Training Philosophy
What Is Reactivity and How We Treat This Behavior
Reactivity can be defined as a puppy’s response to the presence of a person, another dog, or a stimulus such as a passing vehicle by barking, pulling, or lunging. This behavior can worsen as a puppy gets older, but fortunately, reactivity can be successfully treated through behavior modification training. This program is offered for dogs and their families in Kansas City, St. Louis and Nashville.
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 during hikes? Perhaps your puppy sits by the window and barks at people passing by? We can help you address reactivity behaviors 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 Co-founder and Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists , Dr. Kristyn Echterling-Savage, we are dedicated to improving you and your puppy’s life through lifestyle restoration. So that you can feel comfortable taking your puppy out or having guests over.
Benefits of Resource Guarding Dog Training
Once we have assessed your puppy’s reactivity behaviors, your training goals and your puppy’s unique needs, we will create a personalized program to effectively treat the problem behavior.
Our science-based training methods include the use of classical and operant conditioning. Training focuses on providing lifestyle restoration by teaching your dog to be confident and well-behaved . Training will take place both at the home and throughout the Tampa Bay area, so that we can generalize your puppy’s skills, provide socialization training and achieve the best results. This helps so you can both go out on adventures and to be comfortable with guests coming over, so you can best enjoy your day-to-day life with your dog.
Training environments can include hiking trails, parks, shopping areas as well as your home. Areas we focus on include treating leash reactivity through training your puppy at parks, reducing reactive areas to strangers through training at shopping areas and addressing barking at others through the front windows by training your puppy at home. Our training program always focuses on the specific needs of your puppy, so that when your puppy returns home, you can have a peaceful household and feel comfortable going out with your puppy, including vet and grooming appointments.
Training Programs
Our Reactive Puppy Behavior Modification Package offers one-on-one virtual sessions with Dr.Echterling-Savage, our resident Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB). Dr.Echterling-Savage is one of only a few Board Certified Behavior Analysts who work in Applied Animal Behavior and one of approximately 50 CAABs in the country. With decades of experience that includes the publication of research papers on canine behavior, Dr. Echterling-Savage’s expertise places her at the forefront of her field, providing consultations that are a rare and highly valuable opportunity for those seeking transformative results.
Dr. Echterling-Savage will meet with you virtually to discuss your puppy’s reactive behavior, where she will develop a personalized training plan that meets your puppy’s specific needs. Following your first meeting, Dr. Echterling-Savage will provide ongoing support and troubleshoot scenarios that ensure constant progress in your puppy’s training. This program runs for four weeks for mild cases and six weeks for moderate or severe cases.
The goals of this program are to treat your puppy’s reactivity while teaching obedience commands, socialization skills, and good manners that support this.
Reactivity behaviors that we address include barking, biting, or lunging towards:
Program Includes:
Depending on the distance from Tampa Bay, travel may be complimentary or require a small additional cost.
It’s important that reactivity behaviors are addressed early, as it will often worsen if left unaddressed as a puppy gets older. To effectively treat this behavior, your puppy will be trained across various environments and distractions, so they can learn to handle many different environments inside and outside the home.
We use science-based training methods, that includes operant conditioning, where reinforcement and consequences are used to teach desired behaviors. As well as classical counterconditioning, which uses positive associations to reduce reactive behaviors. We will never use training methods that could harm your puppy, such as e-collars or prong collars, which can lead to further behavioral issues. Our programs focus on behavioral wellness, teaching your dog lifelong skills, including how to be a more sociable and confident dog that will thrive both at home and in public, such as the park or during veterinary visits.
Your puppy will train and live with our co-founders, Dr. Kristyn Echterling-Savage and Sean Savage, at their home in Tampa Bay. While also working with our other Florida based dog trainer, Shelby Shipp.
Dr. Kristyn Echterling-Savage is a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB) and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with a Ph.D. in Behavioral Psychology, specializing in animal behavior. She has over 20 years of experience teaching dogs obedience commands, manners, and treating mild to severe behavioral challenges. Dr. Echterling-Savage mentors and trains Beyond the Dog’s trainers.
Sean Savage is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC) and Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA). He has more than 20 years of experience teaching puppies obedience commands and manners, and treating a wide range of problem behaviors.
Shelby Shipp is a dog trainer for our board and train programs, as well as our in-home programs in Tampa Bay and Sarasota. Before joining Beyond the Dog, Shelby worked as a veterinary assistant while completing her Bachelor of Science in Animal Science. She has experience training dogs in obedience and manners, and treating complex problem behaviors.
Before the training program begins, Dr. Echterling-Savage will meet with you over a virtual consultation for a discussion on your puppy’s reactivity behaviors and your training goals. We will also ask that you complete our “Indirect Assessment of Canine Behavior”, so that we can better understand your puppy’s behavioral history. Dr. Echterling-Savage will use this information to implement a customized training plan that treats your puppy’s problem behaviors through private in-home and out-of home training sessions.
Sean Savage, or a trusted member of our team, will then pick up your puppy from your home and transport them to Tampa Bay, Florida. Your puppy will then stay at Dr. Kristyn Echterling-Savages or Sean Savage’s home for four weeks, where they will live as part of the family. Training sessions will be held throughout the day, along with dedicated time for relaxation and playtime. Our trainers, Dr. Echterling-Savage, Sean Savage, and Shelby Shipp, will train your dog at home and throughout Tampa Bay, including at parks, hiking trails, shopping areas, farmer’s markets, and dog-friendly beaches. Training sessions will focus on addressing reactivity and problem behaviors, as well as teaching high-level obedience commands, good manners, and socialization skills.
During the four-week training program, you will be kept updated on your puppy’s progress through progress reports, correspondence, videos, and photos. At the end of the program, we will bring your puppy home, where you and your puppy will have 4.5 hours of return and follow-up lessons across multiple sessions. These lessons will help teach you how to manage your puppy’s newly learned skills, reinforce positive behaviors, and ensure ongoing success in their training.