Am I the right Trainer for you?
To ensure that you and your dog are successful with the training, I need you to be 100% familiar and comfortable with my training philosophy, tools and techniques. I practice a balanced training approach, meaning I reward the good behaviors we are seeking and correct the bad behaviors that we want to eliminate. If your dog is here or a board and train program, you will be required to complete homework which will consist of reading and watching daily Facebook videos while your dog is with us. One-on-one program clients will have detailed email homework, as well as a few videos to watch to support your learning. Why homework? For the training to be as successful as possible, dog owners are better served at the in person training sessions if they show up informed and having completed the homework which includes specific "how-to" information for transferring the training to your home. You need to be 100 % invested in the outcome and be willing to change how you interact with your dog. The program will not be successful if you think that I will "fix" your dog. When your dog is finished with any of my training programs, it will be up to you to follow through with the management plan that I spell out for you. Having said that, I will guide you at our training sessions together to help transition your dog to be a much improved household member. Same dog, just a much better version of themselves! I will also stay available to you for any phone/email questions and concerns you may have. My goal is to help you get the dog that you have always dreamed of having!
Will I have to change the way I interact with my dog after the training?
Yes. But with my help you will be shown how to create a structured lifestyle for your pet including but not limited to: lots of play to create a motivated dog that WANTS to work WITH you, daily exercise that includes structured walks and off leash hikes, crating your dog at night / during the day to teach him/her to be independent, creating boundaries in your house so that YOU have control, and to raise your overall awareness so that you are conscientious of the way you interact with your dog. To ensure the most success from the training, you will be expected to follow through on ALL of the instructions that I give to you at the end of the progam. Dog owners need to realize that inclusion in the family life is the best possible reward for a dog and to get to that point it takes effective leadership and consistency.
What is a typical day like for my dog at Lead Off Leash K9?
Your dog will get lots of attention from me as well as proper social interactions with other people and appropriate dogs - including my own personal dog, Tioga. Tioga's presence is a great addition to the board and train program to help new dogs feel comfortable and calm while they are here. In the morning, all dogs go out on 20 min structured potty walk. After the walk they eat breakfast through a simple, yet structured, routine of waiting for my “ok” signal for them to eat so it is not a free-for-all. During the first few days of the program, I will spend a lot of time building a trusting relationship and building motivation in the dog through “play”. Through this approach of using play, I will teach them obedience commands. During the day, all BnT dogs go through several hours of hands-on training, alternating between active obedience commands, duration work, and specific behavior modification. Sometimes their program will consist of skiing, biking and/or and hiking as well as trips to town. During the day they will receive plenty of appropriate social interactions with people and dogs, field-trips to town, play time, personal one-on-one attention, and rest. Even as your dog rests during the day, he/she will still be learning as they practice laying calmly in a crate or on a dog bed for an hour or more. Your dog will have a late afternoon play-training session with me OR another pack walk/dog social. Dinner-time feeding happens by 6:30 pm, followed by a short one-on-one walk, then calm time in the house until the final potty time at about 10 pm each night. Your dog’s safety is my primary concern followed by his/her motivation level in the training program.
Do you use food?
I have always trained my personal dogs without food. I believe that fun social interactions and inclusion in daily life is the best possible reward. I want them to react to me, not the food, to create a relationship-based rather than a food-based drive to please. However, I may use food early on if the play drive is not yet in place. (Ie. fearful dogs take longer to get into a trusting and relaxed mode to be able to play. Often with these dogs, they just get to hang out with me under no pressure to perform, but at some point I may pull out some food it it feels like it would be helpful and motivating to forge a bond between us.)
Why do you use prong collars?
I use prong collars because I find them to be the best leash-based tool for teaching and communicating with the least amount of physical stress to the dog. The prong collar allows me to easily break through and effortlessly communicate with a dog, creating a vastly different state of mind and a highly responsive canine. While prong collars tend to look horrible, when used correctly, they have been proven to be the least physically taxing, most humane, and one of the safest tools available. Dogs of all situations can benefit from prong collar training–even nervous or fearful dogs, because the clarity of the communication is so gentle. They come in a variety of sizes and work for all dogs, 5lbs to over 200lbs
Does my dog have to be trained on an e-collar?
No, not for the 4 session one-on-one.
Yes, for the 6 session one-on-one.
Yes, for all board and trains (except the first pupy program).
Why use an e-collar?
The e-collar allows the owner to get the best possible results from the training. The e-collar effectively and completely transfers the information to the owner. The e-collar evens out the playing field so that you don't have to be the dog behavior expert. It's much easier to learn the mechanics of an e-collar compared with mastering proper leash handling skills and subtleties. Also, a dog trained on an e-collar knows that you can communicate, control, and affect them even at a distance. E-collars give you 100% reliability and affect the state of mind of the dog even from afar; he or she knows that they have to behave all of the time, whether in the house and someone knocks on the door or while running loose outside seeing squirrels. Simply put, dogs trained with only a regular leash have limitations in their off-leash reliability, whereas dogs properly trained on e-collars have 100% reliability.
My dog is fearful and nervous – I shouldn’t use an e-collar with him, right?
Actually, modern e-collar training is a great training tool for dogs with these types of issues. My e-collar training system is designed to create a confident, relaxed, and comfortable dog.
My dog is really aggressive – Do you work with aggressive dogs?
Yes. I am passionate about rehabilitating aggressive dogs. I will work with any dog, any breed, and any behavior.
Should I book a board and train or do one-on-one sessions?
It depends. Some dogs (super fearful, dog-aggressive, human-aggressive, high separation anxiety) can ONLY do a Behavior Modification Board and Train program. The rest of the dogs are candidates for either a 3-week Board and Train Program or a One-On-One Program; so it comes down to this....Do you want to do the hard work or not? I can give you suggestions and scenarios of the options, but eventually you will need to decide if you want to do the hard work (One-on-One) or have me do the hard work (Board and Train) and then I transfer the information to you and come up with a follow-up plan.
What happens if I don't get the results I want from the training, is there a guarantee?
Due to the many variables involved to create a well-behaved, balanced dog, including owner commitment, consistency, and follow-through, it would be unethical for me to offer a 100% guarantee. However, I only choose the most dedicated and diligent owners so, in my experience, no matter how severe the issues, I consistently see breakthrough results and amazing transformations. I work hands-on with you and your family so we become a team in your dog’s rehabilitation. This process of teamwork and collaboration begins before I even meet your dog, moves through the training process, and continues long after your dog has gone home. Once you hire me, I consider you part of the Lead Off Leash family, and your success is my utmost priority.
Will you accommodate a raw food or complicated diet?
Yes. However, if your dog requires more than 10 minutes to prepare and clean up his/her meal, you will be charged an additional $5/day so please make it as simple as possible to avoid this extra fee. I have spent up to 30 minutes on one dogs meal (thawing safely, weighing, preparing, cleaning-up and disinfecting from raw poultry, etc.) so feeding time for multiple dogs. So rather than cut into the training time I have each day with each dog, I will extend my work day to accomodate the extra times at meals.
Any Other Questions?
Please fill out the “contact” form on the contact tab and I will arrange a 20 minute phone consultation with you to answer any other questions you may have about me, my philosophy or the programs. Or to help you find the right program for you!