Compassionate Services
Bridging communication between human and animal
Frustrated with your feline? Let’s get things purring again! I can help with litter box issues, scratching, inter-cat dynamics, enrichment, and more.
Chaotic canine complicating your life? Let me help highlight the calm and clever sides of your dog! I can help with barking, leash behaviors, baby prep, and more.
Hitting a roadblock helping your fearful, anxious, and aggressive canine and feline patients? I can facilitate safer and easier veterinary care working directly with the veterinary team and pet owners.
I’m Here to Help
As a Certified Veterinary Technician specializing in behavior, I bring together a unique set of qualifications to provide compassionate help to pet owners and pet professionals. As a mom (to both pets and humans), I get it! Life is busy, and having a pet with behavior concerns can be a tipping point. I bring my medical, behavioral, and personal experience together to understand the underlying causes of behavior while looking for simple solutions, working with your pet’s veterinary team to more effectively assess and treat potential underlying medical concerns.
“Our learners should respond to requests because they have the skills and motivation to do so, and not because they are forced to behave in order to avoid punishment“
Susan Friedman, PhD
Get to know….
Sarah Batcher (She/Her)
I find that sometimes simple changes to lifestyle patterns, or daily routines, can have a huge impact on improving behaviors that may have hijacked your life. While my passion may be for animals, my interest in behavior has spanned many species-dogs, cats, and humans alike! My philosophy toward animal behavior consulting is that person-centered approaches are an integral part to behavior change and that “success” is different for every person and pet. Let me help you find your success path and repair your relationship with your pet.
FAQs
What makes you different from other professionals?
While it may seem easy to call myself an “animal trainer”, I really consider myself a “people trainer”. When I entered the veterinary field in 2008, I had numerous misconceptions about how animals perceived and communicated with the world around them. As I’ve expanded my education, I find the best rewards come from better understanding the animals we share our lives with.
I believe that many behavior concerns are less about needing a “perfect recall” or “perfect stay”, and more about learning the individuals animal’s wants, needs, and communication patterns. My strength is helping assess your pet’s preferences with you so that you have the tools to support yourselves for years to come.
What areas do you service virtually vs in-person?
Virtually: Anywhere! I’ve helped families throughout Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, the Dakotas- even Nebraska and Canada!
In-Person: Northeast to Southwest Metro, from Rogers to Shakopee and from Minnetonka to Minneapolis. (Additional travel fees may apply outside of these areas.)
Why the focus on using food for training? Are there other ways to reward behavior?
Food is a strong motivator for behavior- we humans have oodles of foods we use as rewards for our own hard work! How food is used is what’s important- making food either rewarding or aversive. The type, size, where offered (from a hand vs on the ground vs other), when, and how frequently (at first!) are vital components in helping strengthen or weaken a behavior.
Even so, some animals may prefer other types of rewards: toys, play, access to a preferred or “safe” location, praise, and some even love petting or scratches! I’ll work with you to help assess what rewards your pet prefers and how to utilize those to your advantage.
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