Dog Training

Q. Describe the most common types of jobs you do for your clients.

A. Breaking bad habits!!
For dogs, these include:
Dogs that jump on people, dogs that steal food from the counter top or the children's toys, shoes and underwear, dogs that dash out the door and don't want to come back, dogs that bark at nearly anything that moves on the other side of the door or window!
For people, it involves knowing that pushing your dog down = giving attention, leaving food out is an olfactory invitation, toys and shoes look alot like dog toys, running away often feels like a game of chase, etc.
Teaching an owner why a dog "does what it does" can quickly lead to changing a simple behavior and modifying troublesome issues.

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. Find out what type of training technique is being used. Dogs respond well to positive training, but also need leadership. Can a trainer help you be a good leader to your dog? Make sure a trainer wants to help you build a relationship with your dog so the dog will work for YOU.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. Before I began working with dogs, I would have liked to understand how they think and communicate. Knowing what to look for in a dog can ease anxiety, aggression and bad behavior. Learning how to "read" your dog will build a stronger bond and a better trained "best friend".

Q. What questions should a consumer ask to hire the right service professional?

A. How long have you been working with animals?
What qualifications/certifications do you have?
Do you work with all breeds?
What experience do you have with shelters/rescues?
Are you willing to network with other trainers?

Q. What important information should buyers have thought through before seeking you out?

A. What do you want from your dog? For example, are you just looking for your dog to stop jumping on people and/or stealing food? Or are you hoping for basic obedience and maybe adding some tricks. Would you consider taking training to higher levels like therapy training?
Why is dog training important to you?

Q. Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

A. My goal with training is to build a bond between dog/owner so your dog will work for you out of respect and loyalty. Teaching an owner to know a dog's signals for when it is anxious, afraid, sad, hurt, depressed or perfectly content will help keep your family, friends and pet safe and balanced throughout the dogs lifetime.

Q. What do you like most about your job?

A. I love working with different people and seeing how their interactions change throughout the training process. I love the challenge of trying to figure out each dog and what will motivate individual animals. I love knowing that I can make a difference in the lives of a family and that sometimes my help with training may save a dog from being sent to a shelter. I love that sometimes I get to help a family find the perfect dog in the most unexpected place. I love that I can teach something valuable to every family I work with. I love that I get to wake up to a tail wag every day!

Q. What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A. I am often asked if I will take a dog, train it and give it back. While I will train the dog privately, a dog will always respond better to the person it works for, so it most often is in the best interest of the owner to do the training with a guiding hand rather than have someone else do it for them.

Q. Do you have a favorite story from your work?

A. Many opportunities to work with the public come in the form of "Humane Education" talks I do for schools and organizations. One of my therapy dogs visits with me wherever he is welcome. During a preschool visit, there was a little girl that was so afraid of dogs that she sat in the back of the room in her teachers lap and cried silently out of fear through most of the talk. We talked about how to watch a dog's body language to get an idea of what he is thinking, how to safely approach a dog with it's owner, and what kind of body language to present. After the class was over and many of the children had come up to pet my dog, she managed to work up a smile, put on her best "brave dog body language" and approach and pet my dog. I recieved a letter of thanks from the teacher, the parents, and the little girl about a week later. -another happy ending.

Q. What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?

A. I understand that not everyone is a "dog person", but every dog needs to know his place in his person's life. He doesn't care if he is top dog, or at the bottom of the ladder (as a matter of fact, most dogs prefer to take a lower family rank). When he understands what you want, he will show unconditional loyalty - there are very few things in life better than a loyal companion. I'll always try to let my clients see how strong a bond between owner/dog can be. When it is good, your dog will work for you, know when to back down, and love you unconditionally. Agression, anxiety, fear and unbalanced mental health are all things that can often be avoided in dogs with a strong human-canine bond and solid, positive reinforcement training.

Q. How did you decide to get in your line of work?

A. I have always loved dogs. A number of years ago, we decided to rescue a dog from a shelter. We knew it had suffered from abuse and neglect, but we found a wonderfully loyal dog and brought her home. After nursing her physical ailments, I began the long process of trying to bring her back to a state of good mental health. I worked closely with a PhD in animal behavior, a private trainer and my veterinarian. It was a long and challenging process, but opened my eyes to the human-canine bond and the incredible rewards that come from working with animals.

Q. Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

A. I regularly attend seminars and webinars that outline different types of training as well as dog behaviors and pack mentality. I am currently enrolled in a program to become a therapy dog evaluator. I enjoy bringing my own dogs to different types of training (agility, nosework, tracking, etc.) to continue learning how new exercises will affect them both physically and mentally and how to keep them motivated. I also work very closely with my local shelter to find better ways to socialize and work with a multitude of dogs as well as stay up-to-date on legislation that affects the welfare of our animal population.

Q. If you have a complicated pricing system for your service, please give all the details here.

A. Because I offer different types of services, it's hard to put a pricetag on each. I do charge an hourly rate for in-home private sessions, but sometimes it doesn't take an hour to teach a dog to stop jumping...sometimes it takes much longer to get a dog to stop barking at the window.
Group classes are based on the type of class (puppy preschool, basic obedience, intermediate training, therapy work all require different time commitments).
Consulting can be as simple as identifying the right breed for a family (a sit down session), or actually going out "shopping" and temperament testing to find the right dog to live with your children.
Fees for Humane Education seminars can vary, but always benefit a shelter or rescue program.

Q. If you were advising someone who wanted to get into your profession, what would you suggest?

A. Work with as many dogs as you can!! Be thorough in your research and seek out a good educational program as well as good mentors to work with. Volunteer at your local shelter and get involved in the care of the animals. Get to know the stories (good and bad) and watch how the animals react. Work with veterinarians, groomers, pet store owners and other trainers - keep a strong network open.
Always remember that they are animals and act on instinct and communicate with body language. Never give up on a dog...they won't give up on you.