Reactive Dog 1: Stop the Chaos

• Learn how reactivity develops and how to change it.
• Teach your dog the life skills they need to exist comfortably and thoughtfully in environments that previously provoked anxiety, heightened arousal, and reactivity.
• Become an expert handler able to respond to surprises and emergency situations.

Age Requirements:

This class is designed for dogs ages 6-months or older. 

Vaccination & Health Requirements:

Click here to view our vaccination requirements.

Cost:

$275

Duration:

6-Classes/60-Minutes Each

Notes:

A consultation with one of our Certified Trainers is required prior to signing-up for class. 

You will attend the first class of Reactive Dog 1 without your pooch.  

How to Register:

Please call the front desk at 773-961-8880 or email us at info@urbanpoochtraining.com to sign-up! Thank you!

Class Dates:

Sundays at 2:45pm 
Starts: Sunday, January 5th
Meets: 1/5, 1/12, 1/19, 1/26, 2/2 & 2/9
Instructor: Shannon Sullivan
Time: 2:45pm – 3:45pm

Mondays at 7:15pm
Starts: Monday, January 6th
Instructor: Shannon Sullivan
Meets: 1/6, 1/13, 1/20, 1/27, 2/3 & 2/10
Time: 7:15pm – 8:15pm

Reactive Dog 2: Grow Their Comfort

In this class we create curated versions of real-life situations to grow both yours and your dog’s skills and comfort. You will learn how to keep your dog’s focus and attention in increasingly closer proximity to their triggers. Our goal for this class is for you to be able to take your dog out on a walk, or out in the world, without explanations or embarrassment.

Age Requirements:

This class is designed for dogs ages 6-months or older. 

Vaccination & Health Requirements:

Click here to view our vaccination requirements.

Cost:

$275

Duration:

6-Classes/60-Minutes Each

Notes:

Prerequisite: Reactive Dog 1

How to Register:

Please call the front desk at 773-961-8880 or email us at info@urbanpoochtraining.com to sign-up! Thank you!

Class Dates:

Sundays at 5:00pm 
Starts: Sunday, January 5th
Meets: 1/5, 1/12, 1/19, 1/26, 2/2 & 2/9
Instructor: Shannon Sullivan
Time: 5:00pm – 6:00pm

Behavior Consulting

What Is A Behavior Consultation?

No two dogs are the same. Some are easy going and get the gist of what we want with minimal coaching, while others struggle to adapt and go with the flow of their lives. That struggling can present as dysfunctional or abnormal behaviors including:

• aggressive behaviors such as barking, lunging and biting
• separation, isolation, or confinement anxiety/distress
• stressful responses to stimuli such as thunderstorms or traffic
• fears and phobias

It can also manifest as normal behaviors, like digging, barking or pulling on leash, that occur at such intensity and/or frequency that they interfere with normal functioning or create serious safety issues for those around them. 

If one or more of these are the types of issues that you and your dog are struggling with, then a behavior consultation may be your next best step.

Behavior consultations are one-on-one sessions where we evaluate and treat your dog’s behavior holistically and functionally. We begin with a thorough intake interview to gain a deep understanding of your dog’s background and current situation. Gathered information will include behavioral history, environment, genetics, diet, health and wellness, family dynamics of all humans and animals involved, and previous training and socialization, as well as an evaluation of your dog and their behavior.

From there we can prioritize your dog’s issues, set some realistic goals and lay out an individualized plan. All behavior has a function. Assessing the function of your dog’s behavior as part of the planning process allows us to assure that we meet their underlying needs alongside replacing the behaviors that are unfavorable to you.

Then we will utilize smart management along with behavior modification techniques such as systematic desensitization, counter conditioning, and differential reinforcement. Our goal is to not only change your animals behavioral response to their situation (their actions), but to also transform their underlying emotional state. All techniques are based in the science of positive reinforcement and creating positive emotional associations.

Structured follow-up sessions, with direct support between sessions, are as important to the process as the initial intake. Your behavior consultant will be available to answer your questions and will expect reports from you between sessions. You will likely be asked to send videos so that necessary adjustments can be made 1-2 days after a session instead of allowing for a week or more of sub-optimal practice.

Additionally, you may receive a referral to your veterinarian or a veterinary behaviorist if deemed appropriate for your situation.

Please know that changing your dog’s responses in a manner that is both humane and effective can often be a complex and time-intensive undertaking. By choosing to focus primarily on conditioning and positively reinforcing desired behaviors, rather than suppressing unwanted ones, we address the root causes of the behavior, not just provide a quick fix that leaves your dog more stressed and with less options for dealing with it. 

Our approach not only lowers the risk of inadvertently increasing fear or aggression, or instigating new issues that may occur through programs that use aversive techniques—it optimizes the likelihood of safe and lasting behavior change thus providing the best quality of life possible for both you and your dog.

Cost

Initial Intake $280—Includes an 2-hour intake consultation and text/email support. After your initial intake you will have a better sense of all the factors relating to your dog’s behavior, a management plan to assure training efficacy and safety for all involved, a clear understanding of the training steps required to modify your dog’s behavior, and any suggestions for changes to your dog’s lifestyle or environment that will support effectiveness of training and quality of life.

