Training Philosophy
Does your puppy have separation anxiety whenever you leave the house? Are you unable to leave your Houston home without worrying about your puppy’s anxious behavior? Crying in the crate is normal puppy behavior and is nothing to worry about. However, if the crying doesn’t go away as your puppy ages, your puppy might be experiencing mild separation anxiety. Furthermore, if your puppy frequently soils the crate out of stress or starts to self-injure to escape the crate, your puppy might be experiencing severe separation anxiety. Our in-home Houston puppy training programs are designed to treat all forms of mild to severe puppy separation anxiety. One of our behavior consultants will come directly to your Houston home to work with you and your puppy. Your Houston trainer will create a treatment plan to make both you and your puppy confident and relaxed whenever you leave the house.
Does your puppy experience high levels of stress whenever they’re not right by your side? Our science-based training programs are designed to treat any form of separation anxiety in puppies. Led by Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Echterling-Savage, we only utilize the latest research in puppy behavior in our training programs. After seeing hundreds of puppies fail in standard separation anxiety training programs, our data-driven, proprietary treatment plans are designed to achieve long-lasting behavior change in puppies with separation anxiety. Your Houston trainer will teach your puppy that good things happen outside of your presence and help your puppy build confidence when left alone! Treating your puppy’s separation anxiety is a lifelong investment that can significantly increase both you and your puppy’s quality of life.
Training Programs
Our goal is to treat your puppy’s separation anxiety and reinforce calm, quiet behavior when left alone including but not limited to:
True separation anxiety can be incredibly alarming for pet parents. Although this behavior normally develops around the age range of 3-5 years, in some extreme cases it is present during puppyhood and adolescence. Behaviors might include hours of crying in the crate, soiling the crate as a result of the stress of being alone, and self-injury. When this behavior is left untreated during puppyhood, it worsens into adulthood and can be life-altering for both dogs and owners. Identifying the signs of early separation anxiety is the first step to treating the behavior. We treat separation anxiety using training methods that involve counterconditioning. Our data-driven treatment is used solely by Beyond the Dog behavior consultants. Over time, puppies learn to be comfortable and confident and no longer show high levels of stress when left alone, in the crate, or outside of their owner’s presence. Research by Zurlinden et al. examined levels of barking in kenneled, shelter dogs and showed that counterconditioning is an effective treatment method for treating separation anxiety. According to our resident CAAB Dr. Echterling-Savage, “Owners’ worries can be put to ease with training and simple modifications to their daily routines. A puppy’s aversion to being alone is reduced in a short time, and they can comfortably rest while crated when an owner is away or busy!”
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 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 puppy 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.
Want expert advice on how to treat your puppy’s separation anxiety but don’t live in the Greater Houston area? Schedule a 1-hour virtual consultation with one of our behavior experts! Our CAAB Dr. Echterling-Savage or one of our Houston behavior consultants under her direct supervision will give you expert training advice on how to get your puppy comfortable with being left alone. 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 supervision depending on the severity of your puppy’s separation anxiety. 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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