Westward Hound

Westward Hound offers private in-person and remote sessions for most behavior issues and challenges. Day training is available for specific issues like fear of grooming and other phobias.

For separation anxiety, training must take place in the dog’s home environment, as dogs will not learn to tolerate being left alone at a trainer’s facility. Best practices for separation anxiety include gradual exposure and desensitization therapy, potentially coupled with supportive behavior medications.

A professional trainer can pinpoint a dog’s starting baseline for behavior modification, educate owners on subtle body language cues, and help set up ways to monitor the dog when outside the home.

Westward Hound is a dog training business committed to helping dogs live happy and well-adjusted lives through positive reinforcement and science-based training methods. They focus on changing behavior while being considerate of the animal’s emotions. The business aims to provide the right combination of training, exercise, and mental stimuli for a dog’s ultimate health and well-being.

Amanda, the trainer, has a background in volunteering at the Seattle Humane Society and graduated with honors from the Academy of Dog Trainers, specializing in applied behavior analysis. She also co-founded the Humane Alliance of Rescue Trainers, a non-profit connecting qualified trainers to shelters and rescues. Westward Hound is fully licensed and insured, and Amanda is a certified fear-free trainer.

They specialize in addressing various behavior issues, including separation anxiety, and emphasize that training for such issues must occur in the dog’s home environment. They strongly advise against harmful practices like tethering, e-collars, or long down-stays. Westward Hound is dedicated to treating clients’ dogs with the same love and patience they lavish upon their own pets.

Accomplishments

Amanda graduated with honors from the Academy of Dog Trainers in 2020, an immersive program specializing in applied behavior analysis as it relates to dog training. In 2021, she co-founded the Humane Alliance of Rescue Trainers, a non-profit organization that connects qualified, professional trainers to shelters and rescues in need of no-cost behavior support. Amanda is also a certified fear-free trainer.

How to Get Started!

Clients can get started by filling out an intake form. There are separate forms for general training and behavior issues versus separation anxiety. Clients can also email with questions to get started.