Training Philosophy
Does your puppy shy away when you or a family member tries to pet them? Has your puppy ever reacted by snapping when approached by you, the vet, or the groomer? A puppy with touch sensitivity will be oversensitive to physical contact or when intruding on their personal space. Studies have also shown that puppies’ touch sensitivity and resource guarding tend to co-occur, showing that the two behaviors are correlated. Our team can help if your puppy shows signs of aggression or avoidance due to touch sensitivity.
If your puppy’s low-level aggressive behaviors, such as nipping and growling, are reinforced, the behavior will continue. Punishing this aggression may make the behavior disappear. However, the fear driving it can remain, causing the aggression to return more severely. We recommend addressing touch sensitivity in your puppy early to prevent it from escalating into more severe aggressive behaviors as they get older. Our in-home puppy training programs use science-based training methods to treat touch sensitivity behaviors. Our training program is supported by over 20 years of experience treating thousands of puppies with touch sensitivity. You will see a difference in your puppy’s behavior within the first week of the training program.
Training Programs
Our training goal is to treat your puppy’s touch-sensitive behaviors while also teaching relevant obedience commands that target:
As your puppy grows, fear-based behaviors like touch sensitivity will likely become more severe and may lead to biting. Our 22-hour Training Program is designed to treat touch sensitivity in puppies. We use classical conditioning methods to help form new positive behaviors in situations that previously caused fear. This training method is supported by scientific studies, including Stellato et al., who demonstrates that counterconditioning has been proven effective in reducing touch sensitivity in dogs that previously experienced high levels of fear during veterinary examinations. Our Co-Founder, Sean Savage, explains, “Our team works to address touch sensitivity early so that it doesn’t strengthen with age and cause more serious issues later in life.”
Our 22-hour Touch Sensitivity Training Program is focused on reducing or eliminating your dog’s sensitivity to touch. It consists of 22 one-hour private sessions.
Before training begins, you’ll need to fill out the “Indirect Assessment of Canine Behavior” questionnaire. This assessment gathers important information about your dog’s behavior and history, helping us understand their specific needs. With this information, our Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Dr. Echterling-Savage and Certified Dog Behavior Consultant, Sean Savage will create a personalized training plan that aligns with your goals.
Sean Savagewill train your dog at your home and in your neighborhood to help with their Touch Sensitivity. The location of each private session will depend on the best environment to work on your dog’s behavior. The last session of each week will be a lesson for you so you can practice and reinforce the commands and behaviors your dog has learned. After the initial training, follow-up sessions will be scheduled to strengthen the behaviors and ensure lasting results. We will also give you clear notes on exercises to continue practicing with your dog after the follow-up sessions to maintain their training.
Many insurance companies, including Trupanion, offer coverage for behavioral training with a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist or Board Certified Vet Behaviorist. Be sure to check with your provider to see if they include fearful dog training.
Through two hours of virtual consultations, Dr. Echterling-Savage will meet with you to address your puppy’s touch sensitive behaviors. This program includes virtual sessions, a personalized training plan and ongoing guidance for long term results.
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 each session. Her comprehensive background includes a doctorate in the field, published research on canine behavior modification, and 25 years of hands-on training. Dr. Echterling-Savage will deliver expert guidance to help your puppy make lasting improvements with their touch sensitivity.
Our Touch Sensitivity Training Puppy Behavior Modification Package provides two hours of virtual consultations with Dr. Echterling-Savage, our Co-founder and Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB). During your virtual sessions Dr. Echterling-Savage will evaluate your puppy’s touch sensitivity behavior and design a training plan that addresses your puppy’s challenging behaviors. After the initial consultation, she will provide continued support, helping you with behavior scenarios that reinforce positive behavioral modification and ensure ongoing success.
The Touch Sensitivity Training Puppy Behavior Modification Package costs $750, including two hours of private virtual sessions and support.