Business Spotlight: Animal Insight, Raleigh-Durham Private Dog Training
In the Summer of 2023, I posted to my Instagram Stories about needing a dog sitter.
You see, we can’t just have any dog sitter watch our pups as our Gumbo has severe stranger danger especially when people come into the house. I needed someone who was familiar with dogs who have fear-based reactivity and can give him the space to thrive.
I was very fortunate that Amy Crouch, one of the trainer’s with Animal Insight reached out to me on Instagram.
While Private Training is her full time gig, she occasionally will pup sit for dogs who need a bit more help.
And trust me, trying to find someone who I can trust implicitly with my two knuckleheads is no small order.
Having some level of understanding of dog body language and training myself, Amy absolutely blew me away in her work with Gumbo.
From day one, she was patient, understanding, and she has become one of Gumbo’s favorite people.
Since then, I have also worked with the Owner and Lead Trainer, Liz, for some tips on building Gumbo’s confidence and ideas for management of his people reactivity. Her wealth of knowledge and experience is astounding.
One of the things that I love most about Animal Insight is that they specialize not only in your “typical” stuff, manners, obedience, puppy training, but they also put a heavy emphasis on BMOD, or Behavior Modification, for dogs who have aggression, reactivity, and anxiety.
They are one of the very few boutique training studios I recommend to clients especially for the heavier stuff like reactivity, fear, aggression, etc.
But, I’ll let Liz tell you a bit more about them below. You will also find all of their contact information and ways to connect at the very bottom of this post.
I hope you enjoy learning all about the team at Animal Insight and the work that they do!
1. Tell us a little bit about Animal Insight. How did you guys get started and who do you serve?
Animal Insight helps people and their pets with behavior challenges like aggression, separation anxiety, fearfulness, and leash reactivity.
Our mission for everyone is "more joy, less stress!" We use kind, science-based methods that bring out the best in each pet. We come right to our clients and their pets in their homes.
2. What is one thing you often see client's struggle with? And how can they solve it?
So many people and their dogs struggle with leash reactivity (like barking and lunging at other people or dogs on walks)!
We coach our clients and their pups to play simple, fun games, and then use those games as a way to help their dog practice feeling better around their triggers.
Our clients learn how to be fabulous at reading their dog's body language, to feel more confident about what to do when things go right and when they don't, and to have more enjoyable walks for both their dogs and themselves.
3. How would you say your methods and experience vary from other training companies?
We're known for the quality of our behavior consultations and our deep knowledge of pet behavior. I lead our team of three with a Master’s Degree in Clinical Animal Behavior, which is a level of education in dog and cat behavior that's pretty hard to come by!
This means we're well-equipped to deal with more challenging and complex cases, and to help clients make the most of their time and investment in training from the get-go.
4. Is there anything else you want dog parents to know before they choose a trainer?
Yes! Dog training and behavior professionals are not regulated and quality varies a whole lot. Some trainers are well-intentioned, but are advising methods that go against really solid science and can harm dogs both in the short and long term.
Learn a little bit about a potential trainer's qualifications. And trust your gut, if you don't feel comfortable doing something a trainer has recommended for your dog or cat, don't do it. You're the expert in your own pet!
5. If someone is looking to work with Animal Insight, how can they get started?
They can visit our website and click "Get Started!" to let us know about their pet and their goals! They can also DM us on Instagram.
We only take on clients if we know we're a good fit and can do a great job helping with what they need!
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