1-hour follow-up session $140—These are available for troubleshooting and to support you as your dog’s training plan progresses. They also include text/email support.

*A small travel fee will be added to your total cost if the location of the appointment is more than 4 miles from our facility.

Vaccination & Health Requirements:

Click here to view our vaccination requirements.

What to Bring to Your Session:

Click here to view what items you should bring with you to your session.

How to Register:

Please call the front desk at 773-961-8880 or email us at info@urbanpoochtraining.com to sign-up! Thank you!

What to Bring to Training Classes

How to prepare for your awesome & FUN classes at Urban Pooch Training and Fitness Center:

• Bring a variety of very yummy, small-sized treats (the size of a green pea). You may mix the treats with your dog’s meal if you’re concerned about over-feeding.

• Consider using a treat pouch – it’s easy to forget you have treats in your pocket. We have treat pouches for sale at Urban Pooch Training & Fitness Center.

• Bring motivational toys that don’t make noise and that won’t roll away.

• Please, no choke or electronic collars. Also, most back-clip harnesses are not recommended. A flat collar is best, but if you need a training collar or harness, our trainers are happy to make the appropriate suggestions for you and your dog.

• Use a 6-foot leather or cloth leash. Chain leashes are not recommended. Retractable leashes are not allowed.
  • CLICK HERE to read WHY we do not allow retractable leashes in class

• As always and everywhere, Please bring poop bags.

• Wear your play attire to class – comfortable clothes, closed-toe, and rubber-soled shoes

The Red Bandana Program

Red bandanas will be worn by dogs who need a little space. Perhaps they are not confident around other dogs, they may be shy of people, or maybe they have a temporary injury or are older and don’t want to be bumped. Please offer space when you see a dog wearing a red bandana.

Instructors

Pamela Davis, CPDT-KA

Obedience Trainer

Pamela comes from a theatre and education background, and her approach to dog training is very much informed by those fields. A lifelong animal lover whose earliest ambition was to be an entomologist, Pamela began her journey as a “serious” dog trainer when she adopted the world’s best bad dog, a reactive pit mix named Bea Arfur, and became active in Chicago’s rescue and rehabilitation community.

The more she studied dog behavior and learning, the more she realized how many of the tools used in teaching and theatre-making applied! She now structures her training around empathy (to understand the dog’s point of view), communication (making clear requests and “listening” closely to the responses), and follow-through (being patient and consistent, day in and day out). Pamela’s classes are positive-reinforcement, force-free, dynamic, and equally focused on human and canine learning. Come play! Pamela is a CGC Evaluator and has her CPDT-KA certification.

Karen Okura, CPDT-KA

Senior Trainer & Curriculum Development Manager

Karen has over 30 years experience in training and animal behavior. She worked at The Anti-Cruelty Society of 30 years in roles ranging from Adoption Counselor to Humane Educator with her most recent role there being Manager of Behavior and Training.

While at Anti-Cruelty, Karen developed and grew the Behavior Hotline, crafted many of the training manuals and behavior policies and assisted adopters with behavior issues. She also contributed to the Anti-Cruelty publications as the pet behavior expert, acted as spokesperson on radio and TV and contribute to many print articles in publications such as The Chicago Tribune and Dog Fancy Magazine.

Most recently, Karen was Senior Dog Trainer at Collins Canine where she focused on dogs with behavioral issues, puppies and obedience training. “I gained an enormous amount of experience and knowledge in the private sector of animal welfare. I also found my passion in work – helping people help their companion animals, both dog and cat,” says Karen.

Karen will be leading all of our training programs at Montrose Dog Beach and will be in charge of developing new curriculum and training procedures for the company alongside Head Trainer, Jim Bahr. 

Shannon Sullivan, CPDT-KA

Obedience Trainer

Shannon understands how a great human-canine relationship can increase the quality of life for both the pet and pet parent. Her own journey rehabilitating her reactive Mountain Cur rescue, Virginia, encouraged Shannon to transform her personal passion into a professional career.

Shannon’s approach to training is relationship-centered and reward-based, and she works hard to bring her personal values of deep listening and respect to every class.

Animal training began for Shannon at 8 years old when she began showing American Quarter Horses. She progressed to win a Reserve World Championship before taking a break to study chemistry in college. Shannon later
re-entered the animal training world by adopting her first Mountain Cur, Abby.

Around that same time, Shannon began teaching humans in multiple roles from ski/snowboard instructor, college chemistry instructor, and practitioner of somatic (body-based) education modalities including the Feldenkrais Method. Shannon’s diversity of experience enables her to break-down difficult situations into simple pathways to success.

Shannon knows that no single approach is right for every human or dog, so she continues to study and perfect her ability to adapt to the needs of each dog-human team she works with. She has shadowed numerous trainers, completed certificate programs with Michael Ellis and Ian Dunbar, and is currently preparing for independent certification.

Shannon believes in the importance of strong foundation and shares this passion every day with her Urban Pooch clients in Levels Obedience Classes and Puppy Social Playtime.