Nutz About Mutz Behavior & Training Services

Every client starts with the Behavior/Health/Training intake form. Next comes a 60 to 90 minute consultation at your home or by Zoom, where Jody goes over your dog’s history, watches their behavior, and builds a custom plan. Afterward you get a detailed written follow-up with her assessment, management strategies, and step-by-step exercises.

From there, you can choose behavior modification for fearful, reactive, anxious, or aggressive behavior (4 sessions). A skills and manners package (9 sessions) covers recall, leash walking, polite greetings, door manners, and settle. Puppy Start Right is a consultation plus eight sessions on socialization, communication, and healthy habits.

In the three Day Training programs, Jody comes to you and trains your dog at home, in your yard, around your neighborhood, and out in public. Weekly skills-transfer sessions hand each skill back to you, and your 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

A behavior consultation is $310 and runs 60 to 90 minutes, in person or by Zoom, with a written assessment. Follow-up sessions are billed at the $175 session rate. The 12-week virtual Separation Anxiety Program is $2,975.

Each Day Training program includes the $310 consultation, six weeks of training, and weekly skills-transfer sessions. At Home is $2,210, At Home & On the Go is $2,685, and On the Go is $3,160. Travel fees may apply on top of program prices.

A $75 nonrefundable deposit is due within 24 hours of scheduling. For programs, the consultation is paid up front, then half the remaining balance before the first session and half after the third skills-transfer session. Prices are subject to change.

Policies

A $75 nonrefundable deposit is due within 24 hours of scheduling to hold a session, or the time may go to another client. If a session is more than a week out, the balance is due one week before. If it’s booked within a week, the full fee is due within 24 hours.

Prepaid sessions expire 4 months after purchase. Unused program sessions can be refunded on a prorated basis 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 dog behavior practice in Palmdale led by Jody Epstein. Jody is a board-certified applied animal behaviorist (ACAAB) with a master’s degree in animal behavior from the Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. She has more than 19 years of professional experience and is one of only two board-certified applied animal behaviorists in Los Angeles County.

Jody uses force-free, scientifically proven methods to help with separation anxiety, leash and stranger reactivity, fearfulness, resource guarding, noise phobias, and puppy training. She meets clients in person across the Antelope Valley, Santa Clarita Valley, San Fernando Valley, and Conejo Valley. She also works with clients across the country by Zoom or phone.

Her work starts with finding the reason behind a dog’s behavior. She uses counter-conditioning, desensitization, and positive reinforcement to change a dog’s emotional response to its triggers, which helps the dog feel safer and more confident. She doesn’t use choke chains, prong collars, electronic collars, fear, or intimidation.

A big part of her work is teaching owners to read dog body language. That way they can step in early, before a situation gets worse.

Services include a 60 to 90 minute behavior consultation with a written assessment, behavior modification and skills-and-manners packages, and a Puppy Start Right program. She also offers three in-home Day Training programs and a 12-week virtual separation anxiety program. After each session, clients get a detailed written follow-up and resources for further learning.

Jody is also a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC) and a Fear Free Certified Professional, and she works closely with veterinarians. If your pet insurance covers behavior services from a certified applied animal behaviorist, you may be able to get reimbursed.

Accomplishments

Jody Epstein holds an MS in animal behavior from the Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. She earned her ACAAB certification in 2021 and is one of only two board-certified applied animal behaviorists in Los Angeles County. She is also a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant (CDBC) and a Fear Free Certified Professional.

She has more than 19 years of professional experience, 15 of them focused on more challenging behaviors. She has been the behavior manager at two mid-sized humane societies. She was also 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.

Before moving her practice to Southern California, she was voted top force-free trainer in St. Charles and St. Louis two years in a row. She is listed among Sniffspot’s top force-free trainers.

How to Get Started!

To get started, fill out the Behavior/Health/Training intake form on the website, which takes about 30 minutes. Jody responds within 72 business hours to schedule a consultation. A $75 nonrefundable deposit secures the appointment.

You can choose an in-person consultation or a remote session by Zoom or phone. If you’re interested in a Day Training program or the Separation Anxiety Program, note it on the intake form and Jody will help you pick the right fit.