My goal is to enrich the lives of dogs and their owners through training and education using a positive, force free approach
You will receive personal, in home training and
I will work with you at every stage of your dog’s life
Puppy 8 wks to 4 months
Your new puppy is a rapid learner and will need guidance, boundaries and management to make good choices. Puppies bond with humans much like children do, so use positive training to lay a foundation of trust and respect.
Adolescence 4 months to 1 1/2 year
Dogs begin puberty around 6-9 months of age and they can be moody and unpredictable. They will test the boundaries and exert their independence. “Like teenagers- whose bodies flood with hormones and whose brains are rewired during puberty- adolescent dogs can disregard and disobey their owners” - V. Morell. Unfortunately, teenage dogs are the most likely age group to end up in a shelter. We need to embrace their energy, and joie de vive, and support them during this stage. This is the time where your relationship is growing and strengthening.
Maturity 1 - 4 years
Dogs are becoming physically mature and the timeline varies widely depending on the size of the breed, hormones etc. Many innate behaviours show up during this stage, eg. territorial behaviour. If you have a behavioural issue, deal with it immediately to avoid a problem behaviour becoming a bad habit. You need a proper diagnosis and treatment plan to move forward which can include behaviour modification.
Adult Dog
Dogs continue to learn their whole life time- they are life long learners like us. It is never too late to start training or changing the behaviours that have become habits.
Puppy Training Protocol
- Housetraining
- Puppy proofing
- Crate training
- Socialization plan
- Bite inhibition
- Restraint and handling
- Name recognition
- Eye contact
- Impulse control
- Positions- sit, down, stand, stay, wait, by me
- Loose leash walking
- Hand targeting
Adolescent Dog Training protocol is customized to you and your dog. Many of the elements in the puppy training protocol are introduced if new, or reintroduced, as a refresher and to further advance the dog’s learning.
- Eye contact
- Impulse control
- Positions- sit, down, stand, stay, wait, by me
- Loose leash walking
- Hand targeting
- Settle on mat
- Recall
- Polite Greeting
- Enrichment Activities
As your dog matures, the Training Protocol is dog specific. I will meet with you, your family and your dog to complete an assessment and develop a customized plan of action. A key component of the assessment is an understanding of the dog-owner relationship, which may need some mending and is often a part of the solution.