FAQ

The evaluation can be done in your home, at my property, or in a public setting. We will decide on the location together based on any potential behavioral issues that we may want to see.

An evaluation consists of a lot of observing and a lot of talking in detail. I may take the leash and work with your dog a little bit, test food drive, see how they interact with me vs with you, etc. We will discuss in detail your dog's behavior, come up with a training plan, and I will recommend what I think would be the best program for you and your dog to reach your goals. I often will demo the usage of certain tools/practices using my own personal dog to show you firsthand how things work. I like to get any questions you may have for me answered and make sure you feel comfortable, confident, and committed to moving forward with training! Or, we may decide that we are not a good fit, and that's okay too. I have several trusted trainers who I can refer you to if this is the case.

The evaluation fee is $100, credited toward any services with me that you choose to book. An additional mileage fee is included if I am traveling to your home out of my service area.

Generally yes, but I do make exceptions on a case by case basis. It is important to me that we are the right fit to work together moving forward, as I like to maintain a close relationship with my clients for the lifetime of their pup.

Your dog stays with me for an extended period of time. I teach them the basics as well as targeting any behavioral issues that we have discussed and will be working on. Board & train dogs are integrated into my daily life and routine and often come along on errands and outings ("field trips") to work on learning how to behave in real life scenarios. Once the dog goes home, follow up lessons are crucial to maintaining the skills learned during board and train.

YES! A board and train will not permanently solve all your issues. It sets a great foundation but it is not magic, and it's up to you to keep up with the training. I'm always here for support post board & train!

The price of the board & train includes the cost of the program as well as private follow up lessons once your dog goes home. Any dog who has finished a board and train is also eligible for group classes, boarding, and day camp. Training tools can be purchased at a discounted rate.

Yes! I encourage you to come out for lessons while your dog is with me to start preparing you both for your dog's return home. This is not required, but is very beneficial.

Yes, your dog must be familiar and comfortable with going in and out of a crate. We can work on this through private sessions leading up to the board & train if this is something your dog struggles with.

Wake up, potty, place duration, training session (obedience, field trip, recall work, pack work, etc), crate nap, and repeat! This is the general rotation throughout the day. Dogs get a healthy ratio of activity to down time, and spend a lot of time going out into the world learning how to behave in real life scenarios. Dog neutrality is worked on daily, and a calm state of mind is emphasized.

Absolutely! I highly recommend lining up a board and train with an upcoming trip.

This is fully dependent on your dog and your goals! Programs start at 2 weeks and go to 8 weeks. Length of board & train will be recommended at your dog's evaluation- I'll always do my best to give you an honest estimate on what I think we can achieve with your dog in a given time period.

I try to be very on top of updating my pup parents, as I know how nerve wracking it can be to be away from your dog! I send videos, photos, and training progress several times a week and am happy to provide additional updates as requested.

30 minutes to an hour, completely dependent on your dog. Often times dogs are fairly tired before that but I still reserve the full hour for you to ask any questions, talk through things you might be struggling with, or demonstrate things with my own dogs.

Lessons can be done anywhere your dog needs to practice. We generally start somewhere with low distraction and build up to more challenging environments. Lessons can be done in your home, at a park, in a store, downtown, I've even had some fun lessons grabbing a bite to eat a restaurant or at a brewery.

Generally once a week or once every other week, with homework for you to work on between sessions.

Group classes are intended for my slightly more advanced dogs and owners who are ready for a more challenging environment to train in. We play training games and test our obedience- it's also a great opportunity to meet other dog owners and connect with the community!

Group class locations are always changing! We often train at parks and downtown areas.

Time and date changes with each class- I send out info for each class to everyone on my group class list.

Group classes are a challenge for most dogs- we are usually with a group of 10+ other dogs in busy environments- if group class is what you are looking for, an evaluation is required first to make sure your dog is ready for the challenge. Starting with a couple private lessons might be beneficial for you to make sure we set your dog up for success.

Dogs who have trained with me before or done an evaluation to ensure they are a good fit. Dogs must be crate trained and relatively well mannered.

Your dog will join into the daily rotation, but with more freedoms and less individualized training than board & train/day camp dogs. Group place work, pack work, play time, treadmill time, the occasional field trip. All their training will be maintained and reinforced. Alumni will frequently join me to help out with lessons!

No! I advocate for waiting until maturity to alter dogs- I'm happy to accept intact dogs and have plenty of experience managing them properly to prevent any accidents from happening.

I am based in San Jose, California, but have clients from all across the Bay Area!

Absolutely! An in person evaluation is the best way to determine if we are the right match to work together. That being said, I've worked with a handful of dogs who did not have success with previous methods/trainers and have improved drastically through our training.

Absolutely! A huge part of my training includes off leash and recall training- I believe off leash is a privilege to be earned to ensure safety, but it's a freedom that dogs deserve.

Yes! Private lessons pair well with day camp, or private lessons leading up to a shorter board and train can be a great approach as well.

I do, but I am currently at my maximum capacity for daycare dogs and do not foresee being able to take on any new pups for daycare for quite some time so I have removed it from my services page.

Board and train is my priority. I do offer private lessons, but these are primarily for puppies 8 weeks-6 months or in combination with a future board and train program. Private lessons can be extremely beneficial but I dedicate most of my time to my board and train pups, and if you are interested in only lessons I have some awesome local trainers that I can happily refer you to. I do also offer lessons on a case by case basis so please do not hesitate to reach out for more information!