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 even bitten a family member or friend.

Maybe your dog seems restless and unable to settle down, spending a lot of time pawing at you for attention, chewing your belongings and barking out the windows. You think they need more exercise and attention, but no matter how many walks and how much love they get, nothing helps.

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 actually a serious behavior problem.

Tui calmly enjoying her Clintonville back yard!

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

Feel the relief of getting guidance from a certified dog behavior consultant and see improvement in your dog’s behavior. We work with a wide variety of serious behavior issues, using an evidence-based framework combined compassion and kindness for ALL learners (dog and human 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, just 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.

…and more!

Please contact us if you have questions about a behavior problem your dog is experiencing.

Need help with leash reactivity?

We can train your dog for you! ​Click here to learn more!

In-home Behavior Consults

Package of 10 sessions:
$1,750

Package of 7 sessions:
$1,300

Package of 4 sessions:
$800

  • Initial consults with assessment are 1.5-2 hours; 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 written training plans for each session with homework, videos, and handouts
  • Includes 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.
  • Evening sessions (start time after 4:00 p.m.) incur a 20% surcharge

 

Please note: we refer all separation anxiety cases to the OSU Behavioral Medicine Clinic for an appointment with a veterinary behaviorist:

https://vmc.vet.osu.edu/services/behavioral-medicine

Want us to do the behavior modification work for you? Please email us for pricing

“My dog Moon and I have had such a wonderful time training with Amy! Moon had a lot of reactivity toward children. Not knowing his full history prior to me adopting him, as well as me not having the correct training myself to properly address and treat reactivity, was causing serious stress in our lives. The issue had become serious enough that it was time to call in a professional. Not only was Amy able to diagnose and address Moon’s fears toward children, she gave me the tools to help lower his stress (and mine!). I now have a dog who barely registers children! We are so thankful for The Collegiate Canine and I can’t recommend a better trainer for serious behavioral issues!” 

—Carla D.