Fear & Anxiety
Behavior Change Training Packages
What does it look like? Fear or anxiety can present in many ways including avoiding, cowering, freezing, hiding, fleeing or trying to escape. Behaviors we commonly see include fear of new dogs or people, fear of the car, objects, noises or being outside, inability to be left alone and more.
Are we seeing more fear and anxiety now? Possibly! More dogs are being transported from overcrowded shelters and countries outside of the US, and thankfully, dogs are also now also being rescued from hoarding situations, puppy mills and dog fighting cases. While many dogs are resilient and can adapt to a new way of life, there are often big hurdles to overcome with these major environmental changes. Genetics and early life experiences are also major factors that can affect you new dog’s ability to cope with living in a house, being part of a family and doing all the things we view as being “normal” day to day life.
Why is it so hard? Since fear and anxiety is rooted in emotions, treatment can take a long time. But dogs are amazingly resilient and with a proper treatment plan, coaching and your support, dogs can become content and confident companions.
How long will it take?
The exact amount of time needed to help a dog overcome or cope with their fears can range greatly from a single Behavior Consultation to 10+ sessions spread out over 4 months or more. Every dog is an individual and each Behavior Change Training Package will be tailored to your individual dog, family and situation. Additional factors that can impact the amount of time required includes the severity and amount of time the behavior has presented, early life experiences, your lifestyle and preferences, how much available time you have and more. I never oversell and training plans are designed to give you the best chance at achieving your goals in the shortest amount of time possible. However just like with people, behavior change takes time, commitment and an investment of energy and resources. Some general recommendations and timeframes are listed below for getting started.
4-6 sessions - For dogs exhibiting mild behavior in response to a single stimulus (for example, a dog who is great with dogs and on walks, but shy with some people), newly adopted dogs who are acclimating but at a slow pace, young dogs, when the behavior is easily predicted, when recovery time following a stressor is fast, and/or when the family is experienced in treating fear or anxiety using reward-based training methods and equipment.
8-10 sessions - *These larger packages are discounted. For dogs exhibiting moderate to extreme behavior in response to one or more stimuli (for example, dogs experiencing noise phobia, dogs who flee or are immobile, won’t approach a person, won’t enter the house, can’t be leashed, etc.), newly adopted dogs from a situation involving known trauma, cruelty or neglect, older dogs, when recovery time following a stressor is slow, and/or when the family is inexperienced working with a dog exhibiting fear or anxiety.
What is Included?
Initial virtual session to discuss safety & management, start training exercises and answer questions. Sessions #2 and beyond are in-person for local clients. Remote clients can continue working online or combine some in-person sessions into your package.
Supplemental materials including written treatment plans and recommendations, how-to documents with step-by-step instructions, tip sheets, demonstration videos and more.
Unlimited email/text communications throughout your training package.
Feedback and coaching on video submissions.
Day training is an option on an individual basis. This is a faster and effective option for some dogs but not all. I will train your dog while you are at work, etc. and then transfer to you the skills your dog has learned at the end of each week!
Motivational and emotional support throughout your training package. While much of my education is for dogs, I also really love humans and will be with you every step of the way. I know how hard this can be and have been there myself!
After submitting your Behavior & History Form at the button above, please choose a Training Package from the drop down menu below or submit your payment via Venmo @blueskybehavior. I will contact you to get scheduled.
Please contact me if you are unsure of where to begin or have questions before getting started. Full payment is required in order to hold your session dates.