HOW to communicate with your dog by understanding WHAT your dog is telling you. We call this "Doggie (Dog Body) Language Basics. This means everything from how to know whether or not your dog is happy or stressed, the importance of learning effective non-verbal communication with your pup, how to properly greet and approach your dog (especially useful for rescue dogs or new puppies), what dog "calming signals" are and how to address them when you see them, and how to take feedback from your dog to help your training goals.
The importance of positive reinforcement. This goes without saying, it is 2020 and we should be rewarding the good behavior and redirecting the bad. No punishment, no yelling, and sure as heck no e-collars. Our dogs WANT to do the right thing, it is our job as trainers to be able to communicate effectively so we can reward those good things. So what happens when your dog won't stop barking or peeing in the house? How do we reward the good there? We'll teach you and you'll be amazed at the results.
Crate Training- The crate should be a wonderful, happy place that your dog willingly goes in and is happy to be. You can always decide to no longer crate your dog at night or when you leave, but it is absolutely crucial for creating happy, healthy boundaries with a new dog or puppy. Just like we need our "relaxation" time, a dog needs to learn that skill and the crate is a wonderful way to do it. We'll teach you how to get your dog going in on command, how to get them not to barge out when the door opens, and how to get them to be happy and relax in there. We will also problem solve dogs that bark in the crate, eliminate in the crate, and down right just don't like the crate!
Potty Training- I think we can all agree this one is pretty important. We'll teach you how to potty train whether you live in a high rise apartment or your pup has access 24/7 to a yard.
In depth lessons on how to teach Sit, Down, Stay, Come and Leave it. We'll both explain and show by video how to teach these cues. We will show multiple ways to train these behaviors as there is no "one way fits all" in dog training. Some dogs can be lured, some can be shaped, and some learn best with capturing. We'll cover what all those fancy terms mean too. :)
Impulse Control- Absolutely crucial for a new dog or puppy. This means having a pup that can wait at doors, not get dropped food, and doesn't try to pull on leash at EVERYTHING they see.
Leash Training- from introducing the leash the first time, to teaching your pup to walk WITH you, to learning advanced leash skills...We'll fill you in on everything to having a great walking partner.
