I use a vary wide variety of training equipment and methods. I believe all dogs learn differently and that there is no one training style that works for all dogs. I will help you build an individualized training plan that fits your dogs personality and your lifestyle.
Do I use treats? For most dogs I do use food as a lure when teaching basic commands. Some dogs get to excited and work better without the food from the start. I ALWAYS move you to a point where you don't need the food. Your dog should listen without having to have a treat each time. I use it as a training aid and a reward not a bribe. I have many clients who have started with treat training somewhere else and didn't like it, so we show them how to move away from the treats or we use NO treats for the dog if that's what works best for the dog. YES I can train your dog with no food. It's possible but not the best fit for all dogs. IF we use treats for my dog in training. What kind should I use? High Value and Small and easy to break up is key. We recommend Pure Bites dog treats. They come in a hand full of different meat proteins and are freeze dried. If these dont get your dog motivated then we move onto Stella & Chewy's which is extremly high value freeze dried pattys. Both of these we purchase at Pet Food Express Roseville. Please don't use any kind of hard crunchy treats. These are rarely high enough value with distractions around. I also highly recommend feeding your dog after a training session, not before.
Training Programs I will teach you how to read your dogs body language, understand them and communicate with your dog in a way they understand. I help to coach you in teaching your dog commands that will be a reliable form of communicating with your dog. Dog training is all about build a better relationship with your dog. I will coach you how to handle your dog appropriately and give you all the tools you will need to have control in any situation. You will have homework to do and you will need to make time in your schedule to work with your dog. Your dog will only get as much out of training as the time and effort YOU put in.
Off Leash Programs I only teach Off leash programs with the help and use of an E-collar. Remote Collars can be a great tool when you use the right brand and they are used correctly. I use Mini Educator collars by e-collar technologies. Once you train the dog with the collar it is just another form of communication with your dog. It is a lot less force full and actually is kinder on your dog than physical corrections from any other form of collar. It is a gentle reminder of what they are supposed to be doing. Each of my clients is required to feel it before we do any ecollar training and most people are pleasantly surprised that they don't feel it until a 15 or so and their dog is responding calmly at a 3 or 4. Anyone that truly wants their dog to be off leash should invest in an ecollar. It allows me the confidence and safety that no matter what I have control of what my dog is doing. You can train all day every day and there is still a % that your dog can make their own decisions. There are things that we can't train or prepare for. I want to have control of that %. I am a safe driver but I still wear my seat belt. That's how I think of my ecollar. It's there if I need it but the majority of the time it isn't needed once the dog is trained.
Training Equipment We have a more detailed description of each types of equipment and how they are used on our Blog. There is a link to each article below. We use everything from a flat collar, martingale (limited slip) collars, prong collars, head halters (halti), harnesses, slip leads and collars and even remote e-collars of specific brands. All tools we use are based on the dog. It is important that you understand coming into training that we may recommend any of the above training equipment depending on you and your dog as we build all training plans to the individual dog. There are lots of different kinds of training equipment out there and I need you to be as open minded about the options available to your dog to aid in achieving the goals you have for your dog as we are. If you are not willing to try types of equipment if we feel it is the right fit for your dog you are only limiting your dogs potential. By signing up for training with us YOU are agreeing to be open minded about training equipment and trust that the trainer has your dogs best interest in mind at all times.
We NEED you to be as committed to training and working with your dog as we are. The results from training your dog are a direct correlation to the time and consistency you put in.
FAQS
What Is Dog Training?
Training is about opening the lines of communications with your dog; a clear way for you to communicate to your dog and better form a relationship. I believe in educating you as dog owners in the basic aspects of dog behavior, dog body language, and how they think.
When we are training, before we jump into fixing a problem or behavior I explain to you why and how these behaviors are occurring. From there we can properly fix the problem at hand. Since you now know and understand your dog these won't be recurring problems. Together we can prevent these from happening again.
Many may think of training as sit, down, come, stay. Training is so much more; these commands are the building blocks of communicating with your dog and your dog will learn to trust and follow your lead. This training will enable you to have a safe fun dog that you can take with you when you are out and about and can save your dog's life in a real life situation.
We help teach you how to incorporate training into your daily life. This way your dog will respond to these commands anywhere and anytime no matter what distractions may be present.
Training should never be a burden, we teach you how to make it fun for you and your dog!
What training equipment should I use?
There are many different types of training equipment available. All dogs are different and learn in slightly different ways. We will use whichever training equipment works for the dog and that you the owner are comfortable using. We will adjust your dog's training plan to fit their individual needs and personality.
