We use positive reinforcement and choice-based training. Our goal is for you and your dog to communicate better and understand each other. We haven’t yet come across a behavioral issue that wasn’t fixable using gentle and kind approach. Through our training and by utilizing our methods, you gain lifelong tools that will be with you and your dog(s) for the rest of your lives.

We use choice-based training, which means that we want to help you teach your dog to make the right choice by themselves. By rewarding your dog for making the right choices, your dog is not only engaging their decision-making skills and gaining more patience, but is also going to be more willing and able to obey commands in higher stress situations.

Positive reinforcement refers to the introduction of a desirable or pleasant stimulus after a behavior. The desirable stimulus reinforces the behavior, making it more likely that the behavior will reoccur.

In positive reinforcement we focus on the good behaviors that are already being displayed as well as rewarding the natural tendencies towards good choices. Hand in hand, we also work on the unwanted habits and help your dog understand what is acceptable and what is not. 

The most important aspect of training is to bridge the language gap and break it down to increments small enough that your dog can make those choices by themselves. We are happy to help you with that.  

Punishment-based training damages the relationship between you and your dog. 

Furthermore, dogs associate what they see with how they feel. When you apply punishment when they see other dogs or people, your dog associates the stimuli with the negative outcome. Additionally, dogs develop certain body language and habits that are related to this negative association.

Many times with punishment-based training, more problems are made than fixed and it harms the bond between you and your dog. This means that it can take longer to fix an unwanted behavior than if the correct approach was taken in the first place, because the harm caused by the punishment-based training has to be undone.

Also, it’s important to understand that dogs often exhibit behaviors that are a part of their canine communication. When they are punished for exhibiting those, you get a dog who jumps to actions faster and more unpredictably, because canine communication didn’t prove useful to them in the past.

The good news is that you are feeding your dog, anyway. Every day. 

We will show you how to utilize your dog’s food and turn it into treats. Food is a great reinforcer for most dogs and we can use that to help your dog make their own choices by wanting to get the reward. Once those behaviors become your dog’s go-to and muscle memory, we can raise the criteria, fade the treats and ask for additional behaviors for the same treat. 

Food isn’t the only reinforcer. Dogs enjoy play, toys, car rides, scratches, praise, etc. In our training, we will explore what your dog likes and help you troubleshoot to find out what works best.

We will leave it up to you to decide, but are happy to recommend if needed and point out the different advantages of each one of the options.

If you are unsure, you can always schedule an in-home consultation for a trainer to assess whether your dog is a better fit for in-home training or group classes. Our sessions are never just assessments. We always start training in our first session and will be able to give you plenty of valuable tools.

Here are the advantages of each one:

Private training

1. This option is good for cases in which behavior modification is needed (behavior modification is not part of the curricula in most of our classes).
2. Private training can be invaluable for new pet-parents, especially if you’re adopting a new puppy or rescue. Even in the case of enrolling in a group class, we suggest taking one or two private sessions, if possible, in order to set solid training foundations for you and your dog.
3. The trainer is working with your dog only and not splitting their attention between your dog and other dogs in class.
4. We can customize the training and tailor it to your needs and don’t have to follow a class curriculum. 
5. Better for people with irregular schedules or that can’t commit to a certain day of the week.
6. Can be beneficial for families that have more than one dog. (While in a group setting, we charge per dog, in private training we  charge per session, even if you have more than one dog.)
7. Beneficial when the behaviors happen at the house (barking at the windows, barking at the fence or when people walk in) or if we need to work with additional family members such as children.
8. One of the benefits of private training is that there are less distractions. While group classes are great training environments for dogs to practice with distractions, private trainings are better tailored for dogs who have a harder time focusing.(In order for your dog to benefit from a class and learn new routines, they need to be able to be under threshold.)

Group class:

1. Great option if you want to work with your dog around distractions as long as your dog is well behaved around other dogs. (In order for your dog to benefit from a class they need to be able to be under threshold in class).
2. Group classes are a great way to get your dog used to being around other dogs and people. Particularly if your dog is shy, this kind of setting can allow them to open up while learning new skills. Groups also help shy dogs to build confidence since the other dogs in the class are focused on their handlers instead of on them.
3. We truly have a large variety of group class topics at varying levels of skill.
4. The joy of learning together and making new friends.

In these classes, you’re able to train with other pet parents! Dogs and people benefit from the support and encouragement from other people in class. In many cases, people make connections with other dog/handler teams and continue their education in advanced classes together and meet up for puppy play-dates and dog walks in the park. 

Combination of private training and group classes:

Ultimately, private training and group classes compliment each other. Choosing the right training environment is crucial for success and a combination between private training and group classes can achieve that. In a combination, we start with a package of private training in order to build a strong foundation and prepare your dog for group classes. This is ultimately a higher level of obedience, because your dog can work better and focus on you even around distractions. 

Virtual Training

Virtual training is training over skype or video-chat.

1. This option is great for clients who are unable to access group classes or in-home private training due to schedule conflicts or distance.
2. This can also be a good option for existing clients who have follow-up questions or who desire to brush up on skills, but who do not feel that an in-home visit is necessary.
3. With virtual training we can go over lots of training material and help you to train your dog without having to meet your dog. (We do ask that you send us a video ahead of time that demonstrates the behavior.)

Small Group Private Training

This is basically private training for more than one dog, that have similar training goals. For example: if you and your neighbor both have a new puppy, you can get together for a small group private training and split the cost of private training. We have also had clients that adopted littermates and conducted their training together, as well as family members that wanted to work on different dogs’ leash skills.