Nutz About Mutz Behavior & Training Services

Every engagement begins with the Behavior/Health/Training intake form, followed by a 60 to 90 minute consultation in your home or by Zoom in which Jody discusses your dog’s history, observes their behavior, and builds a customized plan. Clients receive a detailed written follow-up with her assessment, management strategies, and step-by-step exercises. From there, options include behavior modification for fearful, reactive, anxious, or aggressive behavior (4 sessions); a skills and manners package covering recall, leash walking, polite greetings, door manners, and settle (9 sessions); and Puppy Start Right, a consultation plus eight sessions on socialization, communication, and healthy habits. Three Day Training programs are offered in which Jody comes to you and trains your dog in your home, yard, neighborhood, and out in public, with weekly skills-transfer sessions so every skill is handed back to you and the dog never has to board away from home. The 12-week virtual Separation Anxiety Program pairs Zoom sessions with twice-weekly video submissions and detailed written feedback.

Pricing Summary

Behavior consultation, 60 to 90 minutes in person or by Zoom and including a written assessment: $310. Completed follow-up sessions are billed at the $175 session rate. Day Training programs, each built on the $310 consultation plus six weeks of training and weekly skills-transfer sessions: At Home $2,210, At Home & On the Go $2,685, On the Go $3,160. The 12-week virtual Separation Anxiety Program is $2,975. A $75 nonrefundable deposit is required within 24 hours of scheduling. For programs, the consultation is due up front, 50 percent of the remaining balance before the first session and 50 percent after the third skills-transfer session. Travel fees may apply above the program price. Prices are subject to change.

Policies

A $75 nonrefundable deposit is required within 24 hours of scheduling to hold a session; without it the time may be given to another client. If a session is scheduled more than one week out, the balance is due one week prior; if it is booked within one week, the full fee is due within 24 hours. Prepaid sessions expire 4 months from purchase. A prorated refund is available for unused program sessions up to 7 days after purchase, with completed sessions billed at the full $175 session rate plus a $35 administrative fee. Sessions are by appointment only on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, 11am to 6pm. Prices are subject to change at any time without notice.

Nutz About Mutz Behavior & Training Services is a professional dog behavior practice led by Jody Epstein, a board-certified applied animal behaviorist (ACAAB) with a Master’s degree in animal behavior from the Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and more than 19 years of professional experience. She is one of only two board-certified applied animal behaviorists in Los Angeles County. Jody specializes in force-free, scientifically proven methods to address a wide range of behavioral issues including separation anxiety, leash and stranger reactivity, fearfulness, resource guarding, noise phobias, and puppy training. She offers both in-person and remote consultations using Zoom or phone, serving the Antelope Valley, Santa Clarita Valley, San Fernando Valley, and Conejo Valley, and nationwide by video. Jody tailors her approach to each dog’s unique personality and needs, emphasizing compassion, patience, and real-world solutions.

Her work focuses on understanding why a dog is behaving the way they are rather than suppressing the behavior. Using counter-conditioning, desensitization, and positive reinforcement, she works to change the underlying emotional response to a dog’s triggers so the dog can feel safer and more confident. She does not use choke chains, prong collars, or electronic collars, and does not rely on fear or intimidation. A large part of her work is teaching owners to read canine body language so they can step in before a situation escalates rather than react after it already has.

Services include a 60 to 90 minute behavior consultation with a written assessment, behavior modification and skills-and-manners packages, a Puppy Start Right program, three in-home Day Training programs, and a structured 12-week virtual separation anxiety program. Clients receive detailed written follow-up after sessions along with recommended resources for ongoing learning. Jody is Fear Free Certified and works closely with veterinarians; clients whose pet health insurance covers behavior services provided by a certified applied animal behaviorist may be eligible for reimbursement.

Accomplishments

Jody Epstein holds an MS in animal behavior from the Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and is one of only two board-certified applied animal behaviorists (ACAAB) in Los Angeles County. She is also a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC) and a Fear Free Certified Professional, with more than 19 years of professional experience, 15 of them focused on more challenging behaviors. She has been the behavior manager of two mid-sized humane societies and was head training instructor at the Academy of Pet Careers, the only full-time, hands-on trade school in the United States dedicated exclusively to force-free training. She earned her ACAAB certification in 2021 and was voted top force-free trainer in St. Charles and St. Louis for two consecutive years before relocating her practice to Southern California. She is listed among Sniffspot’s top force-free trainers.

How to Get Started!

Client engagement begins by completing the Behavior/Health/Training intake form on the website, which takes about 30 minutes. Jody responds within 72 business hours to schedule a consultation, and a $75 nonrefundable deposit secures the appointment. Clients may choose between an in-person consultation and a remote Zoom or phone session based on location and need. If you are interested in a Day Training program or the Separation Anxiety Program, note that on the intake form and Jody will help you choose the option that fits your goals.