Training Philosophy
Does your dog experience anxiety or fear-based behavior when they go on walks? Maybe anytime they see other dogs or hear loud noises they stop in place, stiffen up, and tuck their tail between their legs? Our Houston fearful dog training program is here to help! The main goal of our science-based training program is to eliminate fear and anxiety from your dog’s daily life. We want your dog to be calm and confident wherever they go around Houston! One of our Houston behavior consultants will work with you and your dog wherever they are exhibiting fearful behavior. Over the course of their fearful dog training program, your dog’s fear will transform into confidence.
Your dog’s well-being is at the forefront of our Houston dog training programs. Our goal is for your dog to conquer their fears and gain confidence. Maybe your dog is terrified of cars and bicycles? We treat fearful behavior with a combination of classical conditioning and positive reinforcement including teaching specific obedience behaviors to help manage your dog’s behavior around their triggers. Led by Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Echterling-Savage, we only utilize the latest research in dog behavior in our programs. Our Houston in-home dog training programs are scientifically proven to reduce and eliminate fearful behavior in your dog.
Training Programs
Learn more about insurance options below.
To modify your dog’s moderate to severe fearful behavior and transform it into confidence. We treat fearful behavior including but not limited to:
We use a function-based approach to treat fearful behavior in dogs. First, we identify why the dog is engaging in fear-related behavior and then we treat the behavior, directly targeting the root cause. Treatment consists of classical counterconditioning coupled with relevant obedience commands. Counterconditioning involves pairing food with fear-related stimuli. Over time, this creates a positive association with the stimuli that were previously causing fear thereby reducing or even eliminating the fearful behavior. In a 2020 study by Riemer, counterconditioning was the most successful treatment for fear-based behavior even with medication included as a treatment. “The change in a fearful dog’s behavior is incredible and the results amaze me each and every time” stated our resident CAAB Dr. Echterling-Savage.
The All-Inclusive Program encompasses 22 training sessions across eight weeks! Your trainer will customize your dog’s training program based on the Indirect Assessment of Canine Behavior that you will complete pre-training about your dog’s history, behavior, and training goals. After crafting your dog’s training plan, 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! After the 5-week-long training, there are (2) 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.
If you are a pet parent with an insurance policy covering behavior modification, our fearful dog behavior modification is likely covered. Most companies with behavior policies such as Trupanion cover behavioral training when under the direction of a CAAB or a Board Certified Veterinary Behaviorist.
Learn more about insurance options below.
Along with treating your dog’s mild fearful behavior, we can exclusively teach leash walking if it is relevant to your training goals. We address fearful dog behavior including but not limited to:
Our trainers use counterconditioning also known as Pavlovian conditioning to treat fearful behavior in dogs. We use this process to create an association between two stimuli. For example, if your dog is afraid of cars, we give treats or feed meals in the presence of cars until your dog creates a positive association with the presence of cars. Over time, your dog’s fearful behavior around cars will be significantly reduced or eliminated. According to a 2021 article by Hall et al., counterconditioning has been used as an effective method to treat fearful behavior in working dogs. Our animal behavior expert Dr. Echterling-Savage has treated fearful behavior in hundreds of dogs. She says, “Observing the behavior change that takes place over a few short weeks is incredibly powerful, especially when owners see confidence in their dogs that they never thought was possible.”
Our Executive Training Program for dog anxiety consists of 12 hours of training across four weeks. After we design your program based on your dog’s Indirect Assessment of Canine Behavior, your trainer will work directly with your dog for (2) one-hour sessions and with you for (1) one-hour session per week. 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.
Many insurance companies such as Trupanion will cover behavioral training when under the direction of a CAAB or a Board Certified Veterinary Behaviorist. Be sure to check with your provider to see if they will cover the cost of fearful dog training.
Interested in addressing your dog’s fearful behavior yourself with the guidance of our resident CAAB? During our 1-hour virtual consultations, we will create a customized training plan for you to address your dog’s fearful behavior and build confidence. Depending on the severity of your dog’s fearful behavior from 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. Pricing for 1-hour virtual consultations with Dr. Ectherling-Savage is $375. Pricing for a 1-hour virtual consultation with one of our Houston trainers is $150.
Reach Out
We’ll get back to you in two wags of a dog’s tail!
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