Home About Us For Pros For Guardians Store Contact Blog

ACEing Reactivity: Helping you and your dog feel safe, calm, and connected  

with Janet Finlay, ACE Instructor

Join this four-week live programme to explore how ACE Free Work and mindful observation can transform your walks, your relationship, and your dog’s confidence.

Join Now

ACEing Reactivity:

Helping you and your dog feel safe, calm, and connected 

with Janet Finlay, ACE Instructor

Join this four-week live programme to explore how ACE Free Work and mindful observation can transform your walks, your relationship, and your dog’s confidence.

Join Now

You spot it before it happens.

That subtle shift in your dog’s posture, the way their eyes fix just a little too hard on something up ahead.

And there it is - the bark, the lunge, the sudden tightening of the lead.

Your stomach drops. Your shoulders tense.

It’s not the first time - you’ve done the training, armed yourself with treats, walked the quieter routes.

And yet, here you are. Again.

It’s not that you’re doing anything wrong.

It’s that your dog’s big feelings - and yours - are still right there, under the surface.

Because reactivity isn’t just about behaviour. It’s about what’s going on inside.

Why training alone isn't enough

Reactive dogs are often living with bodies and nervous systems on high alert. They may feel tight. They may feel uncomfortable. They may be constantly expecting danger.

And when they feel unsafe, no amount of “watch me” or “leave it” will help them actually relax.

To really change how they respond to the world, we have to start inside - helping them regulate their emotions and release tension in their body so they feel secure enough to respond differently.

Why training alone isn’t enough

Reactive dogs are often living with bodies and nervous systems on high alert. They may feel tight. They may feel uncomfortable. They may be constantly expecting danger.

And when they feel unsafe, no amount of “watch me” or “leave it” will help them actually relax.

To really change how they respond to the world, we have to start inside - helping them regulate their emotions and release tension in their body so they feel secure enough to respond differently.

The ACE difference

Animal Centred Education (ACE), developed by Sarah Fisher, is a holistic, choice-led approach to animal wellbeing.

At its heart is ACE Free Work - simple, thoughtful setups that invite your dog to explore sensory experiences at their own pace. No commands. No pressure. Just choice, observation, and safety.

It’s in these moments - when movement slows and breathing deepens - that dogs begin to feel more comfortable and learn what safety feels like. 

And when that happens, everything else becomes easier.

What if helping your reactive dog didn’t start with training at all?

 

This programme is for you if you’ve been doing “all the right things” but still feel like you and your dog are both living on edge.

Through ACEing Reactivity, you’ll learn how to:

  • Recognise and understand your dog’s big emotions
  • Create opportunities for them to decompress and self-regulate
  • Support their body so they can feel safe enough to learn
  • Build trust and connection without adding more pressure
  • Take these skills from the living room to the great outdoors

What if helping your reactive dog didn’t start with training at all?

This programme is for you if you’ve been doing “all the right things” but still feel like you and your dog are both living on edge.

Through ACEing Reactivity, you’ll learn how to:

  • Recognise and understand your dog’s big emotions
  • Create opportunities for them to decompress and self-regulate
  • Support their body so they can feel safe enough to learn
  • Build trust and connection without adding more pressure
  • Take these skills from the living room to the great outdoors

What you'll experience

Over four weeks together, we’ll move from understanding your dog’s needs, to creating calm, choice-led experiences, to gently bringing new skills into your walks.

You’ll:

  • See your dog differently — spotting subtle shifts in posture, breathing, and movement that reveal so much about how they’re feeling.

  • Set up Free Work sessions that are safe, enriching, and tailored to your dog - even in a small space.

  • Use playful curiosity to explore the world together in a way that builds trust rather than forcing interaction.

  • Bring ACE “on the move” to support your dog out in the real world, even around potential ‘triggers’.

Every step is about helping both you and your dog feel safer, more connected, and more capable of handling whatever comes your way.

JOIN US

What you'lll experience

Over four weeks together, we’ll move from understanding your dog’s needs, to creating calm, choice-led experiences, to gently bringing new skills into your walks.

You’ll:

  • See your dog differently — spotting subtle shifts in posture, breathing, and movement that reveal so much about how they’re feeling.
  • Set up Free Work sessions that are safe, enriching, and tailored to your dog - even in a small space.
  •  Use playful curiosity to explore the world together in a way that builds trust rather than forcing interaction.
  • Bring ACE “on the move” to support your dog out in the real world, even around potential ‘triggers’.

Every step is about helping both you and your dog feel safer, more connected, and more capable of handling whatever comes your way.

JOIN US
Placeholder Image

What's included

➜  4 x live 90-minute sessions (Wednesdays, 6pm UK time, 10 Sept – 1 Oct 2025) with ACE Instructor Janet Finlay

➜  Lifetime access to all recordings, transcripts, and slide PDFs

➜  Step-by-step home activities for you to do each week - video on your phone for feedback

➜  Personalised feedback on your work including videos in a private Facebook group

➜  Certificate of completion (6 CPD hours)

Why now?

Places are limited so if this is for you, don’t wait. We keep numbers small so you get meaningful feedback and support so when it is full, it’s full!

We rarely run live programmes outside our membership. The last time we ran a course similar to this was 2022 — and there’s no set date for the next one.

If you’ve been waiting for a way to help your dog that goes deeper than training, this is it.

Why now?

Places are limited so if this is for you, don’t wait. We keep numbers small so you get meaningful feedback and support so when it is full, it’s full!

We rarely run live programmes outside our membership. The last time we ran a course similar to this was 2022 — and there’s no set date for the next one.

If you’ve been waiting for a way to help your dog that goes deeper than training, this is it.

 

Presented by
Dr Janet Finlay

ACE Instructor

Janet has been working with dogs for over 25 years and has been an ACE Instructor since 2019. She is well-known in the dog industry for her work on the human side of reactivity.

Over recent years she has been more and more focused on looking first at the needs of the dog (and the human) before ever considering training or behaviour modification.

She has worked with guardians both online and in person for many years and also supports other professionals to develop a holistic approach to their work. 

As being an ACE Instructor, she is a member of the APDT UK (01046), a Famiy Dog Mediator and a Level 7-qualified coach for people.

Presented by
Dr Janet Finlay

ACE Instructor 

Janet has been working with dogs for over 25 years and has been an ACE Instructor since 2019. She is well-known in the dog industry for her work on the human side of reactivity.

Over recent years she has been more and more focused on looking first at the needs of the dog (and the human) before ever considering training or behaviour modification.

She has worked with guardians both online and in person for many years and also supports other professionals to develop a holistic approach to their work. 

As being an ACE Instructor, she is a member of the APDT UK (01046), a Famiy Dog Mediator and a Level 7-qualified coach for people.

ACEING REACTIVITY LIVE

ÂŁ150

  • 4 x live online sessions
  • Access of a private Facebook group
  • Feedback on videos and other work done in the practical activities
  • Life time access to all resources.
JOIN NOW

ACEING REACTIVITY LIVE

ÂŁ150

  • 4 x live online sessions
  • Access of a private Facebook group
  • Feedback on videos and other work done in the practical activities
  • Life time access to all resources.
JOIN NOW

Imagine this…

You’re walking your dog and you see a ‘trigger’ up ahead.
Instead of bracing, you take a breath. Your dog glances up, then at you and together you move calmly to exploring the environment. You carry on together, feeling safe in each other’s company.

That’s what ACEing Reactivity is here to help you find.

Reserve your place now - and start helping your dog feel safe, calm, and connected.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions