If you are considering using Chill Out Dog Training, it is worth every penny! We will be recommending Cameron to everyone we know who needs a little extra help with their furry friend!
I can’t say enough good things about Scott and Chill Out Dog Training. I have been working with Scott to correct some of my golden retriever’s reactivity issues with large dominant dogs. This had been particularly confusing to navigate without help as it only happened sporadically, but frequently enough that it was impacting our day to day. Rather than isolating him from dogs he would typically react to, I really wanted to fix the problem. Scott has been a miracle worker with Pretzel. He had Pretzel back at the dog park (where a lot of his issues began) by the 2nd session, using the e-collar for correcting, which Pretzel has handled very well. Scott patiently educates dog owners on how to read signals and when to not overcorrect so you can feel confident training on your own in between sessions. After 4 sessions with Scott, my dog’s reactivity has drastically decreased, and when he slips up, I know how to appropriately correct him. Sincerely recommend Scott and Chill Out Dog for your pups.
We absolutely loved working with Scott at Chill Out Dog training. Our rescue Weimaraner, Leo, was extremely reactive towards other dogs. We tried so many different training techniques and never saw results until we started working with Scott. I was skeptical of the reviews that would say “we saw results in the first session” but they were true! We truly saw results during our first session and not only did Leo build up his confidence but WE felt more confident taking Leo to busy parks/areas. Scott really took the time to explain the ecollar to us and set us up for long-term success by giving us consistent feedback. We are so grateful for Chill Out dog training and if you are struggling with behavioral issues, I’d definitely recommend reaching out to them for help!
We were desperate. Our puppy was out of control and taking over the house. My older dog was becoming reclusive in an attempt to avoid the over excited play of her younger sister. We were strongly considering rehoming the puppy, but not now, thanks to Scott and his expert training techniques.Friends and family have noted a significant difference on how she greets people at the door. My grandchildren aren't afraid to play with her. My neighbors have noted she is less reactive. I'm not so tired on walks because she isn't pulling on the leash. And most importantly, our older dog Lola is returning back to her old playful self.We still have work to do, but rehoming is no longer part of our daily conversations. Thanks Chill Out Dog Training!
Cameron helped Moose with his pulling and reactivity to other dogs. Moose is much calmer now.
We used Chill Out Dog Training this past summer and it was by far the best thing we could’ve done for our dog Finley. Finley struggled with leash reactivity towards dogs and with living in a very dog friendly apartment it was always a stressful situation trying to take her outside. We had two sessions with Scott and he completely changed the behavior and helped her build up her confidence around other dogs. Scott was so great to work with. He was such a great listener and provided us with the tools to work with Finley! I literally cannot recommend Chill Out Dog Training enough!!
After 20 sessions of group obedience trainings, our little man had made some progress, but still had some intense aggressive and reactive behaviors that stressed us out daily. After the first session with COTD, Scott was super knowledgeable, helpful, and we made so much progress. After the second session, we feel very confident taking our pup out in what used to be very stressful situations and getting back to what we enjoy doing outdoors.
I rescued an 8 month old puppy from a shelter, great dog, other than separation anxiety. The howling and the barking was just so much. After I tried all the YouTube videos and the desensitization nothing was really getting that progress I wanted/needed to see. After I turned to Cameron and asked some questions, he referred me to their e-collar-separation anxiety guide and within days I can now go to the store and my buddy is just hanging out.I would like to mention I was scared to use the e collar just because there's so many bad stigma's around it. However I use the lowest vibration setting on mine and it was enough to really aid training and now I don't have to offer many corrections if any.Thank you Chill Out!
My Dog Blu is a shelter puppy. From the shelter I learned he was beat up so badly that on one occasion his jaw was broken. For the 3years I've had him, he was ALWAYS scared of strangers, new things, loud sounds, and especially men. I took him to different trainers and, other than his fear, he is a very well behaved dog. However his fear turned into reactive aggression and he recently bit my neighbor. I was so upset because I would do anything for Blu and I didn't know how to help him. Cameron, within THREE sessions, had Blu to a point where he would politely approach strangers, he no longer has an issue with my neighbor or people we have over, and overall his reactivity is slowly improving. I can't thank Cameron enough. He gave me the tools to help my best friend live life to the fullest in a safe manner for everyone. Thank you!!!
