Behavior Modification sessions are an hour long and cost $200.00 each.

* I’m not currently offering behavior consultations for separation-related behaviors. Don’t worry, I have great resources and referral options for you!  Please scroll to the bottom of this page for more info.

I am still offering behavior consultations for generalized anxiety, phobias, reactivity and aggressive behaviors, and would be happy to customize a training program for you.

Behavior Solutions

Behavior problems can ruin the relationship between guardians and their dogs, and they’re the most common reason dogs are relinquished to shelters. Often the dog is engaging in normal behavior – barking, digging, chewing – but at an extreme level or at a time that’s not enjoyable for the owner.

Common behavior challenges include:

Excessive barking
Destructive chewing
Fearfulness
House soiling

More challenging problems include:

Phobias
Reactivity or aggression to people or other dogs
Resource guarding
Separation-related behaviors (separation anxiety, confinement anxiety, frustration, and isolation distress – fear of being alone)*.

Behavior consultations will help you understand why your dog is acting the way he or she is, and offer appropriate solutions to modify your dog’s behavior so that problems may be overcome.

My training philosophy uses reward-based methods – nothing painful, intimidating or scary – because I believe that this approach creates the best learning environment and achieves the greatest results.

There are several basic elements to solving a problem behavior:

Management:

Management refers to structuring your dog’s physical environment to prevent unwanted behaviors.

The goal is to set him up to “get it right” by not giving him access to things that will get him into trouble.

For example, preventing his access to the window by the front door ensures that he won’t bark at the mail carrier. Preventing his access to an object he might guard – rawhide chews, laundry, “stolen” items from the garbage – is a crucial safety measure to take so that he won’t find himself in a situation where he feels the need to growl or bite.

Management tools can include using gates, crates or confinement rooms, and enriching your dog’s environment with plenty of toys, stuffed Kongs or hollow bones to keep him safe and happy when you can’t supervise him.

*Management means that you must completely avoid placing your dog in any potentially problematic situations until you have a plan to address them safely. This element of a behavior modification program must be in place before attempting to re-train a problematic behavior.

The objective of a training program is to:

1) resolve the behavior problem, or
2) modify the dog’s behavior to an acceptable level, or
3) avoid the problem completely by properly managing the dog’s environment.

The length of management needed depends upon the severity of the problem, and in some cases must be practiced at some level for the rest of the dog’s life.

Train a Replacement Skill:

When faced with a behavior problem, most people ask “How do I stop her from doing that?” We need to ask “What do I want her to do instead?”

If you have ever tried to break a habit – biting your fingernails, for example – you’ve probably found that it was difficult. If you simply just tried to stop, you left a big space where that behavior was and found it stressful to just sit there, doing nothing.

If, on the other hand, you filled that space with an alternate or replacement behavior – like making a fist – you were more successful breaking the nail biting habit. Additional aids include chewing gum, awareness training and strengthening your nails with special products.

When working with your dog to change her behavior, teach her a replacement skill, something she can do that will replace the problematic behavior she’s been engaging in.

The replacement skill doesn’t have to be a difficult one. You can use one of the skills your dog already has, like “sit” or “go to your bed”.

You can ask her to “sit” instead of:

– jumping up to greet someone
– dashing through the front door
– chasing a squirrel or another dog

 You can ask her to “go to your bed” instead of:

– bothering you while your family is eating a meal
– bouncing around the sofa while you’re trying to watch a movie
– barking and running around when the doorbell rings

Lying on her bed will be boring for her, so make it worth her while by providing her with a long lasting chew like a stuffed Kong or bone.

If you see that your dog experiences stress during certain situations or events, you can help her by learning to recognize changes in her body language and removing or reducing any stressors that compromise her ability to focus and learn.

If she’s engaging in the problem behavior because of something stressful, be sure to remove that, as well.

Desensitization and Counterconditioning exercises can help her cope with any stressors that cannot be reduced or removed.

Practice for Reliability:

After practicing the replacement skill in distraction-free situations, you’ll set up training sessions that resemble contexts in which the problem behavior occurred, using much less intense versions.

Done properly, over time the new behavior will replace the old behavior.

Success depends on being objective and realistic when answering these questions:

How long has the dog been practicing the problem behavior(s)?

How many situations cause a problem? How many “triggers” are there?

How intense or emotional is your dog during the problem behavior?

Can your family be consistent and strictly adhere to the management plan?

How much time do you have to work on the problem?

Are you willing and able to work on the problem?

With patience and consistency, many problems can be overcome in a short period of time.

Kate will help you and your best friend through the process!