Feisty Fido
Private Training for Reactive & Aggressive Dogs in Adelaide
Does your dog bark, lunge, growl, snap or struggle with big reactions around dogs, people or other triggers?
Living with a reactive or aggressive dog can make everyday life stressful. Walks become difficult, visitors require careful planning, and you may find yourself constantly trying to avoid situations that could trigger a reaction.
Feisty Fido provides personalised, positive reinforcement training and behaviour support for reactive and aggressive dogs across Adelaide’s southern suburbs and Adelaide Hills.
We focus on understanding what is driving your dog’s behaviour, putting practical management strategies in place and helping your dog develop skills to cope more successfully with the situations they find difficult.
Is Feisty Fido Right for Your Dog?
Feisty Fido is designed for dogs who have strong or explosive reactions to particular triggers.
Your dog may:
✔ Bark and lunge at other dogs on walks
✔ Growl, snap or air snap
✔ React strongly to unfamiliar people
✔ Struggle when visitors come to the home
✔ Fixate on dogs, people, cars or bikes
✔ Become highly aroused and difficult to disengage
✔ Struggle to calm down after encountering a trigger
✔ Have a history of biting or aggressive behaviour
✔ Make walks or outings stressful and difficult to manage
Reactive and aggressive behaviour can have many underlying causes, including fear, frustration, anxiety, stress and over-arousal.
Our aim is to understand your individual dog and develop a training and management plan appropriate to their needs.
Choose Your Feisty Fido Program
Both programs begin with a comprehensive 2-hour in-home consultation where we take the time to understand your dog, the situations they find difficult and your goals.
We’ll discuss practical management strategies, begin appropriate training and develop a personalised written training plan for your dog.
Both programs also include a “Give me Space” bandana, relevant training resources and support between sessions.
The main difference is the amount of follow-up support included.
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Feisty Fido Comprehensive
More Time & Ongoing Behaviour Support
The Comprehensive Program is ideal for dogs and families who would benefit from more time to work through behaviour challenges and additional opportunities for coaching as training progresses.
Behaviour change takes time, particularly when strong emotional responses are involved. Five follow-up sessions give us more opportunities to progress the training gradually, troubleshoot challenges and adapt the plan as we learn more about your dog.
Includes:
1 × 2-hour initial consultation
5 × 60-minute follow-up sessions
Personalised written training plan
“Give Me Space” dog bandana
Relevant training materials and resources
Support between sessions
Investment: $1,140
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Feisty Fido Standard
Personalised Behaviour Support With Follow-Up Coaching
The Standard Program provides a comprehensive assessment and personalised training plan, followed by three sessions to help you put the plan into practice and progress your dog’s training.
During your follow-up sessions, we can review progress, troubleshoot challenges, adjust strategies where needed and gradually build on your dog’s skills.
If you’d like more time and more opportunities for ongoing coaching as your dog progresses, our Comprehensive Program includes two additional follow-up sessions.
Includes:
1 × 2-hour initial consultation
3 × 60-minute follow-up sessions
Personalised written training plan
“Give Me Space” dog bandana
Relevant training materials and resources
Support between sessions
Investment: $830
Our Approach
Reactive and aggressive behaviour is often driven by fear, frustration, anxiety, stress, or difficulty coping with the environment — not “dominance” or stubbornness.
At Paws & Reward, we focus on helping dogs feel safer, calmer, and more capable rather than trying to “correct” behaviour through punishment.
Our team combines advanced professional education, including the internationally recognised Aggression in Dogs Master Course, with extensive hands-on experience supporting reactive and sensitive dogs in real-life home and public environments.
Training may include:
reducing stress and overwhelm,
building engagement and focus,
teaching practical coping skills,
helping dogs feel safer around triggers,
management strategies for everyday life,
understanding canine body language,
confidence building,
and reward-based behaviour modification.
We use reward based training methods grounded in modern behavioural science and do not use choke chains, prong collars, shock collars, lead corrections, alpha rolls, or intimidation-based techniques.
Our goal is not just to suppress behaviour, but to create meaningful, long-term improvements that help both dogs and their humans feel more confident navigating everyday life together.
What’s the Difference Between Feisty Fido & Cautious Canines?
Cautious Canines
Cautious Canines is designed for dogs who are primarily fearful, shy, nervous, or lacking confidence.
These dogs often:
avoid people or dogs,
hide behind their owner,
retreat from situations,
startle easily,
freeze,
or try to create distance quietly.
While some cautious dogs may bark defensively when overwhelmed, the primary goal is usually avoidance and feeling safe.
Feisty Fido
Feisty Fido is designed for dogs who have larger, more explosive emotional responses to triggers.
These dogs may:
bark and lunge on lead,
growl, snap, or air snap,
scream, spin, or fixate,
react intensely to dogs, people, cars, bikes, or visitors,
struggle to disengage from triggers,
If you’re unsure which program is right for your dog, please contact us before booking.
Real Results From Dog Owners
“With Paws & Reward’s help we were able to support our dog in ways we honestly never thought possible. It brought a sense of peace to both us and our dog.”
— Maddy, Paul and Oscar
"After just a few short sessions, Douglas can now see another dog and redirect his attention back to me without barking or lunging. He's like a whole new dog—confident and excited to explore the world instead of being scared of it."
-Shanna and Douglas
“This program was so much more effective because it was tailored to Ollie’s individual needs. He actually enjoyed the training too, which was huge.”
— Rebecca and Ollie
“The Feisty Fido Program has helped me become a far more confident dog owner. Even my 15-year-old reactive terrier has benefitted.”
— Lara and Nina
You Don’t Have to Navigate This Alone
Living with a reactive dog can feel emotionally exhausting — but with the right support, things can improve.
Our goal is not just to “stop barking.”
It’s to help your dog feel safer, calmer, and better able to cope with the world around them.
Let’s help both you and your dog feel more confident again.