Training Philosophy
If your puppy exhibits anxiety or fear-based behaviors, our Beyond the Dog behavior consultants can help! Common fearful behavior we see in puppies includes hiding or backing away in front of strangers or other dogs. Puppies with fearful behavior will also often not eat treats outside the house. In some cases, puppies tuck their tail on walks or become incredibly hesitant to walk far from the house. Sometimes the fearful behavior is provoked by loud noises or vehicles such as cars or bicycles that are preventing your puppy from loving their outside time. Whatever the scary thing, our Dallas behavior consultants are ready to build your puppy’s confidence and help them lead a happier life.
Treating fearful behaviors when puppies are young is extremely important so that the anxiety does not continue to develop as they become an adult. When left untreated, these fearful behaviors often develop into barking and lunging as the puppy gets older. At Beyond the Dog, we treat anxious and fearful behavior by using a proprietary combination of classical conditioning and targeted obedience. Led by Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Echterling-Savage, Beyond the Dog uses the latest behavioral science in all training protocols. Utilizing our Indirect Assessment of Canine Behavior, our team will work with you to develop a step-by-step treatment plan to transform your puppy’s behavior into confidence. After working with thousands of fearful dogs, we have perfected our training techniques and can confidently service all anxious or fearful dogs throughout the Dallas area.
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:
Beyond the Dog uses a unique treatment drawing on principles of classical counterconditioning to address fearful puppy behaviors. This technique has been proven by researchers to modify a variety of fear-based behaviors. In S. Riemer’s “Effectiveness of treatments for firework fears in dogs,” the study shows that counterconditioning was the most effective training technique in reducing fearful behaviors in dogs. At Beyond the Dog, we use classical counterconditioning and take it a step further by adding operant conditioning techniques to positively reinforce obedience in the presence of the feared stimuli. By using both techniques in the training program, Beyond the Dog’s unique All-Inclusive program is the most effective and efficient way to modify fearful behavior. According to our resident CAAB, Dr. Echterling-Savage, “There is nothing quite like watching a fearful dog become confident. The results of treatment truly amaze me.”
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 5-week-long training, there are two follow-up sessions to support your progress. Please note that our indirect behavior assessments will confirm the severity of your dog’s behavior and if deemed severe you may incur a small additional fee.
Most insurance companies such as Trupanion will cover behavioral training when under the direction of a CAAB or a Board Certified Vet Behaviorist. Be sure to check with your provider to confirm that they will cover the cost of fearful puppy training.
To treat fearful behavior such as:
Over the course of 20 years and thousands of cases, Beyond the Dog has created unique protocols based on science-driven classical counterconditioning techniques to deliver high-level training with your specific goals in mind. Counterconditioning techniques have been proven to be an ethical and highly effective treatment in treating fearful behavior in puppies. For example, in S. Riemer’s “Effectiveness of treatments for firework fears in dogs,” the study shows that counterconditioning was the most effective training technique in reducing fear behaviors in dogs. According to Dr. Echterling-Savage, “The behavior change in just a few short weeks can be incredibly powerful. It is incredibly rewarding to watch owners see confident behavior in their dog that they never thought was possible.”
Our Executive Training Program for fearful and anxious puppy behavior 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 (2) 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 the severity of your puppy’s behavior and if deemed severe you may incur a small additional fee.
Most insurance companies such as Trupanion will cover behavioral training when under the direction of a CAAB or a Board Certified Vet Behaviorist. Be sure to check with your provider to see if they will cover the cost of fearful dog training.
If you live outside of the Dallas Fort-Worth service area or would like professional advice on your puppy’s fearful behavior, schedule a virtual consultation with our Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Echterling-Savage, or one of our Dallas behavior consultants. We will create a customized training plan for you to treat your puppy’s fearful behavior yourself. After your consultation, you will have the option to schedule additional virtual sessions and continued expert advice to troubleshoot training situations. Pricing for a 1-hour virtual consultation with Dr. Echterling-Savage is $375. Following protocols led by Dr. Echterling-Savage, our Dallas trainers are experts in treating fearful behaviors in puppies. Pricing for a 1-hour virtual consultation with one of our Dallas trainers starts at $150.
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