Training Philosophy
Does your puppy refuse to leave the house? Or maybe they tend to flatten to the ground on walks? Maybe your puppy starts to tremble and scan the environment anxiously in certain busy places? Our Houston fearful puppy training program is here to help! The main goal of our science-based training program is to eliminate fear and anxiety from your puppy’s daily life. We want your puppy to be calm and confident no matter their external environment so they develop into happy adult dogs! One of our Houston behavior consultants will work with you and your puppy wherever they are exhibiting fearful behavior. Over the course of their Houston fearful puppy training program, watch your puppy’s fear transform into confidence. We want your puppy to be confident at Houston’s dog-friendly patios like Eight Row Flint or Houston parks like Buffalo Bayou!
Your puppy’s well-being is at the forefront of our Houston dog training programs. Maybe your puppy is terrified of cars and bicycles? When left untreated, sometimes fear-based behavior can turn into dog aggression later on in your puppy’s life. We treat fearful behavior with a combination of classical conditioning and positive reinforcement including teaching specific obedience behaviors to help manage your puppy’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 puppy training programs are scientifically proven to reduce and eliminate fearful behavior in your puppy.
Training Programs
Learn more about insurance options below.
To help your puppy gain confidence, reach socialization goals, learn advanced obedience, and treat all fearful behavior including but not limited to:
Signs of fearful behavior in puppies can be surprisingly subtle, particularly in our chaotic day-to-day lives. Clients often report that their puppy “refuses to leave the house” or “refuses to walk.” In these cases, puppies are not overheated or tired. This behavior is a sign of a larger, more concerning fear-related issue. Sometimes this behavior starts very mild with an 8 to 12-week-old puppy but worsens as the puppy matures. Puppies whose behavior persists beyond six months often need more intensive treatment to target the fear-related response. For these cases, puppies need a different approach than standard leash walking. We target fear-related behavior with a unique approach involving classical conditioning and positive reinforcement. Research by Riemer supports classical conditioning as the most effective method in treating fearful behavior in dogs. According to our Co-Founder Sean Savage, “Early intervention is extremely critical when it comes to fear-based behavior in puppies. When the behavior is detected at an early age and treatment is performed, we can prevent severe aggression from developing as your puppy matures.”
Your trainer will support you and your puppy throughout your Houston dog training program both during and after training sessions. It encompasses 22 training sessions across eight weeks! Your trainer will customize your puppy’s training program based on the Indirect Assessment of Canine Behavior that you will complete pre-training about your puppy’s history, behavior, and training goals. After crafting your puppy’s training plan, your trainer will work with your puppy 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 puppy’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 puppy 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 puppy’s mild fearful behavior, we will exclusively teach leash walking. Mild fearful behavior includes:
If mild fearful behavior is not identified and treated during puppyhood, it could turn into severe aggression as your puppy matures. We treat fearful behavior in puppies with counterconditioning, also known as Pavlovian conditioning. This process is used to create a new positive association between two stimuli. For example, if your puppy is afraid of cars, we will give treats or feed meals in front of cars until your puppy creates a positive association with what was previously causing fear. Over time, your puppy’s fearful behavior will be significantly reduced or eliminated. Research by Hall et al. supports that counterconditioning is highly effective in treating fearful behavior in working dogs. According to our animal behavior expert Dr. Echterling-Savage, “Addressing your puppy’s fearful behavior while they are still young can save you time, money, and stress later on by preventing aggression from fully developing.”
Our Executive Training Program for Puppy Anxiety consists of 12 hours of training across four weeks. After we design your program based on your puppy’s Indirect Assessment of Canine Behavior, your trainer will work directly with your puppy 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 puppy’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 puppy 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.
Want expert advice on how to address your puppy’s fearful behavior but don’t live in the Greater Houston 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 Houston trainers is $150.
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