Dog Training

Puppy training is among the most important aspect in developing a well-adjusted and comfortable companion. Ideally, good puppy training should consist of management, providing gradual socialization with people, dogs, and environments, as well as beginning to establish desirable habits.

Our puppy training includes real life application that helps to jump start real world success. We also incorporate teaching dogs that have been selected for their puppy-compatible personalities.

Common behaviors: - Separation anxiety prevention - Crate training - House breaking - Attention habits and mouthing - Handling and husbandry associations - Noise associations - Common obedience behaviors for safety

Obedience training is best suited to puppies, adolescents, and dogs that could benefit from mental enrichment and overall strengthening of desirable behaviors. Often, obedience behaviors are a tool that is helpful in preventing unwanted items. Dogs are capable of learning obedience at any age.

We teach with the use of both marker training and functional reinforcement.

Common behaviors: - Sit/stay (down) with release - Drop it - Leave it - Recall (coming when called) - Leash walking - Mat/placement behaviors - Touch/target

Our training consists of a private, customized lesson plan that aims to meet at a rate of once per week to maximize learning. Often, training will be a mix of in-home and real world application.

Among the most challenging behaviors to address are those that involve emotional responses. Fear, anxiety, frustration, and aggression often reflect underlying causes that require a certified professional to help. Trauma, under-socialization, and genetics play a varying role in shaping temperament.

Beginning with a consultation, we aim to understand the why behind your dog’s responses. We then proceed with a customized plan that meets at your dog’s pace. Systematically, we build comfort, skills, communication, and client understanding which helps your dog navigate their world. Often, plans are best enacted while working in cooperation with your veterinarian. Length and frequency of training vary on a case by case basis.

Common behaviors: - Dog and people reactivity - Frustration based reactivity - Resource guarding - Intra-household conflict - Storms/fireworks/noise phobia - Vehicles - Separation anxiety - Handling/cooperative husbandry/grooming - Vet visits - Global fear

Learned behaviors are often unwanted, problematic behaviors that don’t involve emotional responses, but instead, occur due to inadvertent reinforcement. In our individualized training, we address exercise/enrichment, teaching replacement behaviors, how to incorporate real life teaching opportunities, and the importance of consistency. Generally, strengthening obedience will help with development.

Our training consists of a private, customized lesson plan that aims to meet at a rate of once per week to maximize learning. Often, training will be a mix of in-home and real world application.

Common behaviors: - Unwanted behaviors for attention - Behaviors associated with the door/guests - Jumping on furniture - Counter surfing - Darting through doors - Digging - Mouthing - Housebreaking - Chewing - Leash walking

In preparation training, our goal is to proactively establish comfort, routine, and desirable behaviors. This helps to ease the transition into your new phase of life.

For baby prep, we look to strengthen management, prepare your dog for changes in their routine, and incorporate relationship building activities to help establish a positive association.

Common behaviors: - Relationship building activities - Baby/dog-proofing management - Leave it - Drop it - Associations to baby items - Initial integration set up

Becoming a dog owner is exciting, but choosing the right dog for you and your family requires some serious thinking. Pawsitive Pets can help you make the right decision based on your desires and lifestyle.

As we help you choose the right pup for you, we look at numerous factors, including the dog’s personality, the facility that the dog is being housed in, personality types that match other animals in your home, and your lifestyle.

This service includes: - Establishing desirable characteristics - Meeting potential candidates and providing a temperament test - Creating a smooth transition into the home - Establish a viable routine - Strengthen desirable behaviors that increase success

1-on-1 lessons are individualized training opportunities set up with one of our skilled, educated trainers on staff. We apply aspects to more than 50 real life environments in a systematic approach beginning at your dog’s ability level and progressing to your overall goals. Often, clients choose to use this service indefinitely, which allows your dog to reach success that at one point may not have been achievable.

Common benefits: - Helps upkeep skills - Speeds up learning - Allows clients time to develop own skills first - Allows your dog to engage in enrichment that owner may be unable to do - Increased scheduling frequency - Decrease client training time - Improves overall comfort with people - Improves ability to respond to others - Helps transition to our other services

Dogs that exhibit emotional distress with people will require an initial consultation and have started a lesson plan to qualify. Timing is based on acclimation to the trainer. To maximize success, we suggest periodically scheduling demo lessons with our trainers so that we may teach what we have been working on. Following each session, clients will receive a detailed update.