More than a click and treat!
Welcome to Total Pet Training! I'm Rebecca. I'm a force-free, veterinary behaviorist recommended trainer. I believe learning should never be scary and should never hurt!
I take an individualized approach to assessing and addressing behaviors such as aggression, generalized anxiety, resource guarding, and reactivity. By looking at the whole picture, beyond a click and treat, we look at each case with a fresh view, giving hope to those who have hit a wall when nothing else has worked.
After our initial consultation, I create accessible programs that fit into your lifestyle and schedule.
I work with clients across the world
“ Rebecca is an amazing trainer who has helped me understand what my nervous husky Appa might be going through. I started virtual training with her and I'm so glad I did.I was in the middle of a move from Texas to Alabama during most of this, so glad knowledgeable virtual training exist. Otherwise my pup wouldn't had a very comfortable cross country move. Thanks to Rebecca's tips he was relaxed 70% of the time. Also the fact there are 0 force free trainers where I currently live.
Whenever I first started working with Total Pet Training I didn't know what was going on with my dog, he was so anxious, nervous and had terrible car anxiety. After viewing videos I sent her and hearing what I told her, she thinks he may be experiencing pain in his hind end, which would explain a few behaviors he has. She sent me many resources that I could access any time, she answered any question I had through Email and she was so understanding and kind. 10/10 would recommend. Thank you so much! ”
My Story
What do you do when you have tried everything? It seems like things get better one day, but the next, things go two steps back. This struggle is something I have lived through and made me the trainer I am today. My own special needs rescue dogs had so many things going on. What started as just some simple frustration behaviors at first became full-blown behavior. Everything that is touted as a solution, “redirect here, click and treat for this”, just didn’t work. Between stress, exhaustion, and tears, I kept thinking, “what the heck is going on, I have rehabbed so many other dogs over the years, but this is different!”
And this is where learning about our furry companions really begins.
In my over ten years as a vet tech and in my education (Masters in Physiology), some pieces stood out, but putting together this puzzle was tough. Over the past several years, I have spent time diving into everything I could, learning about the whole behavioral health picture for my dogs, and it was starting to make sense.
It turns out my special guy had undiagnosed pain for years. And the pain was leading to growing behavioral concerns.
Had I known then what I know now, we could have saved years of frustration, stress and struggle.
This has been the case for several of my client teams too!
Is every case pain related? No! But by understanding body language, how our dogs interact with space, sounds, and objects and how they problem solve even the simplest (but still frustrating) concerns like connected leash walking and prey drive, we can create a smarter (not harder) approach with choice and never using pain or fear
My goal, no, my mission is to help pet parents near and far connect with their dogs on a deeper level, understand the WHYs of a behavior, and gain hope and success in achieving goals.
If you want a trainer that will just tell you to click and treat or a quick single-session fix, that is not me. When we work together, we are going to get to know your companion on another level, and you’ll grow the skills you need to observe, and problem-solve so that you can live your best life with your dog (or rabbit).
