Training Philosophy
Does your puppy get distressed or cry when you leave your home? Does your puppy try to chew through the bedroom door or break out of the crate? If this sounds familiar, your puppy may show early separation anxiety symptoms. It’s normal for puppies to cry when in their crate. However, if your puppy is vocalizing for hours with signs of distress, your puppy is likely showing separation anxiety behavior. Our Separation Anxiety program uses scientifically proven training methods in treating separation anxiety. Your Sarasota behavior consultant will come to your home to work one-on-one with your puppy to manage their anxious behavior.
Beyond the Dog Sarasota uses data-driven, proprietary training techniques that have successfully treated hundreds of puppies with separation anxiety, resulting in transformative changes in their behavior. Our training program is designed by our Co-founder and Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Echterling-Savage, who will create a personalized treatment plan that meets your puppy’s specific challenges.
Your behavior consultant will use behavior modification techniques based on this plan, following the principles of classical conditioning, to help your puppy learn how to remain calm and confident when you’re away from home. Early intervention for your puppy’s separation anxiety is a long-term investment that will prevent anxiety behaviors from worsening, leading to a better quality of life for your puppy.
Training Programs
Our goal is to treat your puppy’s separation anxiety, that will promote quiet and calm behavior when your puppy is alone. This program has been developed to address the following but is not limited to:
Our Separation Anxiety training program is designed by our Co-founder and Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Echterling-Savage, alongside our behavior consultants. Our team has extensive knowledge in managing separation anxiety behaviors through our 20+ years of experience across 6 cities, during which we helped hundreds of dogs feel calm and comfortable when left alone.
Separation anxiety tends to develop in dogs 3 to 5 years old, but in extreme cases, it can begin in puppies or during adolescence. Signs to look for include soiling due to stress, crying in the crate for a prolonged period and self injury. Since separation anxiety tends to escalate as dogs mature, it is important to address early to prevent long lasting issues. Our training programs incorporate the latest scientific research in treating separation anxiety behaviors. We use our proprietary blend of classical conditioning and positive reinforcement to ensure long lasting success in managing problematic behaviors. Our training methods are supported by scientific studies including Zurlinden et.al, which demonstrates that barking levels in kenneled dogs can be effectively addressed through counterconditioning. Our training methods are further supported by Dr. Echterling-Savage who explains that “Pet parents’ worries about separation anxiety can be put to rest with behavior modification training and simple modifications to their daily routines.”
Our 22-hour training program is designed to address separation anxiety in puppies before it develops into more serious behavioral issues while also providing general obedience training. We ask that you submit your completed “Indirect Assessment of Canine Behavior” before training begins. Our Co-founder and Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Echterling-Savage, will evaluate this assessment to better understand your puppy’s behavioral history. She will then design a personalized training plan in collaboration with our behavior consultant that addresses your puppy’s specific challenges.
Our behavior consultant will conduct multiple private sessions with your puppy each week at your home. Each session is 60 minutes long, and the final session of each week will be dedicated to you as a lesson. During this lesson, you will practice the behaviors and obedience skills your puppy has learned. Follow-up sessions will take place after the training program has been completed so that we can ensure ongoing success in managing your puppy’s separation anxiety behavior.
If your pet insurance policy includes behavior modification, our puppy separation anxiety treatment is likely covered. Most insurance companies will cover behavioral training under the direction of a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist or a Board Certified Veterinary Behaviorist.
Our Separation Anxiety Training Puppy Behavior Modification Package offers virtual sessions 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 invaluable knowledge in treating separation anxiety in puppies. Her comprehensive background, including hands-on training, mentoring of all Beyond the Dog’s behavior consultants and published research on canine behavior, ensures she can provide expert guidance to help your puppy feel calm when left alone.
During your virtual consultations, Dr. Echterling-Savage will assess your puppy’s behavior and create a customized training plan that addresses your puppy’s specific needs. After the initial consultation, she will provide ongoing support, guiding you through various behavior scenarios that reinforce positive behavioral modification and continued success. The Separation Anxiety Training Puppy Behavior Modification Package costs $750, including multiple sessions and support.
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