Are we a good fit?
Am I the right trainer for you and your dog?
Are you the right client for me?It’s very important that we’re on the same page when it comes to dog training philosophy. I am a balanced trainer, which means I use reward based training and corrections when I’m working with dogs. I teach yes and no.
For your dog to be successful with my programs- you must:
Be willing to admit that you play a role in your dog’s misbehavior in some way. Don’t blame yourself, but there may be things that you have to be willing to change. I will be honest with you and tell you if I see something about your relationship with your dog that might be contributing to the problem. You have to be ready for a bit of tough love. You also have to believe that your dog is capable of changing. He can’t succeed if you don’t think it’s possible.You need to be comfortable with my training techniques, and I need you to trust me and be willing to follow through and hold him accountable once he’s learned everything fairly.When you interact with your dog, it’s important to have patience, consistency, and good timing. This stuff is extremely important. I will help you figure out if you have any gaps in these areas and ways to improve.
Rewards can be simple verbal praise, food, toys, play, and inclusion into certain parts of our lives. I make sure the rewards are tailored to the individual needs of the dog. Not all dogs work for the same rewards.
We teach clients to use training tools that will help them be successful with their dog and see results. We want to help you and and your dog get out of into the world and experience life together.
It is important that you are willing to continue the training at home. When dogs stay with me for board and train they are doing a ton of work. It would be unfair for them to return home to a family that is not committed and let all their hard work fall apart. Committing to making the changes necessary for your dog will probably be the best decision you’ve ever made!
You could look at dog training like music lessons. If someone takes a music lesson but doesn’t practice at home they are throwing their money away. I don’t want you to throw money away. I’m looking for clients who practice what I teach, are ready to do the work, change what needs to be changed, and enjoy the results with their dog.
Board and train could be looked at like when people hire a personal trainer and lose a bunch of weight. Once you’ve finished losing the weight you can’t just go back to eating like you used to and stop working out. The same can be said for dogs that have gone through a board and train. You have to keep up what your dogs learns, by practicing together, or he will go back to his old ways.
I’m looking for people who are “All In”. Folks that are willing to do the action plan and follow the training.
Everyone has to be in agreement about the training. Each family member has an influence on your dog- good or bad. If you have other dogs they need to be on board too. You can teach them the training also. Sometimes I will do a private training lesson for the other dog in the home, other families decide to send both dogs for board and train. The tools, technique, exercise, and household management will be a lifestyle change for everyone in your home. Make sure you go over this FAQ page together and that everyone agrees.
It’s important that you stick to the Action Plan after board and train, keeping up with the household management. Once your dog is trained you have to be willing to keep the organized and structured routine for your dog. Putting your dog on “Place”(on their bed or cot) for long periods of time (up to a few hours) is very important in maintaining his calm state of mind. Think of it as yoga for dogs, it also gives them a job to do. If you don’t maintain the structured routine for the first several months of training, your dog will backslide and the training will unravel. Crate training is a requirement. Crate is the safest place for your dog when unattended, it will be his den. You can slowly transition away from the crate in the future if you want. Over time your dog can earn more freedom within your home.
You have to be willing to fulfill your dog’s needs for exercise and play as well. You will have to provide daily structured walks. The structured walk is one of the best ways to build a solid relationship with your dog and drain his energy. Even when life is busy you have to make time for this. Balanced dogs have structure, exercise, playtime, and rest.
By working hard to create a new balanced lifestyle your dog will benefit from being included in the fun parts of your life. Inclusion is the greatest reward!
You’ll be able to bring your dog more places when he’s used to behaving well inside and outside your home. He will respect you for being a fair leader who acts consistently and with purpose. Adventure awaits!
When dogs come to me for board and train they are in my home experiencing everyday life with my family. If we’re eating dinner your dog will be on place(dog bed or cot) or in their crate. The fact that we train in our home environment makes it easier for the dogs to transition back to your home, while maintaining the training, at the end of their stay. We provide real world dog training and experiences. Dog training isn’t something you do for a few minutes it’s a way of life!
What brands of training collars do you use? We only use the highest quality prong and e collars. All our board and train clients receive a Herm Sprenger Prong Collar and an E Collar Technologies Mini Educator E Collar included in the packages (unless we discuss your dog needing a different model which may be an added cost.) Please don’t buy e collars before the training unless it’s something we’ve discussed. Some of the big box store collars are not good quality and can do more harm than good. Dogtra is a well known and reputable alternative to E Collar Technologies and if you own one of their collars already we CAN continue using it. If you purchased a cheap e collar and your dog seems freaked out by it, don’t worry, we can still condition him/her to the better quality collar and you haven’t ruined your dog!
Do you only train dogs from the Glens Falls/Saratoga/Albany Area?
When it comes to private lessons we work mainly with local families, but board and train clients can come from up to several hours away. If you live far away we can try to arrange meeting half way or I can pick your dog up for a travel fee. You would need to come to my home for the go home sessions. In a pinch we can arrange to squeeze both go home sessions into the same day with a lunch break in between.
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Begging 4 Balance services
Upstate NY including, Glens Falls,Saratoga Springs,Albany, Queensbury,Schuylervile,Wilton,Fort Ann,Fort Edward,South Glens Falls, Hudson Falls,Ballston Spa,Hartford,Granville,Corinth, Greenfield Center,and surrounding areas. Board and train clients from outside the area are always welcome.