Training - Our Process

The goals of our training programs are to help build your dog’s confidence and broaden their freedoms by not only teaching them simple commands and obedience, but by increasing their level of awareness of their owners and surroundings. This leads to a more enjoyable and fulfilling life for the entire family (including your pups!). We use a method of balance- confidence building praise and reinforced consequence- in three stages: “teaching”, “training”, and “reinforcing”.

Teaching: This stage moves at a primary school pace, gradually showing them how to complete each command as we increase their confidence. We want them to learn, to gain exposure to new things, and to be comfortable while learning boundaries.

Training: Here, we make certain that the dog has an introductory understanding of the commands they have learned . They are then presented with levels of challenge. We no longer show them how to complete a command but instead quiz them on what they have already learned, guiding them if necessary. Think of this as secondary or middle school, using flashcards to review vocabulary words and then being tested on the material.

Reinforcing: At this point in the training, the dog is proficient in all manners of the commands and training language. We now introduce the electronic collar paired with continued positive reinforcement to keep the training balanced. The e-collars we use send levels of controlled electronic pulses to the dog to stimulate a response, much like a leach and collar acts in redirecting the dog’s focus back to the trainer. The stimulation is designed only to reinforce commands the dog already knows by interrupting their thought through a mild and controlled electronic stimulant. It is the same technology used for PT on humans and other animals (TENS). (Demonstrations available.) When commands are completed, they are reinforced with praise and petting. This stage is much like the tests in high school, ensuring the dog has a full and confident understanding of what they have learned, and what is expected of them.

E-Collars: E-collars are used in our reinforcement stage of training (unless specifically stated otherwise) and we will require that you purchase one to be used during training lessons with you as well as to be used once you go home to continue the training. If you already have an e-collar, you are welcome to bring it with you to drop-off so that we can be sure it has the functions necessary for our training. There are specific functions we look for and if your e-collar does not fit these criteria, we will have you replace it with a collar of our choosing. If you do not have one, please do not buy a cheap one from Amazon as not all e-collars are the same. Safety is our top priority, and we choose our equipment accordingly. If you do not already have an e-collar, we would be happy to recommend one. We are always sure to review the recommended usage of the e-collars with you and include lessons in each program to ensure you are well versed in your dog’s progress.