At our Board and Train Retreat, your dog will live and train alongside our co-founders, Dr. Echterling-Savage and Sean Savage, at their home in Tampa Bay, Florida. Throughout the retreat, your dog will be taught high-level obedience and manners, as well as addressing problem behaviors, with training occurring at their home and throughout the Tampa Bay area. Your dog will experience a blend of structured training and leisure, with regular trips to parks, shops, trails, beaches, and farmers’ markets in Tampa Bay.By practicing in various settings, your dog will develop high-level obedience and confidence in every situation, before their return home to Austin.
This exclusive program provides the opportunity for your dog to be trained by two leading experts in the field, utilizing science-based training methods with positive reinforcement. Each training program is personalized to meet the unique needs of your dog. After the retreat, your dog will return home confident, highly trained, and ready to enjoy all that Austin has to offer.
During the retreat, your personalized training program will focus on a range of goals, such as:
Program Includes:
Travel to Tampa Bay and back to Austin is complimentary.
While staying in the trainer’s home, your dog will learn obedience, manners, and have positive behaviors reinforced in a home setting, making it easy to transition those skills back to your own home.
Behavioral research shows that dogs learn most effectively when their skills are reinforced across a variety of environments, making training in diverse settings especially valuable. Training also occurs across Tampa Bay, including at parks, dog-friendly restaurants, shops, hiking trails, and farmers’ markets.
As stated by Dr. Kristyn Echterling-Savage, “We plan for every outing to help build confidence and create lasting positive change. The attention and care your dog receives during their retreat is unique, and exceeds traditional training methods”.
Your dog will experience hands-on training directly from two renowned experts while staying in their Tampa Bay home.
Dr. Kristyn Echterling-Savage is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB) and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with a Ph.D. in Behavioral Psychology, specializing in animal behavior. She has over 20 years of hands-on experience teaching dogs high-level obedience, manners, and addressing problem behaviors. Dr. Echterling-Savage also trains and mentors Beyond the Dog’s trainers.
Sean Savage is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC), Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA). He brings over two decades of experience training obedience, manners, and addressing a wide range of behavioral challenges.
Together, they ensure every retreat delivers personalized, science-based training designed to achieve exceptional results in both home and public settings. While staying with Kristyn and Sean, your dog will live as part of the family, enjoying a balanced schedule of exercise, play, and downtime.
Your dog’s retreat begins with the submission of your completed Indirect Assessment of Canine Behavior and a consultation with Dr. Echterling-Savage. Dr. Echterling-Savage will review your dog’s behavioral history and your training goals to create a personalized training plan.
A trusted staff member will transport your dog from Austin to their Tampa Bay home, ensuring comfort and care from the very beginning. Your dog will become part of the family during their stay, living in their home and participating in private structured learning sessions. Training takes place both inside the home and throughout Tampa Bay, teaching your dog high-level obedience, manners, and addressing problem behaviors in a variety of environments, which ensures your dog is able to handle any setting. All while enjoying the beauty of Florida in a retreat-style experience.
You will receive regular updates, correspondence, and phone or video calls, keeping you connected to your dog’s progress throughout the whole training process. At the end of the four-week training period, Sean or Kristyn will personally return your dog home. You will receive 4.5 hours of follow-up training sessions to ensure you have the confidence and guidance to maintain your dog’s new skills and long-term success.
Dr. Echterling-Savage will evaluate your dog’s behavior and develop a personalized training program to address your training goals and problem behaviors. Problem behaviors can include separation anxiety, resource guarding, touch sensitivity, reactivity, cat chasing, or fearfulness. Each problem behavior is addressed through science-based training methods grounded in classical conditioning and positive reinforcement. At the end of the training program, your dog will return home well-mannered, confident, and ready to enjoy the best of Austin.
Dr. Echterling-Savage is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB) and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with a Ph.D. in Behavioral Psychology, specializing in animal behavior. She has over 20 years of experience training high-level obedience and manners, as well as treating mild and severe behavioral issues.
Dr. Echterling-Savage uses science-based training methods to deliver the best results for your dog through a personalized training program. Every dog’s needs are unique, with behavior shaped by various factors including environment, training history, and genetics. Dr. Echterling-Savage and Sean Savage will consider all of these factors to address any specific challenges and goals. After the program, you’ll participate in 4.5 hours of follow-up sessions to learn how to maintain your dog’s new skills long-term.
During their retreat, your dog will be a part of the trainer’s family. There will be a mix of play time and training, whether it’s playing at dog-friendly beaches or practicing leash walking at the Tampa Riverwalk at sunset. Every outing is designed to help your dog build confidence, reinforce new skills, and help them thrive in any setting.
We will always prioritize your dog’s safety and comfort when traveling to and from Tampa Bay. Your dog will never go in the Cargo hold. Instead, your dog will sit comfortably with a trusted staff member during their flight or ride alongside them in their car. This helps ensure your dog has a relaxed journey. Transportation is included in the price of the program.