How long will it take to train my dog?

There is no shortcut for effective, humane training. The length of time it will take to train your dog depends on many factors including but not limited to your dog’s age, training history, behavioral history, health, emotional wellbeing, and the number, type and complexity of your training goals, consistency within your household, and frequency of training sessions. Teaching a dog a new skill and/or changing a dog’s behavior or emotional state takes patience, time, repetition, and consistency until new skills become second nature habits. This is especially true when modifying well established unwanted behaviors that have been rehearsed over months or years of a dog’s life. Additionally, your level of involvement and commitment to consistent practice are are of the utmost importance in order to see lasting success and maintain your dog’s skills. After completing a behavior consultation we will follow up with a proposed training plan for reaching your goals. If you have multiple training goals, or if you have very challenging goals, we will recommend a training program accordingly.

Is your training guaranteed?

We do not provide any guarantees of absolute results. All dogs, like their humans, are unique individuals with different backgrounds, strengths and weaknesses. There are too many factors outside of our control to guarantee specific behavioral outcomes, and it would be unethical to do so. However, we have worked with many dogs and humans and we encountered very few who we were unable to help.

What is positive reinforcement based training?

Positive reinforcement training is an effective, compassionate approach to training that uses using what your dog really loves (treats, tug, fetch, sniff time, etc.) to reinforce the behaviors that you want to see more of from your dog. It promotes a strong bond between you and your dog, and focuses on teaching your dog the skills they need to succeed in your household and safely navigate their world.

Does committing to positive reinforcement mean my dog can do whatever he wants?

Not at all! Positive reinforcement based training focuses on setting clear and reasonable boundaries for dogs by communicating information about what we do want them to do in a given situation. Rather than resorting to telling your dog they got it wrong (reprimanding, scolding, firmly saying ‘no’, punishing, intimidating, inflicting pain), we focus on asking for a more appropriate behavior that your dog has practiced successfully numerous times and in various locations. When they struggle, we do our best to make tasks easier or give them hints to help them succeed.

Do we have to use treats forever?

You do not have to use treats forever. Once your dog has learned a skill in a wide variety of different environments with distractions, we can use a mix of treats other real-life reinforcement that they find rewarding, such as access to something they want, freedom to explore, praise and pets, or other preferred activities. Because our dogs are frequently reinforced by things in the environment that we cannot control (think squirrels, boisterous humans, barking dogs), it’s important that we consistently reinforce them for doing the thing we want them to (calmly walking past the squirrel, keeping four feet on the ground instead of jumping on the excited human, staying silent and ignoring the barking dogs) so that the good behavior is repeated.

What is ‘clicker training’ and is it required?

This method of training uses a clicker, which is a small, handheld device that makes a “click” noise when you press a button. This sounds is used in training to “mark” your dog’s correct behavior at the exact moment it occurs, and is always followed by a reward. Because your dog gets a reward every time you click, your dog learns to repeat a behavior in the future to earn that reinforcement. We’ll teach you different options for marking your dog’s good behavior, including the clicker and a verbal marker (such as “Yes!” or “Good!”). We will also talk about which is best for your dog and for the skills we are working on, and it’s your choice which of these to use in your practice.

Are discounts available?

Follow our Instagram account and Facebook page to keep an eye out for our occasional promotions. If you are experiencing a financial hardship, please contact us for options at info@shakeitoffdogs.com.

What is your cancellation policy?

Consultations, Training Sessions, and Playgroups have a 24 hour cancellation policy. For cancellations less than 24 hours in advance you will be charged in full. Training Packages are non-refundable and non-transferable. All Training Package sales are final and no refunds can be given for sessions left unused or expired. Canceling sessions, postponing, or skipping weeks of your training program will slow your progress and is discouraged. Your training program is time reserved on our calendar just for you and your dog; we cannot easily fill that week’s gap time with a one-off student, and protecting our time is very important to us so that we can effectively help as many people and dogs as possible. If you do need to miss a lesson that is part of a package for any reason, we cannot guarantee a make up session will be available. Missing or skipping a weekly lesson may extend the amount of time needed to reach your goals and necessitate purchasing additional training sessions upon completion of your scheduled package.