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.