Training Philosophy
Resource Guarding Towards People
Resource guarding refers to a dog’s tendency to protect valuable items like toys, meals, and bones. It can extend to areas within a home that a dog considers its own, such as by a door, a favorite place on the couch, or food-related areas, such as where your dog is fed.
Dogs may be overly protective of certain family members, such as a child or spouse. This can be dangerous for other family members who interact with the family member when in the presence of the reactive dog.
Our Co-founders, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist Dr. Echterling-Savage and Certified Dog Behavior Consultant Sean Savage will create a personalized training program to address your dog’s resource guarding behaviors. Sean Savage will implement this plan at your home through private sessions. While Dr. Echterling-Savage can meet with your via virtual consultations and provide guidance in treating your dog’s problem behaviors.
Resource Guarding Towards Other Pets
Resource Guarding can affect your pets’ relationships in the home. Perhaps your dog becomes territorial when your other dog chews on his favorite kong toy or lays down on his favorite place on the couch? This behavior may escalate to fighting and create dangerous situations. It can even lead to dogs no longer wanting to be in the same room together, which is a stressful situation in the household.
Beyond the Dog Tampa Bay specializes in addressing resource-guarding behaviors in dogs, and our team has been treating these behaviors for over 20 years . We utilize proven scientific training methods in our training programs. We do this through classical conditioning and positive reinforcement to teach specific obedience behaviors that address your dog’s resource-guarding behavior.
Training Programs
Our 22-hour Resource Guarding Training Program has been developed to decrease or eliminate resource guarding. Our training program addresses the following resource-guarding behaviors:
There is a strong likelihood that resource guarding will worsen if left unaddressed. The causes of resource-guarding behaviors in dogs are varied, including factors like genetics, dog breed, early life experiences, exposure to aversive training methods (such as shock collars), and the behavior of other pets in the household. After reviewing all the information provided by the owner from our “Indirect Assessment of Canine Behavior,” our team, directed by CAAB Dr. Echterling-Savage, will design a treatment plan to address your dog’s resource-guarding behavior. Our behavior consultant, Sean Savage, will implement this plan through the use of both positive reinforcement and classical conditioning to decrease or eliminate resource-guarding behaviors. Research has shown that function-based interventions, such as classical counterconditioning, are effective in addressing resource guarding in dogs, with results that endure long after training. In fact, a study by Mehrkhahm et al. demonstrated that this approach significantly improves behavior, enabling dogs to approach friends and family with excitement rather than concern about guarding their resources. Dogs will be excited when approached by friends and family instead of being concerned about resource guarding. As stated by our Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Echterling Savage, “I’ve seen resource guarding cause families immense levels of stress and concern. Luckily, it is very treatable with proper function-based training.”
During the 22-hour Resource Guarding Program, our Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, Sean Savage, will work one-on-one with your dog to address resource guarding behaviors and to teach general obedience. In addition, our Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Echterling-Savage, will provide expert guidance by developing a training plan that specifically addresses your dog’s resource-guarding behaviors.
This assessment will provide our Co-founders and Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Echterling-Savage, and Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, Sean Savage, with information to create a customized training plan that addresses your dog’s specific needs.
Sean Savage will work with your dog in private one-on-one sessions both at your home and in your Tampa neighborhood, depending on which environment is best for your dog’s progress. Each session is 60 minutes long, and you must attend the final session each week. The final session will be a lesson where Sean Savage will teach you how to reinforce your dog’s learned behaviors and commands. Follow-up sessions will be scheduled after the program to monitor progress and maintain success in managing your dog’s reactive behavior.
Many insurance providers, including Trupanion, may cover behavioral training when a Board-Certified Veterinary Behaviorist or a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist oversees it. Make sure to verify with your insurance provider whether they provide coverage for resource-guarding training.
This program offers two hours of virtual consultations with Dr. Echterling-Savage to address your dog’s resource guarding behaviors. This program includes a personalized training plan and ongoing support for long-term success.
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 expertise to every session. She holds a doctorate in her field, has published research on canine behavior modification, and has 25 years of hands-on training experience. This background ensures she can provide expert guidance to help your dog make lasting improvements in its resource-guarding behavior.
Our Behavior Modification Package program provides personalized guidance from Dr. Echterling-Savage through two hours of virtual sessions. Dr. Echterling-Savage will develop a customized training program to address your dog’s resource guarding behaviors. She will guide you through behavior scenarios to ensure continued success while monitoring your dog’s progress and adjusting your training plan to achieve your goals.
The Resource Guarding Behavior Modification Package costs $750, including two hours of virtual consultations and support.