In-Home Training
Our In-Home Sessions are completely individualized and tailored to the specific dog and their environment. We encourage as many people in the household attend the session to get everyone involved in the process. It is critical for the dog to receive the same messaging from all household members to achieve successful communication and learning. The sessions are a MINIMUM of 2 hours and open ended to be sure all issues are addressed with programs and solutions in place ( you are only charged for the initial 2 hours, anything over that is gratis). I encourage all participants to prepare as many questions in advance as possible so nothing is overlooked. You are welcome to video anything during the session and you will be given pages of written instructions to facilitate follow through.
After session follow up calls are a must and not charged. It is essential you stay in touch to make sure if you run into any difficulties, they are addressed. I stand by the methods I use and give you, so any question or problem must be discussed.
The sessions stress the constant conversation you have with your dog and keeping it consistent. You must learn not only how to communicate effectively but just as important to “listen” to how your dog is responding. Everything the dog does has meaning and you will learn how to read signals and respond effectively. The dog will always tell you if you are doing something right. That is the CORE of the session philosophy. Once your are in sync with your dog….anything can be achieved.
Finally, as each dog is different, you are taught how to initiate getting and KEEPING your dogs attention and focus. Your cannot teach if your dog does not know your are engaging them. That’s is why these sessions can be a critical teaching tool in preparing your dog for training classes and getting the most out of those classes. Teaching focus solves the age old complaint of “my dog gets too distracted” in a public setting. How wonderful it is when your dog listens as well at outside the home as in the home. This is invaluable and will always be your goal with our sessions.
What is included in your in-home sessions
BEHAVIORAL ISSUES:
ALL DOGS
Certain behaviors in dogs can come naturally or can be created. Some come from birth and some pop up as they develop. Dogs are reactive creatures and most times their behavior is a reflection of the environment they live in. Therefore a dogs behavior, good or bad, is subject to change and likewise responsive to what goes on around them. The beauty of the dog is they are highly adaptive and therefore so is behavior. It is our job to show them which behaviors are good and which are not. Behaviors addressed ( but not limited too)
- Manners – this includes jumping, mouthing, barking, counter surfing etc.
- Not Listening – ignoring commands, bribery, not consistent
- Fear Issues – fears can be inherent or developed and can range from loud noises, men or women, other dogs, strangers etc. Fear is rooted in the dogs perception of the thing it fears.
- Resource guarding – Dog growls or lunges over things it “possesses, such as toys, bones, certain family members, food/meals etc
- Dog to dog Aggression – this can either be fixed or managed
- People/Stranger Aggression – Dog growls/lunges/snaps
- General Anxiety – Dogs can suffer from simple lack of confidence to “generalized anxiety”.
- PTSD/TRAUMA/ABUSE – These are issues that should be dealt with ASAP!!
RESCUE DOGS
Bringing home a new adoption can be exciting and rewarding. We can teach you how to make it go smoothly for both you and your new addition. I have been working with rescues since I first started training dogs. In fact it was my work with rescues that caused me to study dogs and behavior. Rescue dogs need structure, consistency and clear communication in order to adapt to the new pack. The first 90 days are an adaptation period and a CRITICAL time to ensure a successful transition for the dog!!
- Communication techniques to provide your new family member with all the information they need to adapt to your new environment.
- Children and the rescue dogs
- How to introduce new dog to existing pets properly
- Housebreaking
- Creating rules and boundries
PUPPIES
I start training my puppies on day one (8-9 weeks). You cannot bring your dog to school until they have had their second round of shots and a cleared fecal exam. This usually means a puppy doesn’t start class until 12 to 14 weeks.. critically you’re missing a very important connection time with your pup. Private sessions can give you the techniques to jumpstart and initiate the back and forth conversation between you and your new arrival. CREATE FOCUS!
So the first thing with a puppy session is teaching connection and communication. Without that you can’t teach house breaking, no chewing, no biting or any kind of learning for that matter…… the first thing you must do is get the puppy to understand is that you talk to each other. Once you start with that, everything is 50% easier.
We teach you about breed specific behaviors, so you know what to expect as normal from your puppy
Problems addressed ( but not limited to):
- House breaking is a human function and that can be achieved in one session. Once you know what to do and are consistent doing it, your housebroken. The puppy just follows and does what you allow it to.. you’re in charge of housebreaking
- Biting is addressed by redirection into instructional games, which you can video that will be taught in the session.
- Basic commands can be started as early as 10 weeks. Sit., down., come.
- Leash walking-getting the puppy used to the leash and learning to follow.
- We teach you instructional games to help with exercise needs and make the training portion fun.
- Any and all fear or possible reactivity issues
I am in no way saying the puppy does not need socialization in a proper classroom setting, but there was work we can do in the meantime so your kindergarten does not dissolve into overstimulation and is more productive with a prepared focused puppy.