Welcome to

Cooperative Walking

A virtual group training experience designed to optimize the walking experience for you and your dog.

More freedom for your dog, less frustration for you both.

Leash walking doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing endeavor. We don’t have to insist on a perfect heel the whole time. We also don’t have to be dragged around at our dog’s mercy the whole time. There is another option: cooperative walking. 

A black mid-sized dog walks down a city street on a leash. Around him are row homes and twinkling overhead lights.

What is Cooperative Walking?

Cooperative Walking is my term for walking a dog on leash in a way that minimizes force and frustration by working together. It combines food rewards (and sometimes toys), pattern games, proactive strategies, active management, loose leash walking drills, various treat delivery methods, and a strong understanding of your dog’s needs in different moments.

This 5-week virtual group class will combine both live and asynchronous learning to get you and your dog walking cooperatively.

Skills & discussions included in class:

Understanding arousal

Learn why your dog gets amped up, how to see it starting, and how you can help them through.

Solid communication

Lock in a clear marker word, practice various treat delivery methods, and learn how to read your dog better.

Discussions of gear & welfare

I’ll make gear recommendations for each dog, and we’ll also discuss welfare implications of the different ways we walk.

Problem solving

Learn how to prevent your dog from dragging you down the street, and learn the basics of addressing (and preventing) reactivity.

Drills & Skills

You’ll learn the skills you need, the skills your dog needs, and the drills you can use both to practice and to troubleshoot in real life moments.

Dog and human skills

Going through the learning process together strengthens your bond. You can also apply what you’ve learned to any other dog in your life.

This class is for any dog guardian who wants to optimize the walk for both human and dog.

Details & benefits of a virtual group format

  • We meet live once a week via Zoom to wrap up each training week and introduce the next one.

    In between, you’ll receive daily video assignments. You’ll submit your homework video daily, and then you’ll receive daily personalized feedback from Nikki (your trainer and coach!).

    This style of daily training is designed to help you and your dog make maximum progress and build training into your daily life.

  • This is not a pre-recorded class that you view on your own and hope you implement it correctly.

    Cooperative Walking is done with live cohorts. You can learn so much by watching others move through the class, too!

    Plus, it’s nice to have that built in support.

  • This group training class is led by dog trainer Nikki West who specializes in virtual daily training. She will be giving each participant personalized feedback, coaching and suggestions for adapting the course material to your dog’s unique needs, your situation and your environment.

    During the final week of training, you’ll schedule a 1-on-1 Zoom call with Nikki to talk through how to continue making progress with your dog after class ends.

The way you walk matters

•

The way you walk matters •

Join the next class!

Cooperative Walking is taught in a group class format with start dates throughout the year. The start date for the next class has yet to be announced, but please feel free to sign up and I’ll email you when the time comes!

  • Class begins Monday, January 6th! We’ll begin that day with our daily training, and we’ll have our first Zoom call the following Sunday. The last official day of class is Friday, February 7th.

    • 4 weeks of daily virtual group training (5 days/week), on your own time (not at a set time)

    • Slack is the platform we use for our daily work.

    • Weekly Zoom calls on Sundays at a set time, usually afternoons (eastern time). We’ll answer questions, discuss how the week end, and introduce the next week.

    • During Week 5, you’ll schedule a 1:1 Zoom call to discuss your dog’s progress and talk through how to continue moving forward after class ends.

  • The discounted price for the January cohort of Cooperative Walking is $80, which is about half of the full cost.

    The price for this class is currently discounted because I know life is expensive and the holiday season isn’t either. Creating affordable programs is important to me!

  • Dog eligibility:

    • Age: 5 months & up

    • Generally good health, aka able to go for regular walks

    • No severely restrictive food allergies (ask if you’re unsure)

    • Willingness to take food from you by hand. A little pickiness is okay, but if your dog regularly refuses food you offer by hand, then that’s something to work through before beginning this class!

    Human eligibility:

    • Willing to participate fully! For this initial class, I am asking for a higher level of commitment! Missing a daily assignment here and there is fine, but giving it a half effort is not.

    • Willing to train with food rewards

    • Willing to use longer leashes and long lines

    • Willing to offer feedback on your experience of the class as expected

    • Willing to share a publicly-sharable testimonial about your class experience at the end.

  • If you have a super reactive dog or a super fearful dog (or both!), this program will help you build the foundation you need to continue working on that. But this is a foundation only; we’re not specifically working on their fear or reactivity, and while you will make significant progress in your ability to work together with your dog which will apply to work you do going forward, I would not expect significant progress on severe reactivity or fearful behavior. 

 FAQs

  • This is not a reactivity training program; however, it is about leash walking. There’s a lot of overlap between the way I teach reactivity and the skills and knowledge I share in this class.

    So, yes, you’ll definitely learn some things you can apply, but don’t expect this class to be designed for reactivity!

  • Come on, now. I have no control over how you apply the skills and knowledge you learn in this course, so I’d be telling a bold-faced lie if I said I guaranteed any particular results.

    My advice: don’t enroll in this course unless you’re ready, willing and able to work with your dog 6 days/week; you have an open mind ready to learn; and you’re looking to work together with your dog (versus have your dog obey you).

  • Cooperative Walking is adaptable to all environments, and I will be giving you personalized feedback to help you apply it in your situation.

    PS - I live in a city!

  • Specific recommendations will be given in class, but I generally recommend a properly fit Y-front harness for most dogs. Other types of harnesses are generally okay, too. This class will not utilize tools that are designed to be aversive, such as prong collars and e-collars.

    You will also need an 8-10’ leash for regular walks, and a 20+ foot long line for decompression walks (or hikes). Both can be purchased relatively cheaply online.

    I will share links to recommended products with the class!

  • The class is designed to help you implement a daily training practice, and to support you as you learn.

    That said, you won’t be penalized if you don’t submit your homework each day.