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 22-Hour 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.”
Our 22-Hour Training 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! As well as 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 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.
This program is ideal for those looking to address their dog’s touch sensitivity. We address aggression (such as growling, biting, or snapping) and fearful behaviors (such as shying away or attempting to hide) in contexts that include, but are not limited to:
When addressing touch-sensitive behaviors, we use a combination of positive reinforcement, classical counterconditioning, and cooperative care. By pairing handling with positive rewards, we help dogs overcome their fear and form positive associations with being touched.
We believe that proper management of touch sensitivity behaviors does not require the use of sedatives. This is because behavior modification is particularly effective in decreasing fear-based behaviors, especially during grooming and veterinary visits.
Our personalized training plans are designed to treat your dog’s touch-sensitivity behavior and teach obedience and manners relevant to support this.
Before training begins, we ask that you submit your completed “Indirect Assessment of Canine Behavior”. This assessment helps our team, led by Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist Dr. Echterling-Savage, to better understand your dog’s behavioral history. Dr. Echterling-Savage will also meet with you for a virtual consultation to discuss your training goals and your dog’s behavior. Together, this assessment and consultation will allow us to develop a personalized training plan that can most effectively address your dog’s unique needs.
Your trainer will teach your dog through private 1-hour training sessions at your home and local neighborhood. There will be four (1) hour training sessions during each week, with a fourth weekly session dedicated as a lesson for you. This will help you reinforce what your dog has learned and ensure long-lasting success.
After the training program has been completed, follow-up sessions will take place to monitor your dog’s fearful behavior and to support your progress.
Our Touch Sensitivity Behavior Modification Package offers 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 dog’s touch sensitivity behavior and see transformative results.
Dr. Echterling-Savage will work closely with you to design a training plan designed specifically for your dog’s needs. After your first meeting, she’ll continue to guide you, providing ongoing support and troubleshooting behavior scenarios that help you manage your dog’s touch sensitivity behavior and ensure ongoing progress. This program runs for four weeks for mild cases and six weeks for moderate or severe cases.