Services
“Yesterday, we relied on our instincts to raise and train our dogs; today we rely on science.”
Like many of you, I grew up loving animals, but I learned much later that loving animals is not the same as actually knowing them! The motivation behind everything I do is to make sure that my clients have enough information so that their animals thrive in a loving, enriching environment. This means teaching the pet-parent how to provide their dog or cat with problem-solving activities, whether it be mealtime, training time, or physical exercise. And of course for puppies or kittens, making sure the pet-parent learns how to adequately socialized their pet during this very brief and sensitive developmental window to help them grow into sound adult animals.
We’re living in an information age where anything you need can be had with the push on a key board or swipe of a screen. But the great irony is that you’re using high tech equipment to access a lot of outdated information! Much of this information echoes your own instincts which is why it sounds correct. Unfortunately, instincts aren’t science and many a dog and cat have suffered at the hands of humans who listened to faulty information from a friend, relative, TV trainer or other sources.
It’s difficult to decipher what is science and what is fiction because until recently, we didn’t have the research. But now we know that while dogs evolved from wolves, dogs are not pack animals, don’t live in dens (the euphemism for cages), nor do we have to show our “superiority” by manhandling them. We have opposable thumbs to hold all the goodies a dog or cat could want, in exchange for a little polite behavior!
Whether you just adopted new puppy or kitten, a shelter dog/cat, or perhaps your adult dog/cat needs some new activities to learn, there are a variety of services to choose from to get the help you need.
Remember, it’s just behavior, so let me help you change it!
CHOOSE YOUR PACKAGE
Rescued Fido Help: This is a single session to set up your new dog’s environment, answer questions and show you how to ease your Fido into his new home. Once he’s settled in, you can sign up for basic training.
Adult Basics: This 5 session package is great for the adult dog who has had little training or the adopted dog, who’s had a couple of weeks to settle into his new home. They will learn potty training, FUNdamental desirable behaviors, and you will learn how to prevent a host of undesirable behaviors.
Puppy Basics: Your pup will learn FUNdamental behaviors plus we’ll go through the all so important socialization check list so Pup develops into a sound adult dog. I’ll set up a potty-training plan, troubleshoot all those annoying puppy behaviors (nipping, chewing, barking, jumping), and demonstrate the use of appropriate toys, games and puzzles to keep your young Fido enriched.
Frenzied Fido: These sessions are designed for the leash aggressive dog where you will learn the necessary handling skills along with strategies to change your dog’s emotional state of mind. You’ll then learn how to teach your dog a new response when he sees dogs, people and or other things in the environment that “concern” him.
Frantic Fido: This series of sessions is for the dog that exhibits separation anxiety when left alone. The first step is to determine the root cause of the behavior, set up a strategy to stop the dog from being stressed, and then implement a protocol to ease him into being alone without becoming anxious. This often takes the additional expertise of a veterinarian who will do a physiological exam and if necessary will prescribe the appropriate prescription medication to go along with a behavior modification plan.
Fit Fido & Feline: Great for pet-parents who would like to learn, in addition to basic behaviors, other things such as tricks, games and activities to keep their Fidos or Felines stimulated. Each week we’ll have a different agenda that has, for example, scent work, agility, clicker games.
Behavior Consultations: We’ll begin with an in-depth questionnaire so I can learn about your dog’s or cat’s behavioral issue, and then we’ll schedule a virtual session.