At Top Dog Training, we first want to meet you and your dog.  The initial 30-minute visit, which costs $100, is an opportunity for you to evaluate us while we evaluate your dog, taking note of your dog’s specific behaviors and temperament.  We listen carefully to understand your needs.  We share our training style and will answer any questions you may have.  Once we evaluate your dog, we can make proper recommendations for personalized training specific to your dog.  This allows you to make an informed decision on working with us.

We use the positive method.  Our training is safe, confidence-building, and free of confrontation, conflict and confusion.  We teach a healthy level of clear guidance, direction, and enthusiastic praise.  Through repetition and proper progression, excellence and proficiency is achieved.

We teach basic and advanced commands and manners to puppies, adolescents, and adults.  We address nearly every behavioral issue and then some:  barking, jumping, chewing, aggression, behavioral issues, pulling on leash, separation anxiety, sibling rivalry, territory marking, advanced obedience, off lease reliability, special needs (deaf, blind), and counter surfing.

Private Lessons – Each of our personally-tailored private lesson programs will help you and your dog become a team.  This personalized training may be used to teach basic or advanced commands, to eliminate behavioral problems and develop impulse control, confidence and attention. Private lesson programs are designed for the family who wants to be directly involved and personally responsible for the success of the dogs’ training.  Private lessons are similar to a teacher coming to teach you how to “home school” for your dog’s primary education. Private lessons are conducted at your home, at a park, or in another location of your preference.  The number of private lessons to reach your goals will be determined at your free consultation. 

Yes! Small dogs and large dogs learn by the same basic principles of attention with motivated learning. One general difference we have seen is the owner’s tendency to tolerate more extreme behaviors from their smaller dogs as opposed to their larger dogs. These behaviors include aggression, fear, excessive barking, and even housebreaking or marking problems. Our customized approach to training dogs of all sizes and temperaments, allows us to fine-tune our training progressions to suit even the smallest of dogs, with the biggest of challenges.

Yes!  We do not discriminate based on people or dog aggression. We also welcome all breeds, all ages, and all behaviors.  This is probably a nuisance behavior, that more than any other issue, should be addressed promptly by a Certified Dog Trainer.   This is to ensure the highest degree of safety for both you and your dog, and to induce a positive change in an aggressive dog.  All dogs can learn impulse control, having a trainer coach you and your dog safely and effectively ensures your confidence.

At your home, we do not have a facility.

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Certified trainers undergo rigorous training in all areas of dog behavior.  They study a variety of methods and are further tested to prove their knowledge.  In addition, certified trainers shadow real-life trainers to further their studies in real-life situations.  They learn not only how to train puppies and dogs, but are also taught how to properly instruct their owners on the commands and managing any problem behavior.

As stated above, all lessons are conducted in your home, but we do venture out to area parks and pet stores in order to teach among distractions later on in the course.  Lessons are 45 minutes in length, and can be scheduled according to your preference.  We focus on any problem areas you point out, and then move on to teach the basic commands of sit, down, come, stay, place, touch, leave it, drop it, and more if time permits.  We start at 9AM and end at 9PM.

The key to learning new commands and behaviors is to teach in a low-distraction setting.  Group classes do not allow for that.  We can teach at a much faster rate as a result, and your dog will more readily build confidence in what they are learning.  Plus, some, if not all of the behaviors you want to work on happen in the home, so why not address them at the source?

Never – we can teach pretty much the same commands and adjust the behaviors of the most senior of citizens

It really depends on the pup.  We will come and do an evaluation and go through a complete checklist of questions.  Then we will be able to give you a more educated answer.  Normally, it takes 3 to 7 lessons to meet the goals of most owners.

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