Dog training for aggressive or fearful dogs can be difficult to find and understand. But I am here to make your dog training experience easier and with less anxiety and fear of your own. It can be a really hard to parent a dog who has behavior issues, especially when dog training techniques differ so much.  So, let’s start here:

Do any of these statements describe your dog?

~ Your dog growls at, snaps at, or has bitten a person
~ Your dog goes in to complete panic mode when someone comes to the front door
~ Your dog is reactive or highly excitable while on walks
~ Your dog growls at, lunges at, snaps at, or has bitten another dog
~ Your dog gets a wonderful report card at doggie daycare, but is aggressive towards dogs or people when you are on the other end of the leash
~ Your dog is shy or fearful of strangers
~ Your dog is aggressive towards dogs on or off leash

You and your dog are not alone!

The above list comprises some very common and normal behaviors for dogs.  And it’s normal for dogs to have multiple symptoms. Most dogs are wonderful 98% of the time, and do really well at home, but they can have certain triggers that increase their fear and anxiety.  The majority of aggressive behavior is due to anxiety and fear, and that’s what we will focus on to help your dog learn that things aren’t so scary.  Aggression is not about being dominant- it’s about insecurity, anxiety, and fear.

My Fear and/or Aggression Dog Training Programs are comprehensive, practical, positive, and successful. In order to provide the best possible care for your dog, I develop an individualized behavior plan for you and your dog. I strive to help decrease your stress by giving you the tools to help your dog, increase your confidence as a dog/parent team, decrease your potential liability, and help you give the best quality of life to your dog.

My Behavior Wellness Programs focus on changing behavior from the inside out, and looking at emotions, environment, gut health, genetics, anything medical that might be causing the issue, and of course, learned behavior.  I work on decreasing underlying anxiety, building confidence, decreasing fear through desensitization and counter-conditioning, increasing impulse control when needed, building the bond with your dog, helping to increase trust without pressure to respond, increase problem solving, and creating a safe space for learning where your dog won’t be exposed to the trigger in such a way that will make his or her fear worse.

I do not use shock, choke, or prong collars. I use confidence building techniques like lure-reward teaching (visual cues), along with food rewards and play, that are scientifically proven to change behavior positively and without stress. I focus on the emotions that are causing the behavior first, then changing your dog’s associations to their stressor. I do not use any fear-inducing methodologies and do not believe in doing anything that will increase the likelihood your dog will be more fearful or aggressive. I believe this process should be fun and stress-free, and at both yours and your dog’s pace.

Behavior Assessment: $225 The Behavior Assessment is the initial meeting to discuss your dog’s history, behavior concerns, past trauma, etc. It gives us an opportunity to meet and for me to outline some beginning steps towards treatment. If your dog has a history of anxiety, aggression, or fear, this is the first appointment of your package, whether we are working in-person or virtually, and is included in your package. If you’re not sure how many lessons you’ll need, you can start here and after reviewing your dog’s history and behavior concerns, I will decide what package will best suit your dog’s needs.  The Behavior Assessment is ~75 minutes as is done online over Zoom. 

3-session Behavior Wellness Program: $ 649 (Includes Behavior Assessment)  The 3-Session Behavior Wellness Program is for dogs with a history of mild to moderate separation distress, mild fear of or shyness towards people, excitable or anxious barking, mild leash reactivity, jumping, pulling on the leash, intense/problematic puppy biting (under 6-months old), issues with coming when called, or other mild behavior issues.  This is also a great program for new rescue dogs with a questionable history, but no obvious behavior issues, but who need more confidence and help with acclimating to their new home.  This package includes the initial online Behavior Assessment and 2 in-home lessons. The Behavior Assessment is ~75 minutes, and the In-Home lessons are ~60 minutes.   * The Behavior Wellness Packages on this page are for my In-Home service area only (see below). 

4-session Behavior Wellness Program: $799 (Includes Behavior Assessment)  The 4-Session Behavior Wellness Program is for dogs who have bitten a person or dog, who have attempted to bite a person or dog, moderate to severe aggression towards people and dogs, moderate to severe leash aggression, severe separation distress/anxiety, severe fear of people or dogs, history of abuse or neglect, or rescue dogs who are completely shut down and are having a really hard time.  All dogs with a bite history need a 4-Session Behavior Wellness Program at minimum.  This package includes the initial online Behavior Assessment and 3 in-home lessons. The Behavior Assessment is ~75 minutes, and the In-Home lessons are ~60 minutes. * The Behavior Wellness Packages on this page are for my In-Home service area only (see below).

Additional Lessons after the Packages are $175.