Meet the Dog Trainer before you choose...

I would be happy to meet you before you sign up for a class if you would like. Simply email SarasotaDogTrainer@gmail.com to make an appointment to observe a class session and meet me afterwards (come without your dog please).

Some things to consider when searching for your dog trainer...

• Does the trainer squirt her dogs with a water bottle? I do... as a reward! I wouldn't advise using water as a punishment, I sure don't want my dogs being afraid of water (our precious Ollie came to us @ 6 months old, terrified of running water and hating his crate due to his previous owners squirting him in his crate for 2 months whenever he barked). I gently squirt my new pups with a squirt bottle from a young age...all over their bodies and in their mouths...to help them cool off and to give them a drink - they LOVE it! Water hoses are thrilling!
• Does the trainer throw noise makers around her dogs (like pennies in a water bottle)? I do... as a game! I start my puppies off with a small empty water bottle and add pennies to it (one at a time) for the noise. It's a game to them and me. I want my puppies to LOVE noises! The more sudden and loud the better (you work up to this over time). Getting ready from a young age for the thunder and fireworks in Florida.
• You can make a huge difference in your dog's life by introducing things in a positve manner starting at 8 weeks old. Hopefully your breeder has begun that before you even got your puppy. You have a blank slate... why not fill it up with things that you want instead of waiting until the dog is 16 weeks old or even older to start? Or why wait until problems appear at 2 years old? Prevention and teaching is so much nicer than fixing problems.

Click here for Suggestions from the ADPT on choosing a Dog Trainer

Hiring a Dog Trainer can be very confusing.

A good place to start would be to get recommendations from your local Obedience Training club. Call or email them & ask for recommendations for a Positive Trainer in your area. They usually have a long list of  Positive Instructors who have been teaching for years. Our local one is Sarasota Obedience Training Club,  which we fondly refer to as SOTC.

Check all the credentials of whomever you are interested in hiring... what do all those initials after their name mean?

Anyone can post anything on a website. Please don't be fooled, check to see if they really do have those credentials & for how long.

Is your dog trainer Nationally certified with the Certification Counsel for Professional Dog Trainers or the  National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors  (these takes years of studying & teaching to obtain & maintain). 

Or a Professional Member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers   (they have different levels, the Professional level takes years of studying & teaching to obtain).

How much experience does the trainer have teaching group classes (and can this be verified)?

How much experience does the trainer have teaching private lessons (and can this be verified)?

Remember... the important thing is that you find a Positive Trainer that you like and trust, that knows what they are doing & that your dog & family likes! Happy hunting!

Email me before you get your puppy so I can help you with information about:

• Toys
• Management of puppy area in home
• Management of puppy
• Crate training
• Potty training
• Bite inhibition
• Treats & Food
• Food & Water dishes
• Goals for your puppy & how to meet them

I can even help you decide what breed, sex & age of dog would best suit your lifestyle.

From Karen Pryor:

In traditional training, animals learn what to do and what to avoid around people from the reactions of people. It's the same way animals learn what to do around other animals in the wild, from the reactions of other animals.

In OUR kind of training, animals learn how to find food, increase their skills, and discover new ways to have fun the same way they learn in nature—from exploring the world itself.

Seeking—and reaching—the animal mind

We are tapping into what scientists call the SEEKER system: the part of the brain that governs the urge all living beings have to explore their environment and get good things from it. The SEEKER system has absolutely nothing to do with dominance theories or any of the faux-science around avoidance and punishment-based training. It's a better way to reach the animal's mind.

Her new book is now out!

I realize some people do not want to use a clicker (I have found that training is faster when utilizing a clicker properly)...and that's fine, so my classes are clicker-optional, (except Click-a-Trick).

Clicker Training is a Positive style of training that is utilized in many places…Wild Animal Parks, Obedience & Agility training, Acting & Modeling, Assistance Service Dog training, Pet & Animal Assisted Therapy, etc… it's simply a positive way of teaching your animal voice cues &/or hand signals for behaviors that you would like to see repeated.

It’s all about Positive Communication!

Items needed to begin Clicker training:

• A small noise maker is used for the “Click!”… (if your animal is noise sensitive then a ball point pen could be used). There are several styles of clickers… some quieter than others. We have a few styles on hand for you to try & buy. 
• A Marker Word such as “Yip!” for times when you do not have a clicker in your hand. The word has to be something that you do not say normally, as you want the animal to be rewarded whenever you say the Marker Word. And it can be used if you are unable or do not wish to use the Clicker.
• Tiny treats that are very motivating to your animal... preferably ones that he/she can taste & swallow so they are ready for the next reward. 
• A toy can be used as a reward, so can real life... such as the animal being able to do something that he/she really wants to do.
• A smile on your face & a happy attitude!

Clicker Training is positive training… you don’t tell the animal what not to do… but instead you mark the behavior that the animal is doing right & follow it with a reward. The animal will repeat what causes him/her to get a reward. When you "Click!" it is marking a moment in time...much like taking a photograph.

Remember… the "Click!" is for training new behaviors, once the animal understands the word and/or hand signal, you do not need the “Click!” & treat. You then save it for the next new behavior that you want to work on.

Animals enjoy Clicker Training... they are rewarded for the right behavior instead of being reprimanded for offering the wrong one.

Your well trained animal is only a “Click!” away!