What to know and expect from training with me

Dog training is personal. Inviting me—a stranger—into your home to meet, analyze, and suggest ways for you to interact with one of your most loved family members is not something I take lightly.

I’ve included some information below about myself, my values around training, and what you can expect from me (and what I expect from you) to help ensure we are a good fit for each other before you reach out.

Am I a positive reinforcement trainer?

I know this is a sensitive topic, but no, I consider myself a balanced trainer.

Positive reinforcement is at the core of my training style, and using treats and affection can be powerful motivators. It’s always a first choice and where we start. But using only positive reinforcement is not always effective. I think it’s okay for a dog to learn boundaries and what they aren’t allowed to do too.

I will never push a tool or method of training that a dog or their people are uncomfortable with. And I always start with treats and affection. But if your 75lb dog is reactive on a leash, a slip leash could be a huge benefit and I will probably suggest it!

Are you a full time dog trainer?

The reason I’m able to offer affordable (and free) dog training is because I am not a full time dog trainer.

Over the years of working with various trainers, I gained not only a ton of knowledge but also a deep awareness of how inaccessible training is because of the price. And no one seems interested in fixing it.

Rather than becoming another expensive dog trainer, I decided to keep my day job and offer training in between meetings, after hours, and on weekends.

I don’t have time for a social media account, creating fancy training guides, or offering training memberships. But I can offer as many affordable one-on-one sessions as I can fit in my schedule. So please be patient if it takes me a day or two to get back to you or if my availability isn’t as extensive as others.

I’m not judging you, your dog, or your house.

Inviting a stranger into your home to help you fix your dog’s behavior is a vulnerable experience. Aside from having to admit you need help, which is hard for anyone, you may think your dog is especially “bad” or your house is messy.

I promise that I’ve seen it all, and I am not judging you for any of it.

I’ve had dogs that go potty in the house, destroy things when I left, or were terribly misbehaved on walks. My house is also embarrassingly dirty sometimes.

I don’t expect you to know everything about dog behavior. I also don’t care what your house looks like. I just want to help you have a more peaceful life with your dog, and I won’t be judging you while we get to that point.

What changes are you going to ask me to make?

I will always make suggestions based on your lifestyle, capabilities, and budget, but the truth is that most dogs aren’t getting enough exercise and fulfillment. It’s one of the biggest contributors to unwanted behaviors that I see.

And don’t get me wrong: I know it’s hard to be motivated to walk your dog when they are pulling and barking. I’ve been there, and it’s frustrating and embarrassing. But if walking your dog is possible, I will encourage you to push through that discomfort and teach you how to make it easier.

And there are plenty of other ways you can fulfill your dog that don’t involve walking. But, no matter the method, you have to be willing to put in the time and effort consistently if you want your dog’s behaviors to change.

How long will it take for my dog to improve?

There are many factors that go into how long it will take to see your dog’s behavior change: your dog’s makeup, how long your dog has been practicing the current behavior, the reason your dog is engaging in the current behavior, etc. There’s no simple answer and no exact timeline for change.

What will have the most impact is your ability to be consistent and patient.

You could see a drastic change within a few days for certain behaviors. You could also be doing everything right 100% of the time for two months with change on another, and then one day it’ll click for your dog and it’ll be like night and day.

There are always things that will have an immediate impact and others may take a bit longer to achieve. The more consistent you are, the faster you’ll see change.

I’m not going to expect your dog to be perfect.

Training will always be adapted to what works for you and your lifestyle. Your dog doesn’t need to be perfect. I don’t expect mine to be. If you don’t care about certain things, that’s completely fine, and we don’t need to work on it.

But sometimes the behaviors you don’t care about actually mean more than you think. Understanding how dogs think is a critical piece of training.

For example, you might not care if your dog is on the couch. But if your dog is being reactive outside on walks, being on the couch inside may be contributing.

Please come to training open minded and willing to try things that may not be obvious to get to the end goal you’re looking for. We’re asking dogs to live in our world, so it’s important we try to understand how our world affects them.