Control Unleashed®
In this class, Karen, a Certified Control Unleashed® Instructor (CCUI), combines the teachings of Leslie McDevitt’s Control Unleashed© and Dr. Karen Overall’s Relaxation Protocol© to help your fearful, reactive dog. Using force-free and empathetic clicker training, Karen will teach you and your dog skills to cope with stressful situations.
The goal of the Control Unleashed® class is to give the dogs the ability to stay calm when faced with the triggers that cause inappropriate reactions. This is accomplished by the use of mat work and training games so fun that your dog won't even know he's learning!
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Mat work will help you recognize the signs that your dog is stressed, and how to best avoid your dog's triggers while he learns a more appropriate reaction. As the mat work progresses, dogs are slowly exposed to common triggers in a safe space, allowing them to practice being calm.
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Games like the "Look at That!" game, the "It's Yer Choice" game, and collar grabs will teach your dog alternatives to problem behaviors. These are fun and simple games that you can easily practice at home with your dog.
"Lucy came to me having being rescued from a very abusive puppy mill and after two unsuccessful placements in homes. She was very sweet but just terrified of everything from brooms and plastic bags, to loud noise and people. Working with Karen for three months gave Lucy the skills to confront any difficulty situation. She now greets strangers cautiously but openly, even with a Bulldog nub wag; she shrugs off even the world's most terrifying vacuum cleaners, brooms, people. We just moved to a new state, which has been made so much easier using the exercises and skills that Karen has taught us."