Our experienced, certified trainers offer private behavior consults, both in person and online, for those who want to work on their dogs' more serious behavior issues, including:
- Reactivity and aggression (including growling, barking, or lunging at other dogs or people)
- Resource guarding (growling, lunging, snapping, etc over a possession, location, or person)
- Separation anxiety
- Note: For extreme separation anxiety (e.g. self-injury or destruction of doorways or windows), we recommend working with a certified separation anxiety specialist.
- Malena DiMartini's CSAS trainers: https://malenademartini.com/for-owners/separation-anxiety-training-programs/
- Julie Naismith's SA Pro trainers: https://www.subthresholdtraining.com/find-a-trainer/
- Major fearful behaviors (including refusing high-value food, hiding, flinching, fleeing, urinating, baring teeth, growling)
- Fear triggers may include humans, dogs, objects, noises, thunder, sticks, leashes
- Fence fighting (running along fence line; may include barking)
If you're not sure which category your dog's behavior falls into, email us at info@animalalliances.com.
Behavior consults with our staff cost $150/hour.
Note: For travel of more than 20 minutes from your trainer's home, there is an additional charge of $10 per 10 minutes of travel. We will do our best to match you with a trainer within your travel distance, but it is dependent on schedules and availability.
Our trainers are based out of:
- Northampton (Alex Wise)
- Easthampton (Darcy Clifford)
- Northfield (Kristin Neal) - Note: Kristin also offers appointments in the Northampton/Easthampton area on Sundays.
What is a private consult like?
During your first session, your trainer will talk to you about your dog and their behaviors to gather a complete history. The trainer will then create a training plan and suggest changes to your dog's environment and routine to work toward your behavioral goals. They will then spend any remaining time working with you and your dog on the exercises in the training plan.
During subsequent sessions, the trainer will coach you and your dog through exercises to achieve your behavioral goals for your dog.
After each session, you will receive a follow-up email from your trainer with a summary of your session and exercises to work on with your dog.
How to register:
- Click here to register online. Choose a Behavior Consult package. Your initial package MUST be at least 3 sessions.
- Once you have registered, you will be emailed a link to our online Intake Form. Please fill this out thoroughly to give us as much information about your dog and their behaviors as possible before your session. You will have a chance to request a specific trainer and let us know when you're available for lessons on your Intake Form.
- Once we have received your Intake Form, a trainer will contact you via email to schedule your session.
Policies:
Lessons expire 6 months after their purchase date. No refunds will be given for expired lessons.
If you need to cancel or reschedule a lesson, please give your trainer AT LEAST 24 HOURS NOTICE. Cancellations within 24 hours of your scheduled lesson time cannot be rescheduled or refunded. Please be respectful of your trainer’s time - they’ve made time in their busy schedules for your lesson and have done all of the preparatory work for it. Cancellations with late notice mean we cannot book another client in that time slot.
If your dog is fearful of or aggressive toward new people, you MUST let us know in advance of your lesson. This allows us to prepare an appropriate lesson plan and plan for how to enter your home without unduly stressing your dog.