Training Philosophy
Is your puppy starting to show signs of aggression towards other people or dogs? Does it seem impossible to get your puppy to stop barking on your Kansas City hikes? Does your puppy stay posted at the window barking nonstop at people passing by your Mission Hills home? Our Kansas City behavior consultants are uniquely qualified to treat all puppy reactivity or aggression. We can help you spot the telltale signs of reactivity while your puppy is still young to prevent the problem from growing into a more severe behavior in the future. Our puppy training programs use the latest scientific research in dog behavior modification to treat puppy barking and aggression. Led by one of the few Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists in the country, Dr. Echterling-Savage, our team is dedicated to improving you and your puppy’s quality of life in Kansas City.
Once reactivity has been identified in your puppy, we can easily treat the problem behavior before it develops into more severe behavior as your puppy matures. Using a proprietary combination of classical and operant conditioning, our science-based training programs are proven to treat all puppy aggression. The Indirect Assessment of Canine Behavior will give our pre-training team a greater understanding of your puppy’s behavior and help us develop a step-by-step treatment plan. Our trainers will then work with your puppy to treat their barking or aggression wherever it is occurring. Puppy barking can make apartment life and walks especially difficult but we’re here to help stop that puppy barking once and for all! We will address your puppy’s reactivity so you and your puppy can get back to making fun and stress-free memories in Kansas City!
Training Programs
To treat your puppy’s reactivity and teach them a wide variety of advanced obedience commands. We will address the following behaviors including but not limited to:
Our behavioral training programs stop puppy reactivity right in its tracks! Reactivity is still very treatable in adult dogs, however, it is faster and easier to treat reactivity in puppies. Once we have identified your puppy’s reactivity and its causes, we treat it with behavior modification. Over the past 20 years, we have perfected our method of treating puppy reactivity based on the thousands of puppies we’ve worked with. Our unique approach to puppy barking and reactivity utilizes classical and operant conditioning to modify puppy behavior over time. Research conducted by our resident CAAB, Dr. Echterling-Savage supports behavior modification as highly effective in treating puppy reactivity and aggression. After dogs received treatment, dog aggression was significantly reduced or eliminated in all dogs participating in the study. According to Dr. Echterling-Savage, “Puppy aggression can feel overwhelming and anxiety-inducing for any pet parent. However, when the reactivity is identified and treated during puppyhood, the behavior can be eliminated!”
The All-Inclusive Program for Puppy Reactivity 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 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 the severity of your puppy’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 touch-sensitive dog behavior modification is likely covered. When behavior training is under the direction of a CAAB or a Board Certified Veterinary Behaviorist, most companies with behavior policies such as Trupanion will cover behavioral training.
Our goal is to treat your puppy’s mild reactivity coupled with relevant obedience commands including:
Behavior modification can help treat your puppy’s reactivity wherever it is occurring. From barking at other dogs on leash to barking at guests when they visit, we can put a stop to all puppy barking. Using a combination of classical conditioning and positive reinforcement, we will teach your puppy confidence around the people and dogs they used to be afraid of. We will create new, positive associations with whatever was causing your puppy to bark and teach your puppy relevant obedience commands to train calm behavior around their triggers. Research supports behavior modification as a highly effective method to treat all puppy barking and reactivity as seen in an article by Reisner. According to our Co-Founder Sean Savage, “It is critical to address puppy reactivity and puppy barking before a puppy reaches adulthood. For puppies showing fear-based behavior and low levels of reactivity, a little can go a long way and training can make a positive, lifelong impact.”
Our Executive Training Program for Puppy Reactivity ranges from 9-12 hours of training across three to four 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 Kansas City puppy training program. Then, your trainer will put your training plan into action! Your trainer will work directly with your puppy for (2) 1-hour sessions and with you for (1) 1-hour session per week. Please note that our indirect behavior assessments will confirm the severity of your puppy’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 touch-sensitive dog behavior modification is likely covered. When behavior training is under the direction of a CAAB or a Board Certified Veterinary Behaviorist, most companies with behavior policies such as Trupanion will cover behavioral training.
Need help treating your puppy’s barking or reactivity but live outside of our Kansas City service area? Schedule a virtual consultation with our CAAB, Dr. Echterling-Savage, or one of our Kansas City behavior consultants under her direct supervision! We will deliver management strategies and create a customized training plan for you to treat your puppy’s reactivity. After your training consultation and depending on the severity of your puppy’s reactivity, you will have the option to schedule additional virtual sessions and continued expert advice to troubleshoot training situations. Pricing for a 1-hour virtual consultation with Dr. Echterling-Savage is $375. Pricing for a 1-hour virtual consultation with one of our behavior consultants starts at $150.
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