Dogs will be dogs, and that is why we adore them. We also need them to be well- integrated members of our households.

You might have asked yourself many times before: How can I have a great relationship with my dog? How can I train my dog to respond to my commands and cues?

We want our dogs to be part of our families. In essence, we need to help them figure out how to live with us and this means communicating with them in a clear and unambiguous way. A big portion of being able to be a part of the family, is for dogs to learn basic behaviors of sit on cue, down on cue, recall, walking nicely with us, and stay when we want them to. None of these abilities come naturally to our dogs. Dog ‘manners’ are learned behavior. They would much prefer to jump around and greet us, chase the squirrel running down the street, and they would probably prefer that we don’t stop their fun by holding them back with that thing called a leash.

 When training our dogs with positive reinforcement, we teach them that it is worthwhile to do all those desired behaviors, because they are getting rewarded for them time and time again. Through that consistent reinforcement of good habits, our dogs become the responsive companions which makes living with them such a joy. We do not use physical punishment or physical correction, as this inhibits a dog’s willing and happy participation in the training. Ultimately, our dogs learn to respond to our wishes, and we, the owners, learn to become dependable, respectful leaders.

 I want to work with owners that want to have this kind of bonded relationship with their dogs and are willing to make the commitment to their dogs.

Consider this:  *You are just in the process of bringing home a new puppy or adult dog and you know there are things you should be starting on, but are not sure what they are and how to go about it. Schedule a New Dog “Right Start” session. *You have just adopted a shelter dog that you do not know much about, and you want to create a strong bond from the beginning, or need help in establishing that bond *For some reason your current dog has more issues than other dogs you have had before, and don’t know how to start working through them *You brought home a sweet little puppy, but now you have a wild adolescent dog and need help. *A new baby is on the way, and you want to brush up your dog’s house skills, and get him acclimated to a new routine before the new baby arrives. *You are looking for coaching on how to train service dog specific behaviors. *An occupied, well mannered dog is a pleasure to have in your life, and that is what you are looking for with your dog.    There are positive training methods to help you with any of these issues that are highly effective and actually fun, and increase the bond between you and your dog.