BEYOND OBEDIENCE LLC

Aren't in-person consults more effective than virtual consults?

Nope! We understand the skepticism, though. But - regardless of the approach (virtual or in-person), the process and material covered initially is identical and involves A LOT of teaching humans. Additionally, dog behaviors follow consistent, predictable patterns that we have had years of experience with . The trick is knowing what to look for and this can be assessed through a thorough discussion and specific questioning. Like many businesses, during the COVID pandemic, we were forced into the virtual approach and we were pleasantly surprised at how well it works to coach through a screen! Clients have found the approach - convenient, comfortable and a productive alternative to in-person meets and we have continued to see positive improvement and results within our cases (check out some of our google reviews addressing this here!). 

​

How many consultations will I need?

The number of recommended sessions varies widely depending on the behavior issue, severity, each individual dog, environment and each owner’s commitment and consistency with the provided techniques. Some cases require only one consult to get things on track. In other cases (especially with forms of aggression) we typically recommend at least two or more consultations. Discounts are applied to packages.

​

Do you personally do ALL the training to improve my dog's behavior?

No. In many circumstances, owner behavior has some influence on the issues a dog may be having. Thus, owners are an essential component in training and reconditioning a dog. Beyond Obedience provides owners with the tools, education and support to alter problematic behaviors, but ultimately, the owners must implement the tactics and work with their dog to enforce the training and desired behaviors after the behaviorist leaves.  The best chance for improvement and continued success comes when owners are aware of how their own actions influence a dog’s behavior and when they turn into trainers themselves!

​

How do your prices compare to other local services?

Our services and products we carry are priced competitively. When pricing our services, we’ve taken into account our experience and education. We charge only for the time we spend at your home during the actual consultation. Still, there are many "behind-the-scenes" steps we take to fully service you and your dog. In addition to the consult or training time itself: time spent returning phone calls, preparatory work done prior to your appointment, mileage/time driving (within a 15 mile radius), 1-2 hours creating a report after a behavior consultation, and follow-up emails/calls are also factors considered in our pricing.

 

Can you guarantee success in modifying behavior?

Success is subjective. What may be acceptable improvement to one family may not be acceptable to another. We DO guarantee our services to be professional, accurate and honest! Additionally, we promise to give you as much information as possible concerning any particular behavior problem. Dog behavior has many influences, however, some of which Beyond Obedience has no control over. We cannot directly control a dog’s genetic make-up, experiences the dog has had prior to working with Beyond Obedience,  the environment a dog is exposed to or the capacity for owners to complete homework or follow instructions. Thus, guarantees about specific progress cannot ethically be made. However, if owners follow the directions we provide, remain consistent and follow-through with training, great improvements are likely and usually do occur. 

 

How do you handle missed appointments or cancellations? Can we be reimbursed for unused package sessions?

Time is valuable to us all. Generally, appointments must be cancelled within 24 hours of the scheduled appointment time to avoid fees. That said, we understand that occasionally things come up and we are happy to reschedule appointments when reasonable and agreed upon ahead of time.  We do reserve your appointment times specifically for YOU and arrange our schedule to travel to your location at a specified date/time. Last minute appointments that are cancelled/missed cannot be easily refilled due to the short notice. If Beyond Obedience should be responsible for not retaining a scheduled appointment -- then reimbursements will be honored. If a client chooses not to reschedule appointments on their own accord then reimbursement is more complicated and generally assessed on an individual basis. Packaged behavior consultation sessions offer clients a way to take the greatest advantage of the training process at a discounted rate. They are intended to motivate and hold clients accountable to a training schedule. Packages are non-refundable. Pre-paying for a package does NOT grant that a package will be honored indefinitely. Packaged sessions that remain "inactive" for over 3 months will be forfeited. After this amount of time, new conditions likely exist that would require a new assessment and/or the revisiting of previously taught skills.

​

​