Expert Dog Witness Service with Dr. Kristyn Echterling-Savage

Meet Dr. Kristyn Echterling-Savage, Beyond the Dog's founder and a trusted animal behavior expert.

Dr. Echterling-Savage is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB) and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with a PhD in Behavioral Psychology, specializing in animal behavior. As co-founder of Beyond the Dog, she mentors and supervises trainers across six cities. In her role, she develops and modifies training protocols and programs for dogs and cats and provides virtual consultations to clients. With more than 20 years of hands-on experience working with dogs, cats, and other animals, Dr. Echterling-Savage brings a deep understanding of both behavioral science and real-world experience.

Do you need help understanding a dog's behavior in your case?

Understanding dog aggression and behavior-related incidents can be challenging. It’s important to have a caring and knowledgeable professional who understands animal behavior. As one of the country’s top experts in dog behavior, Dr. Echterling-Savage provides expert witness services to help clarify complex behavioral issues and offer support when needed most.

Why Dr. Echterling-Savage's approach matters

Dr. Echterling-Savage believes that understanding a dog’s behavior requires recognizing all of the factors that shape their actions. In her own words:

“People think that if you raise a dog ‘right,’ they won’t ever engage in aggressive or problematic behavior, but this isn’t true. Our pets’ behaviors are constantly being reinforced by their environment, not just by their owners’ actions. Acknowledging that external factors can significantly affect an animal’s behavior is the first step to understanding why they might be behaving in a particular manner.”

Dr. Echterling-Savage takes a holistic approach to understanding a dog’s behavior, which is what makes her expertise so valuable. She recognizes the complexity of dog behavior and how it’s influenced by many factors, including training history, environment, and genetics. This comprehensive perspective enables her to provide clear and thoughtful insights when offering expert witness services for dog-related cases.

How Dr. Echterling-Savage Can Help You

Dr. Echterling-Savage provides a thorough and professional evaluation of cases involving dog bites and aggression issues. She can assist in the following ways:

Dog bite and aggression cases:

Dr. Echterling-Savage will analyze all the factors that contributed to the dog bite and aggression incident, including the dog’s training, environment, and history. She offers a clear and objective perspective on whether a dog’s behavior was avoidable, whether it is likely to recur, and what factors may have influenced the situation.

Dangerous dog designations:

Dr. Echterling-Savage provides an unbiased assessment of a dog’s temperament and behavior. During this evaluation, she considers factors such as genetics, behavioral history, and environmental stressors that may have influenced the dog’s actions to determine if the designation of “dangerous dog” is warranted.

Training and liability:

In cases where dog training methods or management are questioned, she can determine if the actions taken were appropriate. Dr. Echterling-Savage’s knowledge of behavioral science will help determine if any training practices have caused to behavioral issues.

Breed-specific behavioral issues:

Dr. Echterling-Savage can help differentiate between a dog’s genetic traits and individual behavioral factors. Her expertise provides clarity in cases where breed-specific legislation or policies are enforced.