Cameron is an incredible trainer - in just two sessions he transformed the behavior of our dog on walks, his ability to be off leash and gave us the tools to work on general reactivity that are already having a huge impact. We should have done this years ago! Highly recommend working with Cameron.
We had a few training sessions with Chill Out Dog Training for our very, very, reactive rescue (before training she literally broke a window charging at a dog being walked on the sidewalk). After the first session there was progress and by the end of our few together we were able to take her on walks and to places like a brewery where there were other dogs around at a distance without issues. She even has a few dogs now that she's comfortable around enough to play with!We have a second dog that we had for years before the dog that got us to reach out and the sessions were helpful for him too!Because of this dog's reactivity we knew that classes were out of the question. It wouldn't be safe for anyone or any other dog involved so the fact that Chill Out Dog Training came to my house was fantastic. We got the basics down that we needed to be able to give our rescue a life outside of our property line. It was so worth it.We worked with Cameron and he was great at explaining why some things worked and others didn't. He was able to help us with both of our dogs and tailored the techniques to each dog. There wasn't pressure to do one method over the other which is somethings I was concerned about. He saw our hesitations with some of the recommendations and had us test it out on ourselves which gave us peace of mind that it would be ok.
If you have a reactive dog, these are the trainers for you! Over 3 sessions, Scott was able to help us make significant progress with our dog’s territorialness and reactivity. Unlike other places I saw, Chill Out dog training works with you in the environments that your dog actually reacts so the progress sticks. Before training, we couldn’t have our dog in the front yard and had stopped bringing her with us to breweries, now she thrives in those spaces. Can’t recommend them enough!!!
I highly recommend Scott and his company, Chill Out Dog Training, to anyone who is looking to train their dog. Whether it be basic obedience skills or what my dog needed, which was more focused training on fearfulness, reactivity, and aggressiveness towards other animals and humans alike.
Scott took the time to help my dog become more secure in the world outside of our home, and trained me to be a more confident owner. He displayed many methods to use with my dog and I enjoyed the training process he shared with me.
I would consider Scott’s training as an “I do, We do, You do” approach, which helped me immensely. First step was to watch him work with my dog while he explained, in detail, what he was doing and the expectations. Then, we would work on the techniques together with my dog. Lastly, I would use those methods by myself with my dog alongside continued guidance from him.
Scott is a kind, knowledgeable, and skillful dog trainer and I would highly recommend his services to anyone who is seeking to have a well-trained dog.
Kind regards,
Lindsay & Bisbee
We had a great experience with Chill Out Dog Training! Scott is an amazing trainer who not only works with the dog but with the dog owners as well. We initially went to Scott because our dog Frank randomly started to exhibit dog reactivity behavior and wouldn’t stop whining and tugging whenever a dog was in sight. The walks became unpleasant to say the least. During our first 90 minute session with Scott, he educated us on why the behavior was occurring and we started to work with Frank immediately. After the first session- our walks instantly become enjoyable again- Frank ignores other dogs and walks right beside us! We then started to move onto other problem areas such as separation anxiety and social skills with Frank. Each session Scott was always professional, patient, and kind with his approach while working with Frank (and us). Just a heads up- Scott will give you “homework” and things to work on between sessions. In order to get the most out of your sessions with him be sure to come prepared with feedback and progress!
I have a 4 year old rescue German Shepherd Beagle mix named Levi. He suffered from anxiety when outside of the home, dog reactivity, and pulled while being walked on leash. Scott took the time to fully understand my wants, as well as my dogs needs. He helped show me the proper tools to use, and how to safely and effectively use them. He helped me to understand what was going on with Levi, and how to help him get through these issues. Scott helped me to gain the confidence I needed to help Levi be a happy and respectful dog. I can confidently continue working with Levi on my own now with all the skills Scott taught me. I would recommend Chill Out Dog Training to anyone!
Scott helped us to resolve some dog reactivity issues with our Great Dane puppy. He was wonderful to work with! Scott took the time to understand our goals for our pup and came up with a plan that worked with our family and lifestyle. We really appreciated his balanced approach to training, he thoughtfulness and ability to adapt to our lifestyle with two very young kids, and his responsiveness to all of our questions. We've seen tremendous progress with our puppy, and even my husband bought in to his approach (which was a huge hurdle to clear in the first place!). I would highly recommend CODT to anyone who needs support with their dogs behavior!
