Behavior

Modification

Is your dog's challenging behavior upsetting the balance in your household?

Behavior problems take the joy out of having a dog. It's frustrating, exhausting and embarrassing. It is easy to get discouraged with your dog's misbehavior. The good news is that depending on how self-rewarding the unwanted behavior has been to your dog, most of the time it can be solved through patience, consistency and TRAINING.

Learning stops when fear or reactivity starts. This is why many dogs are not successful in a group class setting or struggle with daily activities like meeting people or dogs on walks. If your dog is one of these, MuttSchool has developed our behavior modification program for dogs with behaviors such as hyper-arousal, separation anxiety, fear, aggression, reactivity or obsessive-compulsive behaviors.

Change for these dogs does not happen overnight or in a few training sessions. These dogs have practiced these behaviors over and over and have been rewarded (even if they have been self-rewarding). It does take a commitment to make a change in the dog's behavior. It is well worth it. Our results with this program have been life-changing for dogs and their families.

MuttSchool offers programs for dogs exhibiting behaviors that are difficult to live with.

Your dog may qualify for our behavior modification program if it:

Has a bite history of either people or other animals

Barks, snarks, snarls or lunges when in close proximity to people or other dogs.

Is nervous or shy of new people or situations.

Is easy overstimulated or excited by new situations

Is destructive when left alone or harms himself trying to escape from a crate

is causing problems with other family members in your household due to exhibiting challenging behaviors: jumping, counter surfing, destroying property, hyperactivity and so many others!

Together, we can make positive changes in your dog's behavior.

Please note: due to gas prices if you want behavioral lessons at your home, there will be an additonal travel charge to be paid directly to your trainer.

1.

Sign up for an Evaluation

During an evaluation, your MuttSchool trainer will meet with you and your dog. If you know the history and background of your dog, we will want to know as much information as you can give us. We will listen to any challenges you may be having with your pet and assess your household's dynamics with your dog including choosing main trainer. We can help you get started on managing those behaviors by devising a training plan utilizing our services that fits your time constraints and budget to help you achieve your training goals. You and your trainer will also discuss canine learning theory, marker training and behavior modification options if necessary.

MANHATTAN | Evaluation

2.

After your evaluation, if your trainer suggests your dog needs behavioral modification, please schedule a:

Behavioral Assessment

In a Behavior Assessment, your MuttSchool trainer can identify the root cause of your dog's behavior issues, and work with you to implement a personalized training plan that addresses those issues effectively.

MANHATTAN | Behavioral Assessment

At MuttSchool, we offer a comprehensive behavior assessment to understand your dog's temperament and behavior. This assessment is designed to gather important information about your dog's behavior during a 6-month window. This helps us customize your training plan to meet your dog's specific needs. Please note that your dog should have lived with you for the past 6 months to complete this assessment most effectively.

During the behavior assessment, one of our experienced trainers will ask you a series of questions about your dog's behavior and will rate their responses numerically. This information will be used to categorize your dog into different behavior levels, which helps us determine which MuttSchool services will work the best for them. For example, reactive dogs may not be able to attend group classes or DaySchool, but we have other training options available to them. We want to make sure you are scheduled correctly because we know how frustrating it is to take your reactive dog to a group class and having your dog bark and lunge at every dog there. We understand and want to prevent further triggering your dog and putting you in these situations.

Our behavior assessment also helps us match your dog with the correct trainer. Working with behavior is a specialty niche that not all dog trainers are comfortable doing. We want to set you up with a trainer with the appropriate knowledge and experience to work with your dog's specific behavior needs. We want to ensure that we provide the best possible care for your dog, which is why we take the time to get to know you and your dog and then figure out your dog's unique personality through this behavior assessment.

3.

Enroll in a program:

We believe that our behavior assessment is an important step to thoroughly understanding your dog and developing a personalized training plan to help them thrive. So, following the behavior assessment, you should know your trainer's recommendations and be able to enroll in a program.

Different behavior levels, have different pricing, due to potential risk of bites or other injuries that come with working with dogs with behavioral problems and the necessity to have multiple trainers available to work with some of the levels.. This is simply to ensure that we can provide the best possible training for your dog.

Reign in the rowdy. Unleash better behavior for your obedience-challenged rover.

This is the mildest level of behavior problems, mainly due to the dog being obedience-challenged. From jumping on people and pulling on the leash, to stealing food, and ignoring you when you call, our specialized training program will help you turn your chaos into calm. These dogs are often fun-loving, but are just a little too much for their people. They may have trouble focusing and seem to be always getting into something, but they don't exhibit any serious aggression or destructive behavior.

Here are a few behaviors that may represent a Rowdy Rover.

