Frequently asked questions
Yes. All dogs can learn new behaviors, regardless of their age. Depending on what you want your dog to learn, it may take a little bit longer. Your dog's personality, temperament and breed have a lot to do with how your dog learns.
We love teaching dogs to swim. We introduce dogs to swimming in our training pool, so they can learn at their own pace. Most dogs learn to enjoy swimming and often progress to having fun in the water at the beach as well.
Doggie Day Care is play time for your dog. It's also a good way to make sure your dog gets regular exposure to other dogs.
Doggie Day SCHOOL is a combination of one-on-one training, play time with other dogs, exercise, socialization and outings to learn the skills necessary for being a good companion.
Very little puppies have special needs. You can start training your puppy as soon as you bring it home. However, between 8 and approximately 12 weeks (before it get's it's 3rd round of vaccinations) it's important to keep your puppy away from other dogs and areas where other dogs may have gone potty. Puppies are not fully vaccinated against deadly Parvo disease until they get their 3rd booster shot. We have puppy training videos you can use during those early weeks, and can come to your home to make sure you get your new puppy started on the right paw.
This is a common question ... with an array of possible answers. Every owner wants something different for their puppy and/or dog. We say "A trained dog is the one that has the bad habits you're willing to life with!" By that we mean, if you want your dog to have mastery in all the "good" behaviors, including staying when asked - even in the presence of lots of distractions (other dogs/food/lots of activity), you'll have to work regularly with your dog for a number of months. And, if you've adopted a rescue dog, it can take even longer. The important thing is to get started with a trainer you can trust and rely on for good coaching and advice.
There's a huge amount of "gear" for dogs - and most of it works pretty well. We have some training tools that we like to recommend, and we'll explain why we like certain leashes, collars, training tools more than others. For the most part, we'll show you how to make the most of the gear you have and help you be the leader your dog wants and deserves so you can rely on your verbal leash to guide and gain influence with your dog.