Training Philosophy
Resource Guarding Towards People
Is your puppy showing early signs of resource guarding? Maybe your puppy has started hunkering down over items, hiding them, or even swallowing them whole? Or maybe your puppy growls at you whenever you go to grab a toy from them? Resource guarding in puppies is due to a combination of genetics, environment, and learning history. A common risk factor for resource guarding is if your puppy came from a less-than-ideal environment where resources were scarce. Punishing the guarding behavior unfortunately worsens the behavior. Our Houston behavior consultants are here to treat your puppy’s resource guarding in a safe, professional, and scientific way.
Resource Guarding Towards Other Dogs
Is your puppy starting to pick up on your older dog’s problem behavior around food? Maybe you’re worried your puppy will start showing aggressive behavior just like their older sibling? A common risk factor for puppy resource guarding involves a young puppy being raised with an older dog who resource guards. Resource guarding in puppies can be concerning because the behavior worsens with age and, as a puppy matures, the low-level guarding turns into aggression. We recommend treating any early signs of resource guarding as soon as possible! Led by Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Echterling-Savage, we only utilize the latest research in puppy behavior in our data-driven programs. Our unique, proprietary treatment methods use a combination of positive reinforcement and classical conditioning including teaching specific obedience behaviors to help manage your puppy’s behavior around resources.
Training Programs
Our goal is to reduce and eliminate any resource guarding and to teach your puppy relevant obedience commands. We will address behaviors such as:
Low-level guarding can quickly escalate into severe aggression as a puppy matures. However, resource guarding is treatable with a function-based approach using behavior modification. Research by Mehrkam et al. supports that functional analysis-based treatment using behavior modification was highly effective in treating resource guarding in dogs with results that last long after treatment has been performed. We go a step further with our personalized puppy training programs! According to our resident CAAB Dr. Echterling-Savage, “Puppies resource guard to keep highly-valued items, which involves making the person approaching move away to eliminate the threat of losing the items. Being able to recognize early signs of resource guarding and seeking professional help right away is the best thing you can do to eliminate your puppy’s guarding behavior.”
Our 22-Hour Training Program for Puppy Resource Guarding encompasses 20 training sessions across 5 intensive weeks with 2 follow-up sessions spanning a total of 22 training sessions over 8 weeks! Along with 30 minutes of virtual consultations with Dr. Echterling-Savage. After you submit your training contract and Indirect Assessment of Canine Behavior, our pre-training team, led by our CAAB, Dr. Echterling-Savage, uses the information provided to craft your personalized puppy training program. Then, your trainer will put your training plan into action! 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! This structure is designed to produce seamless learning and long-term behavior change. 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 your dog’s behavior and goals.
This program will address your puppy’s resource guarding behaviors as well as teach relevant obedience skills and manners to achieve your training goals. Resource guarding behaviors that we treat include, but are not limited to:
Puppy’s barking, growling or snapping at family members or other dogs while:
Puppies develop resource guarding behaviors due to a variety of factors that includes breed, genetics, early environment, the behavior of other pets in the household and past experiences. These behaviors tend to worsen over time if not treated.
In our 33-Hour Training Program, we use function-based training that combines operant conditioning and classical counterconditioning to address resource guarding behaviors. This scientific approach is supported by our cofounder and Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Echterling-Savage. Dr. Echterling-Savage has over 20 years in addressing resource guarding behaviors and has published a research paper on treating dog aggression behaviors.
The 33-Hour Puppy Resource Guarding Training Program includes 33 (1) hour training sessions with a 30 minute virtual consultation with Dr. Echterling-Savage.
Before training begins, we ask that you submit your completed “Indirect Assessment of Canine Behavior”, which will provide us with more information on your puppies training needs and behavioral history. Dr. Echterling will meet with you for a virtual consultation to discuss your training goals and behavioral concerns. These will allow for us to design a personalized training program that identifies the underlying causes of their reactivity behavior and addresses your puppie’s unique challenges.
Your trainer will work with your dog for four (1) hour training sessions each week at your home. One of these sessions will be dedicated as a lesson for you. This will help you to reinforce what your puppy has learned. After training has been completed. Follow-up sessions take place to manage your puppie’s progress and to ensure long term success.
Our Resource Guarding Puppy Behavior Modification Package offers private one-on-one virtual sessions with Dr. Echterling-Savage, our resident Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB). As one of the few Board Certified Behavior Analysts in Applied Animal Behavior and among only 50 CAABs in the country, Dr. Echterling-Savage has decades of experience and has published papers on canine behavior. Her expertise makes these consultations an invaluable opportunity for anyone looking to address their puppy’s resource guarding behavior.
Dr. Echterling-Savage will work closely with you to develop a training plan designed specifically for your puppy’s unique needs. After your first meeting, she’ll continue to guide you, providing ongoing support and troubleshooting behavior scenarios that help you manage your puppy’s resource guarding behavior and ensure ongoing progress. This program runs for four weeks for mild cases and six weeks for moderate or severe cases.