Why do you primarily work with people and their dogs privately?
After more than two decades of training dogs and their people in a wide variety of venues and formats, I have come to the conclusion that the majority of dogs and people learn faster and more effectively when we teach them one on one. I also believe that it is crucial to have the owner/handler of the dog involved in every step of the training process. Dog training is only as good as the person handling the dog. My ultimate goal is to teach people how to communicate more effectively and humanely with their canine family members.
What training methods or techniques do you use?
All of the techniques that we use are based in science-backed learning theory. We believe strongly in the power of positive, reward based dog and puppy training. We have seen positive based training change the lives of thousands of dogs and their people for the better. However, we will use mild correctives when appropriate. We happily explain what we do and why we do it before we work with your dog. This ensures that you are comfortable with all training methods that are used when working with your dog.
Do you use electric training collars?
As stated above, we strongly believe in the power of positive, reward based training. However, we occasionally see cases in which the use of an electric training collar may be warranted. These are typically cases in which the safety of either the dog, its family, or the general public is a concern. In these situations, we only recommend the use of an electric collar after reward based training and/or milder corrective methods have been attempted for a sufficient period of time. We are also adamant about only using electric collars from reputable manufacturers, as there are many poorly designed collars on the market today. As with all of our training, we happily discuss all options thoroughly with you and only use techniques that you are comfortable with.
How do we know if you can help us?
Contact us through our website and tell us a little bit about your dog and what your goals are. From there, we will contact you and see if we’re a good fit for what you’re looking for. You are also welcome to give us a call, and we can chat to see if we’re a good fit.
How often do we meet with you?
Typically we see people and their pups every other week. In some cases, we see people weekly, and in others, it can be as little as once every six weeks. This varies a lot depending on your goals and where you and your dog are in the training process. As we are primarily teaching you, we want to make sure you have had plenty of time to practice before moving on to new things. Contact us and we can give you a better idea of what you will be looking at to reach your goals.
When are you available?
Between our trainers, we can accommodate most schedule needs. Our trainers do offer weekend and evening sessions. Please know that our office hours (answering phone questions and responding to email) are Tuesday – Saturday, roughly 9-5.
What is your cancellation policy?
We understand that life doesn’t always go as planned. We ask that you notify us as soon as possible if you need to reschedule or cancel an appointment as we often have a wait list for appointments. We do ask a minimum of 24 hours-notice to change an appointment or a cancellation fee may be applied. If outdoor training is planned and weather does not permit, we will contact you to reschedule.
How do we get started?
If you have read through our training options and would like to get started training or maybe you have some questions for us, please contact us through our website, and we will reach out to you as soon as we are able, or you can give us a call at 719-337-9364.
Do you guarantee your training?
There is no way for any trainer to ethically guarantee the actions of any dog or it’s handler. However, we do stand by what we do. If you do not feel that you got your money’s worth from any of our training sessions, please let us know and we will make it right.