FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
Private lessons start with an initial consult which costs $100.00. In this 1 to 1 1/2 hour session, we meet your dog, assess the problem in detail, create an individualized plan of action, set dates for future training sessions, and choose the training package that best serves your needs. Individual sessions are 1 to 1.5 hours for $100.00 each. Includes one month of phone and unlimited email support. Purchase four sessions together for $350.00 and save $50. Includes six months of phone and unlimited email support. Save $125, purchase six sessions together for $475.00. Includes one year of phone and unlimited email support. Save $200, purchase eight sessions together for $600.00. Includes one year of phone and unlimited email support. Group obedience (beginning through advanced) classes are offered in six week sessions for $175. Basic obedience skills such as sit, down, stay, and come are covered as well as door manners, loose lead walking and staying calm and focused around other dogs. Intermediate builds on these skills and specialty classes, such as Advanced Obedience, Loose Lead Walking, Walking Granville, Total Recall, and CGC prep are designed to take your training to the highest level you wish to achieve.
- What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
With all clients, private or group class, I have them fill out a "Dog Personality Profile" as this helps me to individualize the training and address the particular issues of the client. With private clients our first session runs about an hour and a half as we go over the profile, talk about my philosophy and methods of training and get started on some core behaviors. Beginning group classes all start with an orientation where we do the same thing and get geared up for the first class with dogs. Depending on the individual needs of the client, I typically will work with them to build basic skills (such as sit, down, come, focused attention, etc) and then we apply those things to their every day life. With behavior clients I tend to take a multi pronged approach where we focus on building confidence in their dog through obedience training as well as working on specific behavioral problems.
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I have a BA in biology. I am also a CPDT-KA which is a "Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Knowledge Assessed." This means that I have more than 300 hours of training experience, 2/3 of which are as a primary trainer. I have had my CPDT for 6 years and that requires that I have re-certified twice. Each time I have to have earned 36 hours of CEUs in a 3 year period, including hands on workshops with dogs. In the last cycle I earned over 70 CEUs. I attend a variety of conferences and have taken seminars and training sessions with leaders in positive reinforcement training such as, Pat Miller, Kath Sdao, Ken White, Karen Pryor, Colleen Pelar, Ken Ramirez, Sophia Yin, Ian Dunbar, Kent McCord, and many more.