Specializing in Puppy Rearing, Socialization,
Adult Dog Obedience Training
And
Behavior Modification

As the name says, manners do matter when it comes to living with a canine, dog, puppy, furry friend, baby or whatever you want to call – it in your home. Especially when you live in a crowded city, in a small apartment or perhaps you take your pup out to the country or just a whole new environment.  Everywhere your pup goes, there is stimulation just waiting to excite your pup and take its attention off you.  Having the right tools to communicate with your pup in every situation is so important in keeping him safe and happy, and you stress-free and happy.  As dog lovers, we want to live a rewarding and happy life with our canine friends, so why not learn to communicate with them the right way and stop getting frustrated!

For those with a brand new shiny puppy under 5 months old….there is a whole slew of things that you need to learn about how to raise your puppy. Keep in mind it was perhaps just taken from its first living environment and into yours, so it needs to learn how to live in your home safely and likely with a whole new set of rules! 2- 5 months old is a small window of time where a puppy develops important life skills that determines its temperament and sociability. Its very important to utilize this time frame to inhibit any unwanted behaviors as they grow older into their “teen-age“ years (5-12 months), when their ability to learn is hindered by over-stimulation and making them seem defiant.

Everyone wants a well-behaved dog to enjoy,
but they do not come out of the box that way.

“manners, MATTER! is aimed at educating dog owners on how to efficiently and effectively communicate with their pup, providing you with a positive and rewarding life long relationship.

Dogs communicate with body language. Their natural instinct is to read our body language to know what we want them to do, same as when they communicate with other dogs. My training techniques will provide you with a selection of hand signals with corresponding verbal cues to get your pups to perform a specific behavior (such as SIT) and then reward with praise (YES!! good boy) and a treat or toy. This is known as Positive Reinforcement training. You will discover what the best reward for your pup will be during training. Most dogs are food motivated, but some are toy motivated.   With each behavior your pup will learn 3 levels of performance: Duration, Distraction and Distance. These elements help contain your pup’s focus on you while developing self control skills.  Very handy for most city dogs, as we have tons of stimulus everywhere we go. Making even the most well-mannered dog look out the corner of their eye at the squirrel running across the street in front of cars, while thinking “yum, dinner“!

Training is a great way to bond with your dog, as well as play time. So I have incorporated essential play games into our training courses to teach your dogs how to properly play with you and their toys. Cases have shown that improper toy play can lead to possession aggression with some dogs. So, teaching them how to “share” their toys with humans and other dogs will eliminate the possibility of guarding, attacking or biting another when reaching for the toy.

As your pup advances through the course the food/toy reward is replaced with an activity, so you can use these behaviors in every day life. For example, if they want to go outside for a walk, you can ask him to SIT before opening the door and going out the door is now the reward.

Another key element to training your pup is TIMING! You will learn the correct timing between asking for the behavior and your pup performing it with WHEN to reward and praise. There is a small window of time when your pup is performing the behavior where the reward is marking that behavior and your pup puts 2 and 2 together. If you wait too long, your pup may start to refocus on something else and you lost that window. We are essentially breaking dogs from having A.D.D.!

In the Advanced Basic classes,  we proof our pup’s basic behaviors by getting them to perform their learned behaviors outside where they encounter more distractions and adding more distance.  Additionally, fun games that elevates their focus is intertwined to this course to enhance their ability to learn new things and strengthen their bond with you. In these games we use a Clicker and treats to mark a completed behavior vs. the use of verbal praises. The goal is to communicate without using our voices and from a distance.

In our you will learn innovated and easy to replicate communication techniques that reflect everyday issues and situations with your pup where good manners come in handy:

• Potty training (crate or not to crate)
• How to SAFELY leave puppy home alone
• Puppy-proofing your home to prevent destruction
• Socialization to everything pup encounters
• Appropriate play with toys (bite/nipping inhibition)
• Calmly greet humans and canines (friend or strangers)
• Proper leash walking (vs. heel)
• Come when called
• Developing self control
• Basic behaviors (I.e.: sit, down, stay, wait, leave it, etc…)

The following training courses are based on your pup‘s age:

• New Puppy Training: 2 – under 5 months old
• Adult Basic Training: 5 months and older
• Advanced Basic Training: open to all dogs who graduate from either Puppy or         Basic Training regardless of age.

Note: You can enroll your pup in Advanced Basic Training directly after taking either New Puppy or Adult Basic, both these courses are similar and lead right into Advanced.

Currently, I provide one on one, private training in client’s home. I am always looking for a space to hold group classes. If you happen to know of one, please let me know.

Behavior Modification

Some pups develop unsavory behaviors that just drive us crazy or are embarrassing. They can range from destructive habits, such as chewing on your shoes or peeing where they shouldn’t, to lunging on leash or possession aggression. Whatever unwanted behavior your pup exhibits, you should never yell at or hit your dog to control or correct him. Bad behaviors stem from something that likely has changed in your dog’s               environment or a lack of something he needs.

We can help you figure out what drives your dog to exhibit these behaviors and develop a training regime that will diminish or extinguish these behaviors and even further strengthen your bond. The amount of time spent on training depends on the behavior as well as your commitment to work with your dog . Some behaviors are easy fixes, however keep in mind some training may be a lifestyle change or mindset change that you have to do with your dog forever. Changing a behavior is a huge commitment on your part if you really want to distinguish it.

Training sessions for Behavior Modification are given privately in your home only. This is required for safety purposes, as well as most of the behaviors derive from inside your home and is best to see your dog in your environment, before going outside if needed.