Training Overview

It's easy to feel overwhelmed by all of the training advice available today.

If you are looking for one expert source, you can feel confident that my advice will be effective, logical and kind. I will also be respectful of both you and your dog.

My advice is grounded in rigorous training with Jean Donaldson, one of the foremost dog trainers and theorists in the world. You can also feel confident of results. I will save you and your family time, confusion and frustration.

At the center of my practice is positive reinforcement, which my experience has shown produces not just the best results in training but also secures and strengthens the bond between people and their dogs. The central strategies of positive reinforcement are simple:

• Present your dog with something pleasant or rewarding immediately following behavior you wish to encourage.
• Ignore the inappropriate behavior and redirect and teach the appropriate behavior.

Eventually inappropriate behavior disappears as your dog realizes he can more easily get your attention and other stimulating rewards with positive behaviors. This isn't difficult stuff, if you know how to teach it.

What happens when your puppy whines in the crate . . . should you let her out?

Does nipping mean you have an aggressive dog?

Why doesn't your dog come when you call him?

How do you stop a puppy from jumping?

How can you possibly get a dog's attention when there is another dog around?

Helping you answer questions like these and more is where I come in. I'm confident I can help your dog learn certain behaviors he or she might be having trouble with, and I'm equally confident that I can help your dog learn to leave behind certain other behaviors, such as jumping on your guests.

I focus on humanely teaching and motivating dogs in way that is fun for both person and dog. I can help isolate specific strategies that work and explain them in such a way that makes sense. Motivating a dog to do behaviors on cue is not easy, per se, but I can show you how to do it!

I am currently accepting cases in any of the following areas:

• General behavior issues with puppies and older dogs including jumping, pulling on leash, come, reliability, and housetraining
• Advanced training such as placement, retrieve, heel, distraction work, reliability strategies, shaping, off-leash work, distance commands, behavior chains, target training, and heel
• Anxiety and aggression including, dog to dog aggression, dog to people aggression, barking, separation anxiety, and resource guarding.

I look forward to speaking with you. Fill out my information form and I will contact you soon.

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