Frequently Asked Questions

House-training your dog can be a difficult, frustrating process, and time and patience are essential.  Using a crate at night and when you aren’t able to keep an eye on your dog is very helpful.  A crate will teach your dog to hold it until they are let out of the crate.  A dog should be taken outside as soon as they are let out of the crate and praised for going to the bathroom outside.  For more tips on how to house-train your dog, fill out the “Schedule a Training Session” form.

Dogs bark, but excessive barking can be an issue.  The first step is to determine why your dog is barking.  Are they lonely, bored, frustrated, or frightened?  Then the next step is to correct that behavior.  Fill out the “Schedule a Training Session” form and we can determine the best training technique for your dog.

Like other bad dog behaviors, dogs can be chewing for many reasons.  Young puppies are most likely teething, and older dogs left home alone all day just might be bored.  In both these cases, the best thing to do is dog-proof your home – don’t leave shoes or other items around the house.  Also, provide your dog with plenty of chew toys and exercise.  A well-exercised dog will be too tired to chew.  Contact me through this site, and I can help you through the process and provide you with other dog obedience tips. 

A dog’s aggression towards other dogs can come from their natural desire to determine social rank.  Early and ongoing socialization plays a key role in preventing your dog’s aggression towards others.  When training with me, you will learn engagement techniques that will condition your dog to pay attention to you at all times and to let the world go by without reacting aggressively or negatively.

A dog jumping up on people always starts out as cute when your dog is a puppy, but as they grow this habit not only becomes annoying, it also becomes dangerous.  If a child or elderly person comes near your dog and the dog jumps up to greet them, the dog could knock that person back and cause injury.  One way to start to teach your dog to not jump up is when they jump on you, turn away from them and say “off” in a firm voice.  Then, redirect their attention to a “sit” command, and once they sit, reward the good behavior.  To learn more tips on how to stop your dog from jumping, fill out the “Schedule a Training Session” form.

Due to the tremendous increase in requests for private training sessions, group classes are not being offered at this time.  For private sessions, click here

A private session lasts one hour and costs $135.00.

Once we have the initial training session, I will have a better view of what will be needed.  We can then come up with a good plan and schedule more sessions if necessary.  Fill out the “Schedule a Training Session” form and we can determine the best training techniques for your dog.

I like to start working with pups when they are around 10-14 weeks old.  I believe it is imperative to do all of your environmental, shaping, and imprinting work early in a dog’s life.  You have one shot to get this work done correctly.  If you put your time in early, the end result will be a solid, well-adjusted dog that is a pleasure to have in your family.  Fill out the “Schedule a Training Session” form to find out more information on environmental work, imprinting, and shaping behaviors.

Due to the tremendous increase in requests for private training sessions, I am not offering any group classes at this time.

I offer a package of three private training sessions for $380.00.

I am available for private training sessions seven days a week at any reasonable time. I am typically booked 1-2 weeks ahead, so with some advanced notice, we can usually get you into the schedule.  I have the most availability on weekday mornings or early afternoons.  Weekends tend to book up more quickly and further out.

Absolutely! I strongly advise people with good working/high-energy dogs to compete in some venue at some level.  I have experience in many areas from Rally trials to working dog sports.  I truly enjoy working with folks in this area and helping them compete and achieve success!

I have had a great deal of success working with dog-aggressive dogs at local dog parks.  This technique may seem strange at first, but it works very well.  We DO NOT enter the park with the aggressive dog.  We do all the work on the outside of the fence at a safe distance.  We work the dogs using a HIGH VALUE food reward or toy and the correct equipment for management.  We teach the dog that if he stays in a calm, clear state of mind, he earns a great reward.  They quickly learn, when around other dogs, great things come from their handler.  This, in turn, teaches the dog to pay attention to its handler and not the other dogs. 

I have been working with dogs in one aspect or another for over 30 years.