Agility class for reactive dogs is a bad idea, but I offer one anyway. If your dog has mild to moderate issues with dogs or people and you have been working on it, this is the class you have been waiting for! First, scent work is more appropriate for reactive dogs, but I get it if you want to also include agility training. All dogs will be crated, either in the car if they are noisy or inside if appropriate.

Reactive dogs-you know the ones that start spinning and barkscreaming when they hear the jingle of dog tags? The neighborhood dog you cross the street to avoid while walking your dog? The one in obedience class that air-snapped at you when you went to pat it’s pretty widdle head? Am I really putting dogs that are constantly over threshold all in the same room to hard stare each other and jack them up even further by adding speed and adrenaline?

Nope. Not happening. There’s a lot of dogs you may see everyday and you don’t ever know they have, let’s politely say, issues. No dog is perfect but some dogs are a bit more tightly wound than others. There’s great help for whackjob and wingnut dogs now. Vet behaviorists, behavior consultants, medications, and behavior protocols plus lots and lots of hard work by owners can make real and lasting change.

As a behavior consultant and trainer, I know how hard owner’s work. I also have had two very reactive dogs. It ain’t easy. Behavior protocols and data collection are boring at best. Scent work is an amazing activity for reactive dogs and has played an integral role in helping many of my clients’ dogs make huge progress. But there’s no denying the appeal of agility. There’s something about cross-species communication while flying around an obstacle course that is hugely exciting and highly reinforcing to both dog and handler.

A well run agility class specifically for reactive dogs can help owners relax and have fun. It should be a space where the beings on both ends of the leash can take a breath and laugh.

There are times when owning a reactive dog is depressing, frustrating, and downright no fun. At class, owners can kvetch with each other about their dog’s foibles and form a much-needed peer support group. Owners are often as sensitive to the environment as their dogs, always scanning for the next possible trigger. If all the above requirements are met while carefully controlling the environment, an agility class for reactive dogs can be an important way for owners to reconnect with their dogs.

Agility class for reactive dogs? Heck yeah!!