Help for your dog's behavior problems
Transform stressful and stressed-out pets into enjoyable companions with the help of a dog behavior specialist
Big feelings
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Does your dog explode at strangers or other dogs, or cower at the least little thing?
You probably have big feelings too:
Embarrassment at having an "aggressive" dog,
Fear of what might happen
Sorrow at your fearful dog’s distress.
You don’t know what to do.
You wish you could just relax and enjoy life together.
I can help.
You will learn gentle, evidence-based approaches that help you and your dog feel better.
A personalized approach to your unique situation
Because every case is unique, we begin with a consult (approximately 90 minutes) to learn about your situation in depth.
We will advise on short-term management for safety, map out a plan and start foundation training.
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Consult: $210 plus tax.
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For certain cases, we may work in collaboration with your veterinarian and sometimes a veterinary behavior specialist to make sure that problems possibly related to pain or other medical issues are properly addressed.
If you live in Lexington, we come to you to address the problem where it occurs.
Wherever you are, we can help via live online sessions. This may be the best way to begin with very fearful dogs or dogs who are dangerously aggressive towards strangers.
"I could not be happier"
"Wendy is amazing at what she does. I contacted her about 3 months ago for help with my golden retriever puppy's anxiety and fear-aggression. We scheduled a video consultation, and from that first conversation, it was clear that she is passionate for helping dogs. She truly cares.
I enrolled my puppy in virtual group training, where she received some basic behavioral training as well as tips and tricks for making the world a little less scary (rest, relax, happy mat, etc.). I also scheduled private training with Wendy, which has been really helpful.
She is incredibly responsive to texts and emails, offers excellent advice, and always follows up with resources (videos, links, etc.). I could not be happier that we have chosen to train with Wendy, and recommend her to anyone. "
Alex for Ellie
Ellie has grown from a timid puppy to be a confident and happy dog who enjoys going places with her family.
Potter loved everyone too much. He learned skills for relaxing
“Thank you for your amazing knowledge in teaching me, and giving me the confidence to teach Potter to be a well behaved dog.“
Esther for Potter
Packages
Enjoyable Walks Package
It can be scary and embarrassing when your dog barks and lunges at passing dogs. We can help!
Our program coaches you through a progression of fun games to teach excitable dogs to relax and cope with distractions in public, so they can:
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stop acting aggressive
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walk politely on leash instead of dragging you,
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turn away from or ignore dogs, moving objects such as cars and bicycles, and other distractions
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learn skills for getting away from situations that catch you by surprise.
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Every team learns at their own pace. Our system of gradual challenges provides opportunities to experience steps of success on the way to your goal of calm, drama-free walks.
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We teach a variety of training games and relaxation techniques to keep learning fun and minimally stressful for you and your dog.
All of our behavior programs begin with a 90 minute consult in which we get to know you and your dog, set goals and start you on some foundation exercises
The Enjoyable Walks package ($960) includes:​
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Initial consult
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Foundation skills taught in your home (typically 3 one-hour sessions)
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Six 1/2-hour outdoor coaching sessions personalized to your needs
Followup options:
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A. Optional 3-session (1/2 hour each) extensions as needed: $194
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B. Small group sessions to practice in the vicinity of other dogs
When you and your dog are ready, we will meet in a spacious park with 1 or 2 other teams to practice games that develop focus and coping ability.
1/2-hour sessions $35 + tax
"HE'S NOT THE SAME DOG!
When we started, our shelter-rescue large dog was fearful and very reactive on the leash, hard to walk and a little wild at home too. Wendy knew just what to do and how to teach him -- and more importantly US -- how to behave and work together to have pleasant walks, good behavior, and an eagerness to learn new tricks and games as well.
He is happy and well behaved, we are happy and impressed, and we feel confident we have the tools necessary to continue to progress with him. All with no negative training techniques at all. I would give six stars but that's not an option. Not only would we use her again, we ARE."
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Mark for Hershey
Hershey used to lunge and bark. He became able to walk quietly in the park with my dog
Wendy has made such a difference in our relationship
"Penny got very anxious when she saw other dogs, joggers and moms with baby strollers and would bark almost uncontrollably.
Wendy has given us all kinds of tools to deal with those distractions. We are now walking Penny in our neighborhood every day, and it’s such a joy!"
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Kim for Penny
Penny used to worry about many things
Pleased to Meet You
Maximize the chance for peace when introducing a new dog or cat to your household
Your new pet has one chance to make a good first impression. Let us help you get off to the right start (or repair a relationship that's in trouble).
Bringing a new pet into the home doesn’t always go as smoothly as you hoped. You're excited about the newcomer but the pet in residence is not impressed.
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They find the puppy annoying,
the cat too exciting,
or they just don't want to share.
The last thing you want is sadness, hiding or even fighting or injuries.
We will advise you on steps to reduce everybody’s stress and increase the chance that your beloved pet will make friends with the newcomer.
A peaceable dog makes a warm cat bed
Puppies are annoying! We give tips for keeping the peace with your adult dog
Stella and Nola are best friends
We start with a consult to learn about your household layout, routine and your pets’ current behavior. From there we
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Help make a plan for preventing conflicts
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Teach you to recognize subtle signs of stress and acceptance
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Help teach the pets skills to promote successful relationships
The rate of progress for every case is unique.
Sometimes a single consult is sufficient to lay out a plan for keeping the new puppy from provoking objections from the resident dog.
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Sometimes a small package of coaching is needed to teach the pets appropriate manners towards one another.
For more complex cases where a very patient, gradual approach is required, we offer a blend of in-person coaching and regular, brief followups via video conference.
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We provide behavior benchmarks to help you progress at just the right pace.
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Brief virtual check-ins each week provide the most economical way to assure that you stay on track and proceed at just the right pace for even the most delicate negotiations.
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As each benchmark is reached, we will again meet in person to coach the skills for the next step.
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Of course, if you prefer an entirely in-person package, we're happy to oblige.
The size of package you will need depends on the dispositions of the pets and the training foundations already in place. We can recommend packages once we have met and assessed the situation.
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Initial consult, 90 minutes: $210
Packages starting at $388
Cats deserve to feel safe when the dog is near
Coaching wherever you are
Advantages of online coaching:
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More flexibility in scheduling
