Training Philosophy
Resource Guarding Towards People
Does your dog exhibit aggressive behavior around food? Or maybe your dog growls or snaps at you whenever you go to grab a toy from them? If your dog struggles with resource guarding, you are not alone! Resource guarding can be directed at both people and other pets in the home. Many people get confused about this behavior as it happens seemingly out of nowhere and is typically directed towards one of a dog’s family members. Resource guarding can be especially concerning when it is directed towards children in the home. We’ve treated hundreds of dogs that show aggressive behavior around all different resources from bones to beds around the greater Houston area. Our Houston resource guarding dog training program is here to treat your dog’s aggression. From mild growling to severe bite cases, our Houston team is uniquely qualified to treat all dog aggression.
Resource Guarding Towards Other Dogs
Does your dog growl and lunge at other pets in the home whenever they have access to certain items? Maybe whenever your older dog has a bone they get stiff and territorial when your new puppy approaches? Getting a new puppy is challenging in itself but this challenge can be heightened if your older dog starts resource guarding towards your new puppy. Resource guarding towards other animals in the home can lead to potential dog fights and other dangerous scenarios. If your dogs are getting into fights in your Houston home over resources, our Houston in-home dog training program is for you. 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 dog aggression using a combination of positive reinforcement and classical conditioning including teaching specific obedience behaviors to help manage your dog’s behavior around resources.
Training Programs
Learn more about insurance options below.
This Houston dog training program is specifically designed to reduce and eliminate resource guarding. Common instances of guarding that we treat include:
Dogs resource guard due to a multitude of factors including genetics, breed, early environment, aversive training techniques, and the behavior of other pets in the home. Unfortunately, once a dog has shown signs of resource guarding, without proper intervention, the behavior is likely to worsen. Our trainers treat resource guarding with a combination of classical conditioning and positive reinforcement, including teaching specific obedience behaviors to help manage your dog’s behavior around resources. Research by Mehrkam et al. supports that function-based treatment using classical and operant conditioning was highly effective in treating resource guarding in dogs with results that last weeks after treatment has been performed. Dogs are taught to be less concerned about the resources and happily look forward to being approached by their loved ones. According to our resident CAAB Dr. Echterling-Savage, “Resource guarding in dogs is a problem behavior that has caused my clients some of the most stress, confusion, and concern. Luckily, with proper function-based training, it is treatable.”
This 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 dog resource guarding 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 manage and reduce your dog’s resource guarding from the comfort of your home? In these 1-hour virtual consultations, our CAAB Dr. Echterling-Savage, or one of our Houston behavior consultants under Dr. Echterling-Savage’s direct supervision will give you expert training advice on specific steps to take to modify your dog’s behavior. Depending on the severity of your dog’s guarding 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. 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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