Training Philosophy
Does your dog have separation anxiety whenever you leave the house? Are you unable to leave your Houston home without worrying about your dog’s anxious behavior? Our in-home separation anxiety training program is for you! Led by Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Echterling-Savage, our pre-training team will work with you to assess your dog’s separation anxiety. Then, using our Indirect Assessment of Canine Behavior, our team will develop a step-by-step treatment plan, directly targeting your dog’s symptoms and any concerns you might have. Your Houston trainer will implement treatment directly at your Houston home to make both you and your dog confident and relaxed whenever you leave the house.
Does your dog experience high levels of stress whenever they’re not right by your side? Separation anxiety can be extremely stressful for both you and your dog. Our science-based training programs are designed to treat any form of separation anxiety in dogs. Your Houston trainer will use a combination of classical conditioning and positive reinforcement to teach your dog that good things can happen outside of your presence! We created a functional approach after treating hundreds of dogs with severe separation anxiety. Treating your dog’s separation anxiety is a lifelong investment that can significantly increase both your and your dog’s quality of life.
Training Programs
We will address all anxious behavior your dog experiences when crated or left alone including but limited to:
In our unique, multi-step treatment, we incorporate classical counterconditioning with our proprietary treatment to reduce or eliminate separation anxiety for any dog. Our process involves creating a positive association with a dog being left alone, in the crate, or outside of their owner’s presence. Over time, dogs learn to be comfortable and confident with being alone and no longer show high levels of stress. Research has shown that counterconditioning is an effective treatment method for separation anxiety as seen in a 2022 study by Zurlinden et al., which examined levels of barking in kenneled dogs when left alone at the shelter. “Separation anxiety negatively affects the quality of life for not only dogs but their owners. Seeing the stress fade away for both is at the heart of what we do. Our unique protocols do just that!” stated our Co-Founder Sean Savage.
The All-Inclusive Program for Separation Anxiety encompasses 20 training sessions across 5 intensive weeks with 2 follow-up sessions spanning a total of 22 training sessions over 8 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 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. If your dog’s training program requires additional oversight from our Animal Behavior Experts, a small additional fee may be required.
If you are a pet parent with an insurance policy covering behavior modification, our dog separation anxiety 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 how to treat your dog’s separation anxiety from the comfort of your couch! During your virtual consultation for separation anxiety, you will have the opportunity to speak with Dr. Echterling-Savage or one of our other behavior consultants under her direct supervision. We will give you both management strategies and a training plan to help you eliminate your dog’s separation anxiety. After reviewing 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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