Jumping on people or furniture
Excessive barking or whining
Pulling on the leash during walks
Stealing food or other items
Chewing on non-toy items (like shoes or furniture)
Hyperactivity
Escaping (out of kennels or fences)

MANHATTAN | Rowdy Rover

Get in tune with your dog's behavior and rock out in a more harmonious home

This level of behavior problems makes it difficult to live with the dog. These dogs may exhibit more serious disobedience, as well as destructive behaviors. Whether your dog is destroying furniture, stealing personal items or you're spending too much time chasing the little escape artist our expert trainers can help. From biting or nipping at hands and feet to playing too rough with other pets, at MuttSchool, we can address a wide range of behaviors to help you create a more peaceful and happy home.

Here are behaviors that may correspond to dogs at this level:

Chewing on furniture or other household items
Digging in the yard or garden
Escaping from the yard or house
Refusing to come when called
Urinating or defecating indoors
excessive barking due to nervousness
Rough play with growls
Mild Separation Anxiety that is mainly vocalizations with no self-injuries
Hyperarousal

When your dog's behavior is on trial, we bring down the gavel on bad behavior.

At this level, the first signs of aggression begin to show. Dogs may snap or growl at people or other animals, but they don't cause serious harm. These behaviors are often the result of miscommunication between the owner and the dog.

You may recognize some of the behaviors at this level:

Growling or snapping when approached while eating or drinking
Air snapping as a warning to be left alone, for instance when petted or touched in certain areas, as you are putting leashes, harnesses or collars on or when they are resting and they don't want to be disturbed.
Growling or reactive barking at strangers, visitors or other dogs
Chasing or nipping at children, other pets or small animals.
Refusing to pay attention or listen to the owner—talk to the paw!
Fighting with other dogs with minor injuries only
Hyperfocus
Over-protectiveness

Ruff dogs get refined into tail-wagging success stories

This level of behavior problems includes serious aggression towards people or other animals. Dogs at this level may have a history of biting, and may exhibit symptoms of anxiety or compulsive behavior.

Here are some behaviors that may correspond to this level:

Aggressive behavior towards other dogs, such as growling, lunging, or biting
Biting or attacking people, leaving puncture wounds
Separation anxiety, such as destructive behavior or excessive barking when left alone, has self-injured themselves.
Fear or phobias, such as shaking or cowering in response to loud noises or certain objects
Compulsive behaviors, such as excessive licking or chasing their tail
Fighting with other family dogs with major injuries

Please note: At this level you and your dog will most likely be referred to a veterinary behaviorist or to a vet with behavior experience to have them prescribe medication to help the dog adapt better. At MuttSchool, for safety reasons, we require two trainers to handle dogs in this category.

In the midst of crisis, we see hope in every dog's eyes.

This is the most severe level of behavior problems, where the dog is a danger to others and cannot be rehabilitated or rehomed. Dogs at this level may have a history of multiple bites or attacks, and may exhibit unpredictable or aggressive behavior.

These upsetting behaviors may be seen at this level:

Multiple attacks or bites, resulting in serious injury or death
Extreme aggression towards people or other animals, without provocation
Unpredictable or sudden outbursts of aggression
Inability to be safely rehomed—has had multiple homes over a short period of time.
Aggression due to resource guarding resulting in serious injury or death to person or other animal, or multiple moderate attacks on person or other animal.

From Rambunctious to Respectful:

Mastering the key elements of behavior modification.

Consistency

Consistency is key when it comes to dog behavior modification. Consistently reinforcing desired behaviors and consistently redirecting unwanted behaviors will help your dog understand what is expected of them. This means that all members of the household should be on board with the training program and be consistent in their interactions with the dog. As much as many of our clients would like us to, we can't move in with you. So we'll give your family the tools to manage your dog's specific behavior problem at home.

Gradual exposure

Gradual exposure is a training technique that involves exposing your dog to their triggers in a controlled manner. For example, if your dog is reactive to other dogs, you might start by exposing them to a dog at a distance and gradually decrease the distance over time. This approach can be effective for dogs with anxiety or fear-related behaviors. A behavior modification program is only good if it works in real life. We take this training and apply it to every day scenarios.

Management

Management is an important aspect of behavior modification, particularly for dogs with aggressive or reactive behaviors. This involves setting your dog up for success by managing their environment to minimize triggers for unwanted behaviors. For example, if your dog is reactive to strangers, you might manage their environment by keeping them on a leash or in a separate room when guests come over.

Exercise and mental stimulation

Providing your dog with adequate exercise and mental stimulation can have a positive impact on their behavior. A tired dog is less likely to exhibit unwanted behaviors such as hyper-arousal or obsessive-compulsive behaviors. Mental stimulation can also help to reduce anxiety and provide your dog with a sense of purpose. Activities such as puzzle toys, obedience training, or scent work can be particularly beneficial for dogs with behavior issues.

MHK | Behavior Modification