Struggling with Fearfulness, Reactivity,

Anxiety, Guarding or Aggression?

You don’t need to get tough to get

Results.

Let’s teach them how to cope.

Even Good Dogs Can Have Big Behavior Problems

This is not how you imagined life with your dog.

When you got your dog, the good life you imagined for them involved quiet companionship, long walks through the neighborhood and trips to the dog park.

But there’s nothing quiet about their explosive barking every time someone knocks on your door.

And those long walks through the neighborhood feel like a battleground now that your dog goes nuts at the mere sight of your neighbor’s poodle — or maybe the walks have completely stopped because that constant stress just isn’t worth it.

And the dog park?  Forget it.

At home, under normal circumstances, you have a wonderful dog.

They’re sweet, they’re loyal, they’re reasonably well-behaved.

But there are some things they just aren’t equipped to handle: other dogs, kids, neighbors, loud noises, cats, cars, and so on.

And in those specific situations, your beloved pup becomes a completely different dog.

No matter how good their obedience is at home, it seems like it’s not doing you a bit of good when your dog sees their trigger.

Suddenly their brain dissolves into adrenaline-soup and their “listening ears” abruptly vacate the premises, leaving you embarrassed and trying to reel in the hysterical dog at the end of your leash.

What the heck just happened and why does your dog insist on acting like Cujo?

Fearfulness

Reactivity

Anxiety

Guarding

Aggression

PrivateBehavior ModificationLessons

Behavior modification is a type of training specifically targeted toward fixing emotionally-charged issues like fearfulness, reactivity, anxiety, guarding and aggression.

If you’re here because your dog…

  • Barks
  • Lunges
  • Growls
  • Snaps
  • Trembles
  • Cowers
  • Bites
  • Melts down
  • Avoids social contact
  • Or loses their marbles

…Then this is the type of training that you’re looking for.

Together, we’ll teach your dog how to deal with their big feelings and exist comfortably in a world that includes their triggers.

Behavior Modification Lessons

1. Free Consultation

The first step is a free in-home training consultation.

Every dog is different — and when it comes to behavior modification, those details matter.  We’ll sit down and talk about your dog’s challenging behavior in detail so I can customize a training plan for your dog’s individual needs.

The free consultation also gives you a chance to ask any questions that you have for me about the training process before we begin to ensure that the whole team is on the same page from day one.

Start Here!

2. Core Program

After I’ve written up a customized behavior modification plan for your dog’s situation, we’ll meet for a series of four initial lessons.

These four lessons form the core of the behavior modification protocol. I’ll teach you the exercises and then we’ll work with your dog together so you can practice your new skills. Each week, you’ll have daily homework assignments to progress their training.

This is the foundation for the rest of our training together.

$500 / 4 lessons

3. Individual Lessons

As your dog’s behavior changes, so will the amount of active support you need from the trainer.After the core program, we’ll switch to individual lessons so you can choose exactly how much on-going support you need for your dog’s goals. Most students switch to as-needed lessons rather than weekly at this stage.Some behavior modification cases are quick fixes that can be resolved with the core program alone, but most will benefit from additional support. These single-serving follow-up lessons allow you to get as much help as you need without paying for extra.

$90 / lesson

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my dog need obedience classes or behavior modification?

Sometimes, the line between an obedience problem and an early-stage reactivity problem can be blurry. In particular, issues involving greeting guests and pulling on the leash frequently go in either direction depending on the specifics.

As a general rule of thumb, if you’re questioning which type of training would benefit your dog the most, it’s probably behavior modification — but that’s why I offer free training consultations to talk about the details of your dog’s behavior to make sure everyone ends up in the right class for their needs.

How many lessons will it take to solve my dog’s problems?

Behavior modification is notoriously tricky to estimate — which is why Level Up’s obedience classes have a fixed number of lessons and the behavior modification packages are designed to be flexible.

The speed of progress will depend on the severity of your dog’s challenges, how often you’re able to practice and how predictable the environment is. Mild problems may be resolved with the initial four core lessons alone, but the average dog takes about eight lessons and some need more than that. Typically we meet weekly for the first four lessons, then as-needed to tune up the training for additional lessons.

Will you just train my dog for me?

That would be easier for me, but much less beneficial for you. After all, you’re the one who will be living with your dog for the rest of their life.Behavior modification is not a small project, because these are typically not small problems. Owner involvement in the training process is essential for long-term results. I’ll be doing hands-on work with your dog during our lessons together so your dog will get plenty of direct attention from the trainer. You’ll be responsible for the day-to-day training, which is where most of the progress will be made. If you’re looking for a send-away bootcamp, you’re not looking for me.

Do you work with separation anxiety?

I primarily specialize in reactivity, fearfulness and aggression. I’ll happily work with mild cases of separation anxiety, but I prefer to refer most of the severe cases to a Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer (CSAT) so they can get more specialized help.

My dog needs basic obedience and behavior modification. Where should I start?

In most cases, we’ll start with behavior modification because that’s typically more urgent and then add an obedience program after the initial four lessons — but that’s flexible depending on your dog’s individual needs. The first step for either path is a free consultation so we can talk about your dog’s behavior and your goals for them.

“

“Natalie was absolutely wonderful with our nervous and reactive rescue pup. We followed her advice and through lots of positive reinforcement, we have a dog we can walk down the street without it being a total ordeal. We still have work to do but Natalie set us up with the tools to continue our training and manage our dog in the real world. She is up to date on the latest science-based dog training rhetoric and is empathetic to both dogs and their humans. Highly recommend Level Up Dog Training!”

Michelle and Philip KJackie the hound mix

You deserve peace of mind.

So does your dog.