Before we change anything, we find out why.
Most training plans fail because they start at the wrong end. They target the behavior you can see, the lunging, the barking, the bite, without ever asking what is driving it. Two dogs can perform the exact same behavior for completely opposite reasons, and a plan built for one will make the other worse.
Your complimentary behavior consultation is a full evaluation of your dog's triggers, temperament, learning history and underlying emotional state. As an Animal Behaviorist, the behaviorist reads the pattern behind the behavior, then builds a custom, science-forward roadmap designed for real-world clarity and long-term change.
You leave the consultation knowing what is actually happening with your dog, what it will realistically take to change it, and which program fits your household. There is no cost and no obligation to book anything.
Most of the dogs we see for behavior consultations come from the Temecula Valley area, though our service area is wider than people expect. We regularly run all programs for families throughout Southern California.
We take a full history: the behavior, when it started, what has been tried, and what happens in the moments right before it.
We assess your dog directly, reading body language, thresholds and recovery time rather than relying on labels.
Fear, frustration, arousal, pain, learned rehearsal or genetics. The driver decides the protocol.
You get a prioritized plan and a clear recommendation on which program will get you there fastest.
Expect to talk more than you thought you would. Most of the diagnosis comes out of history rather than observation: when the behavior started, what changed in the household around that time, what has been tried, and crucially what happens in the ninety seconds before it fires. Owners routinely tell us the dog reacts "out of nowhere", and then describe four clear warning signals without realizing it.
One thing worth understanding before you book: a behavior consultation is a clinical process, not a sales meeting. We are looking for the function of the behavior, which means asking what the dog gets out of it. A dog who lunges and creates distance has been reinforced by distance. A dog who guards and keeps the resource has been reinforced by keeping it. Behavior that persists is behavior that works, and until you know what it is working for, every training plan is a guess. That is the difference between a consultation and a quote.
The most common misconception is that a free consultation must be a sales call in disguise, so owners arrive guarded and give partial history. That costs them, because the assessment is only as good as the information behind it. The second misconception is that we need to see the behavior to understand it. We often do not. A dog who has bitten does not need to bite again in front of us to be assessed, and deliberately provoking a display to confirm what you already told us would be both unsafe and pointless.
Yes. The consultation is complimentary and carries no obligation to book a program. We would rather tell you honestly what your dog needs than sell you the wrong service.
Yes. Bite history is exactly the kind of case this consultation exists for. Tell us before the appointment so we can set the environment up safely and manage the assessment properly.
In most cases yes, because watching your dog work is a large part of the assessment. For severe aggression cases we may start without the dog present so we can plan a safe introduction.
If that is the honest answer, yes. Structural safety and welfare come before selling a program. Most dogs are far more workable than their owners fear, but we will never oversell a prognosis.
The behavior consultation is free, and it is the only responsible way to confirm this is the right program for your dog.
