You & your sensitive dog deserve to be truly

understood and supported

Serving Felton, Scotts Valley, Ben Lomond and midtown Santa Cruz for in person support

I understand that struggling with a sensitive dog is often just a sign of lack of support. It's what I offer with my behavior work in a way that honors the care and support needs of you and your dog.

You might have tried professional help in the past and still looking for relief, or seeking support for the first time. The training and behavior support I offer is different and comes with compassionate values.

We recognize emotions as one of the main drivers for behavior, therefore we are giving your dog a voice in the process of working together.

Along with emotional wellbeing we also include strands like body comfort, environment, learning history and your dog's social experience into the behavior support process.

Did you know that the dog training and behavior industry is unregulated ? This can mean some self proclaimed dog trainers or behaviorists are not actually qualified or up to date with their education, and there is no accountability for their services or actions.

I ensure not only to stay fully accredited, but I have to commit to continued professional education and development as part of that accreditation.
In addition I truly enjoy learning and to stay up to date on cutting edge science, developments and evidence based practices when it comes to dog behavior. You can learn more about it here.

Here is how we'll work together

Good behavior work that lasts starts with

a thorough assessment!

We start by identifying your struggles and unique daily challenges first. Then we take a good look at the whole dog.

Behavior does not happen in isolation. To truly make a difference we become canine curious first about the individual dog in front of you and look beyond what's visible to us on the surface. Together we learn to understand the bigger picture and root causes that are driving your dog's difficult behavior presentation to show up in the first place.

A thorough assessment of your and your dog's struggles is vital to form a behavior care and support plan that is set up to provide relief to you both that lasts!

Get in touch

In the first instance, please contact us with your behavioral enquiry. If appropriate, a free 15min ‘discovery’ call will be arranged to discuss your support needs and see if my services are right for you. I am only taking on a certain number of cases at the time due to the depth of care and behavior support I provide, so if I'm unable to offer you support I will send you details of other suitably qualified professionals in the local area.

Get in touch!

Initial Behavior Assessment

Initial Behavior Assessment : $375 (3 sessions, to be paid before the initial consult).

The assessment process is as follows :

• You complete an online history form and I will then request a vet history or ask you to get a vet check if you have not come from a vet referral.

• I will then arrange to start the assessment process with you. I arrange to meet for an initial session with you and your dog to go through the behavior history form you've submitted and discuss further details and questions I may have. This will take place either at your home or schedule a virtual session on zoom if that's more appropriate for your dog.

•We will then agree on 2 further promptly scheduled sessions to continue the assessment process, which may include structured observation sessions at my facility, a joined walk with your dog et cetera, depending on the nature of the behaviors you are concerned about.

• As part of the assessment, we will look at the behavior in context and environment; and beyond the visible behavior to explore other possible aggravating factors such as physical, social and emotional discomfort. We will follow a trauma informed approach, and this forms part of the assessment.

•During the assessment process you will receive first support which may be in form of management plans, shared observations, handouts and other resources, depending on the case

• When I am content we have identified the contributing factors behind the behaviors, you will be given a tailored support plan that offers the advice you need to offer the best care and support for your dog. You will also be sent handouts and links to videos relevant to the support plan if appropriate.

• The assessment price also includes any communications I may have with the veterinarian team, previous rescue/foster organizations and/or setting up referrals to other suitable, qualified colleagues.

Following the assessment process you get to choose the meeting frequency for our ongoing sessions to implement the behavior support plan you've been given.

Ongoing individual in person sessions range from $90-$115 per session depending on the case and support needs, location and selected package.

I may also refer you to local training colleagues who can offer other specific support services (such as cooperative care, muzzle training, etc) to compliment and benefit our work together, depending on your dog's needs.