Training Philosophy
Is your dog scared of loud noises such as the smoke alarm or passing cars? Is your dog scared during walks and tries to rush back inside? Dogs can develop fearful behaviors because of past experiences, a lack of socialization at a young age, and other reasons. Beyond the Dog specializes in treating fearful behaviors in dogs, and no matter the reason for your dog’s fearful behavior, our Sarasota-based behavior consultants are ready to build up your dog’s confidence and help it lead a happier life.
Our fearful behavior training programs are designed to address fear and anxiety behaviors so that your dog is more comfortable in everyday situations. Whether it’s socializing at Bird Key Park or taking a stroll down Sapphire Shores Park, our goal is for your dog to be relaxed and confident in every outing around Sarasota.
Each training program is unique as our Behavior Consultant and Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Echterling-Savage, will personalize each program to meet your dog’s unique challenges.
Our Sarasota dog training programs are designed to improve your dog’s wellbeing by addressing the causes of their fear. While it may seem like your dog is scared of everything, often, this is not the case. We will utilize proven positive reinforcement and classical conditioning methods to help modify your dog’s fearful behavior. We will also ensure that your dog is trained across a variety of environments that helps boost confidence and gives them a happier life.
Training Programs
Our 22-hour Fearful Dog Training Program is designed to treat your dog’s moderate to severe fearful behavior, helping them confidently overcome their fear. We focus on reducing or eliminating fearful behaviors, including:
Our Fearful Dog Training Program uses proven, science-based training methods to help your dog achieve its full potential. We take a function-based approach to identify the root cause of your dog’s fear-based behavior and develop a treatment plan designed to address these specific challenges. To ensure the best results, we will utilize classical counterconditioning alongside obedience and manners training. When using classical counterconditioning, we pair positive rewards, such as treats, with the stimuli that are linked to the fear. With repeated exposure, a positive connection is formed, which aids in reducing or eliminating your dog’s fearful behavior. Our training methods are supported by scientific research, which includes a 2020 study by Reimer that found that classical counterconditioning is one of the most successful treatments for fear-based behavior in dogs. Our Co-founder and Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Echterling-Savage, supports this approach when saying, “I love witnessing the change in a fearful dog’s behavior. The results of treatment amaze me each and every time.”
Our 22-hour Fearful Behavior Training Program is designed to help your dog overcome fearful behaviors and improve general obedience. To best understand and treat your dog’s fearful behavior, we ask that you complete our “Indirect Assessment of Canine Behavior” before training begins. This assessment will provide our team, led by our co-founder and Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Echterling-Savage, with valuable insights to develop an individualized training plan that addresses your dog’s specific fear-based behaviors.
Our behavior consultant will then conduct one-on-one sessions at your home and neighborhood to treat your dog’s fearful behavior and teach general obedience and manners. During this program, our Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Echterling-Savage, will provide ongoing support to ensure continued success in your dog’s progress. Each session is 60 minutes long, with a lesson scheduled for the final session of each week. During this lesson, our behavior consultant will teach you how to reinforce your dog’s learned behaviors and obedience commands. Follow-up sessions are scheduled after the completion of the training program to ensure continued success and to monitor progress in addressing your dog’s fearful behavior.
Many insurance companies, including Trupanion, will cover the cost of behavioral training when it is led by a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist or Board Certified Vet Behaviorist. We recommend that you verify with your provider whether they will cover fearful dog training.
The 16-Hour Fearful Training Program has been developed to treat mildly fearful behavior in dogs, including:
Our Fearful Dog Training Program uses validated, science-based methods to help your dog unlock its full potential. We utilize counterconditioning with our obedience and manners training to create a positive association between your dog and the fear stimulus. Our training methods are supported by a 2021 article by Hall et al., which demonstrates that counterconditioning is particularly effective in addressing fear-based behavior in dogs. Our Co-founder and Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Echterling-Savage, supports this approach, highlighting our program’s success when stating, “The behavior change in just a few short weeks can be incredibly powerful. It is incredibly rewarding to watch owners see confident behavior in their dog that they never thought was possible.”
Our 16-Hour Fearful Dog Training Program is designed to treat your dog’s fearful behaviors over four weeks, consisting of 16 hourly sessions. Before training begins, we ask that you submit your “Indirect Assessment of Canine Behavior,” which will provide us with information on your dog’s fearful behavior, history, and training goals. Our team, led by our Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and Co-founder, Dr. Echterling-Savage, will use this assessment to develop a personalized training program that addresses your dog’s specific fearful behaviors.
After this training program has been developed, our behavior consultant will conduct private sessions to treat your dog’s fearful behavior. Depending on your training goals, this training will take place at your home and neighborhood. All of our sessions will last for one hour, and the final session of each week is a dedicated lesson for you where you will learn how to reinforce the learned behaviors your dog has been taught.
Many insurance companies, such as Trupanion, will cover behavioral training if a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist or Board Certified Vet Behaviorist leads it. We recommend that you contact your insurance provider to see if they will cover fearful dog behavior training.
Our Fearful Dog Training Behavior Modification Package offers 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 an in-depth knowledge to each session. Her extensive background, including hands-on training, mentoring of all Beyond the Dog’s behavior consultants, and published research on canine behavior, ensures she can deliver expert guidance to help your dog make lasting improvements in their fearful behavior.
During your virtual sessions, Dr. Echterling-Savage will assess your dog’s fearful behavior and create a customized training plan that addresses your dog’s behavioral challenges. Following the initial consultation, she will provide ongoing guidance, helping you with various scenarios that reinforce positive behavioral modification and ensure continued progress. The Fearful Dog Training Behavior Modification Package costs $750, including multiple sessions and support.
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