Call us today to make an appointment
A Tired Dog is a Happy Dog
1-831-332-8478
Behavioral and Obedience Training
Dog training is about channeling energy and forming a solid relationship based on trust and respect.
Dogs are a reflection of what and who is around them.
Let's bring dogs and their surroundings into balance.
Companionship Training
A trainer cannot train a dog to be good with an owner if the owner is not included. As James trains the dog the proper responses, he must simultaneously equip the owner with the tools to implement the training. While a dog may learn that it must respond to the commands of one person they see as the pack leader, that will not necessarily transfer to the owner until the owner is empowered to be a pack leader. All family members would benefit from being present. Since issues tend to arise at the house or in the surrounding neighborhood, that tends to be the best place for training to take place. At times, learning to take a walk is in itself a training session.
Rate: $250 for 90 minutes.
Puppy Preschool
They say you shouldn't train a dog before it's 6 months old. And that is true. But how do you lay the foundation to prepare the puppy for greatness? James will come to your house as early as the day you bring your baby puppy home, and help guide you through the basics of Dog Communication in Puppy Talk. He'll help you with questions, or, if you are familiar with dogs, he'll just help you lay the groundwork for establishing a healthy relationship with this new, unique puppy. This program is good for the young puppies when you need help with the early-childhood development issues, the pre-training, if you will.
Rate: $250 for 90 minutes
Four-Week Obedience Training
When you get a new puppy or dog, you want to start out with some basic obedience training so that you, your family, and your dog are on the same page. For four Saturdays in a row, James spends an hour training your puppy and your family, helping you establish basic obedience behaviors. He'll teach your puppy to sit, down, and stay on command, and even incorporate clicker training, giving you a firm foundation on which to build more complex aspects of your training and relationship. He'll also train your family, even the young siblings, how to train and treat your dog with these techniques, so you all can perform them yourselves, giving you the ultimate care package. And by returning every seven days, you and puppy get time to practice your new skills before introducing new ones to implement.
This four-session package costs $500 total.
Week One
•Introduction to clicker training and the use of markers
•In-house training
•Name recognition with positive reinforcement
•Emphasis on nonverbal communication
•Using food lures
•Answer any extra questions
Week Two
•Review
•Introducing basic obedience with clicker
•Food lure into sit position and down position
•Introduce heeling with positive reinforcement
•Answer questions regarding behavior
Week Three
•Review
•Continue sit and down, adding voice commands
•Introduce sit-down-stay
•Introduce three D’s of Stay: Distance, Duration and Distraction
•Introduce recall and heeling
•Outside training
Week Four
•Review stay with the three D’s: Distance, Duration and Distraction
•Have owners demonstrate basic obedience
•Conduct a final basic obedience test
•Confer graduation award
•Answer any further lingering behavioral concerns
Puppies & Kids Training
Families aren't complete without dogs, but children don't always understand how to read and properly respond to a dog's subtle communication. This can be a recipe for disaster, as miscommunication between a child and a dog can result in you sending your dog (or child) to the pound. To prevent such a dilemma, children need to learn dog-language. James and Alexia will come to your house and have a session with your kids and your dog, utilizing crayons, games, sound effects, sign language, and role-playing to help your children become familiar with dog etiquette. The lessons extend to other dogs as well: they teach stranger-dog safety and service-dog protocol.
Rate: $250 for 90 minutes
Distant Dog Virtual Consultation
Finding the time to train has just got easier. ATDHD is now offering 30 minute online consultations for our long-distance clients. All that is needed is Gmail video chat. You can call or email us to set up an appointment time, and at the appointed time we will all get on our computers and video-chat a training session. It is best if you are in the area where the dog spends most of its time, and if all relevant family members are present. While we cannot touch your dog, we will have our dogs to give examples on our end. After the session, you can mail us a check.
30- Minute Consultation -$50
Last minutes appointments -$5 extra