The Successful Mix, LLC

Pet Behavioral Counseling and Dog Training

Private behavioral counseling personalized to meet the needs of you and your pet.
Appointments made in Rockingham County at 3126 Caverns Dr, Keezletown, VA 22832 (near Harrisonburg).

 

I offer help for serious behavioral problem-solving for REACTIVITY (on-leash or at home), AGGRESSION (towards people and other dogs) and challenges with care at the Veterinary clinic. 

Does your dog snarl, snap or bite when you attempt to move them off your couch or bed?
Does your dog growl or lunge when you approach them while they have a bone, chew, or an item they aren't supposed to have?
Do have two or more dogs in your home that don't get along?
Has your veterinarian told you that your dog requires wearing a MUZZLE for his future exams and treatment?

I CAN HELP!

Picture of white and brown dog
with open mouth barking.

 

I provide guidance using reward-based, positive reinforcement, and LIMA (least intrusive, minimally aversive, most effective) training methods.

I will work with the whole family.

Where does the Clicker fit into my training program?
  I encourage pet owners to employ a training tool called a "Clicker".    Appropriate use of this tool - something I can teach you - combined with a tasty treat effectively and clearly communicates to the pet behavior that you want them to do more often.    Clicker training and its ability to effectively modify behavior is supported by science.    Clicker or "marker-based" training is both effective and an attainable method for any pet owner to quickly learn to use.    Use of the Clicker is not mandatory in my classes.    However, it is my experience that once pet owners discover how to use the clicker effectively, it speeds up progress towards training goals.

What's involved with a private consult?
  Initial consults are scheduled for 75 minutes.
  Follow-up sessions are typically 1 hour long unless you prefer or benefit from longer sessions.   

  A custom-written review is provided after the initial consult.  I have handouts for most of the exercises introduced at each lesson.   

  A minimum of 16 sessions is strongly recommended for serious behavioral concerns to better determine that you are understanding the training program that I have laid out, and so that I might recommend some revision, if the plan isn't working well for you or your pet. 

  For the best outcomes, I offer multi-session packages that provide you with the convenience of paying once and getting a discounted price.  In most cases, in order for you to meet at least some of your goals, several sessions are recommended.  

  Many of my current clients are meeting with me weekly for several months, then these same clients who have met their initial goal may continue weekly or shift to bi-weekly lessons for on-going guidance and support.

How successful will you be?

  Responsibly I cannot guarantee your individual results.    There are many factors ranging from genetics, to early experiences of the pet, your lifestyle, time commitment to training and your ability to follow my recommendations that affect the ability to meet individual goals.    I work closely with my clients to have an understanding of the training process to maximize your success in working with your pet.    It is important to learn to set realistic goals for your training, and how you might implement good management into your practice.    I will work with you to establish what goals might be achievable, and how you might expect your goals to change over time.   

I do guarantee that if you open your mind, you will learn something new that will benefit future decisions you make with your pet.

Sincerely,
Karen
CPDT-KSA, CCUI, APDT member #3574

    Initial consults are scheduled for 75 minutes (1.25 hours).
    The initial consult includes a set of follow-up handouts for exercises introduced and a custom-written follow-up.

NOW OFFERING Video Review: An alternate form of private consults:

• $25.00/video or set of videos 5 minutes or less
• $50.00/video or set of videos 10 minutes or less
• $75.00/video or set of videos 15 minutes or less
• Contact me for pricing on other custom video lengths

Prerequisite for a Video Review Consult: At least one in-person initial consult
    Benefits:
    With a video review I can provide you with second by second information about what your dog does and provide you with recommendations about what to do, how best to respond
    You can film your dog's behavior at the time it occurs
    I do reserve the right to make some assumptions with the video that may not be true, if you tell me that something is present in the environment that I am not able to see clearly
    I do reserve the right to turn a video down and request a better visual if your video cannot be interpretted