Training Philosophy
Does your dog flinch if you try to grab their collar or wipe their paws? Or maybe your dog has bitten the veterinarian, the groomer, or even one of your family members? Your dog might be touch-sensitive, but don’t worry, we’ve treated hundreds of cases of touch sensitivity in dogs. Common contexts for dogs to be touch-sensitive include being handled, having equipment put on or taken off, and getting woken up while on a bed or couch. Your dog might flinch followed by an aggressive behavior such as a growl, snap, or bite. Your dog might also act avoidant and shy away from you looking in the opposite direction or slowly lick your hand. Based on the data we have collected from thousands of dogs over the past two decades, we have found that many dogs that are touch-sensitive also tend to resource guard. Our behavior consultants are able to detect any problem behavior present and treat it accordingly.
Led by Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Echterling-Savage, our pre-training team will work with you to identify exactly when your dog is engaging in touch sensitivity and the severity of the behavior. Then, using our Indirect Assessment of Canine Behavior, our team will develop a step-by-step treatment plan, directly targeting your concerns. We allow each dog to go at their own pace with training while still producing major behavioral shifts due to the effectiveness and efficiency of our programs. Your dog will learn through classical conditioning that good things happen when they are touched. Your trainer will do various training exercises with your dog, mock grooming and veterinary exercises, and collar exercises to equip you and your dog with all the tools you need to be successful. Your trainer will also teach your dog relevant obedience commands that you’ll be able to use in everyday situations in which touch sensitivity was previously prevalent. During training, your dog’s touch sensitivity will improve as early as the first week and be significantly reduced or eliminated in as little as one month.
Training Programs
Our All-Inclusive Training Program is for Houston dog owners looking to treat their dog’s touch sensitivity. We treat touch-sensitive behaviors including but not limited to:
After gathering decades of research based on treating thousands of dogs, our unique process can reduce or eliminate touch sensitivity in any dog. Our behavior consultants treat touch sensitivity through classical counterconditioning and function-based treatment. We create new, positive associations with your dog being handled in the contexts that previously elicited fear. In a 2019 study by Stellato et al., counterconditioning was found to be effective in reducing fear responses in dogs that experienced high levels of fear during veterinary examinations. According to our resident CAAB Dr. Echterling-Savage, “Sedatives are not the only solution for touch-sensitive dogs. In fact, from my experience, they can make the next veterinary visit even more difficult. With proper management and behavioral training, you can treat your dog’s touch sensitivity.”
The All-Inclusive Program for Touch Sensitivity 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 touch-sensitive dog 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.
Looking for expert advice regarding your dog’s touch sensitivity but don’t live near any of our service areas? Learn how to treat your dog’s touch sensitivity directly from one of our behavior experts during our virtual consultations! During each 1-hour virtual training session, you will have the opportunity to speak with Dr. Echterling-Savage or one of our other behavior consultants under her direct supervision to come up with a personalized plan to help with your dog’s behavior. Depending on the severity of your dog’s aggressive or avoidant behavior 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.
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