The evaluation is to make sure we agree on how to proceed with training, and to ensure any changes I recommend are amendable to you. As well as seeing the temperament of your dog, how you currently train, and what needs to change lifestyle wise for you and the dog to be successful.

I offer in home puppy and dog training, puppy day school, and board & train programs. Services range from potty training, puppy training, housebreaking, 1 on 1 basic obedience training, teaching commands like heel, sit, down, stay, come, as well as behavior modification ranging from house soiling/marking, jumping, resource guarding, nuisance barking, separation distress, barrier frustration, and even dog/human aggression.

I don’t use e collars or choke chains at all. There are some circumstances where a pinch or prong collar is necessary and/or helpful, but we would discuss pros and cons before using it. I prefer to use a flat buckle or martingale collar, and a 6ft leash for training in most cases.

It varies dog to dog, teaching a dog what to do through positive outcomes affection, food, and the absence of pressure can all be rewards, and teaching a dog what not to do through negative consequences such as a verbal and/or a physical correction. This is generally speaking of course, and will depend on temperament of your specific dog.

I recommend working the dog mentally and physically over just physically. Certain tasks and problems will have a physical aspect to them. If you just physically fatigue the dog, you’ll just end up with an overly exuberant, poorly mannered, likely disobedient dog, who is more athletic, strong, and less responsive to you.

General examples of mental work are working the dog through a problem such as a dog that doesn’t like to sit on slick floors, or teaching a dog who wants to eat everything off the floor inside or outside that they can’t, or teaching the dog how to move with you on the leash and to be aware of where you are.

They can begin with 1 on 1 in home training right away. For more intensive programs like our board and train, the puppy should’ve been with you at least 4 weeks before sending them to work with me.

I work on nipping/biting, potty training, crate training, housebreaking, elimination of bad behaviors, as well as preparing your new pack member to be successful in environmental situations, such as being around new things like loud sounds, weird textures, cars/buses, new people, dogs, and many other things.

I recommend using a crate to help with housebreaking, potty training, and to make sure your new puppy or rescue dog can’t get into trouble while no one is home, along with lots of structure, discipline, and routine. These are the best ways to get your dog acclimated to their new environment quickly, and to help get them trained to be the dog you want as fast as possible. I also advocate for the use of not only positive reinforcement, but using leashes, and other tools to correct behaviors that are unwanted, or dangerous. What seems like harmless cuddling while the dog is on the couch with you, can quickly become a bite when you try to move them off, or pulling on the leash in anticipation of seeing other dogs, people, or vehicles can develop into barrier frustration when they can’t get what they want. So be careful what privileges and freedoms you allow on day one, because they can easily turn into tantrums, vocalizations, and serious behavioral issues.

I like to do weekly training sessions for obedience and behavior modification. I like to give my clients lots of homework to do between sessions, so we can make good progress toward whatever goals we set for the long term. 

I don’t recommend doing any of these activities with your dog, as it decreases your value to your dog, and increases the value of external wants your dog has. I prefer to be the most valuable thing to the dog, with proper communication, trust, and respect to help you to avoid many common behavioral issues, and to have better obedience.

Yes, absolutely! The 10 item test is something i would love to help all dog owners achieve!

1. Accepting a friendly stranger. 2. Sitting politely for petting. 3. Appearance and grooming. 4. Walking on a loose leash. 5. Walking through a crowd. 6. Sit and down on command and staying in place. 7. Coming when called. 8. Reaction to another dog. 9. Reacting (or not reacting) to a distraction. 10. Supervised separation.

Yes, I work a lot with aggressive, anxious, defensive dogs, who need better guidance, leadership, boundaries, and for their owners to be more knowledgable about behaviors. Getting the dog to be reliable off leash can take some time, and not all dogs can get there.

The earliest age I will take puppies for board & train is 12 weeks. The need at least 4 weeks with you, to truly bond to you and your family.

Everything you do with your dog is training, so whether it’s putting them in the crate, working on manners, living with the dog in the home, working on obedience/behavior issues, or just letting them roam and grab things “they shouldn’t have.” If the dog is awake, they’re learning, and it’s our responsibility to teach them what they can’t do first, and then what they can do.

The amount of crate time varies depending on age, temperament, basic obedience, behavior issues, etc. All dogs sleep in their crates, and spend time in them throughout the day, when not being worked.

Usually dogs get 3-6 training sessions per day, with each session varying in length depending on behavior issues, environmental problems, and goals for the board and train. The average session length is 45-60 mins

The first thing to do is see if you’re the cause. Are you petting the puppy a lot? Are you playing and amping the puppy up and then they start to mouth you? Puppies are bad decision making machines, and creating a lot of arousal is going to cause some issues for you and your family. If it’s not you, then consider the puppy might be tired, just like a toddler who “is crying for no reason” a lot of the time, the puppy just needs to go in their crate and rest.

A mistake I see a lot when I do my in home evaluations is potential clients have toys, chews, and bones all over the house. There’s no way the puppy can discern a plush squirrel you bought them and the kitchen towel hanging on the oven handle, or your socks or shoes for that matter. So usually the immediate answer to the problem is put away all the toys for the dog, have them on a leash, and hire a trainer to walk you through how to work with the puppy to help them understand what is “theirs” and what isn’t.

For the most part a mouthy pup grows into the behavior is unchecked properly. Sometimes puppies stop after teething is over, around 5-6 months of age, but if it’s become habituated to how you interact and live with them, you’re gonna need a trainer to help in person.

In home training can start as early as 8 weeks, for inexperienced owners. To work on the basics, potty training, housebreaking, nipping/biting, and starting the foundation of good manners and obedience.

Puppy day school can begin as early as 8 weeks, but usually I recommend waiting until the puppy has received their first round of vaccines.

Board and train usually isn’t a good option for very young puppies, as they need to bond with you for the first few weeks. So I like to use this option for puppies about 3-5 months old, where they’re getting off track, or when adolescent behavior are starting develop.

Dog trainers just teach obedience only, where behaviorists will work on issues like aggression, anxiety, fear, resource guarding, etc first.

There are also veterinary behaviorists, who prescribe medications for dogs, along with certain protocols to work on behavior issues, but I usually see more issues come out of that. Dogs just don’t understand the feeling of being medicated and so they tend to be worse with some behaviors. The goal of any dog owner should be to find someone well versed in doing both obedience training and work on problem behaviors.

With a traditional board and train program, your dog would be with me the entire duration of their stay. We would do a weekly session together, but your dog wouldn’t go home until the program is complete.