Training Philosophy
Is your puppy scared of everything? Do they refuse to leave the house or flatten to the ground on walks? Our Austin Fearful Puppy Training Program can help any puppy experiencing fear-based behavior! When fear-based behavior is left untreated as a puppy, it can turn into aggression as your puppy matures into adulthood. If you notice fearful behavior in your puppy, it’s best to seek professional help right away. The main goal of our science-based puppy training program is to help your puppy gain confidence and eliminate the fear and anxiety from their daily life. We want your puppy to approach new situations and environments with confidence. One of our Austin behavior consultants will train your puppy in a variety of different environments and treat any fear your puppy is experiencing directly at the source. Our in-home puppy training programs can be completely customized to take place wherever your puppy is experiencing fear.
Does your puppy act nervous meeting new people or dogs? We treat fearful puppy behavior with a proprietary combination of classical conditioning and targeted obedience. After working with thousands of fearful puppies, we have created a unique treatment that can modify any puppy’s fearful behavior. Led by Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Echterling-Savage, our pre-training team will analyze our Indirect Assessment of Canine Behavior to craft a personalized training program that caters to your puppy’s individual needs. Our Austin in-home puppy training programs are scientifically proven to reduce or eliminate fearful behavior in your puppy. Our goal is for your puppy to be calm and confident and accompany you to all of Austin’s dog-friendly restaurants, patios, and parks!
Training Programs
Our goal is to help your puppy gain confidence, reach socialization goals, learn advanced obedience, and treat all fearful behavior including but not limited to:
Fearful behavior can be confused with stubborn behavior. Oftentimes when a puppy refuses to leave the house or move on walks, it is often not because the puppy is overheated or tired but rather because they are experiencing higher-than-average levels of fear. Fearful behavior in puppies can start when puppies are only 8-12 weeks old but worsens as a puppy matures. When the fear-based behavior is left untreated after six months, puppies need more intensive training. The good news is that puppy fearful behavior can be treated with classical conditioning and positive reinforcement. Our unique treatment method goes beyond typical obedience training and is supported by science plus over 20 years of experience training puppies. Research by Riemer supports classical conditioning as the most effective method in treating fear-based behavior in dogs. According to our Co-Founder Sean Savage, “Early intervention is critical in treating any fear-based behavior in puppies. When we catch the problem behavior early on, we can prevent severe aggression from developing in adulthood.”
The All-Inclusive Program for Fearful Puppies encompasses 20 training sessions across five intensive weeks with two follow-up sessions spanning a total of 22 training sessions over eight weeks! After you submit your training contract and Indirect Assessment of Canine Behavior, our pre-training team, led by Dr. Echterling-Savage, uses the information provided to craft your personalized dog training program. Then, your trainer will put your training plan into action! Your trainer will work with your dog one-on-one for three 1-hour sessions during the week. The fourth session each week is dedicated to your training! This structure is designed to produce seamless learning and long-term behavior change. After the five-week-long training, there are two follow-up sessions to support your progress. Please note that our indirect behavior assessments will confirm your dog’s behavior and goals. If your dog’s training program requires additional oversight from our Animal Behavior Experts, a small additional fee may be required.
modification is likely covered. When behavior training is under the direction of a CAAB or a Board Certified Veterinary Behaviorist, most companies with behavior policies such as Trupanion will cover behavioral training.
Our goal is to treat fearful behavior such as:
Over the past 20+ years and training thousands of puppies, Beyond the Dog has created science-based training methods that allow us to treat all puppy behavior issues, including fear-based puppy behavior. Our proprietary treatment involves classical counterconditioning, also known as Pavlovian conditioning. This process allows us to create new, positive associations with the stimuli that were previously eliciting fear. Over time, your puppy’s fearful behavior will transform into confidence. Research by Hall et al. supports that classical counterconditioning is highly effective in treating fearful behavior in dogs. According to our animal behavior expert Dr. Echterling-Savage, “Treating fearful behavior while puppies are still young can benefit you in the long run as you can prevent severe aggression from fully developing.”
Our Executive Training Program for Puppy Anxiety consists of 12 hours of training across four weeks. After you submit your training contract and Indirect Assessment of Canine Behavior, our pre-training team, led by Dr. Echterling-Savage, uses the information provided to craft your personalized dog training program. Your trainer will then work directly with your puppy for two 1-hour sessions and with you for (1) 1-hour session per week for four weeks. Please note that our indirect behavior assessments will confirm your dog’s behavior and goals. If your dog’s training program requires additional oversight from our Animal Behavior Experts, a small additional fee may be required.
If you are a pet parent with an insurance policy covering behavior modification, our fearful puppy behavior modification is likely covered. When behavior training is under the direction of a CAAB or a Board Certified Veterinary Behaviorist, most companies with behavior policies such as Trupanion will cover behavioral training.
Want expert advice on how to address your puppy’s fearful behavior but don’t live in the Greater Austin area? In these 1-hour virtual consultations, we will give you expert training advice on specific steps to take to help your puppy gain confidence and practice calm behavior. After completing the Indirect Assessment of Canine Behavior, we will recommend one or multiple sessions with Dr. Echterling-Savage or with one of our other behavior consultants under her direct supervision depending on the severity of your puppy’s fearful behavior. Pricing for a 1-hour virtual consultation with Dr. Ectherling-Savage is $375. Pricing for a 1-hour virtual consultation with one of our Austin trainers is $150.
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