At A Glance
Mika is a 2-year-old female German Shepherd who completed a 9-lesson training package with Off Leash K9 Training under the care of Dirk. Mika had reactivity issues around dogs and people, making walks stressful and intimidating. The program focused on reactivity control, obedience, and owner handling skills. After nine lessons, Mika was able to pass people and dogs calmly and follow obedience commands with much better reliability.
Dog: Mika
Breed: German Shepherd
Age: 2 years
Location: Fort Myers, FL
Program: 9 Training Lessons (Obedience + Reactivity)
Trainer: Dirk
Main Focus: Dog and human reactivity, calm public walking, obedience reliability, place and heel, owner education
Outcome: Calm walks, reduced barking/reactivity, better obedience, and more freedom for public outings
The Challenge
Mika’s owner loved her, but reactivity made everyday life stressful and limited where they could go.
Before training, Mika:
- Reacted to dogs and people on walks
- Barked and showed reactivity in public
- Made her owner feel anxious and unsure during outings
- Needed better obedience and control tools
- Could not comfortably enjoy public places
The goal was to regain control on walks, reduce reactivity, and create reliable obedience that works around distractions.
The Training Approach
Mika completed a 9-lesson training plan focused on behavior improvement and practical owner handling.
Training focused on:
- Teaching obedience commands that support control in real-world environments
- Building a reliable heel so Mika can walk calmly at the owner’s side
- Teaching place for structured settling and impulse control
- Reducing reactivity through structured exposure and clear handling routines
- Providing the owner with the correct tools and techniques (including collar/leash guidance)
- Owner education so success continues beyond the sessions
The program emphasized not only training Mika, but also training the owner to handle situations confidently.
The Results
After nine lessons, Mika’s owner reported a major improvement in daily life.
What improved:
- Mika can pass dogs and people without barking
- Reactivity reduced significantly
- Owner can walk without fear of reactions
- Improved obedience with multiple reliable commands
- Stronger place and heel behavior for real-life control
- More freedom to go places and enjoy outdoor time
Mika became more comfortable around people and able to meet new dogs with better stability.
Owner Reflection
“After 9 lesson with Dirk is a new dog now… Mika is able to pass dogs and people just fine not barking, no reactivity.”
Ready to Stop Reactivity and Enjoy Walks Again?
If your dog reacts to people or dogs and walks feel stressful, structured lessons can give you more control, more confidence, and a calmer dog. You get trained too, and that’s what makes results last.
Schedule a free consultation to get a plan tailored to your dog.