We think of obedience training as dog education. We feel that your relationship with your dog should be based on fair and effective communication, it is the key to enhancing your relationship with your dog. The best way to accomplish this is through comprehensive obedience training and owner education.

We are committed to providing you and your dog with the best training and counseling available. Your dog’s training is based on its unique personality, behavioral issues, and breed traits, as well as your goals. We understand that not each dog can fit into a singular “method” of training and we have the ability to modify your dog’s training based on your dog and your goals. Your dog’s training will be designed to teach your dog useful obedience commands, good manners, and acceptable behavior patterns. Your dog’s training would not be complete without you, the owner, learning how to properly handle and effectively communicate with your dog.

While professional dog training may cost more than conventional club training or large group sessions, the benefits outweigh the additional investment:

• one-on-one training designed to meet your dog's personality, behavioral issues, and breed traits, as well as your goals
• training sessions that are scheduled at your convenience
• attention during our training instruction is focused on you and your dog
• continued assistance is always available
• you will be working with a professionally trained and certified dog trainer

There are several methods of dog training in use today, ranging from highly corrective techniques to 100% positive reinforcement.  On one end of the spectrum are highly corrective techniques, these are used by trainers who intimidate or force their dogs to do what they want.  On the opposite end of the spectrum is 100% positive reinforcement, this type of training uses food or toys to bribe the dog to do something, without the use of distractions or corrections.  This method is used by many trainers and pet retail stores because they feel it's politically correct.  However, this training can sometimes create pushy, dominant behavior in dogs and even aggression. The problem with both of these categories of dog trainers is that their training produces inconsistent results along with dogs that don’t respect their owners.

The answer is maintaining a balance between motivation and correction. A good dog trainer has the ability to assess a dog’s well-being through an understanding of dog psychology, pack structure, and body language.

Thorough dog training includes three phases, a Learning Phase, a Distraction Phase, and a Correction Phase.  When these phases are followed, the dog will have a clear understanding of what we expect from them.  We show the dog that we are only going to ask him to do things he has learned.  When he does something correctly, we will always praise him. Likewise, when he does something wrong, we will always let him know he has made a mistake.

The road to being a good pack leader is gaining the respect of your dog, applying responsible pack structure techniques, and mastering the concepts of dog training.