We specialize in aggression and phobia’s / anxieties, but we handle a wide range of problems and offer the following services:

Behavioral Evaluation

If you are unsure how severe your problems are and if you can realistically resolve them, this service is for you.  We will conduct a detailed and scientific evaluation of your situation.  We will honestly inform you if you have a true problem, how severe it is, how much work you are looking at to resolve it and if it is safe for you to resolve it in your specific family situation.  Often people are unsure if they should conduct work with their dog, re-home their dog or euthanize their dog.  After the evaluation, we will give you a detailed and honest opinion; explaining why the problem is occurring and what would be required to resolve it.  We will also provide your general veterinarian with a functional behavioral assessment report, scientifically detailing your situation.

Court Evaluations

If your dog was involved in a bite case, requiring a court appearance, this is essential.  If the dog bit or injured another dog, a human or even a child; an evaluation will be required.  We will conduct a detailed and scientific evaluation, providing the court with a functional behavioral assessment report and recommendations.  Often with modification work, the triggers that caused the incident can be altered and rectified.  Once resolved, restrictions or designations (dangerous dog designation, muzzle restrictions, etc), can be changed.  More importantly, a dog that the court might want to euthanize can be saved after an evaluation and commitment to conduct the appropriate work.

Behavioral modification programs

This is our most common service.  We will conduct the behavioral evaluation (detailed above) and set you up on a modification program to start helping you improve the situation.

After the evaluation segment, we will explain what is causing your problem and why it is occurring.  We will then develop a modification program, custom designed for your specific situation.  Unlike a cooking recipe, a modification program should never be generic or set up ahead of time.  Each dog and case is unique in some way and requires individual planning to resolve.

We will explain and go over the modification program, giving you exercises to begin conducting.  After the consultation, we will email you a reminder detailing all these instructions.

Next, we do require you to contact us with progress reports, letting us know how your dog is reacting to the specific modification techniques and exercises.  This allows to track your progress, identify any problems / setbacks and alter / add on new exercises as needed.

We will also advise you if follow ups are required and if so, what package we would recommend for you.

Geriatric Consultations

As dogs age, behavioral problems can occur.  Dogs can begin to display inappropriate behaviors that never occurred, dogs can begin fighting after living together for years or they simply can appear to be ‘acting old’.  Many times this is can be rectified with minimal work.

We highly encourage people to be proactive in this area.  Having us conduct one session with you can often prevent any of these problems or cognitive declines; allowing you and your dog to live with the best quality of life possible.

Puppy Head Start

This program is for dogs under the age of four months.  We will evaluate the dog, identify any areas that need to be addressed before problems develop and teach owner’s how to raise / interact with their dogs in a manner that they understand.  This prevents unwanted behaviors or problems from developing as your dog grows and matures.  It also addresses all the common puppy complaints (housebreaking, jumping, chewing, biting, etc).

New Dog Introduction (multi dog household)

We will introduce your new dog to your other dog / dogs, preventing a problem in your household.

Additionally, we explain how to develop a happy well balanced pack, preventing dog to dog aggression.

Obedience Trainings

Dogs are taught to respond to commands on the first command (through verbal and hand signal commands), with multiple distractions.  These sessions are private one on one and most packages include free brush up lessons every six months for the life of the dog.

Basic on leash obedience.

Advanced off leash obedience.

Specialized training.

What is a behaviorist & what do they do?

A behaviorist is formally educated in the field of applied canine behavior.  We utilize scientific methods to evaluate the dog and determine the underlying cause of the behavioral problem.  We then custom design a modification program to resolve your specific case, utilizing behavior analysis techniques to track your progress.  As we continue to analyze and track your case we adjust your modification program to continue helping you improve. 

Why is identifying the underlying cause of the problem such a big deal?

When only the symptom is addressed, it often re-occurs or manifests into other areas.  This is like placing the cap on a tube of toothpaste but not sealing holes in the tube.  When you squeeze the tube, the paste squirts out through the other holes.  By addressing and resolving the underlying cause of the behavior, you are preventing future problems from developing.