PRICING & TIME COMMITMENT

Costs and time

There is an option for every budget - drop us a line and we will send you a background questionnaire so that we can suggest the best options for your dog, including how we can deliver services. From remote support and drastically reduced student training sessions, to extra long double sessions at day rate, there is something to fit any budget or requirement. Rescue centres receive discounted rates as standard (get in touch for more information), and dogs at risk of relinquishment or return to rescue are definitely our soft spot. Most insurance companies cover our work providing you have cover for ‘behaviour therapy’, although some prefer a vet referral prior to consultation. If you would like a free quote with absolutely no pressure to book, then please feel free to give us a call or pop us an email with some details of the issue(s) and we will be happy to send out a background questionnaire to return so that we can give you the suitable options, time commitment and cost. We can also signpost you to a closer, or more targeted professional where this is preferable.

Initial Consultations

These sessions can sometimes take a long time. Because there is no time limit placed on the important initial contact this is never billed hourly regardless of the hours spent travelling, preparing, form filling, working hands on and writing up initial reports. Initial consultations usually require between an hour and a half to four hours in your home - or as long as it takes to assess, advise, demonstrate, coach, and recap. I will not leave you until you are happy with the programme so rest assured that you will receive the best service and attention to detail without any time pressure. It is usually advisable to clear a few hours on the day of the initial consultation to ensure that we have time to cover everything thoroughly. Don't worry though this is not tantamount to signing a blank cheque! It is very difficult to give an idea of total costings until we have seen a completed background questionnaire as every case is unique, but as a guide the long initial consultations start at £220 and this covers everything from travel, assessment and advice, to creation of a plan tailored to the dog(s) and on-going support via phone and email. For cases that require a long journey the quote will be increased in line with this.

Follow up consultations

These sessions usually comprise of more hands on work and less chatting, they are generally one to two hours long. The follow-up sessions involve going through previous advice to troubleshoot any snags, assess strategy, answer questions regarding the behaviour plan, and then work on pressing issues. These are of lower cost because all of the initial fact finding and assessment is already in place, and start at £120. It is important to dedicate time during follow up visits to practising in any areas that you feel that you need support. This could be group walking with some of our dogs selected for compatibility, or perhaps a training session, or maybe an in depth discussion where questions are answered and specific scenarios discussed or created. You might need a confidence boost, a refresher, or we may take a 'field trip' to another location so that we can create a scenario that best supports the programme - the office, park, or the home of a family member for example. Steve will usually assist in supporting the dog(s) in a specific scenario by playing 'visitor' or 'dog walker', 'cyclist' or something else. Steve has an array of alarming hats and walking sticks, high visibility jackets and numerous other props! It is also possible to 'double up' and have a session with a break for lunch followed by another session. Whatever is needed can be accommodated with flexibility.

Online consultancy

This is assessed on a case by case basis and, although not suited to every dog, many people take a great deal from a telephone or videocall assessment with a foundation plan, seeing amazing results. Sometimes face to face meetings are not possible - and in many cases this option is recommended as a fast response choice to get you off to a good start as you await an in-person visit, or as a follow-up to assist you with an existing plan. We regularly work with rescues and their foster dogs remotely and receive excellent feedback. Online sessions take around two hours for an assessment costing £120, or you can opt for a power hour with verbal advice but no written report priced at £60. Both include a dedicated WhatsApp group for support. Rescue centres receive a huge discount.

New dog or puppy introductions

These take an hour or two on average and include advice on how to start out on the right foot based on the breed, age and temperament of your dog. This one is all about prevention, rather than cure! Hands on assessment and advice will set you up for a great start, that is specifically tailored to your dog and yourself. We can help you to integrate with existing dogs the right way, and show you how to set boundaries, teach the rules of the house, and structure their days. Follow up support is always available via the telephone and via email in those tricky first weeks at no additional cost. There is plenty of advice available to you before you even select a breed or individual, set your heart on a specific rescue dog, or collect your new puppy, so get in touch to pick our brains and see what we can do for you. New puppy/dog sessions cost £150. This service is not covered by pet insurance as they are essentially training for you and your pupper - insurance companies never cover training.

Board and behaviour service

This is designed for residential deep-assessment where cases are challenging and/or for ongoing behaviour modification. They are taken on a case by case basis. This is not a training boot camp by any means, it’s behaviour therapy camp! Clients usually prefer a weeks stay at a minimum, but individual requirements can be discussed, please call or email to enquire for your specific circumstances. We can also offer holiday cover if your dog has been assessed by us already and you are working on a plan from us. We can work the plan on your behalf for seamless coverage whilst you are away. This is especially helpful if your dog cannot stay in boarding kennels or home-care due to his or her problems, you don’t want your dog to regress and neither do we. We won’t take a dog if we feel it will be unreasonably stressful for them, but for those that are suited, this option offers social exposure, boundaries to excitement and aggression, along with training for manners and long walks in the countryside. They will be part of our family for their stay and treated exactly as we treat our own dogs so they will become accustomed to being left for short periods, and corrected and rewarded as necessary. No kennels here! This costs £80 per day and, as with other services, is covered by insurance for behaviour therapy.

Student Accompanied consultation

Any of the above may be suited to a SAC, the same but with a newly qualified behaviourist helping us. More heads are better than less, and these sessions offer the same expert advice, with an extra team member to assist. What’s not to love? The only difference is the price - there is a £50 flat rate for these sessions. Priority is given to rescue dogs in new homes, those in foster homes and kennels, those at risk of being returned or PTS, and any dog that is being funded by an established rescue. However, we welcome absolutely any case if you fancy helping us out with our people training! Simple or complex, we need all sorts of cases as case studies so please get in touch to grab yourself a slot. Not only is this exceptional value for money, it is a valuable training and experiential opportunity for students of canine behaviour and psychology. These are available within an hour’s drive of HD8 and waiting lists are in operation for less urgent cases.

Each case is individual and each session is tailored to the dog and his or her specific areas of difficulty so ask if you would like to gain experience at another location such as a workplace or at a family member's home, or if you need to book a specific time slot. In some circumstances we can also bring along people to help with desensitisation and counter conditioning programmes where appropriate. In addition we have many dogs to choose from when working with issues toward other dogs, or socialisation deficits. We will tailor sessions to suit your specific needs as far as possible. When you become a client then you are a client for life and at any point you can reach out to seek general advice and pointers relating to the programme via telephone or email at no cost, or to book a refresher or follow-up session.