FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How will you change my dog’s behavior? 
We believe in changing behavior through rewards-based, positive reinforcement training. Together we’ll identify what behaviors you’d like to change, and what behaviors you’d like to see instead! After that, our trainers will create a management and training plan to decrease the opportunity for your dog to display unwanted behaviors, while rewarding them for alternatives that we’ve worked together to identify.

What happens when my dog gets it right?
When your dog gets it right, our trainers will reward them with treats, attention, praise, and play!

What happens when my dog gets it wrong?
If your dog isn’t able to perform a behavior, or performs a behavior you don’t like, we’ll go back to the drawing board to ensure we’re setting them up for success by changing the environment or our reinforcer. We will never use tools that cause a dog fear or pain to change behavior. 

What tools and equipment will I need?
All you’ll need to work with our team is a bag of your dog’s favorite treats, perhaps a favorite toy, and a standard leash and collar. We do recommend a treat pouch of some sort- canvas tool belts from construction stores work well for this- and a harness for your dog.

Do you offer a guarantee? 
When dealing with living beings, nothing can be guaranteed. Dogs aren’t robots, and neither are people! Ethical trainers will not guarantee a specific result in a specific time frame, because we’re working with living beings who make their own choices. We will strive to support you in problem solving and working with your dog to the best of our abilities, and provide alternative resources to you as well. 

Why force free training?
There’s no debate; the science shows that force free training and behavior modification is not only the most humane way to train an animal, but also helps them to learn more effectively! Industry experts such as the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior agree that rewards-based, force free training offers the most advantages to our dogs while doing the least harm to their welfare. You can read more about the AVSAB’s position on punishment in dog training here.