Training Philosophy
Our Houston dog training programs for advanced obedience are as unique as your dog! We specialize solely in private dog training ensuring your dog and their behavior get the attention they deserve. This allows us to build your training program around you and your dog’s needs! From loose leash walking around Memorial Park to an off-leash recall in Johnny Steele, your dog can learn it all. We personalize our training programs based on your goals and the needs of your dog.
Our in-home Houston dog training programs will allow you and your dog to fully experience all of the dog-friendly things to do Houston has to offer. Have you always dreamed of your dog coming with you to Sunday brunch in the Heights or shopping with you at one of Houston’s many local farmers markets? The ability to design dog training programs around every dog’s needs comes from our Houston training team’s unmatched knowledge and experience. Led by Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Echterling-Savage, we only utilize the latest research in dog behavior in our programs. We aim to create a lifelong love of learning for every dog in Houston.
Training Programs
Our goal is to teach advanced obedience behaviors that are generalized across your neighborhood and the greater Houston area including but not limited to:
After working with dogs of all breeds and sizes for over 20 years, we have mastered how to teach any dog any obedience command in the most efficient manner possible. The All-Inclusive Training Program takes a functional approach to dog learning and each training session is pre-planned based on the data collected over decades of practice. We have identified exactly how much time and number of trials should be dedicated to each command in order to achieve mastery. Not only do we rely on data and science when teaching new obedience behaviors, but we also rely on a functional approach when treating typical problem behaviors. Our science-based, functional approach is supported by a multitude of studies, including research by Arnott et al. In this 2019 study, functional analysis and treatment were highly effective in efficiently teaching dogs new behaviors that lead to long-lasting results. According to our resident CAAB Dr. Echterling-Savage, “The structure of our programs is designed for dogs to learn quickly, establishing new obedience behaviors that are sustained long-term in the settings that matter to our clients.”
Our All-Inclusive Training Program encompasses 20 training sessions across 5 intensive weeks with 2 follow-up sessions spanning a total of 22 training sessions over 8 weeks! This program has been designed to achieve high-level obedience training across a wide variety of Houston parks, dog-friendly stores, and wherever else is relevant to achieving your training goals. 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! After the 5-week-long training program, there are 2 follow-up sessions to support your progress. Each one of our training sessions is preplanned and based on data we have collected across 4 markets and 20+ years of training animals. We maximize your dog’s learning efficiency by running a certain number of trials across a certain speed for each obedience command we teach!
Our goal is to get a jump start on dog obedience training focusing on three to four behaviors at different Houston locations. Your dog can learn to:
We do not use shock or other aversive training methods at Beyond the Dog. When teaching a new skill, our science-based training methods involve the use of positive reinforcement to ethically train your dog. According to a 2017 study by Ziv, evidence suggests that positive reinforcement-based training is more effective than aversive training methods. According to our Co-Founder Sean Savage, “All of our training begins with the use of positive reinforcement. It is so much more effective and dog-friendly to teach a dog what we want before trying to eliminate problem behaviors. If they know what to do, we can easily then teach them what not to do.”
We provide on-location training in the Greater Houston area for one hour, three days a week for three to 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. Then, your trainer will put your training plan into action! Your trainer will work with your dog one-on-one for two sessions each week. The third session will be your training day where we focus on developing your dog training skills! This dog training program is best suited for addressing 2 to 3 obedience commands and doggie manners.
Our goal is to teach your dog highly advanced obedience skills by receiving an unmatched level of training and attention at your trainer’s home. We want your dog to receive the highest level of obedience training with the lowest amount of effort on your part. Common behaviors we address during the board and train program include but are not limited to:
Living in your trainer’s home allows your dog’s behavior to seamlessly generalize to your own home, which does not happen at a traditional training facility. After your dog masters obedience in the home, we target behaviors in similar settings related to your training goals like dog-friendly restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Research shows that generalization of obedience must take place across different environments as the specific training environment the dog is in might bring about certain behaviors (Cooper et al., 2020). If your dog has fantastic recall at a training facility, that doesn’t mean they will come when called in your yard. That’s what makes our board and train program so unique! Our trainers work with dogs in a variety of Houston environments ensuring that you and your dog will have all of the tools you need for advanced obedience anywhere and everywhere. According to our Co-Founder Sean Savage, “The amount of time and attention your dog will receive during our Board and Train Program is truly unmatched. Because of this, your dog will experience a major behavior shift and this is what separates our program from our competitors.”
This unique Board and Train Program allows your dog to live in their trainer’s home for three to four weeks, providing unmatched training and attention! Your dog will join their trainer in exploring all Houston has to offer while also working on appropriate manners, socializing, and achieving a high level of obedience! 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! At the conclusion of their Board and Train, there are 4.5 hours of training for you! This program is best suited for addressing high-level obedience training. Our three week Board and Train Program is priced at $4,620 while our four week Board and Train Program is offered for $5,950.
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