SERVICES AND FEES FOR CONSULTATIONS AND TRAINING
First initial meeting and consultation - $225
This is the most important get together for the client and their pet. During this meeting, I will lay the ground work for the training guidelines and introduce you to the basics of learning theory and operant conditionng. Expect this first session to last around 2-3 hours.
You will have an opportunity to express your ideas and talk about your ideal "wish list" for your dog. We will discuss the concerns you have and then explore how you can achieve your goals for the future. This first meeting we will also cover a variety of information including diet, my training background, and the techniques I use. I will answer all of your questions no matter how big or small. My goal is to help you to understand how dogs view the world and how to be effective in handling them. My objective will be to lead not only your dog, but to also to lead you to the succes you want to achieve. We will work together as a team.
BOARD AND TRAIN WITH ME IN MY HOME
This in home training program was designed for the pet owner who simply does not have either the time or the skills to train full time with their dog. First, I would like to point out that I never take more than one dog into my residence at a time. I do not ever take on an abudance of dogs because I am more concerned with giving you back a well mannered friend and companion. Your dog will be cared for as an individual and will only be trained and handled by me. Your dog also will socialize and play daily under my supervision with my pet Cassidy. I believe in a balanced approach to both play and training. My dog Cassidy is not dog aggresive and has assisted me many times in working with other dogs.
In the beginning of your dogs training, I will teach your dog to make eye contact with me. Also, an important step in the early stages is to teach your dog to learn to remain still, or to "stay put". In other words, your dog is to remain in a sit, stand, or down whenever the stimulus or command is presented. Next, we will work on behavioral movements such as heel, walk, slow, come close, and break. Believe it or not, all of these behaviors are the fundementals to all other future behaviors. A dog that sits and stays, does not jump up on a guest . A dog that lies down and stays, does not run after skatebaoards. A dog that stands up-right and still, will not run out the front door. There are only a handful of basic commands or behaviors, but it is key that they are executed properly. This will make all the difference in the responses that you get from your dog. I will specifically demonstrate all these behaviors with my dog at our first meeting.
The "Recall" - I will work on this behavior as well as retreiving with your dog. This can be a lenghty process to get a reliable response. What I do tell all clients is that short of using an e-collar you will not get a reliable recall from any dog in a week or even 6 weeks. The recall is simply a very complex behavior to get reliably, especially from young dogs. Older dogs who have been allowed to run free and greet other people and dogs using incorrect reienforcements or improper stimulus, are simply going to take longer than dogs with less problematic histories. There are some trainers who work for years trying to perfect the recall. Do not believe anyone who tells you there are short cuts. There are none. Training is a life long process. Once any behavior is learned by a dog it still requires maintenance throughout their lifetime.