Training Philosophy
Does your puppy shy away from pets from you or other family members? Has your puppy ever snapped at you, the veterinarian, or the groomer? Touch sensitivity means your puppy is overly sensitive to touch or personal space. A puppy that is sensitive to touch often shows signs of fear or aggression when handled in certain touch-related contexts. Many puppies that show signs of touch sensitivity also have resource-guarding behaviors, as studies have shown that the two behaviors are correlated. If you need to address aggression or avoidance in your puppy with touch-sensitive behaviors, our Beyond the Dog behavior consultants can help! Led by Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Echterling-Savage, we only utilize the latest research in dog behavior in our programs.
When low-level aggressive behavior like puppy nipping or growling is reinforced, they will persist. If the aggressive behavior is punished and seemingly goes away, pet parents run the risk of the behavior returning seemingly random yet severe as the puppy’s fear remains. We recommend addressing your puppy’s touch sensitivity as soon as possible so that it doesn’t progress into aggressive behavior as your puppy matures. Our Dallas in-home puppy training programs are scientifically proven to significantly reduce touch sensitivity in your puppy. Using our proprietary treatment plan that we created after two decades of data collection, our science-based training can treat all puppy touch sensitivity. You will see noticeable differences in your puppy’s behavior starting the first week of your puppy’s training program!
Training Programs
Our goal is to treat touch sensitivity behaviors and relevant obedience commands that target:
After filling out the Indirect Assessment of Canine Behavior, our pre-training team will create a customized training plan based on your goals. After decades of training puppies, we have created a data-driven, science-based treatment that consists of a unique mixture of classical and operant conditioning. In operant conditioning, we reinforce certain behaviors and obedience that we want to see again. With classical conditioning, we will teach your puppy that a person’s touch or reach is a good thing. For example, if your dog growls when you put on a harness, we can teach them to go through it themself when we hold it up. Your Dallas trainer will tailor the practiced manners and obedience to exactly what you need in everyday life! Research by Stellato et al. supports that counterconditioning is effective in reducing touch sensitivity in dogs that previously experienced high levels of fear in scenarios such as veterinary examinations. According to our Co-Founder Sean Savage, “Our trainers work diligently to address touch-sensitivity early so that it doesn’t strengthen with age and cause more serious issues later in life.”
The All-Inclusive Program for Touch Sensitivity 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 see if they will cover the cost of fearful dog training.
We can help treat your puppy’s touch sensitivity even if you don’t live in Dallas! Schedule a 1-hour virtual training consultation with one of our behavior experts! Our resident CAAB Dr. Echterling-Savage or one of our Dallas behavior consultants under her direct supervision will give you expert training advice on specific steps to take to help your puppy be comfortable with being handled in any context that was inducing fear. 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 supervision depending on the severity of your puppy’s touch sensitivity. Pricing for a 1-hour virtual consultation with Dr. Ectherling-Savage is $375. Pricing for a 1-hour virtual consultation with one of our Dallas trainers is $150.
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We’ll get back to you in two wags of a dog’s tail!
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