Training Philosophy
Our training programs are developed by our co-founder, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist Dr. Echterling-Savage, in collaboration with our behavior consultants to meet your dog’s unique needs. Whether it’s loose-leash walking at Bayfront Park or practicing ‘place’ at home, we’ll train in the environment that best supports your training goals.
All of our training programs are designed to encourage a lifelong enthusiasm for learning with your dog through the use of positive reinforcement and the professionalism of our trainers.
Training Programs
Our Obedience program will occur both at your home and in the neighborhood to ensure the highest level of obedience and manners are taught. The obedience commands include, but are not limited to:
We’ve designed our 22 Hour Training Program using proven, science-based training techniques to guide your dog in achieving their full learning potential. Our training programs are designed by our Co-Founder, Dr. Echterling-Savage, who ensures that all our one-on-one sessions receive a consistent and personalized approach to your dog’s unique training needs. Science-based research used in our training programs includes Dr. Echterling-Savage’s published research paper on “The Effects of a Multicomponent Intervention on Treatment Integrity of Counterconditioning for Aggression in Dogs,” where she demonstrates how maintaining high treatment integrity leads to positive behavioral changes. Dr. Echterling-Savage observes, “The structure of our programs is designed for dogs to learn quickly, establishing new obedience behaviors that are sustained long-term in the settings that matter to our clients.” This approach ensures that your dog’s training is effective and long-lasting and is taught in the environments your dog encounters regularly.
Our 22-Hour Obedience Training Program offers hourly sessions with your dedicated behavior consultant, who will teach high-level obedience and manners. Our sessions are one-on-one and conducted both in your home and across your Sarasota neighborhood. Whether it is learning “Recall” at Bird Key Park or “Place” at your home, our training program uses a variety of environments to provide the highest level of training.
While most sessions focus on one-on-one training with your trainer and your dog, the final session each week is dedicated to you. In this one-on-one meeting, our trainer will guide you on reinforcing the obedience commands and strategies your dog has learned, ensuring consistency and ongoing progress in your home and neighborhood. This collaborative approach empowers you to continue your dog’s development.
Our 16-hour Obedience Training Program is an ideal way to begin obedience training; this program focuses on two to three obedience and manners to improve. Your trainer can teach your dog how to:
We’ve designed our 16-hour Training Program using proven, science-based training methods to ensure your dog achieves its full learning potential. Our training programs are designed by our Co-founder and Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Echterling-Savage, who prioritizes your dog’s wellbeing and needs by focusing on positive reinforcement methods and classical conditioning. Scientific research that helps guide our programs includes Ziv’s 2017 study, which shows that aversive training methods are less effective than positive reinforcement training. Our trainers will never use aversive techniques, including shock or prong collars. As Dr. Echterling-Savage explains, “Aside from being more ethical than aversive training methods, classical conditioning and positive reinforcement are also more effective in teaching dogs obedience behaviors and treating problem behaviors.”
Our 16-Hour Obedience Training Program offers one-hour sessions with a dedicated trainer, focusing on teaching your dog essential obedience commands and manners. Training will occur at your home or Sarasota neighborhood, depending on the behaviors being addressed. Whether it’s teaching loose leash walking at 17th Street Paw Park or the “place” command at your home, our program is designed to fit your lifestyle. Each week concludes with a dedicated lesson with you, where you will learn how to reinforce your dog’s learned behaviors, ensuring lasting results from our training.
With our Board and Train Program, your dog will receive regular attention and training while living at your trainer’s home. During this time, they will be part of the trainer’s family and learn obedience and manners at their home and neighborhood. Learned in real environments, your trainer will seamlessly transfer this learned behavior to your own home once your dog has completed training. Behaviors that your trainer will teach include:
Our Board and Train Program allows your dog to be exposed to various environments in the Sarasota area and the trainer’s home, which fosters broader learning. Training begins at your trainer’s home, where we can replicate the specific behaviors being addressed. This familiar training environment allows us to quickly transfer newly learned skills once your dog returns to your home. This contrasts with most traditional board and train facilities, where dogs are often limited to one environment.
Our training methods are guided by proven scientific research, including research by Cooper et al., which highlights that obedience training must be taught across different environments to be most effective and influence a dog’s behavior. This is why our behavior consultants strategically train in locations around Sarasota, ensuring that your dog reaches the highest level of obedience, no matter the distractions. According to our Co-Founder, Sean Savage, “Our Board and Train clients report incredible shifts in their dogs’ behavior post-training. The amount of attention and time training your dog will receive during their program is truly unmatched and is what separates us from our competitors.”
During this program, your dog will live at your behavior consultant’s home for 3-4 weeks. Your dog will be taught obedience and manners at home, neighborhood parks, shops, and other public areas. This can include correcting your dog’s jumping and barking when greeting guests at their home, teaching loose leash walking at St. Armand’s Circle, or reliably performing recall and heel commands at Bird Key Park.
Once your dog returns home, we will provide 4.5 hours of follow-up training to teach you how to transfer the learned behaviors to your home seamlessly.
Our Puppy Obedience and Manners Training Behavior Modification Package offers private virtual consultations with Dr. Echterling-Savage, our co-founder and Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB). As one of the few Board Certified Behavior Analysts specializing in Applied Animal Behavior and among only about 50 CAABs nationwide, Dr. Echterling-Savage brings extensive knowledge to the field. With decades of experience, including publishing research papers on canine behavior, she offers expert guidance for those seeking long-term success in their puppy’s behavior.
During your virtual consultations, Dr. Echterling-Savage will evaluate your puppy’s behavior and design a customized training program that meets your training goals. After the initial consultation, Dr. Echterling-Savage will provide ongoing support. The Puppy Obedience and Training Behavior Modification Package, which includes several sessions and ongoing support, is priced at $750.
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