Help for Dogs with Big Feelings

You brought home a dog so they could be part of your family… But now you have a problem.

You feel shocked or maybe even a little scared by their behavior. And you feel guilty because you don’t know how to help them.

Maybe your dog has been growling at people or has bitten a family member or friend.

Maybe your dog seems restless and unable to settle down. They spend much time pawing at you for attention, chewing your belongings, and barking out the windows. You think it needs more exercise and attention, but no matter how many walks and how much love it receives, nothing seems to help.

Maybe your new rescue dog is scared of your partner and barks every time they come into the room.

Maybe your vet has told you that your dog’s fixation on light reflections or chasing their tail isn’t just a funny thing they do, that it’s a serious behavior problem.

We can help you right in your home, providing specific guidance, written training plans, and support between appointments so that you know exactly what to do and when.

Feel the relief of getting guidance from a certified dog trainer and seeing improvement in your dog’s behavior. We work with various serious behavior issues, using an evidence-based framework that combines compassion and kindness for ALL learners (dogs and humans alike).

We follow industry-standard, evidence-based protocols and best practices. We never use shock collars, choke collars, or prong collars for any behavior problem, nor do we employ physical or verbal corrections of any kind. We also believe that dogs, like people, work best for someone who is kind, fun, clear, and consistent.

Anxiety

Anxious dogs can pace and seem restless. They can lick…a lot (people, themselves or objects). They often get into stuff around the house, over and over, sometimes even consuming inedible objects. They can be hypervigilant, spending many hours a day looking out the window and barking. Many owners of anxious dogs believe they’re not giving their dogs enough attention or exercise, but these remedies don’t seem to help. Let us help address your dog’s anxiety so you can experience the joy of a peaceful, calm dog.

Canine Compulsive Disorder

We have a special interest in helping dogs with compulsive behavior, from light- and shadow-chasing to tail-chasing to fly-snapping and more. While the prognosis for these dogs is often guarded, we can make enormous improvements in your dog’s quality of life and decrease compulsive episodes while giving you specific guidance on how to reduce your dog’s stress.

Human Directed Aggression

It’s frightening to have a dog who growls, barks at people or bites, whether they’re biting you or someone else. You feel guilty and worried, and your world gets smaller as you stop having people over and stop taking walks. If your dog is showing signs of aggression toward people–growling, lunging, barking and even biting–we can teach your dog that other people aren’t scary or threatening. Feel the relief that comes with a behavior modification plan and an experienced professional to guide you.

Resource Guarding

Is your dog growling when you come near their food bowl? Snapping at your partner when they enter a room? Baring their teeth when the kids approach their crate? Resource guarding is a normal dog behavior with the potential to be dangerous, especially if handled incorrectly. We can teach your dog not only to accept your approaches but to love them, whether they’re guarding a person, toy or location.

Handling Issues

Your dog snaps at the brush or you can’t trim their nails, or maybe they’ve even been kicked out of the groomer’s shop because of their behavior. Ear drops or eye drops provoke a thrashing fit. They need to be muzzled or maybe even medicated at the vet’s. The inability to be handled for basic husbandry can be a safety issue when we can’t remove mats, ticks or provide care to our dogs without fear of being bitten. We can teach your dog to accept and even enjoy grooming, handling, and vet visits.

Fearful Behavior

A fearful dog is such a sad sight. We want our best friends to enjoy life and relish being in the world, but when they startle and cower at every sight and sound or even show fear of people in the house, it makes everyday life a challenge. Watch your dog blossom as they say goodbye to fear through building confidence and learning skills

In Home Behavior Consults

Package of 10 sessions: Package of 7 sessions: Package of 4 sessions:
$3,500 $2,500 $1,500

Payment plans available
Initial consults with assessment are 60-90 minutes; follow-up sessions are 45 minutes each. We can discuss which package would be best for you and your dog at the first appointment.
At the first session, we discuss your dog’s behavior history and begin work on the training plan. At each session, we discuss goals, setbacks and make adjustments to the training plan as needed.
Includes text/email support between appointments
Seven sessions are required for all human-directed aggression cases, and often require more. This includes dogs who are exhibiting reactive or aggressive behavior toward people but have not yet bitten.

Help for Dogs with Big Feelings

In Home Behavior Consults

Hamden Dog Training