Hi Collaborator,

A few years ago I shifted the structure of my dog behavior services from in-person to virtual sessions. At the time, the main thing pushing me to do this was the Covid-19 pandemic. It simply wasn’t possible to go to people’s homes during the lockdowns.

But once I made that shift, I realized that I can provide better quality advice and support with virtual sessions. If you’re wondering how it’s possible for me to never meet or interact with someone’s dog and yet provide better support than if I had, keep reading.

Here are 4 reasons why my services are better when delivered virtually:

1.     We can be more intentional with how we use YOUR time and money.

My current stance on in-home sessions is that I will come to your home when we have a specific reason and what we need to accomplish cannot be done any other way. I charge a travel fee because this takes up more of my time than meeting virtually. An example of when this might be necessary is if you and your dog need to practice a protocol for bringing guests to your home then we would schedule a home visit to practice this with me playing the “guest”.  

I recently started working with a client who lives locally to me and we have never met in person. Her dog is struggling with separation anxiety and the client needs support for addressing her dog’s nervous system dysregulation. I need to work directly with this human and help her build skills, but me interacting with her dog plays zero role in building her skills or helping the dog feel safer when left alone. Plus, if I charged a travel fee then this client would be paying extra for something that isn’t really necessary for her situation.

2.     We don’t stress you or your dog out unnecessarily.

 Many clients come to me when their dogs are behaving with aggression or anxiety that is triggered by unfamiliar people. Many of my clients are also neurodivergent and have limited or quickly drained capacity for socializing, while also having auditory sensitivity that is overwhelmed when their dog barks at the doorbell. I don’t need to see your dog react negatively to me in order to know that your dog is uncomfortable with strange people. I use strategic assessments that ask a comprehensive range of questions to help us understand what is going on with your dog, and you can send me videos if you’d like me to see specific behaviors. Plus, when you are NOT burdened with taking care of a house guest, your brain power is free to absorb more of the teachings that I’m providing you with, and you’ll have more energy left over after the session for implementing your homework.

3.     Increased accessibility for the human learner.

My work involves teaching humans, and humans learn in a variety of ways. With virtual sessions, I can use videos and visual images to help you better understand certain concepts. You can use closed captioning in session to help you process verbal language better. We can also record the session so you can play back something I explained or hear again what you’re supposed to do for homework. These are practical strategies that improve your ability to learn and take action on what you are learning.

4. The safety of not being in the same room.

Some of what we explore in sessions can be really vulnerable. Some clients have big uncomfortable feelings about how their dogs are behaving. Sometimes we need to talk about how your dog behaves while you sleep or when you’re having sex with your partner. Sometimes a person’s fears about their dog’s behavior are overwhelming and sometimes their dog’s behavior brings up a lot of shame. All of these situations/feelings could be incredibly difficult to address when someone is standing right in front of you in your home. But, when you are in your home and I am just on a computer screen, you might be able to be a bit more vulnerable. We have the option to turn the camera off, avoid eye contact, or even type something in the chat rather than say it out loud. I want to create a situation in which you can feel safe enough vulnerable so you can get the support you need to be the dog guardian that your dog already knows you can be.