A recording of the webinar will be available if you cannot attend live!
Aggressive behavior in dogs is often treated as something to suppress, manage, or eliminate. But what if those behaviors are doing exactly what they are meant to do: communicate? In this webinar, Dr. Sean Will and Maasa Nishimuta present a fundamentally different way of understanding and helping dogs who bark, lunge, growl, or bite. Grounded in behavior analysis, this approach reframes aggression not as a flaw, but as meaningful information about what the dog needs in the moment. You will learn how to determine what a dog is asking for through aggressive behavior—and how to use that information to build safer, more cooperative social interactions.
Central to this work is Constructional Aggression Treatment (CAT), a training strategy that uses distance as a reinforcer to establish desirable social behavior. Rather than forcing tolerance or suppressing warning signals, CAT allows dogs to remain in control of their environment while learning new ways to interact. Through a detailed case study, Dr. Will and Maasa walk you step-by-step through a real-world case—showing how honoring a dog’s need for space ultimately led to voluntary approach and affectionate contact.
In this webinar, you will learn how to:
• Interpret aggression as functional communication
• Identify the variables maintaining aggressive behavior
• Constructional Aggression Treatment (CAT): A training strategy that utilizes distance as a reinforcer to establish genuine, friendly interaction
• A Transformation in Action: An application of CAT showing a dog’s journey from growling and lunging to approaching and sitting for affection
Whether you are a professional or a dedicated guardian, join us to discover how honoring a dog’s “Go away!” can finally lead them to say, “I want to interact with you.” Register now to join this webinar!
