Working with reactive dogs is complex — and there is no one size fits all approach.
It’s not just about learning what to do — it’s about learning how to think through reactivity cases from every angle. It’s about understanding the whys behind your interventions, and how to meet the needs of the dog and their human in front of you.
That’s why the Leash Reactivity Mentorship for Professionals was created: to help you connect every piece so your work is rooted in clarity, consistency, and results.
“The Leash Reactivity Mentorship program is outstanding and I highly recommend to dog professionals who want to increase their knowledge base. Jessica adeptly guides participants through the nuances of managing leash-reactive dogs, from initial client engagement to the completion of the training process.” – Kim Guy
Whether you prefer to learn solo, within a group, or benefit from a personalized mentorship — every path gives you what you need to succeed.
CEUs: IAABC 26.25 • CCPDT 26.25 • KPA 26
Flexible payment options
For the independent learner. You’ll explore my full framework in the self study course, Reactivity Refined. From assessment to application — with lifetime access to a living course that evolves alongside you.
For trainers who learn best through collaboration. You’ll move through the course on your own time, and then join a group of like-minded professionals for live mentorship meetings and discussions in the online community.
For the trainer
who’s ready to go all in.
The Personalized Mentorship includes 10 private coaching sessions, extra support, individual feedback, and the depth that turns understanding into proficiency.
Each lesson in Reactivity Refined builds on the next, guiding you through the layers of leash reactivity — the dog, the human, and everything in between. With segments from guest experts including Daniel Shaw MSc, CDBC, Laurie Lawless, CDBC and more!
Who is this dog, their human, and how can you best help them?
Unpacking strategies to find the best fit for individual dogs
Understanding how to collaborate with clients for consistency and follow-through.
How to work with the dog’s medical care team to optimize progress
How to build programs that meet both canine and human needs, including yours.
How to build more effective and efficient reinforcement strategies
Teaching clients how to manage their dogs in public and execute proper leash mechanics
Deepen your knowledge of thresholds, criteria and environmental cues.
How to build skills in both controlled and real-life environments.
Learn to collect the right information during consults to set your programs up for success from the beginning
Learn more about the guest experts featured in the course, Reactivity Refined
Sarah Owings KPA-CTP
Daniel Shaw MSc, CDBC
Daniel Shaw MSc, CDBC is an animal behaviourist with expertise in psychology, animal behaviour, and neuroscience. As the owner of Animal Behaviour Kent (ABK), he supports dogs and cats with behavioural challenges, provides expert witness assessments for legal cases under the Dangerous Dogs Act, and has contributed to Parliamentary discussions on dog bite reform. With a master’s degree in neuroscience, Daniel combines research with practical applications and has been featured on BBC Southeast Today, TalkTV, and LBC News. He teaches internationally on a range of topics, including aggression, frustration, and trauma in dogs, helping professionals enhance their understanding and approach to complex cases. Daniel also organizes the annual ABK Dog Behaviour Conference and runs ABK Learn, a platform offering science-based education in animal behaviour, training, and neuroscience.
Dr. Chris Pachel is a board-certified veterinary behaviorist and is the owner and lead clinician at the Animal Behavior Clinic in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Pachel lectures extensively both domestically and internationally, teaches courses at multiple veterinary schools in the United States, and has authored numerous articles and book chapters for veterinarians and pet owners. He is a sought-after expert witness for legal cases and serves on the Editorial Advisory Board for dvm360. He is also a Vice-president of Veterinary Behavior for Instinct Dog Behavior and Training, as well as co-owner of Instinct Portland, which opened in the fall of 2020.
Trainers who finally stopped guessing — and started growing.
When you connect all the elements, you get more than results. You get confidence, clarity, and transformation — for both you and your clients.
“Jessica Wheatcraft’s leash reactivity course is a masterclass in wisdom, empathy, and real-world problem-solving. It’s hands-down one of the best investments I’ve made in my professional development! Jessica walks you through a wide range of scenarios – from straightforward to complex cases – guiding you from initial assessment to successful resolution. She has built her program on tried and true behavior modification techniques, making them more effective and efficient in our modern world. It just makes so much sense!”
Jennifer Thornburg CDBC, CPDT-KA, KPA-CTP
Melanie Chin CBCC, CPDT-KA
Dan Clark CDBC, KPA-CTP
Lauren Zubasic
Jessica’s mentorship course has been a remarkable and incredibly valuable experience. Before joining the course, I often felt lost when working with leash reactivity cases. As trainers, we usually have many ideas and strategies available to us, but I sometimes struggled with how to structure them effectively and create clear, practical plans for my clients. Through Jessica’s guidance, I learned how to simplify my thinking, identify the most important foundation skills, and build training plans and setups that are both effective and easy for clients to follow. The course has given me much more confidence in my approach and has helped me become a better trainer. Jessica is kind, generous with her knowledge, and never hesitates to answer questions or offer support. Her ability to break down complex cases into manageable, achievable steps has been invaluable. I highly recommend this course to any trainer looking to improve their skills, particularly when working with leash reactivity and behaviour cases. I am incredibly grateful for everything I have learned.
Betty V
The mentorship meetings are every other Monday, and have rotating times (either 9am PST or 5pm PST). Check out the schedule and list of presentation topics here.
Mentorship meetings are live (and recorded – so you never have to miss out) and cover a range of topics related to leash reactivity cases. Be sure to check out the scheduled topics for 2026.
The meetings also include case reviews (a student submits a case and we review it together and provide feedback), bonus case studies and videos not found in the course, and open Q&A.
Every 2-3 months a guest expert comes in for a bonus session on their area of expertise.
The community is where we connect, ask questions, get feedback, share resources, and so much more.
It is also a place where you can submit progress videos for personalized feedback from me.
It is the main “hub” where all of our communication happens.
You’ll have lifetime access to the self paced course, Reactivity Refined, including any future updates.
You’ll have access to the mentorship (online community and live mentorship meetings) for a full 12 months post sign up date.
Students always have the option to renew their mentorship for $199 a year.
The biggest difference between the two is that the private mentorship includes 10, one hour Zoom sessions to deep dive into the topics most important for that individual student. There are also flexible scheduling options for the private Zoom sessions from Monday-Saturday.
Most private students use this time to review their cases, where I help them problem solve and provide guidance on next steps.
Both versions include access to the online community and mentorship meetings with the group so they don’t miss out on the topic specific presentations or guest experts.
Absolutely! If you have an interest in taking any kind of behavior case, this course and mentorship will give you the framework you’ll need to succeed. The most common feedback I hear from trainers after completing the mentorship is how much more confident they feel with clients.
I’m all ears! Please send me an email at guidance@jessicawheatcraft.com 🙂
Hi! I’m Jessica Wheatcraft, CDBC. Speaker, podcast host, and dog nerd.
I’ve spent the last 20 years working with clients and their dogs in one of the busiest and most dog friendly cities, San Diego.
I believe that every reactive dog is unique and that understanding the human side of training is just as important as the dog side. I’ve spent nearly two decades refining my approach, expanding my toolbox, and developing services specifically designed for reactive dogs and their humans.
Through my course and mentorship I’ve distilled everything I’ve learned — including strategies that aren’t typically taught in other programs — into a mentorship that empowers trainers to handle complex cases confidently and effectively.
Join the mentorship and redesign how you approach your cases