Everything you need to know to feel sure...

Positive reinforcement - Treat reward, pet reward or toy reward. Sometimes even access to a play area for a short break from training, depending on the size of the reward, and how long we have been working on it. Timing for rewards are crucial to training and knowing when the dog has had enough is also important.

When a dog either choses to ignore the command, it can be due to a few things; How long have you been going at it? How many times has the dog done the same thing over and over? Are your timing and rewards appropriate for the job? Are you switching it up to make it more fun? I use the operant conditioning of R- training. When a dog isn't responding to something because it is being obstinate or difficult, I will do a few things based on the situation; simply stop training and give the dog a cold shoulder, I will stop giving them treats and find another dog to train and give treats to. I will switch it up to a new game or lesson. I want to condition the dog to recognize that when it doesn't listen, it gets nothing in return. The absolute worst thing you can do with any animal when training them is giving verbal rewards, treats or attention to a behaviour you don't want. Period!

Force-free dog training focuses on rewarding desired behaviors rather than punishing unwanted ones. Dogs are encouraged to repeat behaviors that lead to positive outcomes, such as treats, praise, toys, or affection, creating a safe and trusting learning environment. This approach works for puppies, adult dogs, and even dogs with challenging pasts. This learning process works when the reward is given or taken away (R-) teaching that behavior is influenced by consequences. The main principle is positive reinforcement, which involves adding something the dog likes after performing a desired behavior, such as giving a treat when the dog sits on command. Force-free training avoids pain, fear, or intimidation entirely, focusing instead on cooperation and encouragement. Negative reinforcement (R-) is a training technique where a dog learns to perform a behavior to stop or avoid something unpleasant. The term “negative” refers to the removal of a stimulus, while “reinforcement” means the behavior becomes more frequent as a result. Unlike punishment, which adds an unpleasant stimulus to reduce a behavior, negative reinforcement encourages behavior by taking away discomfort when the dog responds correctly. Leash training: If a dog pulls on the leash, the handler stops walking (unpleasant for the dog). When the dog relaxes the leash and comes back to you, you commence walking calmly, reinforcing the no pulling/calm behavior. Sit command: Pressing gently on a dog’s rear until it sits, then releasing the pressure once the dog sits, reinforces the sitting behavior. This is then not treat trained. That treat only comes out when the dog sits all on his own.

All that depends on the level of training required and where the dog is at as far as behaviour etc. Your dog will stay in the home with Sandy and I. We don't kennel or crate our dogs in the daycare, but if your dog is being crate trained, we recommend you bring it along. Otherwise, the dog will have as much access to our home as is allowed or able to respect. We do not like crating dogs and the more freedom the dog can enjoy, the happier and less destructive it will be. One of the things I do use our crate for here is for 'Time-Outs'. They are between 3 to 5 minutes long and used to discourage certain behaviour in the daycare like; destructive behaviour, not sharing, excessive barking during ball play (usually high drive dogs do this) and any other misbehaviour we need to address. The idea is that a behaviour can be broken if you can consistently teach the dog that each time it does a misbehaviour the outcome is the same. It usually only takes 3 times for most dogs to get it. But timing is crucial and during the time out they must miss out on something exceptional.

I only take on 1 board & train dog at a time. And I do not board dogs during this time either, as some of those boarding dogs I don't know well, and need my full attention.

Your dog will be in training 24/7. I will work on leash work at least once a day. Recall will be constant build up and socialization and learning from the pack will be every day in daycare if the dog is ready for pack socialization. Those that aren't will be slowly desensitized with proximity training a few times a day.

No. I don't recommend any visits during the stay. I find that sometimes it puts me right back to square one and breaks the consistency we have been working on. We will have a few virtual sessions where I train you on getting ready for the 'transition training session', where you will take over the lead and consistently follow through on what we have been working on. On top of the 2 hour transition session you will be getting a 1 hour follow up session in the following weeks, when you feel it necessary, along with text and phone support.

Yes, I put a huge emphasis on these sessions following the program. This is where we make it or break it! We will have a few virtual sessions where I train you on getting ready for the 'transition training session', where you will take over the lead and consistently follow through on what we have been working on. On top of the 2 hour in person transition session you will be getting at time of pickup, a 1 hour follow up session in the following weeks, at your home, when and if you feel it necessary, will be offered, along with text and phone support. I don't offer any guarantees, but I do want to see you and the dog succeed, so lets work together to get it done!

No, that would be foolish of the trainer to do. I can't control how well you follow instruction, understand your role as leader or how good your timing it, I can only show you and hope that you learn well enough for the dog to follow the lead. A professional trainer knows behaviour change depends on the dog and the circumstances. I can't know how long it will even take me to train your dog. Or any dog for that matter. I can only go on the average based on breeds. I can offer a rough estimate only. I make my clients sign a waiver stating that they are aware that no guarantees have been offered.

Sure, in many cases you can do it yourself. But imagine this scenario; your toilet stops working and you have no idea how to fix it. So you email a plumber from an online listing and he gives you a list of tools and parts to buy so you can fix it yourself, and he says he'll get back to you in a week to see how things are going. You have all the instructions and you attempt taking the toilet apart and replacing the parts. You put it all together and the toilet still does not work. So now you have a broken toilet and you have to continue to live with it for another week until the plumber gets back to you with another solution to try out. Does that sound like a good solution to you? Did you want to put plumbing on your resume? And isn't a dog a bit more personal than a cold white throne? My training is geared to get you in the drivers seat fast and confidently. With the least amount of time or money spent. My hope is you will be so happy with your results that you will tell all your friends about me. That is rewarding to me.